Somersaults

(chapter 16 from The Tale of a Magic River, a novel I'm working on, but possibly stands on its own as a short story)

"Look! Ki cried. A group of sea creatures had appeared in the shallow seawater near the rock pools, within touching distance of anyone with the tips of their toes in the ocean.
"They are velvi the fisherman explained. Ki stood up and rushed towards them.
"Careful! Sarilla warned, concerned by the speed in which her brother approached them.
"He need not worry. The fisherman said, easing her worries as they walked towards the boy, leaving their blankets and sandals on the patch of sand where they had spent the afternoon.
"Can you see the babies? Sarilla called out, pointing. Ki looked out at the tiny creatures, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. The bigger velvi could have swallowed Ki whole using just the corner of their mouth. The scales that covered their bodies were vivid purple and looked like they had been freshly painted that day. They swam only by performing backflips, which exposed their long tails that wagged like happy tobben. They had eyes as wide as boulders which lit up as they squirted water from their mouths. As they performed their backflips they made high pitched noises that brought smiles to the Two Hopinos. Ki tried to replicate the sound.
"Roooh! he screamed. "Rooooooooh!
One of the baby velvi looked directly at the boy as though he was being summoned.
"We are lucky the fisherman explained. "Velvi rarely come this close to land. In fact, they are rarely seen at all in these waters. It is perhaps only the third time I have ever laid eyes upon them. The first time I saw them was when I was your age, Ki, and I swam with them all night.
"You swam with them! Ki looked at the man in bewilderment, and then turned to his sister with pleading eyes.
"There is nothing to worry about the fisherman said, reading the thoughts of both of his companions simultaneously.
"He can swim with them? Sarilla asked. Before her question had been answered, Ki was in the water, shouting "rooooooh at the top of his voice while performing backflips.
"Soon he will be catching fish in his mouth. Sarilla said with a smile, sitting herself down on the sand. The fisherman sat beside her, stretching his legs out. "It is said. He started to tell her when he had found a comfortable position, "that velvi meat is juicier than that of any other animal. Teqer meat, like we ate this afternoon he said, gesturing to the greasy plates on the blanket, "is said to be among the best, it is certainly the best food you can buy here in Lelle. But when roasting velvi meat you need add no sauce, no herb, no spice, it could only detract from the flavour ' there is no way the meat could be improved.
"Have you ever tasted it?
"I doubt that anyone on this island has done he replied, shaking his head. The butchers of Lelle are brutal, they kill jal with one hand, they kill johars with a stamp of the foot and will serve it to their family before the blood on their sandal has dried. Similarly, us fisherman will spear teqer as naturally as sneezing and pick the wings from a duckling while it swims, leaving it with only its inedible body parts to survive. Yet when it comes to velvi¦no man could kill one. It is said that the only velvi ever to be eaten died of natural causes, not one has been killed by human hands.
"Why?
The fisherman gestured towards the water, where Ki rode on the back of one of the bigger velvi. He gripped on tightly to the fins, as the velv submerged below the clear blue water, and he leapt through the air backwards. Ki jumped off on the third somersault, flipping through the air like a 2 lomo coin before the biggest velv positioned itself in the water perfectly for Ki to land on it, as though he were connected by pulleys and wires.
"Roooooooooh! he squealed. Sarilla, screaming and shrieking in sheer delight, waved at him, but Ki did not notice her, he did not see her clapping her hands or screaming like she was insane.
"You can join him if you like the fisherman said to her. She shook her head. "I am happy where I am she replied, and edged closer to him, wrapping the palm of her hand around his thumb.
A baby velv looked towards them and squirted water from its mouth in approval.

As evening approached, the beach swarmed with onlookers; there were a hundred people in the water to every velv. Word had spread and the peace of the afternoon disappeared, not just with children playing with them but people of all age sitting on the purple scales that ran along their velvi vertebrae. One man that swam in the ocean was a huge man, bigger than most of the velvi.
"They should be swimming on his back! Sarilla joked, pointing him out in his bright, yellow swimming trunks. The fisherman laughed and with his free hand squeezed Sarilla's arm affectionately. When he took it back, she put her hand on his and moved it back to where it had been. She purred as he started stroking her arm, running his fingers from her wrist to her elbow. His fingers were less dark than her skin; the difference in shade pleased Sarilla.

"So do you know many people here? she asked the fisherman. He looked around at the overflowing beach that they had enjoyed having to themselves for so long. He did a quick calculation. "I think I could name every single person on this beach.
Sarilla looked impressed. "But the amount of people I personally know¦ he looked around again, spying the island's fruit seller and the man with the red face sat at opposite ends of the beach, both oblivious to anything other than the velvi and their backflips. "...three. he said, reticently.
"Four. Sarilla corrected him. "You know me now!
"I was counting you already. He replied with embarrassment. "None of them are my enemies he said quickly, as if to qualify his lack of friends. Though some may be enemies soon he thought to himself as he leant forward and kissed Sarilla on the lips.

"Are you ready to go back to the garden? Sarilla asked Hi when she had towelled him dry. He nodded enthusiastically. "Then it is time to say goodbye. Sarilla said to the second man she had ever kissed.
"Did you enjoy the velvi? he asked Ki. The boy nodded his head with such vigour that he looked like he was about to lose balance and unwittingly perform another backflip. The fisherman stayed where he was while Sarilla gathered the belongings, before leading Ki off to the Garden of Serenity, leaving an ocean of rooohing behind them.

Sarilla felt her shoulder being shaken and woke immediately. At first she expected it would be Rico, but it was not.
"Come with me the fisherman whispered. She looked at Ki on his hammocks, his eyes tightly closed. Satisfied that the somersaulting had exhausted him, and that he had several more hours of undisturbed sleep inside him, she crept out of the garden. As they walked through the pitch black tunnel, Sarilla reached for her fisherman's hand and did not removed it until they were on the beach.
"Everyone has gone! she exclaimed.
"The velvi too. he replied. They sat back in the silence, happy to have the beach to themselves again. Suddenly, as they were drifting off to sleep, they were disturbed by a gentle "roooh.
"Look! Sarilla cried, pointing at the water. There was one velv still there, somersaulting by itself. It "rooohed gently, as though as exhausted as Ki.
"Maybe it is our turn to swim the fisherman suggested. Sarilla started to unbutton his shirt. As he untied the cord around his shorts, she kicked off her sandals. Soon, all their clothes lay in one pile and the couple held onto the one remaining velv, leaping backwards through the air, submerging under the water, clinging onto the fins and each other for support.

They towelled each other dry and buttoned up each other's clothes. People had started to gather on the beach as the sun was rising, but the two carried on regardless, and were left in peace.
"I should get back to Ki. Sarilla said.
"I need to get to bed. I spent the whole night here watching the velvi the fisherman explained. They kissed and parted. When Sarilla arrived back in the Garden of Serenity, Rico was sat cross legged on Ki's hammock. Ki was stood with his cricket bat in his bands, and Rico was tossing the ball to him, which they boy obediently hit back right into his hands.
"Sarilla! he cried when he saw her. He seemed pleased to see her.
"Rico!
"Sorry to be a stranger. he said to her gently. "But I have to show you something. I think you will love it.
"Hi Sarilla. Ki greeted his sister with his mouth full.
"Taste some of this. Rico instructed her, passing a dish of carved meat. "It is the tastiest meat you will ever eat.