“I think I’ll just pick my own creature and call it a day,” I snort, turning my back on them and walking to the edge of the water.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Lynx. Even as an aquatic being, it’s up to the water if it will accept you, and this is the only way to be sure it won’t reject you,” Levi calls after me, and he has me momentarily second-guessing my plan.
‘Lynx, come here,’Rez calls me over to the other side of the group, and when I get close enough, she grabs my hand.‘I didn’t want to scare anyone, but look.’
She kicks her boot against the sand and uncovers some bones. They're not big enough to be human bones, but fish bones and small aquatic species by the look of it.
‘What are you thinking?’I ask her, but we don’t have to guess as a creature we’ve never seen before is spat up from the water and thrown onto the sand by our boots. It’s the size of my forearm and looks like a small Selkie, but it’s covered in blood. It takes two gasping breaths before it stops moving, and my jaw drops.
‘I’m thinking I wouldn’t take a chance of the ocean rejecting you while we’re in the middle of it somewhere.’
‘Yep. I’ll eat the damn berries,’I concede.
We walk back to the group and find everyone by the edge of the water. I can feel the tension in the air as we face the unknown.
“Relax, guys, we’re just taking a group bath. Did anyone bring bath salts?” I ask, looking around.
“Sorry, it’s in my beauty bag, and I left that on the kitchen counter,” JP clucks his tongue, smiling.
“Speaking of bags, what’s going to happen to mine when we change?” Rez asks, looking a little worried.
“Here, I’ll bind it to you, so if you lose it, we’ll be able to track it. Or if you ever gain a S.I.N. box, your items will transfer to that,” Levi reassures her.
“Oh, thank you so much.” She quickly kisses him on the cheek before permitting herself to take in a deep breath and letting her shoulders drop.
“A reminder, guys. We have no friends or connections in this world,” Levi says, handing out the fruit to everyone.
“We didn’t have connections in the other worlds either, but we found allies there,” I point out, cocking an eyebrow at our leader.
“Yeah, but we have King Desmond that rules this world, Serafin’s father,” Ryker states. “And knowing her, she’s paid people to take us out, or those of us she doesn’t want around,” he says, looking directly at Rez, the threat clear.
She’s a dead woman in this world, if we’re not careful.
“Before I forget, telepathic communication is normal here. So, at least depending on what kind of creature we change into, we should be able to communicate in that form,” Levi adds.
That’s helpful.
“Well, we don’t have all day,” Rez says, biting into the fruit and chewing.
Not waiting for her reaction, I bite into mine and groan at the sweetness of the pulp. The black spikes are soft as I chew, and the pulp inside has a pink sweetness like watermelon with an aftertaste of strawberry and kiwi. I’m so mesmerized by the taste that I don’t notice my body going limp until I fall to the sand and start to spasm.
Shit. What’s happening!?
It happens within seconds. I hear it, instead of feeling it, a wave of water encases me off the beach and pulls me back as if it’s accepting me back home. Whatever creature I have turned into, I immediately can tell the water currents, how deep I am, where I’m at, who’s around me, and if they are friend, foe, or the unknown.
‘Is everyone here?’Moni asks, her mental voice high-pitched, easily showing her panic.
‘We’re all here. Open your eyes, Moni,’Chester coaxes with a soft chuckle, and she’s not the only one who takes his advice.
It turns out, I had my eyes closed as well, so when I open them, my jaw drops as I take in the rest of my team.Holy Shit!I think it’s my team at least. I’m surrounded by fish, coral, and, well, water. Talk about the Essence of the Dew, the ocean really did bring out everyone’s inner core.
There’s a multi-colored sea horse that is zipping around while quickly changing sizes in front of me.
‘Moni?’I ask, as the horse starts having a seizure of different colors as it pops in and out of its two-inch and four-foot form.
‘Yes! It’s me.’She moves in a circle and suddenly stops when a leopard seal immediately rushes over and rubs its nose up against her.
‘And I’m assuming the seal is Chester?’I call out. It’s verified as they cuddle in their forms. Of course, he would be a fucking leopard seal. He’s the hero-type of guy, with a fiery passion for protecting Moni; hopefully, he can actually see with this form.
