HOME | DD

Description
The water was cold, dark and… well wet.
It was strange being this deep under water. Strange, but exhilarating. I think I was supposed to be born a fish, not an elf. Some do say that Yurtganens were born from fishes, which doesn’t make sense to me. Why would we give up the luxury of breathing underwater?

I spotted a nearby air pocket and swam over, my body still pumped up with adrenaline. I gasped for air as I surfaced in a little cave. The air felt stale, and I wondered for the tenth time how they managed to keep these pockets. They seemed natural, but also a bit unnatural. My eyes wandered over the walls of the small cave, and I noticed a few carvings. Most were just names, and I figured Yurtganen. I smiled and reached around near my feet and picked up a small rock. Bracing against the wall with my back, I carved my name into the wall, next to all the others who had gone through this trial. My elated mood dimmed a bit as I wondered which one among them had completed the trial. Shaking the thought out of my head, I kicked out of the small cave and into the deeper sea.

The pressure was a bit more noticeable, but bearable. I’m not sure how long I had been under here, but worry wasn’t a thing I usually did. Swimming like this was my passion, the water secure all around me. Some say swimming’s like flying, but I don’t think I’d like flying. I don’t know, having absolutely nothing but air around you, and the hard ground below you… at least water gives you a comforting blanket.

Swimming deeper still, it became darker. Amazing creatures I have never seen before swam around me, but nothing gave me any notice. I hadn’t seen any elf-eating monsters yet, and was beginning to think that was just a joke those higher up than me liked to tell. A huge shape swam in front of me and I flailed, stopping myself from crashing into it. Its large flank swam past, and I couldn’t tell if it was a whale or a sea serpent. I swam after it, along its side, and came to its face. It’s huge eye looked at me, taking me in, then turned lazily away. I treaded water, watching it disappear. Why couldn’t I just live down hear? Life seems simpler in a way.

Knowing any deeper would probably get me killed, I instead went what I supposed to be west, towards a cluster of rocks. I prided myself in how long I could stay under without breathing, but I was in need of some air. Spotting another small cave with a pocket of air, and hoping it wasn’t the same one I had used before, I headed over. I frowned slightly, as I noticed most of the fish weren’t around. An ill feeling crept over me as I watched the rocks that now seemed a bit sinister. I ignored it, as I desperately needed water.

Urging my body to be faster, I neared the rocks, when chaos erupted around me. Large black shapes with white spots crashed into me, knocking me one way then another. I lost track of which way was up and began to panic. The air was knocked out of me when one of the shapes, which I supposed to be violent fish, rammed into my chest. I swallowed water, the pain in my lungs burning. Trying to gasp for air, I breathed in more water, the creatures ramming into me. I realized they were driving me to the rocks, probably to smash me into them. One latched onto my head and drove me into another, pinning me against their bodies. I couldn’t move, my vision beginning to blur. Bracing myself against the creature, I slowly pushed the one behind me away, my back beginning to burn. I realized the one on my back had some sort of tentacle that was draped along my spin, and the burning intensified. I groaned, the weight of the creature and the burning on my back sending pain along my nerves. I shuddered, more air escaping my lips, then went limp.

Realizing all resistance had left me, the fish creatures took me over to the rocks. I maybe swam in and out of consciousness, but every time I thought I had died, I realized I was still on the fish’s back. The tentacle was still connected to my spin, and the only thing that was working at the moment was my mind. Wondering why I was going this long without water, I choose to ignore the larger fish emerging from the rocks. I also chose to ignore how several of the other fish that had attacked me fled before them. The two who were my captors seemed to not have a choice as they swam stubbornly ahead towards the monsters.

When something wrapped around my leg, I was certain it was now time for them to eat me. But instead, I was ripped away from my captors. A stream of bubbles escaping me, the pain on my back seared hot. My vision was blinded by white hot pain as the thing crawled up my leg and then wrapped around one of my stiff arms. Suddenly, its face was in front of me, and before I could protest, it latched onto my mouth. It’s tentacles, or arms, or legs, pinned my arms to my body, stopping any resistance. It wasn’t till I tried gasping fro breath that I realized this thing was breathing for me. Realization hit me, and then my body went limp, my consciousness going to the back of my head.

--

I woke up parched and thirsty. The sun was glaring in my eyes and sand was caked on my skin. I slowly got my arms under me, then gasped as my back eased off the sand. I could tell there were two long strips of skin missing, the sand invading the wounds. I groaned, nausea taking control of me, and retched up sea water. And possibly whatever I had eaten that day.

Trying to regain breath, I looked up to see where I was. My eyes fell on the strangest creature I had ever seen above water. It seemed to have a head, and a slit for a mouth. Gills lined the lower side of the head, and pale tentacles, like jellyfish trailed along behind it. There were two tentacles that matched the texture of its head, little suckers on them. I stared at it, taking it in, then realized why it was so strange. It didn’t belong on land. Trying to ignore the overwhelming pain on my back, I scooped it up, but yelped as a shot from the tentacles zapped my hand. Nearly dropping it, I held it by the head and realized it was watching me. It’s huge yellow eyes stared into mine, fear etched all over them.

I knelt by the water, submerging the creature. It swam away from my hands, then turned slightly, looking back at me. A question was in those eyes, a question probably mirrored by my own. What was going on? The creature slowly swam back, it’s two larger tentacles pushing it forward. It stopped right out of my grasp, then inched towards my hands. Instinct told me to pull my hands away, but I didn’t. It nipped at one finger, then another, then swam into my hand. Frowning, I didn’t move, but it looked up at me, telling me to stand. I did, and when it came out of the water, it climbed up my chest using the two larger tentacles to grab hold of my vest. Stiffing, I realized the smaller tentacles weren’t stinging me.

It came to a rest at my shoulder, it’s body, or head resting in the crook of my neck, under my damp hair. Still slightly confused, a reached up and stroked the creature, and was rewarded with a small coo. The creature nibbled my finger, its eyes wide like an innocent child. I frowned as a small spot of blood appeared on my finger.

“Foa…”

I stared at it, and it, no she, stared back. As she had saved me from the water, my blood saved her from the air and sun. “Foa, huh? Cute name.” She gave me that innocent look again, and I laughed. My laugh quickly turned into a groan as my gut and chest clenched, doubling me over. I made my way back, Foa’s smaller tentacles draped over my back.
That’s when I realized the pain from the wounds were gone.
What a special creature you are, Foa.

Description
The water was cold, dark and… well wet.
It was strange being this deep under water. Strange, but exhilarating. I think I was supposed to be born a fish, not an elf. Some do say that Yurtganens were born from fishes, which doesn’t make sense to me. Why would we give up the luxury of breathing underwater?

I spotted a nearby air pocket and swam over, my body still pumped up with adrenaline. I gasped for air as I surfaced in a little cave. The air felt stale, and I wondered for the tenth time how they managed to keep these pockets. They seemed natural, but also a bit unnatural. My eyes wandered over the walls of the small cave, and I noticed a few carvings. Most were just names, and I figured Yurtganen. I smiled and reached around near my feet and picked up a small rock. Bracing against the wall with my back, I carved my name into the wall, next to all the others who had gone through this trial. My elated mood dimmed a bit as I wondered which one among them had completed the trial. Shaking the thought out of my head, I kicked out of the small cave and into the deeper sea.

The pressure was a bit more noticeable, but bearable. I’m not sure how long I had been under here, but worry wasn’t a thing I usually did. Swimming like this was my passion, the water secure all around me. Some say swimming’s like flying, but I don’t think I’d like flying. I don’t know, having absolutely nothing but air around you, and the hard ground below you… at least water gives you a comforting blanket.

Swimming deeper still, it became darker. Amazing creatures I have never seen before swam around me, but nothing gave me any notice. I hadn’t seen any elf-eating monsters yet, and was beginning to think that was just a joke those higher up than me liked to tell. A huge shape swam in front of me and I flailed, stopping myself from crashing into it. Its large flank swam past, and I couldn’t tell if it was a whale or a sea serpent. I swam after it, along its side, and came to its face. It’s huge eye looked at me, taking me in, then turned lazily away. I treaded water, watching it disappear. Why couldn’t I just live down hear? Life seems simpler in a way.

Knowing any deeper would probably get me killed, I instead went what I supposed to be west, towards a cluster of rocks. I prided myself in how long I could stay under without breathing, but I was in need of some air. Spotting another small cave with a pocket of air, and hoping it wasn’t the same one I had used before, I headed over. I frowned slightly, as I noticed most of the fish weren’t around. An ill feeling crept over me as I watched the rocks that now seemed a bit sinister. I ignored it, as I desperately needed water.

Urging my body to be faster, I neared the rocks, when chaos erupted around me. Large black shapes with white spots crashed into me, knocking me one way then another. I lost track of which way was up and began to panic. The air was knocked out of me when one of the shapes, which I supposed to be violent fish, rammed into my chest. I swallowed water, the pain in my lungs burning. Trying to gasp for air, I breathed in more water, the creatures ramming into me. I realized they were driving me to the rocks, probably to smash me into them. One latched onto my head and drove me into another, pinning me against their bodies. I couldn’t move, my vision beginning to blur. Bracing myself against the creature, I slowly pushed the one behind me away, my back beginning to burn. I realized the one on my back had some sort of tentacle that was draped along my spin, and the burning intensified. I groaned, the weight of the creature and the burning on my back sending pain along my nerves. I shuddered, more air escaping my lips, then went limp.

Realizing all resistance had left me, the fish creatures took me over to the rocks. I maybe swam in and out of consciousness, but every time I thought I had died, I realized I was still on the fish’s back. The tentacle was still connected to my spin, and the only thing that was working at the moment was my mind. Wondering why I was going this long without water, I choose to ignore the larger fish emerging from the rocks. I also chose to ignore how several of the other fish that had attacked me fled before them. The two who were my captors seemed to not have a choice as they swam stubbornly ahead towards the monsters.

When something wrapped around my leg, I was certain it was now time for them to eat me. But instead, I was ripped away from my captors. A stream of bubbles escaping me, the pain on my back seared hot. My vision was blinded by white hot pain as the thing crawled up my leg and then wrapped around one of my stiff arms. Suddenly, its face was in front of me, and before I could protest, it latched onto my mouth. It’s tentacles, or arms, or legs, pinned my arms to my body, stopping any resistance. It wasn’t till I tried gasping fro breath that I realized this thing was breathing for me. Realization hit me, and then my body went limp, my consciousness going to the back of my head.

--

I woke up parched and thirsty. The sun was glaring in my eyes and sand was caked on my skin. I slowly got my arms under me, then gasped as my back eased off the sand. I could tell there were two long strips of skin missing, the sand invading the wounds. I groaned, nausea taking control of me, and retched up sea water. And possibly whatever I had eaten that day.

Trying to regain breath, I looked up to see where I was. My eyes fell on the strangest creature I had ever seen above water. It seemed to have a head, and a slit for a mouth. Gills lined the lower side of the head, and pale tentacles, like jellyfish trailed along behind it. There were two tentacles that matched the texture of its head, little suckers on them. I stared at it, taking it in, then realized why it was so strange. It didn’t belong on land. Trying to ignore the overwhelming pain on my back, I scooped it up, but yelped as a shot from the tentacles zapped my hand. Nearly dropping it, I held it by the head and realized it was watching me. It’s huge yellow eyes stared into mine, fear etched all over them.

I knelt by the water, submerging the creature. It swam away from my hands, then turned slightly, looking back at me. A question was in those eyes, a question probably mirrored by my own. What was going on? The creature slowly swam back, it’s two larger tentacles pushing it forward. It stopped right out of my grasp, then inched towards my hands. Instinct told me to pull my hands away, but I didn’t. It nipped at one finger, then another, then swam into my hand. Frowning, I didn’t move, but it looked up at me, telling me to stand. I did, and when it came out of the water, it climbed up my chest using the two larger tentacles to grab hold of my vest. Stiffing, I realized the smaller tentacles weren’t stinging me.

It came to a rest at my shoulder, it’s body, or head resting in the crook of my neck, under my damp hair. Still slightly confused, a reached up and stroked the creature, and was rewarded with a small coo. The creature nibbled my finger, its eyes wide like an innocent child. I frowned as a small spot of blood appeared on my finger.

“Foa…”

I stared at it, and it, no she, stared back. As she had saved me from the water, my blood saved her from the air and sun. “Foa, huh? Cute name.” She gave me that innocent look again, and I laughed. My laugh quickly turned into a groan as my gut and chest clenched, doubling me over. I made my way back, Foa’s smaller tentacles draped over my back.
That’s when I realized the pain from the wounds were gone.
What a special creature you are, Foa.