𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐬

𝟏𝟎. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

Gemini panicked as she flailed about in the water, desperately trying to break free from the bond pulling her down. If she didn't get to the surface, she would run out of air and drown.

Then she remembered something. Everyone had been taught to shapeshift when they were twelve. It was a pity that they couldn't choose the animal(s) they would shift into though. Instead, it was dependent on their names and its meaning. When she had shapeshifted for the first time, she had turned into a beautiful blue dolphin. Maybe that could help her through this trial...maybe...what other option did she have?

She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She pictured a dolphin with its sleek body and shiny black eyes. Then Gemini imagined being a dolphin, a sea creature cutting effortlessly through the water. Slowly, she felt a tingling sensation spread throughout her body, followed by slight pain as her bones shifted.

Gemini winced. She probably should've practiced shifting more often. The more she shifted, the less painful and effortless it would be.

When the tingling and pain stopped, Gemini looked down at her new body. The bond wrapped around her ankle was gone and she quickly swam to the surface. She felt a sense of freedom as her body cut through the surface of the water and into the air before plunging back down into the foamy waters.

It was then that she saw what had been holding on to her, dragging her down into the watery depths of the Sapphire Sea. Looking up at her was a giant creature, about a hundred times her size, with eight long tentacles. Its blue-green skin was rough and seemed to blend in with the ocean, making it hard to spot it.

Gemini paled. There was only one such creature like this living in Eden-Ilias the Giant Octopus. Not much was known about him, except that he was a giant blue octopus that resided at the very beach she was at. Whether he was a friend or a foe, Gemini didn't know.

Shit, she thought. I hope he doesn't eat dolphins. Do octopi eat dolphins? Oh right. It's the other way around. Dolphins eat octopi. But this octopus is huge! Maybe I can just make a run for it.

Gemini willed herself to swim towards the border of Eden, pumping her fins as hard as possible to swim faster. However, before she could get very far, Ilias pulled her back.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Gemini gulped. He talks. Ilias talks. I thought octopi are deaf? she thought. But this is Eden. Everything is possible. Maybe one of the gods gave him the ability to talk.

"I'm just going to the edge of Eden, collect some pearls and swim back. So if you please, I'll be on my way," she said in a series of clicks and whistles.

"Not so fast!" Ilias boomed.

Gemini bit the tentacle wrapped around her as hard as she could. Ilias gave a cry of pain and let go of her. She took the chance to swim away, biting fiercely at every tentacle that tried to grab her. "Stay away from me!"