The Misadventures of a Terrestrial Anomaly

“I think I did it!” A young boy exclaimed, “Ocean, come check!”

An awkward consciousness wafted in the darkness around looked back and forth. Only bioluminescent algae and coral lit the underwater cave. An ice sculpture of a woman held a smaller boy in her arms. The coral and algae that grew off of her sparkled with the lights around them. He excitedly clapped his hands as the consciousness blinked to life.

“Look at you, Lake!” Ocean shook him enthusiastically, “You did it! You made your first elemental!”

“Do you think he’ll like it?” He swam over to it.

“I’m sure he will. It’s not often one of his favorite people gives him something,” She floated towards them.

“I want him to name it!”

“Okay, well, we should go visit him. Are you ready for the trip?”

“Yes, Ocean!” Lake smiled brightly as he reached a handout towards the new consciousness, “Come on, you’re coming with!”

The shapeless form wrapped around the young deity’s hand and was ripped to the surface of the ocean in an instant. Waves crashed against the rocky shore as they glided towards a large light house. Lake never let go of the consciousness as they approached the shore. The animated boy stepped onto the shore with resistance from his creation.

“Don’t worry,” He grinned large enough that his eyes closed in the process, “As long as you touch something with water, then you’ll be fine! You can hold my hand if you want.”

The consciousness tried to make a noise, but only unintelligible gurgles bubbled from it. A young Lake frowned and scratched at the strands of water and kelp for hair. He turned to yell for the other deity as she slipped off the rocks and towards the lighthouse. As she reached for the door, it swung open, and a rather average looking man stepped outside. He wasn’t too tall, had broad shoulders, and a slightly pudgy belly. His brown beard and braided locks were bleached blonde from the years of sun.

“Good morning, my beautiful lady!” He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into the air, “How is the brightly blue goddess today?”

“Shaun!” Ocean squealed happily, “Stop it!”

He kissed her neck and spun her, “Absolutely not!”

The water goddess caressed his face in her hands as he set her back down. The other deity made a disgusted gagging sound as they kissed. He looked over at the shore and with boyish grin.

“There’s my little Lake! Come here, son!” He called, “I can’t give you a proper greeting from there!”

Lake gripped the consciousness and walked it towards the door. He proudly presented it to the scruffy sailor. The summoned glob of water touched Ocean to remain active as the sailor lifted up the small boy and twirled him around. He held the boy against him in a tight hug. The youngster giggled until he sat them down.

“I made you something!” Lake pointed to the floating consciousness.

“Ah, well… thank you!” He scratched his beard, “Can I ask what it is?”

“It’s that thing you told us about!” He proudly stood straight, “You said you were looking for another one since you got here. I’m finally a high enough level to make something, so I did!”

“This is the ‘dog’ creature you explained to him,” Ocean chuckled, “At least, how he sees it. He offers it as a familiar. Once you accept, it can take the form a bit clearer. I know it is… messy.”

“Aw, sonny boy, you got me a dog?”

“You said you missed them,” He shyly stepped between his feet, “I don’t want you to leave us now that your job is done. I’d miss you, Captain Shaun!”

They all looked over as two more beings stepped forth from the water and onto the shore. A greyish-blue man with fins along his arms and gills on his neck stretched to his full height. He pushed his sleek, muddy hair back with his webbed fingers before waving hello. The dark blue woman next to him with light blue, froggish spots and wavy pink hair smiled widely at them as well.

“Delta! River! Welcome back!” Shaun called, “You came all the way out here for little old me? That’s too kind.”

“It’s not every day that Ocean’s Hero retires,” Delta’s booming voice carried from the distance, “Can’t believe you’re giving up sailing. You’re only sixty!”

“I’m not giving it up, you young buck!” Shaun laughed, “I just can’t stay on a boat everyday anymore. My bones aren’t what they used to be.”

“Good day, Captain Shaun!” River skipped over and wrapped her arms around the man, “I’m so happy I made it! Delta stopped by a few weeks ago to help me overfill the Oasis so I could come.”

“What a good man!” He chuckled as the older water deity bowed to him, “Come in here and give me a hug, Delta.”

The murky water god grinned and wrapped his arms around the man, “It’s hard to stay formal with you.”

“I never want any of you to!” He laughed, “Now that you’re all here, what are we doing to celebrate?”

He ushered all of them into the small home attached to the lighthouse. The group chatted casually as the day went on. Lake crawled into the man’s lap and played board games with their small family. The odd consciousness sat in a bowl on the kitchen counter as they all spent the day together.

The consciousness liked how friendly all of the powerful beings were, yet completely natural around each other. As the sun set, Shaun stocked a small fire that the water deities sat far away from it. His back cracked as he sat in a well-worn armchair and lit a pipe.

“Now, gifts!” River clapped her hands excitedly and presented Shaun with a package covered with leaves, “I made this new species, just for you!”

He pulled leaves away from the gift to unwrap it. The tiny thing wasn’t bigger than his pinky finger. It squatted in his hand and let out a loud ribbit.

“He’s gorgeous,” He chuckled, “We call these frogs where I come from.”

“Frogs,” She swished her mouth about as she tasted the word, “I like it. I shall keep the name.”

“They came in so many shapes, sizes, and colors. I want you to branch out a bit with it, little lady,” He placed it on his shoulder, “Just like the pink hair. It suits you.”

“Thank you, Captain Shaun!” The young woman bounced happily back to her seat, “I shall make so many frogs for you! I can’t wait.”

“The next eldest,” Delta stood and cleared his throat, “I present you with this trident.”

A shimmering, black trident appeared in his outstretched hand. Elegant carvings of water and fish swirled in opalescent colors along the weapon. Shaun blinked as he grabbed it and looked it over. It was weightless in his hand.

“That’s most impressive, sonny. I knew you were working on a weapon, but I didn’t expect it to be for me!”

“I am honored that you would be gracious enough to accept it,” The deity bowed.

“My turn, my turn!” Lake ran back to the bowl that the blob of consciousness sat in, “I made you a dog!”

“What Lake means—” Ocean chuckled and explained to the others, “—is that he is blessing you with a divine familiar. Once you accept it, it will search your memories and become a dog.”

“That’s fantastic,” Shaun picked up the bowl, “Help me summon it, would you?”

The consciousness heard a voice in its soul. It reverberated in the bowl as the odd human wiggled his fingers in it.

You have been gifted from a Greater Water Deity to a Terrestrial Anomaly as a Divine Elemental Familiar. Shaun Oreck has seen your form as DOG.

You will be recalibrated in three… two… one.

A lively blue pup sprung out of the bowl and barked happily. Its wagging tail flicked droplets of sparkling water at everyone in the room.

“What should I name her?” Shaun looked at Lake.

“We don’t name elementals,” River scoffed, “They’re just amalgamations of our will. They don’t need names.”

“He can name her if he wants to!” The boy stomped his foot, “I think something water based, just like our names!”

“I don’t think this elemental should—”

All the bickering siblings flinched as Ocean stood. Her broiling rage was evident in her bubbling body. Steam rose from her as if she was in a cooking pot.

“If my champion wants to name anything, then he gets to,” She hissed, “Is that understood? Or should I wipe your pitiful existence from the face of this entire universe and create another to take your place! You are both over three millennia old. Act like it.”

“Sorry, Mother Ocean,” River and Delta bowed their heads.

“I’ve decided,” Shaun scratched his beard, “This sweet girl will be Puddles.”

The watery bark of agreement made Lake smile brighter, “My first elemental has a name!”

He wrapped his arms around Puddle’s neck and squeezed it tightly. The gooey ball of a dog simply sucked his arms into his form and playfully licked him. Now that the consciousness had a form and a name, she felt complete.

“Who’s a good girl?” Shaun patted his lap, “Come here.”

“Now, Puddles,” Ocean picked up the puppy and looked into her eyes, “Your job is to keep Captain Shaun alive and happy, understood?”

The transformed elemental yipped enthusiastically to agree. For the rest of Shaun Oreck’s unremarkable life, she never left his side. Puddles grew to the size of a standard retriever and couldn’t have been a better companion to the aging man. She spent her days with him -whether fishing on his rowboat, trudging up and down the stairs of the light house, or trekking through Awon’s shores for some exercise. Their bond as elemental and owner deepened as the days went on.

Puddles took her job seriously. She protected Shaun from any manner of falling branches, stormy days, or unknown visitors. Her powers grew as she understood what her job was. With her growing powers as she leveled, she learned new ways to protect her owner. A simple lick from her tongue would heal any bruise and a simple thought of bursting would send a splash of water at their enemies. She only wanted to do her job as well as she could, because Shaun needed her. Lake told her as much.

The retired captain didn’t have many friends, but his faithful companion kept him company. Puddles never changed even though Shaun aged as each year went by. Besides a few merchants and the nearby tavern’s barkeep, Shaun was the only person she knew. Puddles didn’t mind.

Shaun was a good man. She didn’t need anyone else.

Ocean often visited for weeks at a time to lay with him and join his simple days. Puddles knew their routes and could bark at the ocean to summon one of the deities, should he need them. Her days were at his side and her nights were in a large basin at the foot of his bed until she reshaped into the happy dog the next day.

The only day that changed was his last.

“Ay, baby girl,” Shaun wheezed as he clutched his chest, “Puddles, go get Ocean, will you?”

She barked anxiously and splatted against the wall as her molecules phased to the outside. Once she reformed, she shook the dirt and brick dust off and sprinted to the water. After much frantic barking, a majestic blue woman stepped from the water with fright in her otherwise dead eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

She whined and sprinted back towards the house; the deity close on her heels. She slammed the door open and saw Shaun crawling towards his armchair. Ocean quickly lifted him and sat them both there as he wheezed more.

“I think it’s time, my lady.”

“I can see that.”

He caressed her face lovingly, “I’m sorry to leave you so soon.”

“I knew this day would come, my captain,” She placed her forehead against his, “Do you have any final requests of me?”

“Puddles has done such a good job,” He chuckled and reached over to wriggle his fingers in the water dog’s head, “I know she’s only an elemental… but could you make her a god? I think she’d do a fine job of helping others as she’s helped me.”

“I will need your energy,” Ocean picked her up and held her against her chest, “It will kill you, if your disease does not in the next few days.”

“I figured as much. It’s far past my time.”

She nervously pet the anxious dog, “Is this your dying wish, truly?”

“I know there’s only a few ways to become a god. I never wanted that mess for myself,” He waved the thought way, “But witnessing the birth of one will be phenomenal to leave this world with. She’s been one of the best things in my life –besides you.”

“I never understood why Lake demanded to get you a dog, but you seemed much happier with her here.”

“I consider her my daughter,” His chuckle turned into a coughing fit, “I hope you will too.”

“She will keep her memories. I’ll make sure of it,” She sat on his lap as the dog wriggled in her arms, “Are you ready to begin?”

Shaun placed his hand on Ocean’s and grunted.

You have received the Divine Gift: Rite of Ascension. A godtier being is transferring levels to you in order to ascend you to godhood. This transfer is permanent and binding.

As the shreds of his life force faded away, Puddles howled in agony. Her connection to the man ripped away from her soul. She tried to worm away from the goddess’s arms and protect her dying master. Her paws soon stretched and turned into small hands that grabbed at him and tried to shake him awake. Then, for the first time, she spoke.

“No! I must—” She tried to throw Ocean’s arms off of her, “I have to keep him alive!”

The goddess held her close and cried with her as the man’s shriveled hand dropped. She was no larger than Lake was when she was created, just much less powerful. When Ocean released her, she grabbed him up and used her new humanoid form to check on him. New words swirled in her mind.

Heal.

Nothing happened.

Surge.

A blast of water shot from her and engulfed him.

“Be a good girl, now,” He coughed and looked between them, “Both of you.”

The last of his consciousness gently faded despite her best efforts.

Heal.

Puddles wailed as she no longer felt him. Ever since she was gifted to him, she felt his consciousness as her own. Now that he was gone, she felt hollow.

“I—I failed.”

“Dear child, you did not fail anything,” Ocean wiped her crystallized tears away, “Captain Shaun lived much longer than he should have because of you. Thank you for keeping him happy.”

“But I was meant to keep him alive. I failed?” She looked up at the woman, “Does that make you my master now?”

“I am not your master. I am the creator of all aquatics,” She pulled the small girl up in her arms, “You are a small goddess now. You have no master.”

“But… but what am I?” She rubbed her hands against her newly shaped head, “I feel so many weird things. Words are… weird. Speaking, thinking… What happened?”

“That was your father. He loved you very much. You were modeled after one of his favorite things when he lived on a place called Earth,” She smiled softly and stroked a blue strand of hair from the girl’s face, “I’ve made you one of my children, now. You’re modeled after them.”

“Can I not remain dog?”

“I cannot speak to you if you are a dog.”

Puddles crossed her arms, “Father could just fine!”

As she shouted, the water in the room sloshed about. Ocean cackled at the girl’s gutsy attitude. She walked over to the deceased. As the deity swirled the man in water, Puddles ran up to stop her.

“Don’t touch him!”

“We must lay him to rest. I want to bring him back with me,” She reached a hand towards the girl, “I plan for you to come as well.”

The defiant young goddess jerked her head to the side and snorted, “My job is to—”

She stopped when she realized she no longer had a job. Shaun was dead. Her eyes grew in rapid panic as she looked back at Ocean.

“My job—”

“Do you want another job?” She raised an eyebrow, “I can train you for one, if you’d like.”

“Yes! Do that!” She crossed her arms, “A good dog gets a job! I am good dog!”

“You aren’t a dog anymore, Puddles. You are a god. A lesser god, but a god all the same.”

“I am not lesser—”

Ocean ran a hand down her face before she squatted to be at the girl’s height, “My child, you have much to learn.”

“Don’t act like I can’t!”

“You were a good dog. Now, you can be a good god,” She chucked, “And more of a handful to train than River, I can already tell.”

“What will my job be?”

“What do you want it to be?”

“Heal,” Puddles looked at her hands and remembered the odd word, “Heal?”

“Then, I have the perfect place.”