Chapter 2

Kivara Driftreef waved goodbye to Anya, her best friend of many years. They had finished their tour of the island, where people celebrated them, and gave well wishes. Now it was time to separate and prepare for their individual journeys. It was a solitary event.

Sun-kissed skin, with long brown hair and brown eyes, Kiva dressed in practical green leggings and a functional tunic, the colors of the ocean. She was hardworking, preferring to rely on herself. She was short and thin, but not as frail of build as her friend Anya. She had wiry muscle built from working the fishing nets with her father. Resonance was never in her future.

Having the luck of being born close to each other, Kiva and Anya were close friends. It was just past their seventeenth name day, which meant they were finally old enough to undertake their Heartsong Trial. The trials were a rite of passage, and Kiva had waited years to pursue her path. Anya had pestered and pried Kiva for years, trying to learn what she had planned, which animal she would converge with, but it was personal and secret. Besides, if it didn’t work, she didn’t want to share. Bioconvergence was a deeply personal event. Anya wouldn’t understand. She was a harmonic, and had known her path since birth, following in her mother’s footsteps for her lightning affinity. It was practically guaranteed.

Kiva was much more uncertain. It didn’t matter if she wanted it hard enough, she had to convince an animal, or group of animals, that she belonged among them, and that was certainly easier said than done. Tidefang otters would be her convergence animal. They had fascinated her since birth. They were roughly about half the size of a human, but muscular, with sharp claws and a wicked set of fangs, used for cracking open crabs and shells. They were excellent swimmers, gliding through the water with ease. They had thick insulated coats, able to withstand extreme temperatures where they hunted the ocean thermals for fish and crabs, the staple of their diet. Each animal had unique glowing patterns of greens, blues, and whites running over their torso, marking them individually. Heat and cold were no issue for them thanks to their natural defenses, and they were adapted for the extremes of the ocean. They were also wickedly smart and cunning, with the entire romp working together to feed to feed the group as a whole. No one was ever left to starve. They had been studied quite extensively, and the only person who knew what she intended was her father.

She returned home, looking forward to supper, and trying to find a distraction to calm her nerves. It was a scary thing, going to fulfill your life goals. What if it didn’t work? What if something went wrong? What if they rejected her, or she got killed in the process? There were never any guarantees, and her doubts set in. Kiva was never quite as confident as Anya, but she knew Anya would call her dependable, and stubborn, and that had value. It amazed her that they were such close friends, even though their personalities were starkly opposite.

Kiva opened the door to the small house her family occupied. They didn’t need much space, as they were spent most of their time outside. Her father was a fisherman, which is where she discovered the otters. He had taken her with him to learn how to fish when she was four years old. It was mostly him throwing nets, and her pulling them in with his help, but the otters harassed the nets, seeking easy meals. It was lifechanging for her. They seemed so adorable, and intelligent. She even reached out to touch one as it darted near the boat, but her father had yanked her hand away, scolding her that they could bite her hand off if they were startled. Even so, the experience had stuck in her mind, and from that day on, she knew what she wanted. There was never any doubt.

Rich smells of seasoned steak wafted through the doorway enticing her to come in. Her father greeted her, as he was just serving dinner. It was only her and him. Her mother had passed from illness years ago. He was a short, stout man, but moved nimbly for his build.

“Kiva, my darling! You’re back! How did the parade go?” Her father placed a plate with a cut of meat and root vegetables onto the table for her.

“It was fine, dad. Everyone was very kind, and we had plenty of special treatment. Dinner smells good.”Kiva helped, serving them both a fruity drink as they both sat down for dinner.

“Yes, it’s a very big day for you, but don’t get used to it. The hard work starts now. Do you feel ready? Do you have a plan?”

“I do. I need to head down to the otter dens and see what happens. Hopefully they will accept me.”

“I wish your plan was more thought out than that, but I know, it’s not how bioconvergence works. How are you feeling about it all? Are you nervous or scared? Anything?”He probed her with questions around a mouthful of food, trying to learn about her mental state before she departed.

“I’m nervous, but excited too. I hope it all works out.”

“It will work out. Have faith, like I do. Just remember, it’s not up to you. You know what you want, now you just have to convince those mangy mongrels of it.”

“Dad! Don’t call them that! The tidefang otters are majestic!”

“No animal ever got offended by us calling it names. It’s fine,” he replied, half laughing and half serious. “Don’t worship them, just respect them. That’s all you need. Remember, this is a shared exchange, not a one-sided deal. Remember, you have to be accepted in their clan, not ruled by it.”

“Romp dad. It’s called a romp, well technically also it’s a raft if they are in the water, but not a clan, and I know. I’ve got it,” Kiva replied, enjoying the succulent taste of the meat. The seasoning was sweet, and it might be the last hot meal she had for a while. It was time to go live with the tidefang romp.

“Your mother would be so proud of you. I hope you know that,” he said, fondly looking at his daughter. “I can’t wait for you to come back so we can talk about everything that happens. Now go, get yourself prepared and ready. Get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”