Static Shores - Short Story Part 4

The snapping of water droplets shot up and struck my skin like little daggers. Hiding my face behind the Spirfin's large dorsal fin, I peeked  over the purple and pink appendage to see where we were going, but water still struck me across the face.

At first, I tried to keep my legs out of the water to keep my shorts dry, but the effort became pointless. The beast struggled to stay at the water's surface, lowering my hips into the water at times before forcing itself back up. I imagined the beast could move a lot faster without trying to keep me from submerging.

But why was it trying so hard? How did it know I didn't want to get too wet?

The Spirfin's smooth, slippery skin still gripped my fingertips with an odd friction I didn't expect. With any burst, the beast shot forward as I gripped tighter to its side fins. The beast chirped in irritation.

"Sorry," I said, trying to loosen my grip but couldn't too much without flying off the beast's back.

Where were we going anyway? Meadow's Aura still tickled my own, but I had no sense on where she was. Did the Spirfin know?

Slippery Aura slid against my own but grabbed onto my Aura with the same friction its skin displayed. The beast was trying to tell me something...

"Avisa..." I said, unsure about where the word came from.

The Spirfin stopped moving and chirped.

"Avisa," I repeated as the beast bounced up and down. "Is that your name?"

With a great leap, the beast launched itself into the air and twirled its fins behind. I tried to hold tightly but my grip slipped and I fell down into the sea, submerging entirely under water.

Splashing next to me, the Spirfin spun its long fins and created a rush of water behind it. Slamming into me, the beast pushed me above the surface again and nuzzled its long snout against my cheek.

Attempting to wipe away the saltiness from my lips, I only spread more saltiness with my soaked arm.

"Your name..." I said, staring into the beast's deep purple eyes speckled with bright pink. "Avisa."

Slamming its Aura into my own, a great surge of energy rushed through me. An energy similar to that of Meadow's. A bond.

I had another partner beast.

To be continued...