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9

Vasz

I glare at Ordus’ human as they swim ahead to the island, too fast for me to keep up.

I don’t like the female.

She’s noisy and didn’t offer me the respect I deserve by leaving me a pile of—oh, is that another coconut?

I dive away from Ordus and the loud female to the beautiful, perfect, most stunning fruit half buried in the sand.

Thank you, octo-shark-dog Goddess, for blessing me this night.

I have been spoiled for choice today.

I saw many, many, many coconuts—and crabs.

They must have spread word that I am fearsome and to keep clear.

Oh, I can only imagine how glorious my den will be with all my new coconuts.

I can throw away the chipped and bad broken ones to Ordus’ lair to free up room in mine.

My tail swishes side to side, ears bouncing against the current, saliva mixing with the water and coating the coconut in my maw.

Excitement blossoms all the way to my toes.

Sand plumes around me as I bounce from paw to paw along the ocean floor, not stopping until the divine fruit is within reach.

I butt my nose into the sand to dislodge the coconut, jumping back to get a good look at her.

Oh, she’s beautiful.

Truly majestic. More stunning than anything on sea or land.

And she’s all mine. She’s coming home with me.

I lunge for it, jaws wide, soul open to welcome my true love home.

But I…I knock right into it?

Huh? That doesn’t make sense.

My ears flatten. I try grabbing it again, and it floats further away.

I narrow my eyes, calculating my next move.

Ohh, yes. I see what I did wrong.

I drop the coconut out of my mouth and pick up the new one.

Ha. Success.

I turn back to catch up with Ordus, a bounce in my step, only to freeze.

I turn back slowly. There’s still a gorgeous, round, green fruit rolling in the sand.

Wait. That’s… I tip my head to the side.

That’s the coconut I brought with me from the mainland.

I drop the one in my mouth and pick up the old one, then frown at the new one steadily floating away from me.

Why is this not working?

I repeat the process, letting go of one to get the other.

Old coconut. New coconut.

Old one. New one. Old.

New. Over and over.

A frustrated growl rumbles in my throat.

I keep trying, letting loose a whine.

I can’t fit them in my mouth.

Now, I understand. A tortured, pained whimper tears from the deepest part of my chest.

I cannot keep both.

One must be sacrificed.

I screw my eyes shut, fighting the wave of tears.

The grief is eating me alive.

How am I meant to choose?

The Goddess is cruel.

She has gifted me with beautiful, perfect coconuts, and she’s forcing me to abandon one of them, to leave it behind so another may throw it aside, abuse it, not cherish it the way it deserves.

A broken sob shatters my throat.

She’s a cruel, cruel woman.

I drop to my haunches and dip my head, trying not to wail.

Why does the Goddess wish to punish me?

What have I done to deserve this?

I will remember this day until I perish; the night where I said goodbye to my love, the one that got away.

“I will do everything in my power to return for you, my sweetness,” I whisper to the mate I must leave behind when I only just met her.

I sink my teeth into the coconut I found by the human’s house.

I must be loyal to my first love.

It is the honorable choice.