The moon shone back behind the mountains. Jakob didn’t need its light though. He could feel the water around him. Feel it swirling around him. Swirling because he made it swirl. The water “listened” to him. He still wasn’t sure how it worked or how it happened, but that’s why he stood in the shallow pool, to learn. Though he hadn’t realized it at the time, he’d first used his ability nearly a year ago. He’d been scrubbing the docks with his friend Luass. Jerve had thrown Luass into the harbor, the resulting torrent from the splash hit Jerve with enough force to knock him off the other side, and served to push Luass almost all the way back to the dock. Jerve had blamed Luass for the whole thing. He probably would have killed both Luass and him if it hadn’t been for Master Stitches intervening. Even just thinking back on it made Jakob shudder.

Jakob grabbed Luass and pulled him out of the water as fast as he could. Without a moment to spare, a massive fish with rows of sharp teeth exploded out of the water, leaping right at them. Transforming even as it left the water, into Jerve…only he had the gaping jaws of that monster fish. Just as he came down atop us he stopped…only a foot away, jerking and shaking. Master Stitches’ hand around his throat, the rest of Jerve still thrashing, trying to reach them. Master Stitches calmly swiveled around and placed Jerve on the docks. Still holding Jerve—he had quieted down now, gaping jaws replaced by human features once more—by the throat, Master Stitches turned to them.

“You boys should know better than to anger poor, old Jerve,” the casual tone did not fit the intense look directed at us. Not angry, questioning. He and Jerve left us to our scrubbing after that, Master Stitches muttering to Jerve about ale and Jakob trying to calm himself and Luass.

The water around him swirled violently, pulling at Jakob. He could feel himself being pulled apart, yet he felt no pain. There could be no other way to describe the feeling, being pulled apart, yet without pain. Something more, he could feel the water more keenly, could sense its motion, could feel the minnows darting for the cover of a rock, could feel the miniscule specks of dirt floating in the water. He was the water. As this awareness formed, his awareness faded, sight, smell, all of that faded, or perhaps shifted into the awareness with the water. Jakob tried to scream…something happened but it couldn’t be called a scream. His mind frantically clawed for what he knew to be himself. Slowly, ever so slowly, he felt himself solidifying. Coughing water he crawled out of his practice pool. Pulling himself free of the water he flopped over on his back coughing and panting. He lay there for a moment staring up at the dark sky. Coughing and panting finally stopped, and Jakob heaved a sigh of relief. He froze in lifting his arm; his arm was resting over his eyes. He could feel it there, but he could see the sky, blurry as though looking through clear water. Even as terror gripped him again, the sky dulled and disappeared behind flesh, his flesh, his arm. He scrambled to sit up, and watched as his legs too shifted, from water back to his own flesh.

He sat there, rubbing his arms and legs, making sure they were really there. Shivering, he made his way to his bundle of clothes and dressed hurriedly. He sat there for a time trying to get his legs to stop shivering enough to get back to the cavern hold.

“Impressive boy, though I must say, I had expected it to be the other one.” Jakob had just stood up as he heard the voice, his legs buckled and he dropped right back down. His mind froze. He wanted to just melt back into water, if only that wouldn’t make Master Stitches angrier. He was sure Master Stitches would be angry to find a slave boy out here in the middle of the night, maybe he thought Jakob was trying to escape. He stayed there, on the ground, frozen in terror as Master Stitches’ huge, grotesque form loomed over him.

“Tell me boy, do you know what it is you were doing?” Jakob tried to shake his head or to say something but he couldn’t find the strength to move. “Answer me boy,” Stitches didn’t raise his voice, but it became grim and serious.

“N…n…no s…sir.” Jakob trembled, waiting for the worst. Nothing happened.

After what seemed an eternity, Master Stitches said, “Get yourself to your rooms boy, and tomorrow report to me first thing in the morning.” After a moment he added, “And bring your little friend too. Well, what are you waiting for? Git!” Jakob barely managed to mumble something before dashing off to the slaves’ quarters. Running as fast as he could manage on his trembling legs.