Despite its importance, the next day passed quickly. Perhaps it was because of just how late she had woken up. Her exhaustion from the day before had been significant. She'd melted into her bed immediately upon arriving home. Even with the sun nearly at its peak it had been difficult for her to stand up. If it hadn't been for Pacu's demands for food, she likely would have stayed in bed until the ceremony.

There was not much to do around the village, and she was excused from even the essential ones that would have been allotted to her today given it was the day of her bonding ceremony. She tried to find her grandmother to talk to about her nervousness, but she was too busy with her own preparations. Maco was indisposed as well, which was rare, and Jala had taken over some of Tiasa's duties. That left her with little to do other than swim around with Pacu until the sun approached its daily destination.

The village was washed in an orange golden light by the time Jala came to fetch her. The hour of the ceremony was quickly approaching, after all. Tiasa still couldn't shake the nervous feeling digging a deeper and deeper hole at her core. She felt nearly sick, but did her best to swallow it down and proceeded to the preparations.

Everything had to be flawless, her mother made sure of that. When she arrived, she was inspecting her robe thoroughly. She skipped right over greeting her daughter, and instead began rattling off a list of "just a few things she had to make certain of". The pearls strung into her necklace  were felt for the smallest fracture, the flowers to be braided into her hair were meticulously chosen for size, shape, and colour, even Pacu's extensive grooming was closely supervised and aided by her mother's Otter. It was only by the time was to take a bath that her mother seemed to calm down and let her be in peace for a while. Though she did not sit still for very long, instead taking Pacu and hurrying off somewhere before Tiasa could even get undressed.

As Tiasa slipped into the hot water she felt it melt the stress and tension her body had kept a tight grip on, though she had not been fully aware of it. The petals resting on the surface were disturbed and she watched them drift with the ripples. She relaxed, letting the water come to a full rest once more. It was quiet, though she could hear the murmur of conversation far away in the centre of the village.

The sun shone through the window, colouring the whole room, touching her white frock hanging on the wall. The evening air streaming in was cool against her face. She dunked her head underwater, letting her hair slip in after her. I should bathe like this more often, she thought, maybe not with the scents and petals, but it would still be nice. Her thoughts drifted, passing over her impending ceremony, and beyond.

Eventually, her mother's beckoning dragged her unwillingly out of her daydreams and back into the now lukewarm water. She heaved herself out and dried off, soon being joined by her mother. She helped her with the dress, slipping it over her head and fastening the ribbons holding the fabric's shape. She then bade Tiasa to sit down, and she began to braid the flowers she had so carefully picked out into her hair. She did not speak much, but her touch was gentle and loving.

"You really do look like me when I was younger," she said all of a sudden. Tiasa was taken aback for a moment. She truly could not imagine her mother as a child. Of course she knew she must have once been a child, but it was just so hard to picture her mother with a complexion any different from what she had now.

"Mother," Tiasa said, summoning a little bit of courage, asking "Do you know who my Father is?" Then hurriedly added "I know it doesn't really matter, but I was just curious."

That gave her mother pause. She held her daughter's hair for a time before continuing. "I do. At least I think I do," she said. Her voice was as soft as her fingers in Tiasa's hair. "I loved him very much. If you were younger I would have said he went away, or that he was a merchant, something like that. But you never asked."

She halted, and Tiasa knew what her mother was going to say next. "He died when you were very young. Even if you knew who he was you probably wouldn't remember."

Tiasa did not know how to feel about that. She didn't even know why she asked in the first place. "Can you tell me about him?" The words had already left her mouth before she had even realised she was speaking.

"Yeah," her mother said after a while. She began to tell Tiasa about the man she had loved and lost, how they first met, their time together, and how he had met death. Tiasa listened intently, not only to what her mother said, but the fondness she said it with. It was a tone she did not often hear from her mother. Eventually though, she did run out of hair to braid, and stories to tell, though she remained silent. After an extended moment Tiasa faced her mother to ask if she was finished, and caught her wiping away tears. Like a pouncing jaguar, she embraced her mother.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," her mother reassured, but that only made Tiasa squeeze harder, burying her face in her mother's ceremonial dress. Finally she relented, and began to stroke Tiasa's hair, carefully not to disturb any of the flowers. "You grew up so quickly, Tiasa. I feel like one day I blinked, and suddenly you're a woman!"

Tiasa could feel her own tears swell, though they were hidden away. "I love you," she sniffled into the dress she still held.

"I should have been there for y-"

"I love you," Tiasa interrupted her. It didn't matter. She just wanted to be held by her mother.

Tiasa stepped out into the dark, though her dress almost shined by the candlelight from within the buildings. The sky was bathed in a deep blue, painting the silhouettes of the village in near black. Her mother followed her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You will be fine," she said, but Tiasa just nodded. The sooner this is all done and passed, the better, she thought, as the two made their way to the green once more.

Nothing but ashes and a few rocks remained from last night's bonfire. Even the log benches had been moved away. Instead, a gargantuan canvas tent had been raised around the shrine and a good portion of the green leading up to it. The whole village was probably in there already, from the little glimpses Tiasa could catch of the interior. Yara and Ka'ua were waiting before the entrance along with their mothers, who were already engaged in conversation, adding to a multitude of voices spilling out from within. Tiasa's mother joined in, talking about how a bonding ceremony for three was far smaller than usual, but how it was necessary. She joined her peers. They weren't speaking. Perhaps the pit had taken them like it had Tiasa. Even Ka'ua kept his lips sealed. He would be up first. After all, he was the oldest among them. Only by a moon or so, but enough to warrant leading the ceremony.

A single chime rang from inside the tent and the chatter began to die down. By the time the bell was struck a second time, it was completely silent. Only the slight fluttering of the flaps making up the door to the tent made a sound. Ka'ua stood straight, and Tiasa thought that she could hear his heart pounding. Or perhaps it was her own.

She heard her grandmother's voice fill the tent. Despite not being very loud, it was strong and commanding. Tiasa peaked into the tent, as did Ka'ua. Yara, however, stood back. The matriarch was sitting upon an ornate rug wearing her ceremonial dress. She still held the bell and hammer, which she laid down upon a small cushion next to her. Three otters sat on their haunches next to her on the altar. Before them, atop a small fire, stood a bulbous glass tower adorned with ribbons and pearls. Within it burbled the luminescent blue liquid she had seen in Quai'tlo's boat.

She gave her speech, as she usually did. It was not always the same words, but the essence was ever the same. "We stand here to commemorate and initiate three young members of our community. They will enter this shrine as children, and leave as adults. Before you sit their partners, with whom they will share a bond unbreakable from tonight onward. Faithful partners to carry forth in life, bearing the gifts of the sea," Ka'ua peaked into the tend, and Tiasa attempted to do the same. Her grandmother stood up and motioned to the three otters sitting upon the altar. All three were very well behaved, they must already have been a little drowsy.

She stood behind the first otter, saying "This is Jipura, partner to Ka'ua, child of Diata. She is strong, and a good swimmer. May he bestow her gifts upon Ka'ua," she touched the otter's head before stepping behind Pacu

"This is Pacu, partner to Tiasa, child of Cuaya. He is curious, wise, and loyal. May he bestow his gifts upon Tiasa," she did the same for Pacu as she did for Jipura, and moved on to the last otter.

"This is Du’ka, partner to Yara, child of Nauru. He is a free spirit, brave, yet modest. May he bestow his gifts upon Yara."

She sat back upon her ceremonial rug and rang the bell once more, producing a clear, piercing note. A flute filled the air with a warm melody. That was Ka'ua's signal. He gave a quick glance back, at Tiasa and Yara, flashing a nervous, faked smile. His mother joined him at his side and they stepped through the entrance.

Tiasa peered in past the flaps. She had a clearer view of the inside now that Ka'ua had made room for her. She watched them walk through the open corridor at the centre of the Tent, which was packed with the entire village and then some. She spotted a few of the merchant men blended in with the faces following Ka'ua and his mother like sunflowers. They were accompanied by music which they kept pace with, though it was not a tune Tiasa had heard before. Perhaps it was a song newly composed for today.

As they arrived at the shrine proper, at the altar, his mother stopped and sat before the altar as he climbed the two steps to stand before Tiasa's grandmother, kneeling down in front of her. She spoke to him, softly. Tiasa knew what she was saying, but of course she couldn't hear it. After hearing the words, Ka'ua called his otter softly and it obeyed. He took her head into his hands, petting her, eyes closed. Tiasa's grandmother rang the bell once more, speaking softly to Ka'ua. She continued ringing it, in a slow rhythmic fashion. Finally she stood, careful as not to disturb the boy and his otter.

She unfastened a stained wooden rod from the tower, still attached to the glass by a tube. She held it in both hands before raising it to Ka'ua's mouth. He took it between his lips without shifting a muscle, and began to inhale. The Ichor surged up within the glass tower as a blue iridescent mist, before cascading back down through the bulbs, each filled with water which bubbled as the mist passed through. It took a good few breaths before the mist arrived at the second to lowest bulb, to which the mouthpiece was attached. Ka'ua continued to breathe deeply, letting the mist escape through his nose and mouth. They had practiced it with water vapour before, so he knew what to do.

Jipura's front legs began to slacken, and Ka'ua set her down gently. The otter lay there, unmoving. Ka'ua let go of the breath he held, filling the air in front of him with mist which quickly dissipated. He opened his eyes slowly, still breathing deliberately, sitting up straight. Everyone looked at the pair, expectantly. At last, Tiasa's grandmother spoke, "Tell her to wake up."

Ka'ua closed his eyes again, and sure enough the otter stumbled back into consciousness, looking around as though she were seeing the world for the first time. Cheers and applause exploded around the tent, and with it Ka'ua's tension melted away. A bright smile was plastered on his face as he stood. The two of them practically skipped down from the altar, sitting down beside Diata. A mellow smile adorned the matriarch's stern face. 

Although seeing the bonding ceremony, especially since it went so flawlessly, reassured her, the fact that it was her time next still turned her stomach.

Her mother was already standing beside her, one hand on her back as though to prevent her escape. Like Ka'ua she looked back towards Yara. To her surprise, she girl gave a faint smile, mouthing the words "everything will be fine". Tiasa gathered every last measure of strength she could muster. She glanced up at her mother, then taking a deep breath and holding it, she walked through the flaps.

The inside of the tent was dimly lit by two clay braziers standing on either side of the shrine. The shadows cast by the attending villagers were deep, melding together in between the rows. There were so many people. She knew almost everyone in the village, perhaps not by name, but she knew of them. She had also seen them all gathered before, even packed this tightly for other bonding ceremonies. However she had always been part of the crowd, disappearing into it. Being the centre of its attention was an entirely different beast. Tiasa wanted to run away, to hide, but of course that would only make things worse.

She stepped onto the altar, still seeing faces in the corner of her vision. Worst of all her mother's gaze drilled into her back. Pacu, who now sat but an arm's length away, tilted his head slightly, concerned for his master. His every move was slowed, and his eyes were marbled with faint blue meshwork. It was an uncomfortable sight, for some reason. Tiasa shook herself mentally, focusing back on her grandmother.

"Tiasa," she said, "The time has come for you to form a bond with Pacu. You have raised him well, I can tell that you are close. It should not be difficult. However, it will feel different. It is different for everyone, but your mind will change. It's normal, just remain calm, we're all here to support you through this rite. You have practiced it, and you have me here to guide you. It will go well. Are you ready to begin?"

The question was rhetorical. Tiasa did not have the option to back down. She glanced back towards her mother, then searched the crowd. There, she was, Jala, sitting just next to one of the pillars, her back straight as an arrow. She caught Tiasa's gaze, her face was soothing. Tiasa swallowed, turning back to her grandmother and answering "Yes."

The old woman picked up the bell, holding it by a ribbon such that it hung free, yet it remained motionless. She raised the hammer and struck the bell, the note filling Tiasa's ears, and her vision swam a little as it did.

"Call your otter to you and hold his head in your hands. He will not resist." Tiasa obeyed, and certainly Pacu kept quiet as she cupped his jaw, stroking his fur with her thumb.

"Focus on the bell and my voice. Close your eyes," her grandmother sounded out the words soothingly, "Sit comfortably, but keep your back straight."

The bell rang with a ding.

"Feel the floor, where you are touching it."

It rang again, ding.

"Let your body become heavy."

Another chime, ding. 

"Let tranquillity wash over you, like a warm ocean wave."

Another ding.

"Breathe in"

Ding.

"And out."

Ding.

The meditation continued for a while, punctuated by perfectly rhythmic chimes of the small bell. It worked, she felt her tension lose its edge as it had in the bath. She felt herself almost sink into the floor, shutting out everything but the chimes, her grandmother's voice, and the weight of Pacu's head on her hands.

"Think of Pacu."

Ding.

"Think of the time you spent together."

Ding.

"What does he look like?"

Ding.

"What does he feel like?"

Ding.

"What sounds does he make?"

Ding.

"How does he smell?"

Ding.

The answers were fairly obvious, but Tiasa formed the mental image of her otter with as much detail as she could. She had done this before, so it came quickly to her.

"Gather all you know about him."

Ding.

"All your memories."

Ding.

"And feelings."

Ding.

"Gather him together in your mind"

Ding

"Hold on to that image."

Ding.

"Reach your thoughts towards him."

Ding.

"Picture a thread connecting you."

Ding.

"To him."

Ding.

"Make it stronger."

Ding.

"Can you feel it?"

She could.

Ding.

Ding

Ding

"I will now give you the Ichor."

Ding.

Tiasa felt the light probing of the mouthpiece against the corner of her mouth. She closed her lips around it and pulled on it, keeping her breathing constant. She was serene. The rest of the world had just fallen away.

With every chime she breathed in again, heartily. The air from the tower was hot and it almost hurt her lungs but it was not enough to distract her.

Her lungs were flooded with a sour, bitter, sweet taste, overwhelming her. A stinging sensation shot down her spine. She felt her muscles begin to convulse. She snapped her eyes open, and her vision was flooded with white.