Nikelsi and Herret by @Mookyvet (Yvette Wade)

In the land of the Marked, there are few species that do not have to undergo traditional marking at birth. The Water Ilsu are one of those species. Living in small, traveling tribes, they keep to themselves and refuse to deal with the 'humans' of the land because they, once the old Octet Rulers were slain, were forced off of their natural land by one of the new rulers. They despise the way of the marking.

And poor Nikelsi was born with the one of the signs of the eight marked and the powers of water and frost. The Ilsu of his tribe, believing him a freak, raised him only until he ten before shunning him. They gave him nothing to eat by a piece of bread, a fruit, and an uncooked crab.

Nikelsi held no grudges and refused to kill the small creature. Instead, he namd him Herretosu raised him as a friend since that was the only companion he'd ever had. Because of Nikelsi care and compassion, Herret grew to enormous proportions and devotes his life to guarding his one true friend.

Nikelsi goes nowhere without Herret. Herret goes nowhere without Nikelsi. They refuse to be split as Nikelsi searched for a purpose and a reason as to why he was marked.