He smiled as he looked around the ocean landscape. He was so happy to be able to start the day's work. He smiled and closed his eyes, assuming a warrior stance. He held the position for a minute, relaxing his mind.

He then closed his eyes and slowly crouched down, gently dipping the tips of his fingers into the mana. It was slightly cool to the touch, and it immediately started creeping up and over the knuckles of his fingers. He was one of the best mana controllers working for planet Earth, and had been told so many times. He knew that it meant that he could be proud, but not egotistical. It was hard work to be so high up, and he worked hard each and every day, dedicating most of his time to thinking about his job even while he wasn't doing it. He loved the simple act of creation, and creating new life was the best of those acts, in his opinion. The mana simply seemed to sense and replicate his enthusiasm.

He stood up; the mana following his hand up in a thin stream, continuing to crawl up his arm and over his shoulder. He moved his feet slightly; feeling the mana move to accommodate him. He sent most of the stream back down, leaving a small, fist-sized lump in his palm. He imagined the mind of a swallow; the fragile, flighty little hunter, eager to turn tricks and find a safe environment with someone else to turn tricks for.

The mana shifted, quickly taking the form of a small bird that took flight as soon as it was fully formed. It flew away quickly; the mana taking on the wary form of the soul he'd given it. He knew that as soon as he looked away; a portal would open and send the mana onto the material plane, into an egg. The instincts and personality of many animals came from him. The fully grown adult animal's soul would go into the body, and more and more of the mana's capacity would be unlocked as the creature matured.

He didn't dare try to make human souls. He'd heard that it took days, sometimes even weeks to craft a single human soul. He acknowledged that even if he was good at crafting souls, he was much more into the simpler kind of type of soul. He also knew that he was the kind of man who much preferred instant gratification of making an animal's soul. They could also mature on their own, with time. He'd also experienced full-grown animals wandering back to the oceans; looking for a recharge from the more potent users like him. He would happily give it to them. He would give his creations more power to help them live even longer lives. There were no figures in sight at the moment.

He put both of his hands straight up towards the sky, and stretched one of his legs up too, coming into a tree pose. The mana underneath him was as smooth as glass, which aided him in balancing himself both mentally and physically. He took a deep breath, and pictured the form of a strong labour horse. A docile, obedient, kind-natured and calm creature that would help it's master until it was no longer physically capable of doing so.

The mana flew up around him, and he shifted position to be closer to the raw power that was slipping out from under his feet. He crouched, extending his right leg in front of him. His right hand came out with the leg, and his left arm folded back, leaving his hand near the shoulder. Both of his palms were open. Larger creatures required much more focus, and his entire mind geared towards it. The mana was the only thing supporting him. He was no longer conscious of his own form. As the yellow mana flew up and over his frame, it changed into a light aquamarine. That meant that he was successfully imbuing the mana with the essence of the creature he was thinking of. He let out a broad smile.

A fully grown horse burst from the crest of the wave, leaping out as the green-tinted liquid continued on before dis simulating back into the rest of it. It looked to him for guidance. The long and wide face looked perfect for a muzzle, and there was none of the fire in it's eyes that had been present in the first horses he'd created.

"Go on." he said, gently waving the quadruped away. Hesitantly, the animal turned around. It looked back once more for clarification. Like a baby taking it's first steps, it was eager to explore,chit afraid of the consequences. He clicked his tongue twice while making the same dismissive motion. He turned around after seeing a final image of the horse turning and confidently trotting away, kicking up spray.

After that, he completely let loose.

Jumping and twirling, pushing his weight forward, and trusting the mana to keep his balance. He always made sure to keep his centre of gravity over one leg however. The mana wasn't supporting his arms.

His leg swept out in an arabesque, and his hands skimmed the water, forming a pair of red-tailed Hawks that rested on his forearms. In a grand sweeping gesture, he spread out both pairs of wings and had them flying up and away into the slightly clouded sky. The identical screeches rang in his ears as he spun away.

He let his feet sink into the pool, wiggling his toes happily. He submerged his arms up to the elbow, and then curled his arms up into his biceps. The mass that came up quickly took on a much sturdier shape, a tank of an animal. It was a quadruped with wide legs and a wide head with small, stubby ears. He curved the horn out with a quick flick of his wrist. The fully formed rhinoceros charged off, spraying mana everywhere and making him giggle.

He didn't have to worry about what he was creating. He knew that he was being supplied with what to make by his supervisor via thought. It was so relaxing to just make the animals without having to think too deeply.

He span and jumped, catapulting birds into flight. He made deer and wolves that ran off in the same direction. He didn't even remember how many he'd made, but he knew that their souls would connect if the creatures ever came back. He didn't name any of them, but he could still recognize them instantly. In his mind, it was sort of like a foster home. He would take them in and nurture them, but then they would go out into the world and do other things. They would be affectionate with each other, but there was always a distance there. He knew that he was very much alone, but he didn't dwell on it.

Dwelling on things for creators like him was very bad. One contamination would grow like a fungus, until the idea would infect everything he did. The animals would be damaged, and would be traced back to him. He couldn't fear, or he could lose his creative job. He had no idea what he would be able to do otherwise. This was his entire life, and he loved it too much to ever be able to let it go, so he stayed calm.

Finally, the mana stopped coming to him. The surface became completely smooth. It became slightly cooler, and he could feel the power of the mana closing itself off to him. His body was sore, and he was out of breath. Every single one of his muscles was tingling slightly, and he knew that he was done.

A portal opened up a few steps away from him, and he walked into it without hesitation. At the edges it was a gentle light blue, darkening, until in the middle there was a solid black hole shaped like his body. He let his arms down by his sides, and stepped forwards until his body matched up with the cutout.

A tugging sensation followed as the portal slowly moved forwards, engulfing him. With a gentle popping sound, like a bubble opening. He was in his room once again. It had a single, long, black hammock taking up half of it and dark turquoise coloured walls. He had a few books in one corner, but he hadn't read them in ages. There was a single white door on the wall opposite of the bed, and through it was a bathroom. He may not be human, but a hot bath helped his muscles relax and prepare for the next day.

A hot meal was in the corner, and he blankly stared at it. He wasn't hungry, and he decided to have a quick sleep.

He lay down in his hammock, pulling the matching cover over himself. He closed his eyes, and let the tension drain from his body.

That night, his dreams were tinted yellow and aquamarine. He dreamed of flying through the sky and diving deep below into the mana, finding the more powerful caches that had been hidden from him. He wasn't allowed to sink below the surface.

Even if he was trapped in the endless sea and sky, he loved it. He had no idea what he would do without this place, and didn't want to find out.