the Rift


[PRIVATE] Water Sports and Hippo Shorts

Mesec the Nightwind Posts: 476
World's Edge Glazier atk: 5.5 | def: 9 | dam: 5
Stallion :: Tribrid :: 16.3hh :: 7 years old HP: 76 | Buff: NOVICE
Lucius :: Royal Zephyr :: Roc & Lyra :: Common Kitsune :: Dreams Sarah
#1


DRAGON'S THROAT early Orangemoon, late morning

Well, Mesec had to admit - once Tallsun’s head had broke, the Throat was a much more enjoyable place to live in. His black coat had soaked up all the heat it could and he was sure he’d retained enough of it to melt snow when Frostfall finally came around. For now, though, he was content to continue his exploration of the herdland. He had seen a lot, so far, but he was still learning where everything was and every day he spent here he’d discover something new.

He had to admit that it was fun, becoming a part of the herd and learning whatever he could. Now that the intense heat had died away some, perhaps there would be more opportunities for him to help out wherever he could. He had meant it, after all, when he said he wanted to help out the herd in any way. He just needed to find out where he would actually be of some help.

The thoughts continued to bother him, even today as he was venturing further away from the oasis than he had previously and wandering the coast of the Throat - particularly that which faced an endless ocean and had no view whatsoever of the rest of Helovia.

The winds from the ocean had brought large, fluffy clouds that gathered in the sky - the promise of rain later in the afternoon, perhaps, but this morning Mesec was unhindered by the weather as he followed the gentle stope of the desert coast. Perhaps not the best way to be productive today, but there was still plenty of time for that later on in the day.

Thoughts of distant lands across the sea, lands filled with creatures and stories he was never likely to see or hear, were interrupted when a small group of brightly-lit creatures scattered away from the shore when his hoof (accidentally) splashed loudly in the water. Flashes of orange and red stood out so readily in the crystalline waters that Mesec had to stop and wonder if he had imagined them. Had they been fish? Or something else even stranger? The impression he had been left with was something not entirely fish-like, certainly worth further investigation.

His silver-lined head shook and he carefully took another cautious step into the water, trying to peer around and see if he could spy the creatures among the sand and rocks.

For Zero! <33


I’m trying to find my direction home, ______________
A question of space, a matter of time, _______
I follow the stars until the first light.

image by jjjj56cp at flickr
please tag Mesec in replies
non-life threatening force is allowed at all times

Zèklè Posts: 166
Outcast atk: 8.0 | def: 10 | dam: 3.5
Colt :: Pegasus :: 14.1 :: Three HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
charks
#2
Z E R O
they say we are what we are, but we don't have to be

He liked it by the water. It was where he had been born, after all, on the southern shore of the golden peninsula, and it was where Ma would take him when she wanted to get away. They'd tuck themselves into an outcropping of rock, or beneath a sheltered tree, or they would walk along the stormy edge, the one-winged boy listening avidly to finely spun stories, basking in the warmth of his mother's love.

Sometimes he went there by himself. Ma was always busy, doing things for the herd, and the boy didn't like to admit it but he had grown quietly jealous of her obligations, resentful of his time spent outside of her gaze. He'd tried to keep up with the warriors, but of course he could not: he was just too small, and he couldn't fly, and sometimes... sometimes, it was just so hard to keep up, to keep smiling, to laugh through the looks he was given, the pity in all of their eyes.

Well, HE'D show 'em! Let 'em just wait!

The waves seemed to applaud his resolve, and Zèklè's heart swelled with pride. Brashly he stepped closer to the water, slate hooves slipping, haphazard, over moist stone and onto coarse sand. Water lapped hungrily at his pasterns, staining black legs a darker tone, but the lightning backed boy was not afraid. Indeed, he even as he stumbled he could do naught but laugh, giggling helplessly and snorting inelegantly as minnows swam, panicked, from the impending doom of his tramping feet.

"Rawr!" the lightning-back colt roared. Rawr, the ocean hollered back, accepting the boy as his king.

A flicker of movement, a flash of silver and black, caught the attention of the adventurous child. Somewhere further down the coast another figure was enjoying the sun, his gaze intent on something unseen. Curious and unafraid the boy crept closer, his body held close in a mournful attempt at subtlety, stealth. Tailfeathers wiggled against his tail as mischief crept into sunbeam eyes; the idea that this was a stranger, that he should be cautious, never began to cross his mind. This was the Throat, after all, his kingdom, where his Ma was the best fighter in the whole world and his Da was the Sultan (maybe). He had nothing to be concerned about here.

So the boy did not think twice as he suddenly leaped into decisive action, closing the gap between himself and the stranger in a damp explosion of movement and wet.

"HI!" Zèklè's young voice exclaimed, a vibrant grin affixed to his face. Silver-orange gaze peered at the strange black, glancing without recognition or concern over evening-kissed features. "Watcha lookin' for? Maybe I can help? I'm a good finder." Youthful eagerness shone through his hopeful voice, the desire to have a friend, and to show off how great he (probably) would be at finding whatever the stallion had lost.


@[Mesec]


Mesec the Nightwind Posts: 476
World's Edge Glazier atk: 5.5 | def: 9 | dam: 5
Stallion :: Tribrid :: 16.3hh :: 7 years old HP: 76 | Buff: NOVICE
Lucius :: Royal Zephyr :: Roc & Lyra :: Common Kitsune :: Dreams Sarah
#3


With silvery eyes transfixed on the ocean floor, it wasn’t until a splash of water hit him that Mesec realized he wasn’t alone anymore. Far from being annoyed - the ocean water cool against his skin - he was still startled and spooked at the sudden loud presence nearby. Well not just loud, but enthusiastic and friendly. The silver and black stallion jumped in his skin a little bit, a jerk of the head toward the new presence revealed that there was youthful enthusiasm behind the bright words because it was a colt! A young one too, only about half a year old. What would have certainly been a rush of embarrassment over he had allowed himself to be snuck up on so successfully instead became a rush of curiosity. The blue that accented the colt instantly caught Mesec’s attention - and not just because there was only one wing that was touched with it.

It wasn’t as though the blue lightning that laced down the colt’s back was subtle, it stood out blatantly, daring Mesec to come to assumptions about the foal’s heritage. And he did. His mind immediately went there but it was the reaction from his heart that caught him off guard - the way it had dropped at the thought. The topic of foals had never come up with Ampere, he had just assumed she was not a mother - it should have come up, right? Maybe the child was her… her brother. It was possible! Or it could simply be a coincidence.

But speculations were put on pause because an energetic colt wasn’t going to wait around for Mesec to figure out why there was a mess inside his head (and heart) right now. He responded enthusiastically to the offer of help, grinning at the young colt. “Are you? That’s perfect, because I need help from a good finder.” The smile came easier as his voice tumbled out, his mind redirected to the present. The rest could wait. Taking a step further into the ocean, the demigod motioned with his head toward the rocks where he had last seen the creatures. “I’m not really sure what they are, but something brightly coloured just swam underneath those rocks and they didn’t look like fish.” Most fish that he could think of were either silver-like or much smaller than the shapes he had seen.

He spoke in a whisper when he continued, exaggerating it slightly. The last time he talked to a foal was… when he was a foal and he wasn’t sure where the line between ‘fun’ and ‘don’t be ridiculous’ was anymore. A flicker of orange against one of the rocks was a well-timed back up for his claimes and he motioned to it quickly before it disappeared. “Any idea what they could be?” Maybe everyone in the Throat knew about the colourful things in the ocean and he was showing off how new he was to the herd right now, but he hoped he wasn’t alone in the mystery.

@[Zèklè]


I’m trying to find my direction home, ______________
A question of space, a matter of time, _______
I follow the stars until the first light.

image by jjjj56cp at flickr
please tag Mesec in replies
non-life threatening force is allowed at all times

Zèklè Posts: 166
Outcast atk: 8.0 | def: 10 | dam: 3.5
Colt :: Pegasus :: 14.1 :: Three HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
charks
#4
Z E R O
they say we are what we are, but we don't have to be

Zèklè held his grin as the poor stranger jumped; if anything, it stretched wider across his unapologetic face. He'd grown accustomed to being inspected, good at letting eyes wash over him (yes, there's only one wing; yes, there's metal on the other side; yes, my lightning is awesome) and he chatted through the stallion's silence, offering his aid in an unknown quest. Still, the boy felt a weight slip off his chest as his offer was accepted without any questions, or judgment, or dismay. His crooked grin widened.

"Great! I'm Zero! What's your name?"

Zèklè followed the stranger into the water, shivering as the water licked his hocks, struggling to stay afloat despite the unsteady nature of the tides. "Whoa!" he gasped as his hoof struck a stray stone and he stumbled, wing flapping to keep his body balanced despite all the obstacles in his way. Determined not to look silly in front of this adult, he clamped his tongue between his teeth, full focus concentrated on not falling down- and, miraculously, he did not.

He did however nearly miss where the silver stranger had indicated their query to be. "Oh yeah?" the boy contributed unhelpfully, jerking his head up to peer toward the rocks before turning his gaze back on the stranger. Brightly colored but not fish? There were lots of things that lived in the water, Zèklè had found, including whales, but whales were awfully big and difficult to miss, so it probably wasn't them. Not fish? Auburn brow furrowed as the boy considered, trying to search his vast knowledge on the ocean for some sort of answer.

Nothing came.

He shook his head, a youthful seriousness on his face. "Nah, but Ma says more'n fish - like whales - but this isn' a whale I think - live in the ocean. Lotsa things. Even magic things." He nodded seriously to punctuate his words, confident in his knowledge, because it came from Ma. It wasn't particularly surprising that this stranger wouldn't know such things, though. Few knew more about anything than Ma- really, it was just too bad that the silver hybrid didn't have a Ma who taught him as much as Zèklè had learned. It was the lightning colt's duty to spread Ma's wisdom to the poor, uninformed masses of Helovia.

Still, he wanted to find the things, and his excitement couldn't be quelled by any severity for long. Maybe it would be something Ma hadn't even heard of, and he could tell her about it and she'd think it was so cool! Or he could bring Iso to meet 'em, that'd be cool too... "We oughta go look an' see. Mebbe you scared 'em, an' that's why they're hidin'," the boy suggested now, thoughtful yet enthused, his orange and silver eyes bright. "I'm smaller'n you, though- I could probsably find 'em without bein' too scary, 'cus I bet I'm more quiet. What if I snucked up on 'em from this side an' you went on the other side and we trapped 'em?"

His voice rose steadily as he spoke, robbing his attestations of quietness from any merit, and by the end he was nearly prancing with the brilliance of his plan. Impatiently he waited for the Grown-Up to weigh in, breathlessly hoping that the larger horse would find the boy as clever as he found himself, instead of dashing his dreams like so many waves upon the shore.

[ sorry it took so long <3 ]


Mesec the Nightwind Posts: 476
World's Edge Glazier atk: 5.5 | def: 9 | dam: 5
Stallion :: Tribrid :: 16.3hh :: 7 years old HP: 76 | Buff: NOVICE
Lucius :: Royal Zephyr :: Roc & Lyra :: Common Kitsune :: Dreams Sarah
#5


Well, even if the colt’s smile had grown a little wider at Mesec’s startled reaction, at least there was no outright mocking of the incredible smoothness that he exhibited when snuck up on someone that was both younger and smaller than him. With the acceptance of this company, introductions are made (a curious name, Zero, but wondering about it would mean wondering about other things and that was definitely not what he was going to do right now). “Nice to meet you, Zero - I’m Mesec.”

When Zero tripped, well, instincts kicked in that Mesec didn’t really understand. The outright panic that rushed in was akin to the protectiveness he felt around Ros, and recently with Aithniel and Isopia as well. What would he do if the colt got hurt? He couldn’t just leave him to go find help and, if Zero was Ampere’s son, he certainly did not want to be the one that brought a bruised kid back to her at the end of the day. He took a step forward like he was going to what, catch him? It wasn’t even a bad stumble and when the colt righted himself, Mesec straightened up and relaxed - focusing back on the task at hand and, of course, pretending that nothing had happened.

Zero explained what his Ma had taught him about what lived in the ocean and Mesec nodded along with a small smile, considering this information. “Your Ma sounds like a smart mare! Maybe these little creatures are magical and that’s why they’re so hard to see!”

His new partner-in-crime came up with a plan pretty quickly, explaining it with growing volume and enthusiasm. Without a solid one of his own, and without the heart to point out any flaws in Zero’s, Mesec agreed to the idea wholeheartedly. “Yeah alright, sounds like a good plan.” As good as any other! Without knowing what they were up against, it was hard to formulate a plan to figure out what they were. Standing quietly and waiting for them to reappear was the only other idea he could think of but, with a prancing colt, he did not think that idea would go over very well.

Taking directions from Zero, Mesec started to move carefully into position - keeping one eye on the colt and the other on the sandy ocean floor for any signs of their quarry. He kept his large wings folded tight against his side - lifting them up just a little so the long flight feathers didn’t drag in the water and make any more disturbance than was necessary. He’d wait for instruction on when to move in to corral the creatures in time with Zero - this was his plan, after all! Best to let him call the shots. “Whenever you’re ready, Zero!” He whispered, conscious now of how loud he was being, even in the wake of Zero’s enthusiastic prancing.

sorry for the wait dear! Feel free to PP Mesec helping out with the operation in your next post if you want ;D
@[Zèklè]



I’m trying to find my direction home, ______________
A question of space, a matter of time, _______
I follow the stars until the first light.

image by jjjj56cp at flickr
please tag Mesec in replies
non-life threatening force is allowed at all times

Zèklè Posts: 166
Outcast atk: 8.0 | def: 10 | dam: 3.5
Colt :: Pegasus :: 14.1 :: Three HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
charks
#6
Z E R O
they say we are what we are, but we don't have to be

The name Mesec meant nothing to the boy- but that didn't dampen (get it?) the boy's spirits, not even a little. He nodded agreeably when Mesec commented on how smart Ma was. Of course, this was a given, but he was glad when others acknowledged this truth, because it was one of the fundamental pillars which guided his young life.

The boy considered Mesec's proposal, that the creatures were magic and therefore hard to see. He still had no idea what they were, except that they were colorful and not fish, but that didn't limit things in a particularly meaningful way. He was pleased with how quickly the silver stallion accepted his proposed attack, though now that they were going to follow his plan, the boy felt some trepidation rising in his throat. If they failed, would Mesec be mad? Would it be all his fault? He didn't particularly want to disappoint his new friend, and though he was pretty sure his plan would work, Zèklè still shivered with the need to be a million times better than good enough, to be more than a boy with only one wing. It was a fear which had begun to plague him, one that came alongside the shadowy realization that no, no matter how much he willed or wished it, no- his wing was not gonna grow in.

He frowned, unsettled, and shook it off.

"OK ONE TWOTHREEGO!!"

His voice exploded like a cannon and his body followed, crashing through the water and sending up a noisy spray. Like lightning he went careening toward the rocks, stumbling and laughing as sea licked his legs. And it was working! Through the foam and spray darted something colorful, and then something else, and then suddenly there was a school of the things circling about the boy's legs.

Abruptly outnumbered, Zèklè cried out in surprise, his eyes going wide and his ears lying flat. They were everywhere! Frantically he staggered, trying to escape the approaching swarm. The boy shot Mesec a desperate look, sunbeam eyes shrouded in white, fear quite obvious upon his face. It must have been hilarious, watching poor Zero flail, fearful and at the mercy of creatures desperately smaller than him. His wing threw up more water, adding to the mess. He slipped and skidded as he tried to run, throwing himself toward the silver adult in a desperate search for security.

Then he stepped on something particularly slippery, and it wriggled beneath his hoof. Quick as he could the boy jumped away, finally finding solace by Mesec's side, but it was too late; the damage was done. Sobbing, Zero pushed his face against Mesec's wing. "They was all there all at once an' I was scared an' I steppded on one an- an-" he gasped, hiccuping, refusing to look back and acknowledge the damage he may have done. He remembered seeing a dead thing, the way Macaria's ma had looked as she lay there, surrounded by mourning faces, and he remembered the way it had made him feel wretchedly sick and without understanding.

And he remembered how angry everyone was, when they found out the Moon had done it.

He couldn't bear to face that wrath. The very idea of it filled him with a powerful, terrible guilt and dread and- oh, it was horrible!

Sniffling, he pushed his face deeper against the comfortable warmth of Mesec's side. Don't let it be dead, the boy silently pleaded. Ma's gonna kill me if it is.


@[Mesec]


Mesec the Nightwind Posts: 476
World's Edge Glazier atk: 5.5 | def: 9 | dam: 5
Stallion :: Tribrid :: 16.3hh :: 7 years old HP: 76 | Buff: NOVICE
Lucius :: Royal Zephyr :: Roc & Lyra :: Common Kitsune :: Dreams Sarah
#7


Mesec moved forward at Zero’s cue, though he took more care than the young colt (not quite trusting the slippery rocks and sandy bottom of the shallows) and did not reach the colt before he heard the call of surprise and alarm. Looking up, Mesec saw a swarm of the little creatures around Zero - looking quite taken with him but he wasn’t having it. It might have been funny except for the look of absolute terror that Zero shot towards Mesec when he realized this wasn’t something to laugh about, the colt was scared. He started to move closer, calling out “Stay still! They won’t hurt you.” Well he hoped not at least. Mesec didn’t really believe himself and he hoped that it wasn’t too obvious. But the colt didn’t stay put, there was a splashing and flailing around with his wing before the blue-lightning Zero came crashing into Mesec.

Zero, through sobs, attempted to explain what had happened and Mesec caught that he had accidentally stepped on one of the little fish creatures. No wonder he was so upset! But how was Mesec supposed to make it better? There was more than just one moment where the demigod stood there, awkward as anything, unsure about what to do when Zero continued to press against his wing as though trying to burrow right through it and away from what had just happened. “Hey… hey it’s... okay Zero.” Well that’s a start. He reached around with his other wing, the one not currently being pinned down, and what, attempted to give him a half-hug with it. Kind of a pat on the back.

“I would have been scared too, if they were all around me like that. You were very brave for going in there first.” He reached over then to nudge the colt gently, encouragingly, and offered him what he hoped was a comforting smile. It was hard to express the finer emotions when your eyes were just bright, glowing circles of silver. He felt a little guilty that he had not moved fast enough and that Zero had been left alone, surrounded by whatever they were (the mystery had yet to be solved) but maybe they still had time to fix all of this. He didn’t want to end this little adventure on a bad note and he hoped his new friend did not want to either.

So he spoke up again, keeping the smile and the encouraging voice as he motioned back to the scene of the crime. “Come on, let’s see if it’s hurt and needs our help.” There was no body floating in the water where Zero had been so it probably wasn’t dead… Though Mesec did his best to keep those thoughts out of the way so they didn’t make him seem uncertain. This was the sort of situation where he would be inclined to start looking around for an adult to ask for help, only he had to face the fact that he was the adult. It was up to him to help.

If he kept letting his uncertainty bog up his head there was no way he’d ever be any good to anyone.

Anticipating a little bit of hesitation on Zero’s part, he added: “Don’t worry, I bet it’s just fine - they’re probably just as scared as you were and didn’t know what to do.”

Folding his wing back up, Mesec took the lead this time and moved slowly toward where Zero had just been swarmed - the gentle tide swelling around him. If there had been any blood, it had washed away already - dispersed in the ocean - but there was definitely no body. “I think it’s…” He was just turning back to Zero to let him know that everything was okay when the creatures came back out - a flash of a swarm around one of the rocks just a couple feet ahead and one of them was moving a little funnier than the rest. “A little bruised but he seems to be okay, right Zero? Maybe if we stand still he'll let us get a better look.” Mesec had no idea how to go about healing a water fish thing but they could figure that out later.

@[Zèklè]


I’m trying to find my direction home, ______________
A question of space, a matter of time, _______
I follow the stars until the first light.

image by jjjj56cp at flickr
please tag Mesec in replies
non-life threatening force is allowed at all times


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