The sea-thing speaks again, inviting the citizens of Helovia to take up some seaweed and enter the water. The boy's brow furrows and a shiver spreads across his body. He remembers his one encounter with water after his failed flight to the Throat; the terror, the paralyzing sensation of liquid flooding his eyes, ears and nose, the knowledge that death was but moments away. Without Father here to save him, it would take a miracle to convince the colt to enter the ocean again.

Others do, though. Arakh pins his ears and glares after the fools who enter the sea, wondering if they have a death wish. Amongst them is his big sister Oizys, who he doesn't know much about but just assumes is a bit stupid after this particular exploit.

The filly he spoke to replies, and he flickers an ear at her. "Arakh," he grunts by way of introduction, neatly filing away her own name for the future. She gestures to a nearby mare and announces that she's going to blow stuff up, and the colt's head lifts in interest. "Blow stuff up? Arakh help!" Any excuse for some idle-minded chaos.

Larue asks if he intends to enter the water, and the boy shakes his head firmly. "Arakh not go into water. Arakh been in water before, not good. Fills nose and ears and makes chest hurt." That is a slightly simplistic way of explaining the gut-wrenching terror of knowing that breath cannot be had, that doom is mere seconds away.

Rak. RAK! Suddenly, everything is forgotten as he hears his sister's voice. "Esi?" He looks around for her until he finally sees her, fetlock-deep in the sand. A low hiss of realisation leaves his jaws and he immediately bombs towards her, seeking to press his side to hers in his own approximation of comfort. "Rak here now," he whispers soothingly, his tail softly stroking both his flanks and hers as he stands stoic next to her. A leaf blows up and Esinakh springs away, terrified, whilst Arakh boldly slams his hoof upon the offending leaf as if to say see? Gone now. Clay begins to ooze down the filly's flanks and Arakh whickers his concern as he backs away a step to examine her. Poor sister-calf. "Esi come down to water with Rak. Wash off bad sand and clay. Then Rak and Esi fly away, so no more sand touch Esi. Yes?" He doesn't know if he can fly, let alone if his sister-calf can, but they will damn well try.