“Again”, I whispered softly to myself with firm direction. As if I needed the personal encouragement to keep tirelessly practicing.

Sand swirled around rear hocks and crept along until it came to the bottom half of my thighs. If a stranger saw this in the distance and didn’t know my talent personally, they might think that hordes of slithering creatures were encircling to do harm. In appearance the lashes of soil looked very similar to thousands upon thousands of tiny snakes climbing the limbs of a tree. Golden serpents without heads or emotion, they lived only to be moved by my will. Their hunger feed from earth, and their mother was a perfect supplier.

For her unrestricted caverns never seemed to run dry.

I could keep pulling as selfishly as I might and still have more than this power could ever wield. It shimmered to and fro. Contouring to the muscles that time and work had built to this body before sliding off to my right and rising as a solid mass into heaven. Sweat slicked my barrel and neck, brows furrowed together irritably and with hardened edge. Breathe came fast from a heaving chest, but in controlled manageable gasps. Levitating the cloud took concentration and as one might have guessed it…energy.

After a few moments the mass of swirling earth began to fall, I struggled to levitate its pressing weight; but with a final gasp I could hold on no longer, and was forced to relinquish my control of it. The granules collapsed back to the ground from whence it had sprung. I couldn’t let these efforts go to waste. It was a job, my duty as both father and General to dozens of loyal soldiers to be physically, emotionally, and magically fit for our coming battle.

Blinking back beads of sweat that threatened to cloud gaze, I shook muzzle and rubbed my eyes across knees. Shuffling forward with another crestfallen groan, these talents were called upon again; but they fell short because something had drawn notice. A figure was what caught my eye.

A stranger. Fresh blood.

The dusty bay stands as a pillar, tall and muscular even at this distance. A man that didn’t go easily missed, he towered over my compact frame easily, but this wasn’t at all daunting when having fought a beast the size of a mountain before; quite the opposite in fact. Limbs carry me forward, closing the short gap between us, “Welcome brother,” I call out when close enough for ears to catch sound, “I’m afraid I don’t recognize you, are you new to Dragons Throat?” Stopping short, I pause a stone’s throw away, judging kindly and allowing face to curve into a natural smile.

My words were well met, and he visibly relaxed under their influenced greeting. Question hummed through his mind and an answer readily formed with noticeable relief following, “Yes I am,” he said regarding me wholly and studying as I was. My smile widens warmly and honeyed gaze shifts around to see who else was coming to welcome their new sand brother.

Alas, sadly, I was the lone wolf in this matter who had just happened upon a new arrival. Surely someone else had seen this beast of a man; my gaze follows the dark sheen of shoulder and breast. “Levi bring me here, I’m Gaucho.” Ah. Levi, my response is simple and without fluffy title, “and I am Midas.” He would have plenty of time to get to know it later. Another curious attribute strikes me as odd about this Gaucho, he speaks curtly and short. Though not impolite or snippy, it was almost as if he wasn’t use to speaking aloud.

Showing understanding and recognition though a nod and continued beam, I couldn’t help but wonder why Levi had brought him here only to disappear when he was supposed to show this newcomer around? Bottomless pools glanced at the features along a chiseled face, finding sudden interest in the ivory marrow lashed between dusty nostrils. My mind sends forth a childish question, “I wonder what purpose that holds? It was primitive, much like the wearer itself.

“I am warrior.”

Obviously.

Now I wasn’t the sarcastic kind, though Fina would beg to differ on some days. But at least I didn’t say rude remarks aloud, and thankfully my features had been schooled to never hint upon smarty attribute. Instead skull simply bounced into another respectful dip. Why hadn’t Levi set this fellow up with a duty? He appeared confused and a little lost. No matter, I would do it myself—Throat needed all the fighters it could snag before the coming invasion, “Your place in this herd would be called, Solider, if you so wish it.” Pointing toward the deepened emerald colors of their oasis I add softly, “I’ll help you get settled, and answer your questions should you have any.”

OOC: Sorry its short, and sorry for the wait ^^;

The lad repeated my name, "My-dus,” and his new title, "Sol-djurr.”

“Close enough,” I muse silently. Personally my extended thoughts were that, this lad was certainly of the interesting variety. Our first meeting was anything but boring. But concern began to sprout for the mental capacities of this Gaucho, would he be able to take direction? How vast was his vocabulary? At least he seemed to understand basic words and know that Warrior and Soldier meant the same thing, "Gaucho soldjur.” Matching his proud smile I return the beam and nod, “Yes.”

When I mentioned getting ‘settled in,’ he didn’t seem to favor the idea very much and frowned. Confused I stood silently by, waiting for an explanation or idea of what this fellow did what to do, "Soldjurs protect? Soldjurs bring back...mares?" Ah. He wanted to be clear of his responsibility, which was understandable. It would be nice having another dedicated soldier around, lips parted to offer answer when he finally pressed, “Gaucho do what?"

“You’ll be patrolling the boarders and protecting our land from trespassers mostly. We recruit our members from the northern forest, Threshold. Visitors are to be treated with respect, unless they prove to be a violent or uncooperative then they are to be escorted off our territory.” I glance toward the oasis again and add, “At the end of each day or shift, report to myself or Azzuen if you find anything unusual. We oversee all the lower ranking warriors.” He would get to meet the other General later, certainly before the invasion. If there was even going to be an invasion.

Knowing that this was all was still very new, I again extend invitation, “You are more than welcome to take this afternoon and the next few for rest and familiarizing yourself with our landscape. Others will be returning from their afternoon shift, it would give you a chance to meet a few of your new brothers and sisters.” If he wanted to get started right away then I would put this willing spirit to work, but it would be better if he knew the area and perhaps got to meet a few of his fellow soldiers before suddenly starting to patrol around them.

"Ass...Asssyewnnnn"

His tongue couldn’t quite curl into forming the sounds needed for total perfection at such a decorated name. I smile respectfully nonetheless, curiously waiting to see if he understood the rest of my spill. "I report to My-dus" Apparently so. Gaucho seemed more than capable of taking direction; the speech thing would improve with time. Especially in this family, chatter and gossip seemed to be something that didn’t have end. I did wonder on why he spoke in simple ways, perhaps Gaucho had simply been out in the wilderness for longer than was healthy or maybe he had disability of sorts from childhood. Either way, it wasn’t any of my business and I wouldn’t dare press for answers to idle questions. What mattered now was that he lived here, had a duty, and could produce legitimate language while understanding those around.

Besides, he didn’t seem to be the kind that would let tongue waggle around absent head.

The painted bay moved to leave, I guess to start patrol or walk the outlaying territory in exploration. I started to turn also, to go back to lifting sand into heaven like the brilliant magic user I was. Suddenly the bay stopped up short midturn, and glanced back. A simple question springing out in the form of a name, “Kri?” Levi must have mentioned our head sultana, skull lifts muzzle and pointing past the stallion toward the distant sandstones that lay scattered across our land, “She is usually among the rocks or in the sky,” knowing that he might not recognize her at first glance I add, “You will know her by the darkness of pelt, she is painted similar as you and short as me.” A grin forms, Kri wouldn’t favor being called short but there really was no other way to describe our compactness, “Her mane and tail is tawny cream in color, and eyes blue.”

Pausing movement I stand by, waiting to see if he needs anything else before we part.