Open [The Sanctuary] Foraging For Seafood

[Kavala]

Timestamp: 69th Day of Fall, 513 AV

Kavala was starved. There was no other way to describe it. The Konti had definitely felt the pinch of pregnancy and not being able to stomach a lot of surface grown foods. Breads smelled delicious but did not agree with her. Meat produced from grazers gave her horrible cramps. Fruit and herbs simply caused more of an imbalance in her system. The woman needed food, real food that only her Father could provide. And after the beauty festival of the night before where she’d danced late into the evening with Riaris, Kavala was about ready to chew off her own arm.

The only problem was that her arm wasn’t the seafood that her body demanded and she’d probably reject even that sort of in-a-pinch meal. So feeling grouchy, hungry and not believing the crap that people could eat that was considered food, Kavala set off for the beach. Trailing down through The Within, she picked up Tasival in tow. She didn’t mind her son coming along, but if he got in the way of her and her breakfast, especially in the mood she was in, there would likely be bloodshed.

Once he saw she had her shovel and a clam net bag, Tasi grabbed his toy shovel and told her he’d be back. Evidently he went to get the Imperial Watchers. Because when her son rejoined her as she was sharpening the shovel with a file, the dogs came with him. Kavala also grabbed a clam tube, which was an ingenious device used to dig razor clams. Kavala wanted both though, so she had her clam shovel as well, which looked like a long narrow shovel that one could flip and use as a rake because it had tines sticking out of the opposite end.

Once accompanied by her young son and half a dozen pony sized dogs, the Konti opened the Sea Gates and headed out onto the beach. Tasi, of course, was full of questions. “What are we getting first? Butter clams? Crab? Razors?” Kavala scowled, and then couldn’t help but smile as some of the dogs threw themselves down on the sand and rolled, feet in the air, scratching their itchy pre-winter coats.

“Razors. We’ll use the tube.” Kavala said, trudging along, half dragging the shovel and carrying the long metal tube. She affirmed, still dragging the shovel and carrying the clam tube.

“Why are we going now? It’s not even really light out yet.” Tasi said, staring at the quickly brightening sky and noting what time it was. Early… just a bit before dawn.

“You are coming because you wanted to spend time with me. And I’m here because its about two bells before low tide which gives us plenty of time to dig, relax, dig more if we want, and then leave before the tide comes in again and it gets too deep to dig clams.” Kavala said, still trudging for the waterline.

“How do you know where to find them? Aren’t they all hiding in the sand asleep right now?” Her son asked, curious, as he came to take the shovel from her and drag it himself. The tool was bigger than he was, but he was actually managing it better than the Konti was.

“I’ll show you… watch.” Kavala said as she headed down towards the water. As they both walked down towards the water, Kavala pointed out a series of lines to Tasival. “This is the scum line, this first one…” Kavala said, stepping over it and pointing out what made it the scum line. “This is where the last highest water deposited all the flotsam and scum that was drifting in on the water.” She said, still marching downhill, her hunger driving her on. Tasival stopped for a moment, poked at some seaweed with his new shovel/rake. Kavala kept marching, trusting her son to catch up.

Down the beach, the dogs discovered a flock of resting gulls and started to bark, chasing them. Kavala didn’t even glance up, knowing the gulls could take care of themselves.

Passing another line, Kavala pointed that one out to Tasival too. “This is the shrimp line. Sometimes people call it the worm line, Tasi. See all the small holes? They are from burrowing critters like worms and sand shrimp. They aren’t from clams. You can tell because they look like little volcanoes where the critters push sand out of them… or maybe like those fried donuts Cadra makes for you.” Kavala said, as she continued walking.

Tasi hurried to catch up then squatted to peer into one of the tiny holes. He used the shovel to dig up a series of them, taking about ten with one bite of the shovel. When he scattered the firm sand out, the scoop of sand was filled with sand shrimp that took off in all directions once liberated from their sandy fortresses.

“Now, when those holes thin out and you get across this rather empty stretch, you’ll see these ripple marks the waves leave on this firm packed sand. Once you get standing in the middle of this, you start looking for clams. Do you know what they look like, Tasi?” Kavala asked, curious.

Her son shook his head and Kavala dropped her gaze and started looking around. After a moment she spotted a clam and beckoned to him. “Look here.” She called, and the boy ran over. The Healer pointed to a thumb shaped depression in the sand. “That’s a clam. Now, let me use the tube on him… it’s a great device, really easy.” Kavala pointed out, proud that she had picked one up at the warrens earlier in the year.

“You must be fast doing this.’ Kavala instructed Tasival, showing him the tube. It was a long tube, about a foot in length with about an eight inch diameter. One end was open; the other was closed except for a small hole. The closed tube had another metal bar attached to it that looked like a handle. Kavala positioned the tube over the thumb-shaped depression that indicated a clam, and suddenly shoved the tube deep into the sand…. all the way down.

“Once you get the tube in the sand over the clam, Tasi, you need to put your finger over this hole and lift the tube out of the sand. When you cover the hole with your finger, you are creating some suction and that holds the sand in the tube so you can lift it out of the ground, sand and clam and all.” Kavala said, placing her thumb over the open hole, and at the same time lifting with the gun. Then giving a big heave, the Konti pulled the tube up out of the sand leaving a hole beneath it and moved the gun to the side. She uncovered the hole, breaking the suction, and the sand cascaded out of the tube, revealing a big razor clam.

The Konti set the tube aside, dropped to her knees, and snatched up the clam. She pulled her dagger form her hip, ran it around the outside of the shell, and cut the muscles inside. She expertly carved out its stomach, tossed that aside, and popped the clam into her mouth. The shell was cast aside as well. Kavala sighed in pleasure, chewing on something her body finally agreed with.

“Want to try?” She said, between the whole clam she shoved in her mouth.

[Uleru]

Uleru really hates to admit this, even in the privacy of her own mind. But ever since the mishap earlier in the season where the young Svefra girl and older Dykras man killed the resident Spearhead, she has been really profiting. The reef has yet to be claimed by one of the bigger predators, other than a few enterprising sharks stalking its edges. Leaving the space widely predator free, while still dissuading the smaller mammals with the border patrol. Now the reef is nothing less than a huge buffet. Which the moulding is quick to take advantage of.
 
She floats fluidly at the bottom of the reef, singing a snippet of song from the docks of Beautyfest as picks mussels from their colonies. These lumpy prizes she drops one by one into her large, chipped glass jar, where they settle on top of two small crabs and a tied bundle of the palest sea grass she could find. She even has a starfish, though she finds them too tough to be appetizing. But the deep purple color of the creature struck her on a whim, so he rides along with her on her shoulder like an honored guest. 
 
If this keeps up I might move in myself, she finds herself thinking. Her jar is almost full, so she starts swimming back to the beach with gentle strokes of her long tail. And it's on this journey back to he beach that her little fantasy of staking the reef for herself, stuffing her face with seafood and living like a queen disintegrates. She's respected by the oceanic creatures, but not exactly feared. And being stuck in one place, no matter how large, might just drive her mad.
 
Still, its a nice little dream and it occupies her thoughts so fully that (right in between the part of her fantasy where she builds Laviku a towering alter and the god appearing to her to thank her personally) she is startled to find that the beach she was aiming for is currently occupied.
 
The Otani quickly checks her speed and treads water a foot or two beneath the surface. The larger of the two figures is a lovely young Konti. And the woman is so heavily pregnant that Uleru jokingly entertains the idea that she might have swallowed a boulder. She is wielding a bit of pipe, and seems to be methodically probing the ground with it. For what though she cant fathom.
 
The boy, on the other hand, is blue. Which isn't that strange in this city. But what she is more interested in are his shimmering scales and the shock of white hair. He's Konti, he must be. She turns her head this way and that, as if viewing the boy from another angle will somehow shed more light on the mystery. But it's no use. She sudden feels that she might want to play with him and learn more about the boy; this enigma with white hair and scales! Her thoughts run away with the games she might play with the child, and what she might ask him. 
 
But to do any of this she needs him in the water, preferably away from his mother. Though she can get along famously with the Konti women she finds that mothers don't take too kindly to her, for whatever reason. 
 
She taps the jar thoughtfully as a plan forms in her mind. He might be too old to be endeared with little gifts, but its worth a shot.
 
Turning her back to shore she pulls res into the palm of her hand. She begins to shape the dense, pearly white substance until, a chime or two latter, she has a simple ghostly ship hovering over her palm. She transmutes this quickly into ice before it can lose its carefully coifed shape, and watches it rise in the water before popping above with a merry splash.
 
Then she rises right behind it and blows softly on the stiff sail, occasionally guiding it with gentle pushes through the water with one hand. Once she gets it close enough to shore she dips back down so only her eyes show shyly above the water. She watches the boy with a smile and open curiosity, silently willing him to take the gift.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

Riaris awoke early that day, well before Syna's light would grace the lands again. In the city, it was the changing of the guards from the night patrol and into that for the earlier part of the day. Riaris normally had this shift and since he was used to being up so early before when he worked at the shipyard, the time seemed fitting. But he had this day off and what better way to spent it than with his Kavala and their sons.

He had meant what he said that night at the party, he fully intended on being around more. He missed her, what they had, and with their family growing it was more important than ever to be around. He recalled his father, a man he held great respect for, and as a father he had always been there for him and his younger sisters. No matter the job, illness or whatever could have happened, his father was there and Riaris wanted to do the same for Kavala and the boys.

He knew that Kavala had the pregnant blues and had been at home laying around, though mostly because as she had told him, no one would allow her to do anything. He did recall a similar situation when Nanali and Johan were born. Riaris was still very young then, but he remembered a lot of family around and that he rarely saw his mother moving around at all. He wondered now if she had felt the same as Kavala, or if she enjoyed the pampering.

Riaris awoke that morning in Kavala's bed, and surprisingly found himself very alone. Kavala was gone and so were all of the many children that normally littered the bed. He had enjoyed the night with her, and they had decided to invite his sister's to join them. It only took the question to be asked, and Nanail was more than happy to come along.

Riaris felt good, he looked forward to seeing Kavala again, his beloved and their growing boys, whom he'd just learned missed him a great deal. But, today would be a change from the past and Riaris and Recoomas would be around a lot more often. He stood from the bed and redressed himself, before heading out to find the family that had slipped away in the night. He soon learned that Nanail was still sleeping, but Kavala had taken the boys to the beach. He made a stop by to check in on his sisters and made his way out towards the sunny isle.

It wasn't the first time he had visited their beach and it didn't take him too much searching to find the place where she had taken him last time to get there. Once he found land, Riaris started into a jog. He remembered the last time that he and Kavala had come there and jogged the full length. He continued his jog, increasing his speed to match his leg strides across the sands. Finally he found them, resting on the sandy beach, Kavala looked her usual amazing, and Tasival looked like he had grown twice since he last saw him, though he had already noticed the a bit earlier.

As he drew closer, Riaris slowed his pace so that he wouldn't run them over, before he came to a stop. "The Sanctuary never sleeps I see. How are you Kavala? Tasival, how goes the war my friend?"

[Kavala]

Tasival watched his mother with a slight bit of horror in his eyes. She was down on her knees, a little damp from the surf, and devouring a clam raw like Kavala had been starved for weeks. And now she wanted him to eat one? Tasival did the sensible thing and retreated letting Sharyru tell his mother no.

“No. Icky.” The child said with a force and trotted over to pick up the discarded clam shell to examine it. It wasn’t so much as the shell was distracting, but rather that he was fleeing the next step in his mom’s assault – the ‘try it you might like it’ approach. He tried not to watch his mother dig out another clam and similarly butcher it raw and pop it into her mouth again. He broke the bivalve in half and swung his hands with either shell, utilizing them into a makeshift weapon. He swung his arms around, as if he had daggers instead of clam shells, and jogged down the beach to see if there was anything he could kill. There was… a clump of seaweed that had just drifted ashore. Shayru took a few moments to experiment with the clam shells, trying to slice open the bulbs on the end of the plants, the water bladders that kept the seaweed floating. He was being fairly successful too.

Kavala kept eating, one eye on her child and one eye on her feast. Never had food tasted so good. Tasival’s pregnancy had been like this. Her son’s had not wanted chicken, beef, or pork. He had wanted raw things, bloody things, that bled not red of the land but clear fluid of the sea. And this child, the one tucked under her ribs and neatly into her pelvis, was no different. He seemed to sigh in satisfaction as the woman continued to eat her raw clams, not realizing how starved she’d been, skipping meals because she couldn’t eat them.

Shayru glanced up then, eyebrows raised, and saw the little boat floating towards him. He tilted his head; unsure of if he was seeing was real or not. He started to point it out to his mother, but she was busy digging more clams. He hadn’t yet noticed the tall figure jogging down the beach, black hair bouncing off his large shoulders. So Tasival took a step into the water, deeper, dropping his clam shells and stretching his hands out for the little boat.

Kavala, on the other hand, noticed Riaris right away. His deep purple skin caught the light just right, and she struggled to rise to greet him, finally managing to get herself to her feet. She glanced down at the waterline, knowing Tasi and Shayru were playing but not as worried as a normal mother would be because her son could breath perfectly fine underwater. Kavala bent to brush off her knees, the sand irritating her scales, and found the motion awkward. Light headed, she stepped to the side a moment, dropped her clan tube and rubbed her forehead, closing her eyes until things stopped spinning. She hadn’t ate enough, though the clams already in her stomach were definitely helping. Had they been anything else but raw seafood, she’d be busy throwing them up by now.

Being pregnant was hard on the Konti, though she tried to conceal it from everyone. Not eating caused her to loose weight as her stomach thickened. And she slept little, being constantly hungry, but not able to keep anything down. The trips to the sea had been more frequent, and often she wondered if she should just move into Reverie Isle so she could step off the back porch and rustle herself up meals raw anytime she needed one.

A quick glance to Tasi again saw him behaving and being safe, though wading out ankle deep in the water, so Kavala plastered a smile on her face and started towards Riaris. “Hey there. How’s things?” She asked when he got close enough, not wanting to let him know she was tired, starving, and really just wanted to go back to bed.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

Riaris was right there as Kavala held her head to stop the spinning. He reached his long arms around her, but only to keep her steady so she wouldn't fall. He recalled the conversation from the night before and he knew the baby would have none of his crowding. Riaris smiled, Kavala's glow was as amazing as Syna's, and while he thought it, he was too manly to say the words.

"I am well. How are you Kavala? I hope you were able to rest better.?"

He looked down to her stomach and reached a hand out to touch it. He was mindful as he did so, and moved closer to her side so that he could hold her. "I must admit, I didn't know what to do with myself. I didn't want to harm you while I rested." Riaris hadn't slept much that night, though he wouldn't tell her. But with her being so vulnerable, the Akalak was overly cautious and each and every time his body moved the slightest bit, he woke up.

"My sister's are still sleeping. It may be bells before they rise." He looked back towards the direction he came, and allowed his gaze to wander over to Tasival. "He's grown so much since I last saw him." Leaning forward, he planted a kiss on her cheek and in her hair. "I don't suppose you've eaten much at this time of morning?"

[Uleru]

A large, dark man comes running down the beach just as the boy takes the Otani's gift. But the man cant seem to wrangle enough of her attention for her to notice anything beyond his immense size and his rich violet colour. Though the Akalak does give her another mental angle with which to view this strange boy. Perhaps he isn't Konti, but another kind of Akalak?

Her eyes flick to the perorated bladders and the dropped shells quizzically. She might not be an expert in Konti behaviour, but that doesn't seem very typical of the seers peaceful souls. That is more of an Akalak kind of play. The kind that goes with brutes and warriors.

The Konti still on the shore seems much more interested in the purple mans approach than Uleru. And she straightens up to greet him, wobbling uncertainly as she pitches her own balance. The mouldings eye catches the movement and slides over to them for a second, just long enough to see the man catch her with undeniable tenderness before stoking her protruding belly lovingly.

Wait.

Her eyes flick from the couple to the child and back again, an inextinguishable grin spreading across her face. Thats it! It must be. The child is both Konti and Akalak!

That little piece of knowledge goes against everything she knows about both races, but it fits so well.

Setting her jar aside, she settles down to make another gift. After seeing his battle with the seaweed, she figures she might have to appease the boys Akalak side if she wants his endearment. So this time, bringing her hands together, she pulls a globe of res from her body and holds it suspended in front of her. She will make a weapon this time, an easy little dagger with a simple handle and a straight blade. After the curves of the hull and delicate mast of the little ship she did before this gift seems much easier. It takes less than a minute, and like before she lets the ice dagger rise on its own.

It breaks the water with a splash and the Otani guides it from underneath. She lets it bump against the childs shin to grab his attention. Curious, the boy bends down to take it. And that is all the consent Uleru needs to induct the boy into her game. A play weapon for a play fight. So with a splash and a laugh that could also be a cry of war she launches herself forward, grabbing the child by the waist, and drags them both into the shallows.

[Caelum]

Caelum had been in the kennels earlier when Tasival came to fetch the dogs. He had waved the child on and then returned to cleaning out the stalls. It was a slow, easy burn in the muscles of his arms and back, pitching out the muck and then stacking up the fresh, sweet smelling hay high enough for added warmth and insulation as the winds off the sea grew cooler with the shifting colors of the leaves. As he worked, he turned over in his mind what the boy had said to him about going with his mother to the seashore for breakfast. It had been a bright, happy chatter from Tasival, though Caelum had ended up squinting a golden eye deep into the boy's regard and ended up ruffling a hand through his hair to catch a sense of Shayru's desires in this regard. Kavala had not been eating enough as her pregnancy advanced. The ethaefal had noticed that some while ago, but it had taken him a little deduction to ascertain the real cause amid attempting to ply the pregnant konti with various, nutrient packed herbal concoctions that never seemed to have the effect he wanted. As Caelum hung up the pitchfork and ducked back into the sunlight, wiping the seat from his face with the tail of his worn work shirt, his thoughts strayed to Lillis, to Lillis and her child whom he had never met, somewhere out there in the world with her father. He knew he could recall their location if he wished it, and he had already decided in spring, insolong as all was well at the Sanctuary, to make the travel to Endrykas when it was closest to Riverfall. He had more than one person he hoped to hear tale of in the traveling city. Decision made, Caelum fetched his composite shortbow and his quiver. The regular arrows he had in his personal stores were replaced with the slightly worn but all the same well kept fishing arrows he had found to be of great use while on the road. Their tips were specially barbed and he found the entire set up to be the best for shallows fishing. He tucked a length of twine in his pocket, however, to use as a gyre-catcher just in case and then made the trek down to the shore. He heard from Aweston that Riaris was a few minutes ahead of him, and smiled a little to himself. The sunlight caused him to squint even as it poured over him, into him, and the ground turned to sand beneath the passage of his boots. He caught sight of them in the near distance and ambled loose hipped and steady in their direction, eyes sliding past Kavala and Riaris toward Tasival playing around in the shallows. He looked just in time to see the boy go under. Despite knowing that Tasival was an Akontak and, as such, capable of breathing under water, his heart constricted with reflexive fear. He heard laughter, and knew someone had grabbed him, dragging him down. The curve of bone, well kept and gleaming, that was his shortbow swung off of his shoulder and up even as he skidded to a halt, sand and water splashing brightly up to spark in the sun. He had spilled into a run the last couple of yards, done so without thinking, and now his heels were half soaked in salt water while his body angled toward the light. An arrow was notched and the string drawn, and all of this quick, without proper thinking, because some part of him half expected a shark or some other sort of monster and he knew better than to battle such a thing on its own terms. Then again, he was halfway right.

[Kavala]

Kavala was glad Riaris grabbed her. Dizziness was not part of her gestational plan, but then again not being able to eat anything but raw seafood had really thrown a curve into any and all plans for a peaceful pregnancy involving sitting at home, feet up, and sipping fruit juice in the sun by the sea. His gentle words belied the tiredness in his eyes. It was no wonder he didn’t stay more if he got no sleep at all. The Konti had made no small use of his form, tossing her body pillow support in favor of a full length hard-bodied all male Akalak. She’d sprawled across his chest, arms spanning his width, stomach propped against his hip, and had slept like the dead finally, thankful that he was a quiet sleeper and one that didn’t move much. But now she was realizing the poor man probably didn’t sleep a wink all night, afraid he’d roll over on her and harm the life inside.

Kavala blinked, started by his concern, and offered him a smile as she steadied herself and felt her head stop spinning. “I’m about as well rested as can be. I slept fantastic. I’m sorry you didn’t have the same experience though. It was really nice having you here. You are warm and firm in all the right places. I didn’t even wake up sore in the back and shoulders like I normally do. But I can tell you didn’t get much sleep yourself. I’m very sorry for that.” She said, knowing suddenly if he was staying another night she’d slip something into his evening drink that would put him out deeply all night. Normally she wouldn’t have done that, but the big warrior looked like he could use the sleep… badly. Kavala smiled, saying nothing, but noting mentally to herself to see that he slept.

“You know, we are tougher than we look.” The message was on multiple levels, whether he’d understand or not. She took his hand, kissed it, and then turned around to kiss him. She smiled when his hand spanned across her stomach. She stepped closer in a little sideways move to even bring her into contact, and reached up on her toes to capture his lips briefly. She wanted to reassure him that he’d never hurt her, but that wasn’t true. The Krysus mark made that iffy and the fact that his dark brother was a virtual stranger, also reinforced that thought. But deliberately? No. Never. “I am safer with you than I am alone.” She said, meaning it, knowing that was absolutely true as well.

She chuckled at the remark about his sisters. “Well, I scheduled their riding lessons for later in the morning, early afternoon, so that should work out well. Let them sleep in. Tomorrow we’ll get them up early for chores.” Kavala said, slipping her hand back and rubbing the small of her back. The ache was back this morning, and so too was the restlessness. She wasn’t at all sure she’d get to riding lessons or any other lessons today. What she really wanted to was to gorge on food and then go lay down.

“No… just three clams. But I’m working on more. I couldn’t keep any of the meals Cadra made for me down yesterday so I’m down here trying to make it up. It’s not working though. It’s too much work digging clams for one little bite of meat. I could eat hundreds, and they seem to want to stay down. After three, I already feel better...” She said with her voice pitched to have a ring of truth in it even though here was mirth infused.

A movement up the beach caught her attention, and she started to smile at Caelum. He was definitely one person she could count on to talk into digging clams for her all day long – not because he liked clam digging – but because she was starving and needed the food. Kavala started to call a greeting to him when she saw his expression suddenly change, his bow come out, and his jog down the beach turn into a flat out run. Kavala swung her head around, looking to see what he saw.

She was just in time to see the strange creature leap up out of the water, wrap its arms around Tasival, and pull her son under.

Kavala screamed. She tried to push Riaris away to pursue Tasival and knew she wasn’t near as fast enough to make it. Caelum was pounding the sand though and had plunged down to the water line with his bow drawn and an arrow notched. Kavala couldn’t make it to the water faster. But she did the first thing that came to mind. She threw her arms up, res filling the space between them, and launched it at Caelum. The res kept pouring from her, bridging the distance, until a swirling orb of it hovered around Caelum. It solidified to Kavala’s will and Caelum physically saw the water part at his feet as the Konti tapped her reimancy and formed a huge bubble of air around the Eth, keeping the seawater at bay.

“Tasival! Shayru! Go after them…” She screamed, still hobbling towards the water’s edge. Tears streaming down her face. “Tasi!” Swear words in pavi, kontinese, and tukant spilled from her lips and bubbled into existence as the water smoothed over where the Otani had stolen her son. Kavala looked at Riaris just as desperate. “Go... I’ll make you fresh airs too… go after him. Don’t wait for me.” Kavala said, running now, in a horrible display of what not to do while grossly pregnant. She tripped, as either man could have predicted, and went down hard on one knee, still screaming for her son. Kavala felt her world go dark, her fear infusing her body. She shouldn’t have let him so close to the water alone. Sure he could breath there, but what had taken him? Kavala hadn’t gotten a good look at the creature to even know what snagged Tasi. Was it a bold shark? Was it something completely new? She didn’t know… and wanted him back safe immediately.

[Riaris Dovukalis]

Riaris stared at Kavala and tried his best to keep his expression plain. She was doing it again, reading his thoughts and feelings. It was a Konti thing he was sure of, and he knew that his mother was very good at reading him, and she always knew what was in his mind. It was getting crowed in there, he had lived most of his life sharing with Recoomas and then with his mother and Kavala inside his mind, the Akalak couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it. Akaji was never going to mark him, not when he was so easy to read.

He put on a smile, stuck his chest out and raised his chin. Riaris and Recoomas were warriors and they wouldn't let a monster like sleep derivation take them down..even if the sands on the beach did suddenly resemble a large, warm blanket. "I slept well enough, perhaps it was the excitement of the night that kept me awake, and being here with you again." He didn't want to lie to her and he wouldn't, he had been very excited to see her, and he had slept a lot himself the past days because he wasn't feeling well. It had been good for him, and being alone allowed him to drift away and rest his mind while his body healed. But that was then, and now he was ready to try his hand at being a father, before his own child would come.

The Akalak didn't comment when she spoke about being strong. He knew that she was, the woman had faced far worse than most and was still alive and well. But that didn't mean he would, or could stop trying to protect her at every turn. If Kavala asked Johan, she get endless stories of how he did them the same. Even when it came to training he was gentle with them, which was something else Kavala had in common with them. It was the way of the Akalak, one was too gentle and at times and the other too rough. It was an odd and dangerous combination.

"I think it's Johan, Nanail is normally up early, she likes to watch the sun rise. Johan prefers to sleep in, and then wake up with the energy of a toddler. That girl amazes me." He chuckled, finding Kavala's cheek and kissing it twice, while he rubbed her shoulders. Riaris listened as she told him about her clam trouble and he saw a solution. The Akalak wasn't a cook, but he could surely to the muscle work. "Well then, how about you just rest and I'll dig the clams up for you?" He figured that she would decline, but her attention was else where. He turned to look and saw a man with horns hurrying towards them.

Riaris wasn't sure what to think, but something inside his gut started to tighten. Then Kavala screamed and he spun around to see a splash in the waters where Tasival and Shayru had been. The Akalak's eyes grew wide and every muscle in his body came to life.

Kavala had started to run, but he stayed close by, torn between going in the waters and keeping Kavala safe. Soon they were running, and he finally forced himself to part and race towards the waters. The last thing he saw was Kavala falling to her knees, before a powerful force forced him to turn around and race towards the waters.

He didn't know who this horned fellow was, and how far he was willing to go. But for him, he would go all the way,, even to death to reclaim his family.

[Uleru]

While pulling the strange Akalak/Konti child into deeper water Uleru comes to two conclusions. First, as she expected, the child is a water breather. He is struggling in shock, but he is struggling with her instead of struggling for the surface. Secondly, she is surprised to feel that his scales are not at all like a fishes. Rather they are grafted seamlessly to his skin. It's a strange texture, but there is no tailing lip to catch if she strokes them the wrong way. How interesting. 
 
His hair is web-fine like a baby, and it tickles her chin as the Otani holds him to her chest, planting cold kisses on the top of his head. In the confusion of the game's induction the boy let go of the slippery dagger, so he struggles in her arms with tiny fists and feet. She has to admire how strong the boy is, really, as he dents her soft body with his flailing heels.
 
As soon as the child realizes he wont be able to struggle his way out of her grip he tries to fight back instead. Using liberal amounts of baby teeth and digging fingers he tries to take a bite out of her breast. An Akalak for sure, she thinks, smiling to herself. Quite the little warrior.   
 
She encourages this behavior by reacting exaggeratedly to his bites and nails, reeling from little hits of his tiny fists and mewling in fabricated pain. The Otani handles him gently but firmly, weening him off the thought that she is really here to do him harm. And once he has calmed down marginally she introduces herself as a player in this game as well. She fights back tokenly, making as if to bite his cheek or capture his wrists only to let him knock her away, and playfully hissing as if angry at being thwarted.
 
Finally she loosens her arms and lets the boy struggle out of her grip. She croons indigently, as if she has been cheated by his strength, and smiles as she moves to follow the boy. She can feel the game changing, so she changes appropriately. It has become a chase, so she needs to be something worthy as a pursuer. Her human facade collapses into her natural shape. Which is, really, no shape at all. from this she starts to mould herself, flattening out and lengthening, acquiring a narrow, gapped-toothed maw and large, flat eyes. She ends up with a body that is halfway Moray eel, though much larger.
 
Infusing herself with an easy ghostly white to make herself easy to spot for the child, she moves as if to chase the toddler. She'll swim in front of him to cut him off, bump up underneath him, or snap playfully at his feet when she figures he isn't moving fast enough. All the wile unconsciously herding him into reef in the deeper water, where she feels more comfortable.
 
The reef! That would be a great stage for their game. Plenty of hiding places for the boy. Nearly humming in delight she snaps at the boys legs, taking both feet in her mouth as the boy kicks out at her. And like that she tows the boy to the reef by the ankles.