Horses Will Be Horses

[Sume]

27th Day of Summer, 511. Please ReadPrimarily for the character Liel, but open to all. He might’ve scared her half to death, he wasn’t sure. He’d done well so far. After leaving the waters of Sahova, his Seahorse, Kyaluti, had been fine – but the darned, beautiful thing had decided that plumrose anemones were interesting. And now, Sume knew he was in danger of blowing his cover. He was emotionally distressed. He loved Kyaluti, and he needed help. Travelling through the waters of Mura might have been an otherwise ethereal experience. Sneaking in through the water gates, stealthily being unseen – but now, he would have to impersonate one of these lovely creatures. Sume had heard about the Konti, and knew they had a tendency to be psychic, so he had every reason to be nervous. What if they should see straight through his impersonation? Not everyone looked kindly upon a Charoda… He had left Kyaluti to rest, tied safely to some sea-boulders. Sume swam now, sleek body flitting through the waters undetected, and – Yes, he might’ve scared her half to death. He was in somebody’s underwater home, separated only by delicate glass. He saw a small Konti, perhaps a wee bit smaller than himself, arranging glass jars upon a shimmering shelf. The Konti furniture was a thing of loveliness, and for a moment, Sume watched, mesmerized. Then, remembering his poor steed, he knocked on the glass – once, twice, and she turned, fixing her silver eyes upon him. Or her – Sume was trying his best to impersonate one of her own, after all. She waved, albeit hesitantly, and he waved back, before pointing upwards to motion to the surface. She nodded and left the room, and he surfaced. The sun was glorious. It struck what he knew was gold and turqoise skin, but hopefully she would see a complexion of soft ivory, and large blue eyes. She approached, and he smiled, walking out onto the shore. He made sure he was walking at the right pace – he hadn’t been on land for so long! As she neared him, he spoke: “Hello, my name is – ” Is what? “Dalia.” Dalia? Eh… Hopefully she’d buy it. “I need your help. You see, I acquired a Seahorse from my journey to Charbosi last winter, and I’m afraid it’s nibbled on some plumrose anemone…”

[Liel]

The words struck her a little harder than usual: Plumrose anemone… “I wonder if your kind are susceptible to plumrose anemones. Are you interested in ending a few lives, Ethaefal?” “Ending a few lives? Ending lives is an easy task and unfortunately I do not need plants to do it. I am only finding a way to occupy myself until it is time for my leave. I am sure however that plumrose has it's purpose. You would know, wouldn't you Konti?” Had only one season passed since she laid eyes upon the strange Ethaefal? He had not given her a name, only a location, and her courage had failed her – she had not left her home of Mura. And yet, since that fateful encounter, she had been even more restless, numb – but now, the Konti named Dalia needed her help. “Of course,” Liel replied, softly, hurriedly. She wondered at the genuine concern that rose from her throat as she walked back to her room to gather some stint green and jupin berries, beckoning for Dalia to follow. She had not treated any living creature for a long time – perhaps this would ignite her passion once more. “Where is he?”

[Sume]

“I left him underwater,” Sume replied, fascinated by the plants and berries she held, “He won’t go anywhere, he’s a good Seahorse…” Sorrow and worry lined his eyes, and for a moment, his impersonation flickered. He wondered if she’d noticed… But the sight of Kyaluti’s potential cure made him impatient and hopeful. He made his way back to the shore and dived in, swimming effortlessly through the water as fast as he could. He had no doubt she could keep up – she was Konti, after all – and found the Seahorse floating sadly. It was a miserable sight. Sume had never seen Kyaluti like this before. He flung his gaze back towards the Konti. “Please, Konti,” he begged, “Please help him.”

[Liel]

Wait a second. Konti? Who among Konti called each other by their race name? And had something in Dalia flickered turquoise? Dismissing it as reflections of the water, Liel focused on the matter at hand. But Dalia did move slightly differently from what Liel was used to – faster, if possible. “Call me Liel,” she said warmly, trying to calm Dalia. “Let me take a look at him.” The Seahorse was a beauty indeed. Liel would have stood there and gazed for hours if she could, taking in the exquisite creature one feature at a time. Its long, serpentine body, its glowing white-gold scales, the glistening, gleaming skin. Its eyes were shut, and she turned to Dalia, experiencing her first pang of nervousness. “Do you think you could wake him?”

[Sume]

Sume nodded, immediately going forward and stroking Kyaluti’s long nose. He leaned forward, whispering Char, speaking in comforting, familiar clicks and sounds. Under his palm, he could feel the warm bubbles of Kyaluti’s breath, could see the Seahorse’s gills moving a little faster and suddenly, Kyaluti’s eyes opened. Unlike the rest of his white-gold body, Kyaluti’s eyes were a striking deep jade, flecked with sapphire. He regarded Sume with despair and confusion, having heard his master’s voice, yet seeing an unfamiliar Konti. With a pained, echoing squeal, Kyaluti flung himself backwards and Sume cried out, “No! Wait!” Shedding his impersonation, Sume clung onto the poor creature’s neck. “It’s me,” Sume whispered, “Don’t worry, little guy. It’s me. I have a friend here. Her name is Liel and she’s going to make you feel better. Be nice to her, okay?” Turning to Liel, he spoke worriedly. “Okay, Kyaluti understands now. Don’t move too fast an—” Realizing he’d shed his disguise in front of her, he froze.

[Liel]

Liel froze too, and they floated there, inches from each other, staring. A Konti, a Charoda, and a giant Seahorse. It was a thing of beauty, but Liel was shocked – his impersonation had been good, the flaws she could have easily dismissed as strange quirks, considering the Charoda had hinted at travelling far and wide. Liel broke the silence. “You’re beautiful,” she said in wonder. “I have never met a Charoda face to face.” But forcing herself to focus, she swam past the Charoda and gently touched the Seahorse’s nose, mimicking the Charoda’s first movements. Kyaluti was still but she saw his vivid eyes following her movements. She held the stint green to his nose. She knew the leaves were minty. Kyaluti seemed to approve and gently, very gently, she eased open his mouth. The teeth were as she expected – long and alabaster, with enough force, Kyaluti could easily rid her of a hand. She watched his gills slow and his eyes grow more relaxed as he chewed. The stint green would heal some of the chest inflammation from the plumrose. And then it struck her, clear as day, and for a split second her silver eyes flashed a glassy rose. She turned to the Charoda, not understanding, but pushed to – “Kyaluti will not die today. He – ” What? “Will not die for a very long time. No plants or poisons will kill him.” She turned back. Breathless. Her own chest was tight and she would have popped a jupin berry in her own mouth as she frantically tried to make sense of what just happened. What was that? How did she know that? As she fed Kyaluti the berries, her mind travelled at great speeds, and she bordered on panic. How did she – “It’s okay,” she whispered, perhaps speaking to herself also, patting the Seahorse. “You’ll feel better soon, just get some rest.” She turned to Sume. “Don’t ride him for today, let him rest. You’re free to stay at my house or – ” she smiled weakly, “At least, in my aquarium, where you knocked at my window.”

[Cayenne]

Intervention Greetings, I'm sorry to tell you that this thread must be edited or be disallowed because of the fact a character may not have a water dragon/velispar from their starting package. Thank you for your understanding and fixing this issue. Cayenne Further note: Thank you for fixing it. You might consider changing the thread title.

[Sume]

Curiouser and curiouser… The first thing he noticed was that she had known exactly what he was at first glance, and didn’t seem at all keen to offer to sell him to anyone as a delicacy. The second thing was that she knew he could not reside on land overnight. The third this was that she seemed to have some kind of gift associated with… Death? Gnosis, perhaps? The thought chilled his young bones but she was a lovely creature, and he was exceedingly grateful. She gave him instructions and he was thankful for her hospitality. “My name is Sume,” he said, almost bursting with gratitude. “Sume Deala’Tu. Kyaluti and I appreciate everything. I apologize for the impersonation – but I do not know which races visiting Mura are apt to… eat…” a dry, wry grin, “My people. But in return for your services, Kyaluti and I are at your disposal.” He grinned, and took her hand, and enveloped her in a graceful, Charodae hug. “Thank you Liel,” he said, “A million times, thank you!”

[Liel]

She was surprised, and returned the embrace. What would her family think of her? First two Ethaefals, now a Charoda? He offered her services in return, and it was like lightning out her lips, a strange, lilting request: “Take me to Sylira.” How, she did not know. They had one horse, but Sume’s skills were, as she had herself experienced, quite good. Plans and images flitted around her mind, a web of silvery thoughts, all in the shadow of one mysterious Eth. She still had the piece of paper. “Please, Sume,” she said, white locks billowing about her face, “I need to get to Sylira.”

[Sume]

Sume widened his eyes and then laughed; a melodic sound. He was pleased and happy at finally having a friend that he could converse with (not that Kyaluti was a bad choice, but he enjoyed verbal responses also), and nodded vigourously. “Yes,” he agreed, “We will stay here for the night, and tomorrow we can leave! I have been exploring Mura and it is a beautiful place but perhaps, Liel, you are somewhat like me… feel the need to explore this strange world we live in…” He secured Kyaluti’s rope once more and petted the Seahorse down, speaking kindly to him in Char; it was best that he get more sleep. Once this was done, he smiled once more at Liel and laid out a plan. “There are trader ships laden with pearls that go to the coast of Syrila; Nyka is the closest stop. I am a somewhat competent impersonator, especially towards those who are not suspicious. I can act a trader or shipmate by day, and you can ride Kyaluti. Then at night, we can switch, as I will start getting a little antsy if out of water too long.” He grinned, squeezing her hand. “It will be fun, and I promise I will keep you safe! Leave a note though, for your family, at least.”