PM to join One Granidile Attack Too Many (Tydus)

[Harkon]

Timestamp: Fall 60, 514 AV Location: Shipwreck Beach Time of Day: Around the 11th Bell, Midday Harkon sat in the middle of the river ferry, returning to the city. As usual, he'd stopped by Blacksugar to see if they needed him for anything. They did not, so he had the rest of the day to do as he pleased. He was watching the banks of the Lorak plantation go by, trying to count the cattails that passed, to no success. There were only a few others on the ferry with him, including the driver, two Freeborn men he didn't recognize, and a female slave that belonged to one of them. Harkon wasn't feeling particularly chatty, so he just sat there, legs crossed, relaxing in the grasp of the current. Syna was bright, but she was beginning to leave the sky earlier and earlier, and the mornings had the beginnings of Morwen's chill in them. Winter was coming, not that it mattered as much in Kenash. However, Harkon's pleasant ride was rudely interrupted as the boat was bumped. He cast his eyes forward, seeing if the water had gotten rougher. Noticing no change, he cast it from his mind, thinking that it could've been anything. One of the Freeborn men spoke to the slave, "Get my wineskin, it is bloody hot here." The slave nodded, and crouched down the pack, reaching in. Harkon watched, trying to get a better look at the woman. One could never be sure as to what type of a slave those that belonged to Freeborn might be. His gaze followed her neckline down her loose blouse. Maybe he'd stop by Towerly's today. As the woman stood up to hand her master the wineskin, the boat was bumped much harder this time. Harkon watched as the woman flailed, a small "Oh!" escaping her lips as she fell backwards. They weren't in the middle of the river, just off the eastern bank, but she was still twenty feet or so from land. The boat kept following the current, Harkon's eyes locked on the woman who had just bobbed up, arms swinging around, as a person who could not swim. Her master, "Shyke, that's the second one this season. I can't afford another, and I didn't even get to petch this one yet." She managed to calm down, treading water now, pleading for the boat to come back, but everyone upon it knew it wouldn't. Then the water exploded in white as she was dragged beneath, quickly replacing her screams for splashing. Harkon could make out bits and pieces of the granidile that was attacking her, watching the water exploded as it rolled. There was no helping her. Harkon didn't know how to swim either, but even if he had, he was not stupid enough to jump in after her. Turning away, he cast his gaze forward. He wondered if she were able to swim better, if she would've made it to shore in time. There seemed to have been plenty of time if she swam like some of the Svefra he'd seen in the past. But he'd never bothered to try learning, and he certainly wasn't going to do so in the river. He'd never had problems at the beach, maybe he could start there. Normally he went either to bath or fade into his memories of Eyktol. Chimes ticked by, and Harkon made his way to Glass Beach. There weren't many beach dwellers today it seemed. Harkon had a favorite spot, atop a large rock that jutted from sand to water. Sometimes he would lay up there and be embraced by Syna's warmth. He'd stopped by his home in the Terraces first, to make a small change in wardrobe. He removed his shirt, slipped of his boots and trousers, and handed them to a slave attendant for safe keeping. Harkon, wearing nothing but a smile and a loin cloth made his way to his rock, scaled it hand over hand. He made his way out to the edge overlooking the water. He could see the bottom in the crystal clear water, but it was pretty far down there. Well, nothin' to it but to do it. He stepped out and over the water and dropped like a stone into the water. He plunged beneath the surface and it was quite the strange experience. His body immediately kicked into survival mode, and limbs began flailing beneath the water. He struggled hard, immediately wanting, but forcing himself to not breath in the ocean. His flailing tired him quickly, but did bring him gasping to the surface. He immediately struggled toward the shallows, until his feet found purchase in the sand. He continued until his head was above water, and kept going, working at getting his breath back. He continued onward until he could sit down to rest. He laid back in the damp sand, enjoying the feel of the surf splashing against him. That sucked. But, he'd try again, and again, until it didn't anymore. He just wasn't ready yet.

[Tydus Tempest]

.The shark had proven itself to be an able tavan in the few weeks that the Tempest and it had been bonded. Sleek, powerful and quick, it seemed to respond to his intentions in a way that the Svefra could not entirely explain. Rather than empathizing with him, or attempting to understand him or mirror his movements, it acted independently. And independent action was what Tydus enjoyed most about the silvertip shark. It hunted for its own food. It came and went while Tydus was in the city proper. However, it always remained within the sensory capacity of Tydus Tempest's Oceanus.

And when Tydus entered the water, it flourished within him. His eyes and ears were abandoned, forsaken as the former closed and the latter flooded with water. The Svefra felt the tide crash against his face after he took his running start and dive. Already wearing nothing save for a pair of undergarments, the Tempest felt at home in the waters of the ocean. The luminous glow of the ocean's life flared in his senses, dense and lush plantlife made itself apparent. Small fish and mollusks clung to the sand bed of the shallow floor. While the shore was sparsely populated, primarily with the bored, tired looking trophy wives of the Dynasts, the sea was rife with a life and splendor that could not be measured.

Glass baubles and shining stones covered the shoreline of Glass Beach, an uncomfortable surface to lay upon, though the few that did came prepared, blankets to rest upon near shade-covered stalls selling refreshment. It seemed that most of the city of Kenash was too busy to revel in the ocean, though those that did near it did not truly immerse themselves in it. A tragic existence, to be sure.

Tydus ignored it in favour of the glowing lights. He ventured deeper into the water, feeling the now familiar sensation of the bond that tightened around his mind. His Oceanus pointed out the largest life form in the immediate area and when he found it, Tydus opened his eyes. A grin flourished upon his countenance as the silvertip shark came to him. Gloved hands traversed the surface of the shark's tough skin, tiny patches of leather flaking off though Tydus paid it no mind. Soon they would need to be replaced, but Tydus would do so at a later time.

Day's treatin' you well, Crash? Looks like you've been feeding, yeah?

While the red long scattered into the sea of blue, Tydus could see the shredded bones of prey in the shark's teeth. The Tempest grinned as he looked around, wondering if any of the few patrons of Glass Beach would see the feat he was to perform. Shark riding, while popularized in the Tempest pod, was likely a dead 'art form', a sport that only the Svefra could truly participate in. It was Tydus' pleasure to have found such a bondmate that he could rely upon to keep the tradition alive. Laughter bubbled upon the Tempest's lips as he held on to the shark's top fin and commanded it to swim forth. Sluggishly, it followed his indication.

While Tydus was no longer the small, foolhardy child he once was, the bubble of it remained, and as the shark accelerated, Tydus kicked his legs furiously to 'assist' it. Unnecessarily so, but his kicking kept him above the shark when its acceleration peaked and the Tempest's palms left its fins in order to seek a larger pasture. Holding on to its body, the Svefra's chest scraped against the tough, abrasive flesh of the shark. Irritation burned at the skin, salt seeping in and aggravating the 'wounds', but Tydus didn't care. It was after several ticks of waves buffeting him, rolling with force against his face and body that Tydus let go of the shark to satisfy the need to breathe.

But afterwards, he made his way over to Crash to try again.

Fifteen chimes of riding the shark left Tydus with red, irritated skin upon his chest, his gloves flooded with water as the surface broke entirely against the shark. But, Tydus wore the brightest grin he had felt on his face in quite a long time. A laugh bubbled from his lips as he stumbled forward into the water, adopting a breaststroke kick while laying on his back, the Svefra intent on pedaling himself towards the shore. Two chimes of swimming brought him to the shore and he lay against the glossy stones of the beach, staring into the heavens as a sliver of happiness was caught, grasped and held onto.

Tydus could hear the sound of breathing behind him and to his right, the svefra not bothering to look up as he asked,

"Yeh likin' the water today?"

Fratava | Hypnotic Fratava | Common | Hypnotic Common