Username: clarax #150307
Prompt: Edge of the Sea
Entry: (I have a few last-minute entries, I hope that's okay! ^_^)
The Water Fae fluttered to the edge of the sea, wonder in his eyes.
Echo had not been back to Water Flight territory since he had first left it, many years ago. In the Water Festivals of past, he had always celebrated from his new territory in the Viridian Labyrinth, spending the days by the streams through the Gladeveins, or perhaps on the beachs of the Western Ocean… But this year, things had gone differently.
And perhaps the only benefit of all the recent tragedy was that he now had the opportunity to return to his birth Flight.
He was a little frightened to go swimming even in the shallows of the Sea of a Thousand Currents, for fear of what the Tidelord might think of him for ever leaving the Flight. But he explored the seaside, taking part in the land-based festivities, and buying a few festive favours to bring back to his Clan in the northern rainforest.
And then he had discovered the tidepools.
They were in a quiet corner of the beach, away from the chaos and noise of the festival. Here, it was a different world altogether, a sacred space. Echo looked around, worried he was trespassing – it seemed private, a personal glance into the soul of the Water element itself. The small pools glinted like shed rainbow scales, and once he ensured it was safe, he approached them with bated breath.
He sat quietly, respectfully, at the edge of the tidepools, positioning himself so that he could watch three pools at once.
In one, there was a swirl of colour as tiny, brightly-scaled fish flitted back and forth in a mesmerizing dance. They were smaller in size than he was. Echo's wings twitched, as if begging him to join their dance. He shook the feeling away, knowing the tidepool would not be big enough for him to swim underwater.
In the second, there was a family of crabs. He watched with interest and light amusement as a smaller crab poked her head curiously from the water, watching the Fae with beady eyes.
"Hello, little one," Echo whispered.
The crab spooked at his voice, and ducked back into the water. One of the older crabs scuttled quickly to the edge of the pool and clicked her claws in Echo's direction, as if threatening or scolding him.
The Fae held up his front paws, his claws sheathed, in apology.
And in the third tidepool, there was hardly any movement. It was quiet, the surface the stillest of all three. Echo peered closely, his interest outweighing his cautious instincts. There didn't seem to be much within the tidepool, although the Water dragon knew there was always something. There were some delicately-shaped shells, some blue-and-pink swirled pebbles, some algae growing on the underside of the rock...
"Hmm," Echo said to himself.
And then the bubbles came forth, spewing from underneath the rocks in a tumble of boiling water. Prophecy after prophecy came, too quick for Echo to process. But the message was as clear as the water from which they came. The Tidelord was reaching out to his child, calling for the Water dragon to listen. The prophecies were a sign, Echo realized. His Flight was not mad at him, and his first deity was not disappointed in him. No matter the years Echo had dedicated to serving the Gladekeeper in her lands to the north, the Tidelord knew that Echo had not forgotten his birthplace nor his birth deity; and the Tidelord had not forgotten about him, either.
Echo was okay.
Echo was forgiven.
Prompt: Edge of the Sea
Entry: (I have a few last-minute entries, I hope that's okay! ^_^)
The Water Fae fluttered to the edge of the sea, wonder in his eyes.
Echo had not been back to Water Flight territory since he had first left it, many years ago. In the Water Festivals of past, he had always celebrated from his new territory in the Viridian Labyrinth, spending the days by the streams through the Gladeveins, or perhaps on the beachs of the Western Ocean… But this year, things had gone differently.
And perhaps the only benefit of all the recent tragedy was that he now had the opportunity to return to his birth Flight.
He was a little frightened to go swimming even in the shallows of the Sea of a Thousand Currents, for fear of what the Tidelord might think of him for ever leaving the Flight. But he explored the seaside, taking part in the land-based festivities, and buying a few festive favours to bring back to his Clan in the northern rainforest.
And then he had discovered the tidepools.
They were in a quiet corner of the beach, away from the chaos and noise of the festival. Here, it was a different world altogether, a sacred space. Echo looked around, worried he was trespassing – it seemed private, a personal glance into the soul of the Water element itself. The small pools glinted like shed rainbow scales, and once he ensured it was safe, he approached them with bated breath.
He sat quietly, respectfully, at the edge of the tidepools, positioning himself so that he could watch three pools at once.
In one, there was a swirl of colour as tiny, brightly-scaled fish flitted back and forth in a mesmerizing dance. They were smaller in size than he was. Echo's wings twitched, as if begging him to join their dance. He shook the feeling away, knowing the tidepool would not be big enough for him to swim underwater.
In the second, there was a family of crabs. He watched with interest and light amusement as a smaller crab poked her head curiously from the water, watching the Fae with beady eyes.
"Hello, little one," Echo whispered.
The crab spooked at his voice, and ducked back into the water. One of the older crabs scuttled quickly to the edge of the pool and clicked her claws in Echo's direction, as if threatening or scolding him.
The Fae held up his front paws, his claws sheathed, in apology.
And in the third tidepool, there was hardly any movement. It was quiet, the surface the stillest of all three. Echo peered closely, his interest outweighing his cautious instincts. There didn't seem to be much within the tidepool, although the Water dragon knew there was always something. There were some delicately-shaped shells, some blue-and-pink swirled pebbles, some algae growing on the underside of the rock...
"Hmm," Echo said to himself.
And then the bubbles came forth, spewing from underneath the rocks in a tumble of boiling water. Prophecy after prophecy came, too quick for Echo to process. But the message was as clear as the water from which they came. The Tidelord was reaching out to his child, calling for the Water dragon to listen. The prophecies were a sign, Echo realized. His Flight was not mad at him, and his first deity was not disappointed in him. No matter the years Echo had dedicated to serving the Gladekeeper in her lands to the north, the Tidelord knew that Echo had not forgotten his birthplace nor his birth deity; and the Tidelord had not forgotten about him, either.
Echo was okay.
Echo was forgiven.
