Huria

Huria She/Her Mate of Ponos and Lisae'Idace Half Dryad Buttercup Strangler Familiar A valuable part of the woodland ecosystem, stranglers will break down organic material rapidly. 2000 Huria is a half dryad. She possesses various naturalistic magical abilities; most notably, she can regenerate organic material and entities, and she can take on a somewhat ethereal form. Her parents passed away when she was a hatchling, and she was raised by a Centaur named Villruth. They lived as vagrants for many years, with their wandering eventually leading them to the Windswept Plateau. As Huria reached adulthood, she made many attempts to convince Villruth that they shouldn't keep living on their own, but Villruth wouldn't budge. One evening, though, Huria felt like she was close to breaking through to him...

Children

With Ponos:

Sunshine

Watermelon

With Lisae'Idace:

Grapejuice

Trida

Siren

Witchcraft

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____Huria struggled with the piece of wood in her claws, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She had been working on it for hours, trying to carve out the intricate design she had sketched earlier. She wanted to finish it before night fell, but the wood was resisting her efforts. It was particularly hard and stubborn, and she had to exert more force than usual to make any progress. As she worked, she spoke to Villruth, who was preparing their dinner over the campfire.

____"I'm serious, Villruth," she said, her voice low. "I can't keep living like this."

____Villruth looked up from the pot he was stirring and gave Huria a concerned look. "This again?" he asked, his voice deep and rumbling.

____"Yes, this again. We can't keep running forever," Huria replied, frustration evident in her tone. "We need stability, a place to call home, and a way to make a living. I'm tired of constantly looking over my shoulder. This job could solve so many problems.”

____Villruth grunted in response, not looking up from his cooking. "I don't like it. We're on the run for a reason. You know that. We can't afford to let our guard down or make ourselves vulnerable by putting down roots."

____"Yeah, I know, I know…" she huffed. Her claws continued to dig at the hardened wood, undeterred. "But I could earn enough money to support us, and we could have somewhere safe to stay! We could see the world, and maybe I could even learn more about magic…" Her voice trailed off, and she sighed. "We've been running for so long, Villruth. I'm tired of it. I want a chance to build a life for myself… for us."

____Villruth sighed and leaned back against a nearby tree, his eyes gazing up at the sunset above.

____"I understand how you feel, Huria," he said, his voice softening. "It's not just about me and you, though. We have to think about the safety of others, too. If the warlock ever comes after us, anyone who's with us will be in danger."

____"Sure, but we'd be on a ship in the ocean," she said, looking up from her project. "What are the chances we'd have any trouble from her?"

____Villruth pondered for a moment. He placed his hands behind his head as he rested against the tree.

____"I see your point…" he said, then looked over towards her. "You're really set on this, aren't you?"

____"I am. I promise, I'll be careful," she replied.

____"We'll be careful," he said, correcting her. "If you're doing this, I'm doing it. Don't think I'm letting you out of my sight just cause it's on a boat."

____Huria beamed with joy. She ran over and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

____"Oh, thank you, Villruth! Thank you!" She said excitedly.

____"Alright, alright, settle down!" He chuckled. He'd forgotten how strong she was getting; she'd nearly knocked the wind out of him. "We'll go to the harbor tomorrow and see if we can find this ship."

____Huria grinned and hugged him again.

____"You won't regret it, I promise." She assured him.

____"There's only a little bit of sunlight left, and the food's almost ready. Better finish that woodcarving of yours."

____Huria cuddled up next to him and got back to her project. It wasn't long before she put the finishing touches on it. As they ate their dinner, they discussed the details of the job and what it would entail. Villruth was still a bit unsure, but he was willing to take this step. Huria was glad she'd gotten through to him.

____As the night grew darker, they finished their meal and settled into their makeshift bedroll. Huria snuggled close to Villruth, feeling the warmth of his fur against her scales. She drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the adventures and challenges that awaited them out on the open sea.


____The next day, they ventured to the nearby harbor, where the ship was supposed to be. Huria's heart beat faster as they approached the dock, and she saw the ship's mast rising above the other vessels. Villruth hefted his bow over his shoulder, feeling a little more at ease with his trusty weapon in hand. They approached the ship, and saw a Fae dragon talking with two Ridgebacks and a Nocturne. The Fae was smaller than Huria, and she noticed that there were golden tattoos on his fuchsia wings.

____"Um, excuse me?" Huria said, interrupting their conversation. All four dragons turned to look at her. She felt small under their gaze, and she struggled to find her voice. "We're looking for the captain of this ship."

____"Isn't everyone," The Fae mumbled. There seemed to be more salt in his voice than the air. "That'd be me. Name's Ponos. Who's asking?"

____Huria and Villruth exchanged a glance, hesitant to reveal too much. "We were hoping to join your crew," Huria said, keeping her tone casual.

____"Really?" Ponos said, eyeing them up and down. His focus locked onto Villruth. “Never heard of a seafaring Centaur before.”

____"Then it pleases me to be the first," Villruth said, meeting the stare.

____"Right… well, we are in need of a few extra hands…" Ponos said, considering the pair. "Sure, why not. I will need your names, though."

____"Villruth," the Centaur replied. "And this is Huria."

____"Alright then, Villruth and Huria. Get yourselves on board. We'll depart as soon as I can finish with these three."

____"Yes sir!" Huria said eagerly. The pair made their way up the ramp onto the deck of the ship. Huria felt her heart swell. It was the first time she'd felt truly hopeful in a long time. She looked over to Villruth, who didn't seem so enthusiastic, to her dismay. "What's the matter, grumpy-face?" She asked.

____"I'm not sure, but..." Villruth began, looking back over his shoulder. "Those two Ridgebacks... they seem familiar somehow..."

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1. Huria was gifted to me by oyamibun.