Ebb and Flow (Kyle/Locke, PM for entry)

[Locke]

"How can I be joyful? Kyle... In my lifetime I have known great joy and great sorrow. I have been weak, I have been helpless, and I have been at the mercy of forces completely outside my control. But there was always something that kept my spirits up. And that was this."

Pulling out his pouch, Locke took out a strange gemstone and held it in his palm. The smooth stone was perfectly cut in a tetrahedral shape, its dull gray surface gleaming sometimes with the light of the sun. It appeared simultaneously opaque and transparent, and it shimmered softly. It was beautiful.

Placing the stone back in its pouch and hiding it away again, Locke continued imparting what he considered to be his most profound wisdom.

"That stone... I cut it myself, with my mother and father's guidance. They taught me about earthworking, carving, sculpting, crafting... They taught me the ways of the desert. They imparted to me a small adage of wisdom, and I now impart it to you, Kyle.

The earth was here when we first appeared, and the earth will remain once we have last left. Our lives are fleeting, as are our experiences. Appreciate each one for what it can teach you about yourself."

Falling silent, Locke's gaze slowly drifted off into the horizon, and he appeared to have completely forgotten about Kyle.

[Kyle]

How had Locke experienced such changes in his life if this was his first time leaving the village? Perhaps his view would change once he experienced the real world in comparison to his village. This stone however, it was like nothing he had ever seen, not that he saw much. And Locke had cut the stone with his family? Locke was lucky to have a family like that. The closest thing he had was his father telling him howto make a bow and arrows, that of which he currently used.

OF course people only have a limited amount of time on or in this place, but all it had shown him so far was how weak and how much of a failure he was. He hasn't completed a single job he set out to do, he hasn't won a single fight he'd been in. Why should he even bother continuing if everyone else just got stronger as well? was there really a point to it? These thought weighed down heavily on his mind as he walked to wards the back of the ship and stared at the wreckage of the other ship fading from his view. That's probably where he'd end up.

[Locke]

"Look. In the distance... It is the Western Isles, is it not? But there is a fell wind blowing... A storm is rising. A great storm. It blows with the vigor and might of the Great Sea himself. We must be cautious, or we will be lost."

The manakete shook his head.

"These signs do not bode well. I hope this craft is sturdy and agile, or she'll become a home for the Great Sea's many children... And we will become his children's food."

Of course, Kyle would have no idea Locke was talking about Water Dragons... But it was still a chilling prospect. Being lost at sea, falling slowly to a watery grave deep beneath the waves? It made Locke shiver slightly. That would be an awful way to die. Lost at sea.

[Kyle]

"Now that you mention it. . ." After Locke had pointed out that there was a storm coming he clearly noticed that the sky had begun to darken on the horizons; He even smelled something different in the air, it was a slightly sweet, fresh aroma. It seemed his high tracking senses were actually coming in handy for something? Although it was quite pointless to be able to smell a storm. And what was he talking about the sea's children? Did he mean fish? Why didn't he say so? And what was so scary about fish, he was used to eating them, not being afraid of them. Did Locke's tribe's customs make him fear fish? Weird.



-----A couple hours later-----

"Oy, lad get down er or ye be washed away!" People were yelling for him to get bellow decks but he just didn't want too. This was a moment in his life where he actually felt alive.

The storm was upon the ship, thee were waves cresting over the ship and breaking on the decks. The rain whipped through the air stinging his exposed skin like little wasps. The wind whipped around tossing the loose ends of his cloths and his hair about. It was a good thing they had taken down the sails or the pole holding them would have buckled under all the winds that were thrashing about.

Besides the people that had to be up to keep the ship from sinking he was the only one up, well, he didn't know where Locke was. All he could hear was the wind and rain and barely audible were the voices of people shouting, though some were undoubtedly for him. The ship suddenly tipped forwards making Kyle lose his balance then backwards again, waver were hitting from all directions. This truly was a bad storm. Looking around the shop at the waves Kyle picked out something that seemed strange, it seemed to be a spot in a wave, was he seeing things? Wait. No he wasn't. It was a crate, a big one. And it was headed right towards him!

When Kyle regained conciseness he was. . . stuck to the crate in the storm? It appeared that an off hanging splinter of wood had caught his shirt and it had kept him above water. Thank you what ever higher power may exist. Looking around he could see nothing over the waves, his eyes burned from the saltwater, there was water in his ears and he could smell iron. Hopefully it wasn't his blood. He just clung onto the box for dear life hoping that he might make it out of this. But knowing him he wouldn't and he would be lost at sea. It was quite ironic that Locke may very well be right.

[Locke]

"Yes, it is coming..."

-----A couple hours later-----

Locke was perched on his barrel near the figurehead, watching the wind and waves splash over the boat, sending spray over the wooden rails as he crouched. His talons were gripping tightly to the barrel, keeping him steady through all the turbulence.

Turning, Locke managed to see something very disturbing... His companion! There was a crate headed for him!

Locke sprang forward, his feet shifting back as he burst into motion towards the boy, seeking to stop the crate. Suddenly, a wave exploded over the deck, and the Earth dragon had just enough time to swear inwardly before he was shoved far under the sea.

As the water immersed him, Locke drew strength, becoming heavier as his form expanded. Sinking rapidly, he hit the seafloor, his fully developed draconic claws digging into the earth as he began burrowing with surprising speed. Once he was fully in the earth, Locke waited, sensing the rock around him, and then turning and digging his way down further until, after many meters of excavation, the dragon dropped into an undersea cavern, which then rapidly began filling with water. Shrinking and swimming into an adjoining chamber, the manakete crawled onto a small rock protrusion before shaking his head and shifting back to human form.

"Damn water."

[End Thread]