I Think I'd Fit Right In (Any)

[Nerius]

The island had intrigued Nerius from the moment he spotted it off the coast outside the Tephra's territory. It had not been easy for the young stallion to get through that territory; he'd greeted another horse he passed before setting on his way, saying he was merely passing through. Any hostility he was met with, he decided to avoid a fight and just continue on his way, not willing to risk an injury if he wanted to go check out that place.

Seeing it now, in the distance, the ocean stretching like a bed of grass between him and the island, he couldn't feel more excited. The stallion's muscles were taunt with his happiness as he watched the ocean move below, knowing he would have to wait for a certain time of the day to cross it.

During some time in the Meadow, Nerius had heard tales of the island of Ischia. Since it was off the mainland, supposedly, not many horses had contact with those who lived there. Sure, some might come to the mainland on occasion to negotiate peace with the other kingdoms, but more than likely, they kept to themselves.

With a whole island to be on and have solitude in case a fight broke out between kingdoms, who wouldn't appreciate it?

Nerius stayed by the coast outside Tephra for a number of days, watching the ocean tides as they came in and out. He needed to be able to predict the safest time to cross; after all, the ocean could change at any second if the weather suddenly took a turn. After taking his time and figuring out when it was safe to cross the sandbars to get to Ischia, Nerius took a moment to look back at the sprawling land of Beqanna behind him.

He wouldn't be leaving the land, that was for sure, since Ischia was still part of it. However, the mainland would now be left behind, unless he could not find a home on that island. Hopefully, he would; he wanted to get out there, have his own life, prove he could survive on his own as a stallion just like his sire had.

It took a good portion of the day to reach the island, and what made it seem longer was that the tide hadn't gone out till late enough in the day that, by the time Nerius reached the other side, the sun was on its way to setting. The stallion let out a whinny of joy as he hopped off the last sandbar onto the beach that lined the coast of the ocean, looking back to the path he'd taken over and noticing how the tide was starting to come in a little.

Thank goodness he'd made it in time after that slipping incident.

Nerius wished to go and find one of the horses who lived here, but he was tired after that journey. It had taken time and great care to reach the island, as some of the sandbar dunes were broken here and there and he had to jump the small gaps. The sand was also wet and, in some places, slippery, so the stallion wasn't surprised when, at one point, he slipped and fell in. Luckily, since tide was out, he didn't get very wet, but his lower legs were soaked, along with his side when he fell.

Shaking his golden pelt, the stallion made his way off the beach and to the trees that more than likely marked the border, or at least, the start of the good land in the territory; after all, not much a beach could offer. Nerius took shelter among the trees and started to graze, eager to fill his belly some.

He couldn't wait forever to ask for a home though, especially if a resident of this kingdom found him here; he could be in big trouble for not alerting any horse. Letting out a calling neigh, asking for someone who heard him to perhaps take some time to come greet him, Nerius stood under a tree and cocked one of his hind legs, letting his head drop and closing his eyes to doze until someone arrived.

[Badden]

The day was a quiet one, peaceful even, as the young colt wandered alone for most of the day. Things had gotten better for him since he'd lost his family- lost them on this very island, a sad thought. He'd since been welcomed into a new one, with kids his age and a lady who'd been happy to feed him. He still hadn't quite accepted it, however, feeling as though calling these people his family was like forever saying goodbye to his real one. His mother, violet all over, as soft as flower petals. His sister, Rossi- he shoved the thoughts of them away, trying to stave the deep sadness from overtaking him again. These new people were nice for taking him in- and he is grateful- but he still didn't quite feel as one of them yet. Mostly tried to stay out of their way.

With nourishment, his body was quickly filling out. Not so much a lanky, scrawny colt anymore. His legs are proving to be thick, though not overly long, a sign that he will not be very tall when he matures. His torso is broad, even for one so young, his back straight. Even his head is a bit compact and lightly dished, with a horn growing into a point on the center of his forehead. Most impressive, perhaps, are his wings; full and thick with feathers that blend nicely with the rest of him. He is a creamy red color, with dun markings that are the color of dogwood violets. The purplish tint flows along his dorsal plane, coloring his fuzzy mane and tail the same hue. His wings are violet as well along the thick bones that frame them, fading and mingling into the soft red of his body throughout the outer edges. He is glad for his wings, truly, as they remind him daily of his mom, even if he has yet to learn to use them more than a blanket around himself.

He walks downward along the southeastern coast of Ischia, content to let his mind wander as he goes. The sand is soft and deep, and teaches his growing muscles balance. His wings are raised a bit, though not fully extended, shading his back from the heat of the sun and capturing the seaside breeze. The soft rustling sound of the wind through his feathers is nearly as soothing as the ebb and flow of the tide washing the shoreline, as the whooshing and gentle swaying of the trees. He knows the sun is setting soon, just as he knows he should soon be returning to Lacey and her children, but he thinks he can be out just a little longer. He's sure they won't notice.

He climbs another sandy dune as he hears the call ring out- a stranger. Violet-tipped ears perk up as his head lifts to the direction of the sound, not very far ahead. Indeed, from the young boy's position, he can see the land bridge just barely visible beneath the turquoise water. Can see how the tide rolls in to hide it. Someone must have made it across just in time. Curious about the newcomer, Badden releases an answering call before descending his little knoll. Wings fluttering to maintain his balance, he breaks out into a lope, hooves barely making a sound as he moves across the sand and toward the stranger he can now see within the treeline.

When he reaches him, he raises his head, arching his neck and flaring his wings a bit to make himself look a bit bigger. It's instinct to be cautious of strange stallions, though not meant offensively. "Hello." He begins, stopping a safe distance away. He isn't afraid of the man whose coat glistens in the waning sunlight, because he figures if he meant to harm anyone here, he likely would not have announced himself. Badden looks the newcomer over, settling his wings back into his sides. Nostrils flare and contract as he takes in his scent. Not of the island, from what he can tell. "Where you from?" He asks, because he is curious, light brown eyes steadily meeting the man's.

[Nerius]

Despite his relaxed state, Nerius' mind was on full alert. His ears went up as soon as the call echoed out, drawing his attention. He lifted his head some so that his spine was aligned, eyes looking back and forth to spot the horse who had answered his plea.

The young horse appeared from the trees, Nerius stepping back a little since he hadn't expected the other to approach from that angle where he couldn't see into the shadows too well. The other sported a red dun coat, several shades darker than Nerius' own champagne coloring but not incredibly far off. His points, instead of the darker red coloring, were a unique purple, covering the tips of his ears and the wings on his back.

Wait, what? As the other stallion flared the powerful tools of flight a bit to appear more intimidating, Nerius couldn't help but look at them, clearly impressed. Being descended from two non-gifted horses, he often didn't know how to act around one that possessed a unique trait. Yes, he had seen many, but hadn't really interacted with them, which would explain his current state of stunned silence.

It was only when the other spoke up did Nerius' train of thought come back. The stallion looked the newcomer (to him) over, taking in the details. Besides the unique colored coat, the island native sported a broad frame, not unlike Nerius' sire. But to have a frame like that this young?

But he shouldn't be that surprised. Aten had a stocky build, even for a young colt. And no doubt he'd gotten even bigger and more muscular since the Reckoning, as the last time the two brothers saw each other was shortly before it happened.

He wasn't intimidated by pure size alone though. Nerius hadn't inherited the stock frame of his sire or brother. Instead sporting the build of his dam, many might think that Nerius wasn't as capable as some of the other muscular horses. Despite his state of mind at times, Nerius was a capable enough horse, and could hold his own in a fight, even if he didn't have the muscle weight to back him up all the time.

It just meant he had to use something else to fight. Something his sisters had often teased him about in their younger years.

"The mainland," Nerius told the stallion. "Hung out in the Field after the Reckoning. I got bored, seeing those stallions flitter after mares who had no interest. Heard cool things about this place so I figured I'd come check it out. And just so I know who I'm dealing with, what's your name hotshot?"

[Badden]

badden

ashley x azlyn

Just might be the baddest.

The stallion before him is much taller than he, though leanly built, with a coat that shines with a metallic sheen. Not the same literal metal, however, that he has become accustomed to seeing on Kerberos. It had seemed natural to appear larger to him at first, being smaller and much younger, wanting to be ready to fight or flee should the newcomer present a threat. After looking him over, he was able to come to the conclusion that, at least for now, there is no malintent. And of course, not meaning to seem overly bold, Badden settles the apricot and violet appendages once more to his sides.

The young boy can't help but feel a sense of pride swelling in his chest at the way the stranger had eyed his wings, seeming quite impressed by them. With a courage he does not yet recognize he meets the man's eyes as he addresses him, and waits, face stoic for that of a child's. His chin is tucked in a bit so that his growing point of a horn is angled toward the stallion, even as the rest of him appears to relax. Although perhaps this little detail would go unnoticed, as a young boy with a sword is probably not the most intimidating sight ever beheld. Still, instinct would have his guard up just in case his earlier conclusion might be proven wrong.

Ears perk up as the newcomer answers Badden's question, a spark of curiosity lit up in his light brown eyes. The mainland. Such a simple answer, and one that would have earned a scoff from the colt if he hadn't continued. The Field, he'd said. Baddie rummages through his memories for mention of it from his mom. "That's where people go to find homes, right? None of the others interested you?" Genuine curiosity tones his voice. He himself had only heard bits and pieces about each territory, but as the stranger mentions 'cool things' he'd heard about their island, he could only shrug and dip his head into a nod.

"Ischia is pretty 'cool'. Lots to see. At night, there's this stuff along the beaches that glow a blue color as the ocean touches it." He didn't think there was anything like it anywhere else, at least. And from what he knows, he thinks he would always like it here the best. With a light sigh, he turns his head out to the coastline he'd spoken of, lost in thought for a moment. But then he remembers the last bit the stallion had inquired about, and flicks his gaze back to him from the corner of his eye. "I'm Badden. What's yours?"

((SO sorry for the wait!!))

[Nerius]

"Yeah. A bunch of horses were still lingering there when I left. Whether or not they found homes I don't really care. I just wanted to come here and see Ischia for myself. I went to a couple of other kingdoms to see if I'd like them, but no, they didn't really interest me a lot."

The other stallion expanded on how Nerius had heard Ischia was cool, telling the golden stallion that there were small animals that lived on the edges of the water and glowed a bright blue when the moon came out.

He then introduced himself by the name of Badden, a pretty cool sounding name for the colt that had the large set of wings on his back. The golden one dipped his head in greeting, "Nice to meet you Badden. Though I'm probably gonna call you hotshot more often," he joked. "I go by Nerius."

Suddenly curious, he continued on, "So is there a horse I need to see about joining here? A leader or something? I'd rather not get kicked out before I get the chance to ask if I can stay."