04-19-2020, 09:38 PM
GHAUL
i can take you there, but baby, you won't make it back
He is restless, tearing branches from trees and gathering dried grasses to build his nest. It never occurred to him that he would be a father come spring. Instincts had simply driven him to his lover’s arms and the consummation was merely an afterthought. Ghaul breathes a plume of fire to weaken another tree branch before gripping it between his teeth and jerking backward with a flap of his great wings. It gives with a crack like bones breaking. His mind replays Clarissa telling him they needed to ready the Cove for their brood and how she’d smiled up at him. Somehow, her face was always easiest to see.
Carefully, he gathers his materials and spreads his wings. With a burst of movements, he lifts into the air and above the treeline. Ghaul prefers to gather in the cold night while everyone else slumbers. They tend to distract him when he would much rather dwell in his solitude. From up here, he can see the outlines of a few figures down below, but none of them are peculiar enough to distract him from these instincts. His course remains set for Pangea where he can land safely without trying to duck between any obstacles. A slow sigh eases from his lungs as he enjoys the crisp night air across his scales.
It doesn’t take long for the grasses to give way to his homeland of red clay canyons and withered corals. He grins and tucks his wings as he begins a smooth descent into the eastern kingdom. Ghaul reaches forward with his hind talons and comes to an easy stop, balancing briefly before he can drop the branches and plant his forelegs on the ground. Their hoard of nesting materials lies along the border between here and the Cove, the safest spot they could decide on. He gives a brief croon and his ears swivel forward to listen for Clarissa’s reply.
As he strains to listen, however, he picks up hoofbeats approaching nearby. His head tilts and he turns to find the source of the noise until he spots the outline of his brother. An easy grin contorts his face and he repeats his croon, though this time the pitch is a little lower. He meets Draco halfway and offers a light bump of his nose against his sibling’s dark cheek.
“Draco. I missed you while I was away for so long,” he confesses in a gentle purr. “It upsets me to have missed seeing your child as well. Is she perfect?”
He shifts his weight uneasily. He had wanted so badly to see his niece or nephew but their war games had prevented such celebrations. For this, he will enslave more Nerinians once his brood had hatched. The thought brings him some small comfort.
Carefully, he gathers his materials and spreads his wings. With a burst of movements, he lifts into the air and above the treeline. Ghaul prefers to gather in the cold night while everyone else slumbers. They tend to distract him when he would much rather dwell in his solitude. From up here, he can see the outlines of a few figures down below, but none of them are peculiar enough to distract him from these instincts. His course remains set for Pangea where he can land safely without trying to duck between any obstacles. A slow sigh eases from his lungs as he enjoys the crisp night air across his scales.
It doesn’t take long for the grasses to give way to his homeland of red clay canyons and withered corals. He grins and tucks his wings as he begins a smooth descent into the eastern kingdom. Ghaul reaches forward with his hind talons and comes to an easy stop, balancing briefly before he can drop the branches and plant his forelegs on the ground. Their hoard of nesting materials lies along the border between here and the Cove, the safest spot they could decide on. He gives a brief croon and his ears swivel forward to listen for Clarissa’s reply.
As he strains to listen, however, he picks up hoofbeats approaching nearby. His head tilts and he turns to find the source of the noise until he spots the outline of his brother. An easy grin contorts his face and he repeats his croon, though this time the pitch is a little lower. He meets Draco halfway and offers a light bump of his nose against his sibling’s dark cheek.
“Draco. I missed you while I was away for so long,” he confesses in a gentle purr. “It upsets me to have missed seeing your child as well. Is she perfect?”
He shifts his weight uneasily. He had wanted so badly to see his niece or nephew but their war games had prevented such celebrations. For this, he will enslave more Nerinians once his brood had hatched. The thought brings him some small comfort.