[sterling.]

S T E R L I N G

The ocean frothed gently at his feet, washing away his sins with each gentle ebb and flow. He stared at the vast nothingness beyond the dark horizon, where black skies met black water, lit with only the subtle white crests of waves rolling shoreward. The only familiar aspect of this strange territory didn't have the same haunting pull as his family's kingdom. No jutting cliffs hundreds of feet above tumultuous seas that sung to you in the wind. But it did have an exquisite waterfall. He supposed the two could have the same purpose. 

He turned from the dark ocean and moved inland, being sure to shake the sand from between his toes and from the furls of his tail. After a short while grooming, he sought out the other things familiar to him: family. 

He wondered what his mother had been doing on their little trip to Inaria. If she was mingling with the other royalty. If she'd heard of the absolute ruckus Shuck had caused. He'd nearly forgotten the storm born child after what felt like mONTHS IN INARIA, and his annoyance flared. Almost! Forgot! That he wanted to murder multiple children and point the finger entirely on her. And they'd believe him -- all of them, because she was nothing but an illegal child of a pirate hiding behind the kindness of Serrate. Or murder her, both seemed equally pleasant. 

He smells her near, but the scent of a wild girl catches his attention first. He smiles to himself, then approaches like a ghost in the night. There's blood on the wind, too, and that smile fades and his pace quickens. Something flares in his chest and it grows as her scent becomes more intwined with blood.

" Mae? " He calls out, voice pricked with something akin to concern, but not entirely. Then he sees her, leg mangled and spotted with dark dried blood.

" What happened? " Anger began to rise to his cheeks, crawling through his features like ugly little worms.

Did she do this?

---

@ilunga