35th Summer, 516 A.V.
The panther creature roamed through the tall grass with little concern for the disruption his presence caused. The dark scales on his back rising and falling in that feline movement as the thick tail swayed back and forth, brushing yellowing grass with a faint hiss. He trampled the ground with a scaled and clawed paw in an altogether uncharacteristic way. The thing's black fur pressed chaotically against the rigged scales covering it's spine, like an ill-conceived hybrid that was both cat and not. Ill conceived it may be, but the creature had it's uses. It stalked past where two vultures held court atop a large grey and tan boulder.
Finally the beast reached a clearing in the tall grass and found a dark watering hole. A pair of crows sat on the other side gazing at the creature balefully. The cat looked back. He lowered his head to the water but did not drink. The creature was looking at the surface with eyes that saw more than they should have. The motionless water did not move, but it saw cool, bright colors streaming from it, like steam. The panther seemed the only one of the animals who could see the steam, let alone understand the colorful swirling of it.
After a moment the panther relaxed and laid it's belly on the dirt. It reached it's head forward and began greedily slurping up the water. It knew the stuff was safe now. The creature paid no mind to the crows, who now relaxed and began hopping their way around the opposite side of the water. The cat tongue left ripples in the water as it greedily slurped. It did not purr, nor did it lounge the way that seemed to be universally feline. It squatted there with its legs stretched out and it's front paws wide.
For a long time the only movement was the cat's tongue, the crows having left after their fruitless search for food. It rolled it's head and raised its eyes towards the caravan laying about as hundred yards away. The cat sat up and surveyed the five or six carriages and wagons, not yet stirring with activity. The cat began to focus on its djed. The architecture of its body was in that djed. The cat began to manipulate the djed. Where the hair was longer and black, it grew thinner and shorter. Under his focus paws grew longer, stretching into fingers. The prominent shoulders of the feline popped back into the back and grew wider. A faint groan escaped the thing's now less prognathic mouth. The scales that covered the back and paws, hands, grew smaller as it pulled and prodded the djed back into it's rightful place.
After a long and painful looking minute the cat was no more. In it's place crouched a naked man, beard dripping with water. He stood up and stretched, paying his nakedness no mind. Triphilar turned his eyes on the caravan once again. The Drykas pavilion had kindly allowed him to tag along, seeing his desperation in reaching Endrykas. Triphilar liked to believe it was his plight of prodigal return that swayed them, but probably not. The Ankal had seen the old Yvas in his wagon and decided to let the young man accompany them to the tent city.
Triphilar walked carefully around the pool of water and found the coat he had stashed between two small stones four hours previously. He groaned as he worked his arms into the sleeves. Triphilar worked his way through the brush and back towards the last and smallest wagon. He smiled ruefully as he saw Ethera lift her head from where she was munching on some grass. She snorted and shook her mane.
Triphilar and Ethera had a tenuous relationship at best. He had never been much of a horseman, and didn't even know how to ride. That wasn't a problem though, he doubted if Ethera would let him on her back. The man in Riverfall who had sold him the horse and wagon had taught him the rudimentary commands. The pair had wandered the Sea of Grass for almost three whole days before the Pavilion found them. Triphilar was glad to see the hard, aggressive gazes of those Diamond warriors, even though their hostility was almost palpable. In the end though, they were the only reason he had made it this far, and he was grateful. Triphilar arrived in front of Ethera just as the first Drykas were stirring from their slumber and readying their belongings for travel. Triphilar watched the hard, rugged people and wondered vaguely if he could ever really live amongst them.
The panther creature roamed through the tall grass with little concern for the disruption his presence caused. The dark scales on his back rising and falling in that feline movement as the thick tail swayed back and forth, brushing yellowing grass with a faint hiss. He trampled the ground with a scaled and clawed paw in an altogether uncharacteristic way. The thing's black fur pressed chaotically against the rigged scales covering it's spine, like an ill-conceived hybrid that was both cat and not. Ill conceived it may be, but the creature had it's uses. It stalked past where two vultures held court atop a large grey and tan boulder.
Finally the beast reached a clearing in the tall grass and found a dark watering hole. A pair of crows sat on the other side gazing at the creature balefully. The cat looked back. He lowered his head to the water but did not drink. The creature was looking at the surface with eyes that saw more than they should have. The motionless water did not move, but it saw cool, bright colors streaming from it, like steam. The panther seemed the only one of the animals who could see the steam, let alone understand the colorful swirling of it.
After a moment the panther relaxed and laid it's belly on the dirt. It reached it's head forward and began greedily slurping up the water. It knew the stuff was safe now. The creature paid no mind to the crows, who now relaxed and began hopping their way around the opposite side of the water. The cat tongue left ripples in the water as it greedily slurped. It did not purr, nor did it lounge the way that seemed to be universally feline. It squatted there with its legs stretched out and it's front paws wide.
For a long time the only movement was the cat's tongue, the crows having left after their fruitless search for food. It rolled it's head and raised its eyes towards the caravan laying about as hundred yards away. The cat sat up and surveyed the five or six carriages and wagons, not yet stirring with activity. The cat began to focus on its djed. The architecture of its body was in that djed. The cat began to manipulate the djed. Where the hair was longer and black, it grew thinner and shorter. Under his focus paws grew longer, stretching into fingers. The prominent shoulders of the feline popped back into the back and grew wider. A faint groan escaped the thing's now less prognathic mouth. The scales that covered the back and paws, hands, grew smaller as it pulled and prodded the djed back into it's rightful place.
After a long and painful looking minute the cat was no more. In it's place crouched a naked man, beard dripping with water. He stood up and stretched, paying his nakedness no mind. Triphilar turned his eyes on the caravan once again. The Drykas pavilion had kindly allowed him to tag along, seeing his desperation in reaching Endrykas. Triphilar liked to believe it was his plight of prodigal return that swayed them, but probably not. The Ankal had seen the old Yvas in his wagon and decided to let the young man accompany them to the tent city.
Triphilar walked carefully around the pool of water and found the coat he had stashed between two small stones four hours previously. He groaned as he worked his arms into the sleeves. Triphilar worked his way through the brush and back towards the last and smallest wagon. He smiled ruefully as he saw Ethera lift her head from where she was munching on some grass. She snorted and shook her mane.
Triphilar and Ethera had a tenuous relationship at best. He had never been much of a horseman, and didn't even know how to ride. That wasn't a problem though, he doubted if Ethera would let him on her back. The man in Riverfall who had sold him the horse and wagon had taught him the rudimentary commands. The pair had wandered the Sea of Grass for almost three whole days before the Pavilion found them. Triphilar was glad to see the hard, aggressive gazes of those Diamond warriors, even though their hostility was almost palpable. In the end though, they were the only reason he had made it this far, and he was grateful. Triphilar arrived in front of Ethera just as the first Drykas were stirring from their slumber and readying their belongings for travel. Triphilar watched the hard, rugged people and wondered vaguely if he could ever really live amongst them.
