ORIGIN

Here he was, back at the shore, waves lapping at his toes in warm welcome. Fahl gazed out at the water, saw the ripples along its glassy surface, and breathed in its familiar scent. In a stroke of fortune, the sand was for the most part unblemished; perhaps whatever was wreaking havoc on the beach had not reached this area. Regardless of speculation, this place not far from the volcano seemed a perfect space for the time being. He'd have his practice here and test how well he could fare within the bay.

A part of him, that tiny lizard that craved attention, whispered its concerns. Had he spoken loud enough for others to hear? Were his words too stumbling and dumb, his voice too muted in the crowd? What if they came and outdid him in every possible way? Would his fire not respond or his body prove floundering and useless?

He took another breath of that cleansing air, hoping it'd purge the doubts from his mind, and slid into the water. Although his face might not express any clinging agitation, the hurried whip of his tail did.

Well, since she had already decided to commit herself to this quest, might as well make sure she was prepared, right? It wouldn't do to go barreling into danger without warming up first. It seemed that this iguana had had the same idea, which was perfect. How boring would it be without others to practice with, or on? She swam along the shoreline, approaching the place where the lizard sat.

"Hey there!" she called, voice as cheery as the sunny smile on her face. "I'm Pelt. So you've decided to help the Blacksmith too, eh? What an adventure this'll be!" Pelt drew closer, scanning the lizard with a critical eye. Smaller than her, yes, but then a lot of things were. And he knew how to swim, which was delightfully refreshing in a world of land creatures.

And, she thought with amusement, recalling the winged horse's words, maybe he's got some hidden depths. Magic? She would see.

"Want to practice together?" she offered. "We could race, or play a game of keep-away with a fish--oh, but I'm sure you have some great ideas too! Let's hear them."

Used to solitary fishing expeditions, Fahl was accustomed to casting a shadow over Lesser sea-dwellers; to have one fall upon his own head was unprecedented. Ambient cave-light blocked, immediate surroundings drenched gray, the whip of his tail grew purposeful but no less anxious. He spun with its swing, water arcing in a gentle spray. The friendly tone and flash of teeth that greeted him eased the fluttering heartbeat within his chest.

Finding himself on somewhat familiar ground, if not literally, he returned the smile. It was a careful one, the sort achieved by gazing long hours at a shimmering reflection. Teeth tiny, his mouth parted only enough to accomplish a slight crescent shape—any further, he found, made the expression too wide and witless for him to stomach.

“Yes,” he said, nodding exuberantly, “very much.” Any lingering apprehension was pushed aside in favor of social contact. As the larger Gembound shrunk the space between them, so did he, propelled forward by a tail lash and his next words. “I’m Fahl.”

Head lifted high, not merely for a better look at the seal but also to bolster a rock-bottom self-esteem, the iguana glided alongside her. Murky eyes took in superior bulk, comparisons drawn from this naturally unflattering to himself. Throughout this, he continued to maintain a smile, swimming with limbs loose and fluid.

Although still in relatively shallow water, he tipped sideways into a roll. The motion transformed him into a torpedo, his entire body blasting through the water at a constant spinning dive. Foamy waves churned in his wake. Once this display ceased and calm settled over the scene, his head reemerged, bursting past the surface. If it could, his slick wet scales would have reeked of self-satisfaction.

"Sure!" All enthusiasm expended in this one statement, the rest was declared in a raspier voice than before. "Keep-away's a good one. Or who dives deepest. Maybe catch or dodge," he rambled amongst frequent pauses. "Something like... Tag. Sounds right. Be good for outmaneu—maneu..." The beginnings of an aggravated hiss bubbled in his throat. "Turning."

Simplifying was such a pain in the neck.

As Pelt swam, Fahl followed close behind. Tongue's usual stone burden more so after speaking at length, he was content to remain silent, excepting a briefly mumbled, "Yeah," in echoing response. To hear acknowledgement, acceptance, of his ideas buoyed him. The waves, both real and mental, seemed serene in this moment, and he cruised along unafraid.

Even if he'd still been in possession of his typical worry, calculation would have been far from his grasp; all concern directed inward, the iguana lacked any strong suspicion of others' intentions beyond how they might immediately affect him. What he saw was a partner, a large one at that, and an exercise that'd work to his and her benefit. It wasn't often that a fisher was chased instead of the fish, and hoping all went well, he'd prove a difficult catch.

He listened to her suggestion, bobbing gently with the water's undulations. But now energized and emboldened, Fahl whirled around.

"I can have head start. If you need it." Riding high off the tiniest shred of attention, the playful taunt was cast over his shoulder and through a fresh cascade of droplets from the sudden turn. Surely it wouldn't take much to stunt what was quite likely a growing ego.

This was... nice. Whatever emotion Pelt was feeling right now, it didn't seem familiar to her. She had spent much of her time awake always trying to catch up to those who lived on land. Now, finally, she would have the chance to prove herself in the water, and leave the rabble in the dust... ahem, waves. Now, finally, her movements felt fluid and natural as she swam beside another.

Maybe she could keep this one around, once their quest to free Farina's leaf was finished. She'd need some quality entertainment when the ones who walked on land inevitably bored her, anyway.

"Head starts!" she laughed. "I don't need head starts. Do you? Maybe I underestimated you, hmm? Maybe I should start from three instead." She whipped her tail through the water, creating a wave of glittering droplets. "Starting... now!"

Pelt grinned at the iguana, wide enough to show teeth. "Three..."

@Fahl

He shook his head at the returned jest, shoulders trembling with silent laughter. Maybe it was a loss of restraint in the face of friendly competition, but when Fahl smiled again, his mouth inched wider than usual. In the gap between top and bottom rows of teeth, a sliver of white stone glinted through.

Three seconds, huh? He'd take that challenge.

In a single swift motion, eyes were forward-facing and his back fully turned to Pelt. Waves washed over his scales as he pressed down into the water, legs positioned and tail ready for maximum propulsion. The countdown had already begun when he kicked out, a stream of spray following his charge. As he submerged, the chaotic backwash lessened into a trail and eventually a small scatter of bubbles left by a zigzagging course beneath the surface.

Time to see if she could catch up.

And he was off, trailed by a roiling cloud of bubbles. "...One!" Pelt finished, and with a lash of her tail she went after him. Starting from a standstill was more difficult than she had expected--perhaps, Pelt reflected with a touch of amusement, she was a bit out of practice.

The water rushed past her head in more violent waves than those that had followed Fahl. Pelt enjoyed it, relishing in the feeling of cutting through its resistance. The gap between her and the iguana was not narrowing quite yet...but the race had only just begun, and Pelt knew better than to give up so soon.

Despite the thrill of the unfolding chase, she gave the urges to turn it into a real one barely a thought. See, she was capable of restraint.

@Fahl

Stubborn in the heat of the moment, Fahl did not release the throttle on his speed or lapse his attention. What mattered was staying ahead, something that could not be accomplished with doubting or concerned glances behind him. Water roared past him, drowning out any sounds of pursuit. Zipping along, each sharp turn caught the shine of slick sealskin and the shimmer of raging waves in the corner of his eye. Despite his evasion holding up for the time being, sticking to the same pattern of movements wouldn’t do. Predictability made even the wiliest of fish an easy catch; he intended to avoid that.

Face lifted above water for the briefest of seconds, lungs pulled in air, and he plunged below with body angled for a dive. Due to the chaos caused by their chase farther up, his descent was a shallow one, barely breaching the depths. Swirling waters tossed him around like a child's plaything, and his tail whipped about in a pitiful fight against them. This more likely than not slowed him down, lending his opponent even greater opportunity to reach him.

Through the wild rippling of the water around them, Pelt saw that Fahl was going up for air. She took the opportunity to take a quick breath of her own, then plunged beneath the surface once more, mirroring the iguana's dive.

This, at least, she was good at. Her greater size let her resist the toss and churn of the waves more easily, and now the distance between them was finally closing. Wriggling her tail for a burst of speed, Pelt lunged forward toward Fahl. Jaws were kept faithfully closed, the seal reaching out not with fangs but with her spotted nose.