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He watched Ghanyarah swim out, and a flicker of mischief ran through his mind. He didn't really play, or not often, but something in the heightened intelligence of the Gembound had imparted something new to the generally stoic reptilian.

He lowered himself until his nose and his eyes were the only bits that protruded above the water, watching his new friend-brother glide. Abruptly, he himself dropped beneath the black, engulfed by cold darkness, diving. Then he looked up, searching for the swimming Komodo Dragon with his sharp eyes.

There! His natural alligator's grin widened slightly, and up he arrowed, legs tucked against his scaly body and thick tail propelling him with a swift, smooth grace through the water--a grace untouched by his navigation on land.

Up, up he arrowed, below the s-writhing komodo, until he managed to barely--just in passing, and hardly a brush--nip Ghanyarah's hind foot. Then away he splashed, erupting from the surface--calling back over his shoulder (all warning thoughts of 'quiet' gone from his mind) as he swam away along the top of the water.

"Catch me if you can," he taunted, voice filled with playful challenge.

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His long body glided almost effortlessly through the water now. Yes, this was where he truly belonged, in the water. It was his element, his field, his greatest strength. If only he could control his magic, then he could be truly powerful... One day. He would need to practice some more, after he was done having fun with his new... brother. Yes. Though Ghanyarah felt no attachment to the word, it was what Dragon had called them, and so Ghanyarah would oblige the alligator by accepting his offer of kinship. His eyes flickered down to the surface of the water, watching his body dance between ripples of murky black, watching the pink of his crystal glisten under the low lighting. In the distance, the bulbs flickered and danced, as if struggling to return light to the room. He didn't mind the dark, though. It made him feel at home.

There was a sudden little plop of water, and Ghanyarah raised his head, turning it slightly to look back at Dragon. Except... Dragon wasn't there. A sphere of ripples extended out from where the alligator had presumably gone underwater. But Ghanyarah wasn't ready to go under the surface yet! He had swam out far from the shore, at least a few good meters, and he was worried that if he suddenly was unable to swim he might drown again. He was comfortable staying afloat on the surface, but beneath the water...

As the komodo dragon panicked, he felt a little nip on his hind leg. It was just light enough that Ghanyarah nearly mistook it for the current of water beneath him, only for it to dawn upon him that something had really just swam past him from below. Another blossom of panic emerged in him, eyes widening as he searched the waters for the offender. What if it was Aquarian? What if the big monster was coming to swallow him up for swimming in his marsh? "D-Dragon?" He stammered, frantically searching for the alligator. But the reptile surfaced, splashing and calling back at him. So it was a game of chase, was it?! Ghanyarah blinked dumbly and then settled himself down again, huffing in another breath of air. "Okay! Ghanyarah's coming after you!" He called and splashed after the alligator, working his writhing body and long tail in an attempt to swim after him.

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Dragon was thrilled! A game! His brother was pursuing, weakly but managing. Dragon grinned back at him, splashing about with his tail, deliberately slow and, well, splashy. Ghanyarah clearly needed help in learning to dive, and Dragon could teach him! They'd have to be careful not to go too far down, so as not to wake up their father, but a few feet wouldn't hurt.

Dragon turned toward the komodo--who was swimming rather skillfully, in fact--and dove straight down, beneath him, spinning as he went horizontal. He'd try to open his jaws as he passed beneath his brother, and send up a plume of bubbles--to tickle, and startle, and also to let Ghanyarah know where to dive in order to tag Dragon back.

Unfortunately, the spinning had already made him dizzy, and he found himself blinking and trying to figure out which way was up, letting loose a torrent of bubbles toward empty surface--an easy target for the komodo. All Ghanyarah had to do was dive the foot or so down, and Dragon would be easy prey!

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Dragon flinched as he was first tagged, then shoved backward. Even more bubbles escaped his nostrils in a wheeze as the komodo kicked off him, and Dragon peered around beneath the dark water to see where he'd gone before thrusting forward with his tail. He cut through the water like a snake, grinning as he surfaced, blinking away water.

There he is! ...Wow, he's already swimming well. But I'm a DRAGON. I'll show him how dragons swim!

(Dragon was, for the time being, still convinced that alligators were dragons, dragons were alligators, and all reptiles were both of these things.)

"I'm--gonna--get you--COMEBACKHERE," he panted, pushing forward in the water, faster and faster.

Finally he caught up, swimming up alongside Ghanyarah, nipping at his foot and tail before turning to whirl back toward shore--diving down as he did so.

Behind him he left a trail of bubbles, and the sound of his chortling laughter--an odd sound, coming from an alligator--could be heard even from above the black marsh.

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Dragon stopped paddling and swishing his tail, instead bobbing to the surface and inhaling just enough to float there. His brother was going on a hunt! He started to offer food, then hesitated... even he didn't eat from Aquarian's offerings.

And then Ghanyarah was gone, slipping off into the brush.

"Um, okay! ...Bye!" he called after him, listening to him scamper off until all he could hear was silence.

Dragon snorted softly and hauled himself from the water. He'd met his long-lost (apparently) brother, and had some fun, and now it was time to rest.

With a shake of his head, he walked off toward his offering pile, intending to sleep on it--the better to keep the rats at bay (or better yet, add them to the pile)--and then head out once he was rested.

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