I hope to arrive to my death
Late, in love, and a little drunk
If there weren’t so many striking differences between the ocean and the desert, one could say that they were similar. Rolling waves cast upon a sea of water, like the cresting dunes disrupting the smooth surface of a golden sea of sand. Silent buzzards replaced the cheering gulls. Various travelers, seasick sailors and wandering merchants, used the expanses to traverse from place to place, and were easily enough lost or shipwrecked within the perilous yet open area. And the sky above was always just as wide, with stars settled upon an inky black, to be used by the travelers as a means of navigation. An eternal yet ever-changing map.
Killian was caught in-between. He had considered the life of a pirate, joining others like himself, though being a speck upon the endless blue wasn’t quite as alluring. He couldn’t possibly find a way to sneak off in the night. It was too restrictive. So, he remained land-bound, wandering the waves of sand, looking for weary travelers who had found themselves lost, and who would perhaps pay the hefty toll for a right of passage to their destination.
Today, the Coyote Prince found himself ambling, moving farther past the Oasis than usual. He left a long winding trail behind him, his hooves digging shallow graves beneath each pressed heel. He continued to climb the dunes, stopping at each peak to cast his blue-green gaze across the expanse. Slowly he crested a dune, and came to a deliberate stop. A smile crossed his face, and he looked on as a new form came into view. Tipping his head to the side, he tried to place the man, but was unsuccessful. Perhaps the stallion was a foreigner? Though, Killian easily could have seen the man before in town but just hadn’t cataloged the person. It was uncommon for him to recognize faces he had seen during fleeting interactions. Honestly, he didn’t look upon the faces of passerby’s that often, instead seeking out the treasures they wore upon their bodies, or perhaps the dainty or succulent curves of a rear end. The distant stallion may be handsome, but he really didn’t suit Killian’s preferences, so he wouldn’t recognize him by his rump, but those bracelets? The way they shimmered in the sun, looking like liquid gold coiling around his foreleg, those he would remember. Yet, the man who wore the bands was monstrous, so the thief didn’t even begin to consider ways to cheat him of his adornments. He was smarter than that. Still, seeing as how he was already within sight, he decided he would provide a warm greeting. Besides, who was to say the stallion wasn’t lost upon this beautiful hellscape? It was easy enough to get lost within the desert, and the other man, build strong and proud, would be a useful friend should he ever need brute strength on his side, and would happily find a place among the court’s soldiers. He would be much less useful with his meat picked off of his bones by the various vultures and scavengers that found themselves at home here. Tossing his forelock from his masked face, he began his descent from the dune.
“Greetings, stranger!” he called out, voice carrying easily over the windswept sand as he trotted through towards the man. His gait was easy, casual, and he wore a cordial smile upon his face. He stopped at a respectful distance, dipping his crowned head in greeting. “Are you lost? Or just passing through?”
Killian was caught in-between. He had considered the life of a pirate, joining others like himself, though being a speck upon the endless blue wasn’t quite as alluring. He couldn’t possibly find a way to sneak off in the night. It was too restrictive. So, he remained land-bound, wandering the waves of sand, looking for weary travelers who had found themselves lost, and who would perhaps pay the hefty toll for a right of passage to their destination.
Today, the Coyote Prince found himself ambling, moving farther past the Oasis than usual. He left a long winding trail behind him, his hooves digging shallow graves beneath each pressed heel. He continued to climb the dunes, stopping at each peak to cast his blue-green gaze across the expanse. Slowly he crested a dune, and came to a deliberate stop. A smile crossed his face, and he looked on as a new form came into view. Tipping his head to the side, he tried to place the man, but was unsuccessful. Perhaps the stallion was a foreigner? Though, Killian easily could have seen the man before in town but just hadn’t cataloged the person. It was uncommon for him to recognize faces he had seen during fleeting interactions. Honestly, he didn’t look upon the faces of passerby’s that often, instead seeking out the treasures they wore upon their bodies, or perhaps the dainty or succulent curves of a rear end. The distant stallion may be handsome, but he really didn’t suit Killian’s preferences, so he wouldn’t recognize him by his rump, but those bracelets? The way they shimmered in the sun, looking like liquid gold coiling around his foreleg, those he would remember. Yet, the man who wore the bands was monstrous, so the thief didn’t even begin to consider ways to cheat him of his adornments. He was smarter than that. Still, seeing as how he was already within sight, he decided he would provide a warm greeting. Besides, who was to say the stallion wasn’t lost upon this beautiful hellscape? It was easy enough to get lost within the desert, and the other man, build strong and proud, would be a useful friend should he ever need brute strength on his side, and would happily find a place among the court’s soldiers. He would be much less useful with his meat picked off of his bones by the various vultures and scavengers that found themselves at home here. Tossing his forelock from his masked face, he began his descent from the dune.
“Greetings, stranger!” he called out, voice carrying easily over the windswept sand as he trotted through towards the man. His gait was easy, casual, and he wore a cordial smile upon his face. He stopped at a respectful distance, dipping his crowned head in greeting. “Are you lost? Or just passing through?”
