The sea called its boy home, along the sunny shores and tempestuous waves. It was a brilliant summer afternoon, the kind when clouds rolled lazily past and the sun shone brightly against the water. Light glinted from the waves like a glittering diamond, matching the sparkle in the scaled colt’s eyes and he danced merrily along the tide’s path.
Low tide was the ideal time for him to begin gathering, for this is when he knew the sea would leave the best treasures behind. In the distance, he heard the bark of sea lions, flicking his ears toward them and listening to the strangely familiar sounds. Above them though, he is humming as he goes, the sound a bit off key but joyful as he dug through the marshy sand. Unearthing little bits of shell and sea glass, he pulled the best for his satchel, leaving little pieces of sea grass and browning kelp behind.
Sandpipers skittered ahead of him, searching for their next meal with long beaks and a funny tittering gait. He stopped for a bit to watch them, sweat staining the white of his coat as he basked in the sea breeze, hoping for respite from the sweltering heat. Though he hadn’t been at Novus long (this time), the days seemed to be getting warmer with every rising sun, and he wasn’t entirely comfortable in the heat. Not one to complain though, he saw the perfect opportunity for cool relief, hiding away his satchel behind a mound of sea grass before turning back to the blue sea.
The waves were a bit rough, but Pan was quite a strong swimmer… so he didn’t hesitate even for a moment before racing toward the great ocean with a child-like peal of laughter. The crisp cool water washed over him as he swam further from the shore, rolling onto his back so the waves could carry him at their whim. Over and over the waves rolled in, tumbling the boy about as he kicked his legs hard against the current, diving beneath the incoming waves and letting the whoosh of the ocean toss him about.
He surfaced once more, the seas seeming to settle, as they pushed him back to shore. Rolling in the damp sea foam, he itched himself along the sand. Only once he’d thoroughly coated his skin with a sheen of wet sand did he find his way back to the satchel, gathering his items with a clattering sound. Humming once more, he turned to make his way back to the central grounds of Novus – but as he turned, a shimmer of pink caught his eye.
Not far from where he stood, he found the shell – beautiful and perfectly formed. It was as if the sea had gently lifted it and left it there for him to find, and with wide eyes and a gentle touch, he reached to collect it. When his lips touched the edges, a fuzzy feeling washed over him, as if he were destined to collect and cherish it forever. Gingerly, he wrapped it in some nearby kelp, and tucked it safely into his satchel, before he turned and left the sea behind.
