Razzmatazz

Something about this land had called to him. Parts of it reminded him of Aethelis, with how there seemed to be so much variety. Sweeping plains giving way to boggy swamps, rolling deserts erupting into vast oases. But this place more than anything, and this specific area, drew him in most of all. There was a time long ago back in the lands of Caelum, that he lived in a place similar to the northern reaches of this foreign land. He didn't have a name for any of it yet, but this frozen lake for now was called happiness.

Testing the integrity of the ice, he slowly made his way further out, delighting in the way the surface sparked with life beneath his large steps. When his grandmother had finally retired, the whole family had gone to one of Tilvera's lakes, and he remembered that day like it was yesterday. Everything had been normal then, everything was so easy. He hadn't yet lost two sisters, hadn't known the joy of being an uncle, hadn't yet found and lost love.

Sitting down for a moment to ground himself, he swiped a law across the ice, watching the path light up in its wake. He amused himself like this for a few minutes, grinning as he watched the patterns form. He didn't know what caused it, the science of bioluminescence lost on the young wolf. To him it was simply another of life's great wonders, and he didn't need anything else than that.

Standing up none too gracefully, he continued his snail pace across the lake, pausing when he came to one of the spiraling pillars. Sniffing it curiously, Solaris hummed thoughtfully, the cogs winding in his brain. He suddenly had a delightful idea, and carefully positioning his front to the longest stretch of lake, Sol backed up against the pillar. His legs shook as he did so, trying to keep the clumsy canid on all fours.

Taking a deep breath, he shoved himself away from the pillar. For a few seconds he remained skating on all fours, but it wasn't long before a bump knocked him up just enough that landing sent him flat on his stomach, legs splayed out in an awkward and vaguely painful manner as he careened across the ice, with enough of a spin to make him dizzy. The plankton trailed his path, and he tossed his head back in a gleeful howl, the end broken up by barely contained laughter.

Eventually he hit the bank with an "oomph!" and quite a bit of tumbling. Groaning, Solaris rolled on his back, his head swimming. "Oh man, that was awesome!" He whooped, thrusting his left paw upwards. Laying his head flat on the ground, he closed his eyes to take them off of the twirling sky, willing the vertigo away. The only thing that could have possibly made this moment better was someone to share it with. Cracking his eyes open, he sighed softly, a potent wave of homesickness washing over him. But he couldn't turn back now, he'd come so far on his own and it was more than he ever felt he could accomplish. He'd just have to stick it out. He wasn't home anymore,meh had to make his own home now.