bad moon rising

It was a rare hour, glimpses of lighter skies visible on the horizon. Daring to leave his duties for a few moments, the dark waif had wandered to the shores of the Sea's Plain for some respite. The crimson and citrine hues that struggled to break up the blacks and purples of the ever-dark skies reflected beautifully upon the ocean, whose waves had calmed for the time being. As winter dragged on, the sea would only continue to crash and roll angrily against the shorelines. Dainty paws slogged carelessly through the waves at the very edge of the surf, practiced eyes keeping half of his attention upon any changes to the sea. The rockier portions of the beach had drawn his eye, and he was moving at an ambling, lackadaisical pace towards them. He'd noticed that strange glow, not unlike the fireflies that constantly danced through the air, coming from something on the beach.

Tall boulders scattered along the outer edge of the beach, far from where most of the Armada's wolves frequented, formed a small outcropping that disappeared beneath the water at high tide. However, when the tide was low, as it was now, those rocks created a plethora of tidepools. Perfect for collecting a few lucky snacks with minimal effort, or simply wasting away the day admiring the strange creatures that lived beneath the dark waves. Ebony claws clicked and scraped over the uneven stone, its surface smoothed by the battering waves while retaining the uneven proportions of the random configuration of rock. The source of the glow became obvious as he drew closer, tapered crown dropping between his slim shoulders to get a better look. A few scattered clusters of bluish crystals seemed to grow from the bare rock. Pushing aside the barnacles that had claimed the majority of the natural breakwater, they were sprouting up in sharp points all over his favourite spot.

The longer he watched, those sea foam eyes seemed to glaze over a little. Enthralled by the pulse of these crystals' light, it followed the same rhythms as the water lapping at the shores. Saliva pooled on his tongue, dark lips suddenly shining with spit as he stared blankly at the tight clumps of luminescent crystal. Would it be so bad to give them a taste? Perhaps they would be warm upon his tongue, like stones left too close to flame. Or would they be cold as the moonlight streaming down from above?

"Speech!"

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