Bigger than you know

Zephyr was excited beyond words at the prospect of leaving the castle for the first time. As a ward of the Hallows he was free to go where he pleased (and, he assumed, free to explore to his heart's content outside it) but his flightless wings and unsteady talons made any true adventure illogical. Even if the bird somehow waddled his way out from Hallows' land without starving himself in the process, he had no way to defend himself if a larger predator decided to make him the meal. This trip was spent on Artorias' back, an activity Zephyr truly enjoyed and the closest to flight he could so far experience. The Aegis was by far Zephyr's favorite wolf to scale and ride, his extra layer of fur being much easier to grasp and crawl around on than shorter furred wolves coats were.

The world changed rapidly as they left the castle, passing through the now-familiar courtyard and heading north into the unknown. The terrain changed drastically from the well-tended gardens to a flat and empty expanse of plains, to a grove of towering trees and berry bushes. Still, the pair continued (Zephyr's head on a swivel as the wolf walked) until they'd reached sand - sand, and a never-ending expanse of water. His body shrunk in against the wolf's as they neared the small strip of land, the water looming on them in a way that felt almost dangerous.

At Artorias' declaration that this was their destination, the bird moved to dismount. Zeph's every movement was careful and controlled as he repelled his way down, his beak and talons grasping tight to various dense tufts of fur on Artorias' side. He reached out with a talon toward the ground for a tentative touch when suddenly his claws sank much deeper than he was expecting. He recoiled from the sand instantly, hung from Artorias' fur for a moment, and then scurried back up the Aegis' back. "It's going to eat me!" Zephyr insisted once he was safe again upon his guardian. "It's going to eat me and then drag me into the water and then the water will eat me!"

"Zephyr"