It wasn't that mom and dad didn't say they couldn't go outside, they had just strongly recommended against it. Something about high winds and lots of rain that made the beach dangerous. What was so dangerous about a bunch of water? The pup didn't understand the severity of what was to come outside. He was restless and bored and tired of being stuck inside the den so much. Why did they always have to stay inside? The beach was a lot more fun than being stuck with his stinky siblings. Don't get him wrong, he liked his siblings, and admittedly, he was probably stinky too, but still, they were stinky. Maybe this time he would rope his brother, Rexx, into his shenanigans. Rexx liked to have fun too, right? So just as the parents had fallen asleep, Scald opened one of his eyes to look over at his splotched brother. A wicked grin raised the corner of his lips as he army crawled over to his siblings. Reaching a too large paw out, he smacked Rexx maybe too hard on the nose before turning to slither away toward the opening. "C'mon Rexx, we're goin' 'splorin'," Scald whispered in his all too much of a puppy voice without looking back to see if his brother followed. Once out of the safety of the puddle of pups, Scald stood up with a shake of his coat and trotted toward the entrance of the den. Outside, the sky was an eerie hue of green, and not a lick of wind picked up a grain of sand. Rain lightly pattered along the blackened shore as if inviting them to come out and play. What was so dangerous about this? Looking left and then right, he noticed, not far down, a large beached log that was big enough for them to climb on. "This way," he muttered to Rexx, barely able to contain his excitement. As he began to make his way toward the log, the wind began to pick up... WC: 336/1500

Scald would be correct in that Rexx enjoyed joining his shenanigans. In fact, he and the tusked child shared much in common when it came to their beliefs - he, too, was sick of being pent up in the same, packed den every day. His siblings, as much as he cared for them, were cramped, smushy, and stinky. Not that he and Scald smelled any better, but he liked to think of them as being a bit more adventurous. More bold. Just cooler over all. That was the nature of a true pirate, was it not? A wanderlust ingrained from the womb, he was in a great hurry to escape the icky confines of the den and venture into the world beyond. And his parents would not get in the way this time as they had before.

Luckily, having the two rows of sharp crystalline spines down his back meant that piling up on the boy was a prickly, poking affair. He'd already pricked a few paw pads, and he was sure Scald's quills produced similar results. As such, when sleeping, Rexx was forced to point his burly frame into the pile while his back, crystals and all, pressed against the den walls. This way everyone would be safe - since he didn't have the advantage of flattening them like Scald's quills did. His tusks, still nubby ivory protrusions from the back of his lower jaw, would soon sharpen with age. Something he'd also have to be wary of should he share a den with someone else. He had just curled himself inward, eyes fluttering closed when Scald's large paw smacked his nose. With a snort, Rexx quickly aimed to bap his mottled brother back with his own too-big paw. "Smack back!" He teased, his puppy voice husky from sleep. Still, he stirred himself quickly as Scald mentioned going exploring, carefully waddling over the sleeping bundles of their littermates as he followed the lanky boy outside. Rexx never missed the opportunity to explore, especially when a storm raged over their heads and the ocean's angry waves thrashed the sandy shores.

Following Scald, the tusked child shook off his own calico pelt as the rain pelted the beach, his large toes spreading unevenly into the wet sand. His crystal spikes gave some semblance of a windbreaker effect so he could easily trot into the wind's gusty gale, but didn't do much in the way of waterproofing him. He didn't care - it was just water right? He paid no mind to the dangerous rise of the tide, acknowledging the wind's howl and black skies with a cheerful flick of his ears and nub tail. Upon reaching the massive log Scald lead him to, Rexx grinned, loping over to it. He was careful not to trip over his disproportionately massive limbs as he approached it as well, offering a cocky shake of his head as he backed up a few steps and rammed his tusks into the log, the way a bull might charge with its horns. The wind picked up, howling angrily as he stumbled back from the unbudging log, jaw throbbing momentarily before dissipating. Aw, man. Guess he had to grow a bit before he could move it. "Scald, I bet I can race ya to the tip of the log!" He said, smirking as he coiled his hind legs and lurched onto the top of the log, clambering towards the pointed end of it.

The uneven slope of the beach with the added strength of the wind made Scald's trek over to the log difficult. Appearing as if he might be slightly drunk, his quills lifted from his spine instinctually hoping that it would help break the wind. The rain continued to pelt him and his brother, fat droplets dampening their coats until they were soaked. Not that it would be that big of a deal, right? Just a little bit of rain? Okay, maybe a lot of rain. Pushing through the gales and growing turbulence of the storm, Scald paid no mind to the funnel that began to grow over the water. Instead, his interest lay with the silliness of his brother ramming his tusks into the giant log. "No way you'll beat me!" Scald called out, his brow furrowing with determination as he watched his brother clamber onto the log. Following suit, his claws digging into the soggy bark, Scald made his way up. Getting his footing straight, the colorful boy dipped around Rexx and made a beeline for the tip of the log. Barely able to see now as the wind turned into full-on gales and sand began to whip around them. Battering their bodies was the hail that started to fall from the sky. Before he could even reach the tip of the log, he could hear the deafening scream of an oncoming hurricane. Freezing in his tracks, nearly toppling from the log, he turned to look at the monstrosity lying over the ocean. "Rexx, REXX!" The boy squealed as he attempted to lift a paw toward the billowing swirl of water and wind. "I th-think we gotta hide!" His voice rose another octave as his bi-colored eyes widened in fear. No wonder their parents had said not to leave the den. Forcing his chin to look over his shoulder, Scald began to realize there was no way they could make it back to the safety of the den in time. With how quickly the natural disaster was coming their way, they stood no chance. The log they stood on was their only hope. "C'mon, down here!" He screeched over the howling wind as best as he could as he nodded toward the side of the log that was facing away from the water. Sliding down the slippery side, Scald felt slightly better once his paws were on solid ground. Starting to tuck himself as far under the log as he could manage, he waited for his brother to follow. WC: 1328/1500

Rexx didn't pay much mind to the harshening weather, the droplets of rain starting to feel more like flicks of blades against his face as he braced himself and awkwardly slipped and scrambled up the log after his brother. The tusked boy almost felt himself press near his quilled sibling, feeling victory near his grasp as he began to reach the tip of the log's craggy ends. It didn't take very long for the both of them to realize the simple spell of stormy rain was morphing into a terrifying monster of a disaster. He and Scald were reckless, for sure, but they weren't so tupid as to remain out in the open. Rexx's smile faded quickly as he saw Scald's cocky expression turn into sheer fear. Yeah..he was beginning to realize that their parents might've had a point. Stinky, smushy den was safer than whatever the hell this became. The wind picked up violently, and Rexx instinctively dug his nails into the rotting bark to keep himself from falling off as his pelt bristled. His breaths quickened at the near-slip, watching as the sky's black hues shifted into another angry set of crashing waves, enough to swallow young puppies into its fatal depths. He wasted no time as Scald slipped under the log, the bulky boy quickly clambering after him to huddle together. He hated to admit he was afraid, as well. The arrogance they'd held so proudly before, the wanderlust fled in lieu of survival. Instincts above all.

Curling next to his brother, Rexx shifted his body so that his crystal spikes touched the bottom of the log, as if attempting to use his body to help prop it up. An extra shield for Scald, if you will. He was a self-serving child, but in cases like these where things went south, he felt the urge to protect him at any costs. He fought the trembling of his form from the blistering cold, his downy puppy fur not yet capable of keeping him very warm. He glanced nervously towards the mottled boy, furrowing his brow as the winds howled overhead with no signs of stopping. "D-Do these storms last long?" He asked, his voice hoarse over the crashing tides.