Satyrs At Dusk ✔

Chapter Twenty-Seven

That afternoon, Maxwell and Saevel retreated to Draywaki Bay to test the satyr's surfing skills. Their minds strayed far from the drama from this morning. Now there was nothing but laughter, chaste kisses and a cool breeze that caressed them lovingly.

The sounds of the swishing ocean, the gritty feel of hot sand and the fishy scent of seaweed washed up on the shore... It all accompanied the thick and humid air. The seagulls never forgot to sing once, perched up on the towering rocks with their brethren.

"Come on, one more try!" Maxwell egged him on, to which the satyr awkwardly straddled the board, his hooves bending back onto the damp sand. The water lathered his fur lavishly, though they both knew it would be a pain to wash out. The watery smell would last for days, maybe.

"Yeah, then guide yourself with your hands. Scoop through the water to propel yourself forward. Wait until a wave comes to get up from your stomach."

Saevel did exactly that, waiting for a wave to approach. The water slowly rippled, then rose like an invisible force was driving it up. He nervously paddled forward, shuffling on the board onto his hooves.

His balance was unsteady, and he raised his arms to keep himself up. It was to no avail. He plopped back into the water as the wave washed him and the board ashore.

He was smacked with rough water and his face pushed to the sand. He sputtered against the wet, mocha brown and coughed. Grains clung to his hair and face and he made a noise of obvious disgust.

"Hey! You got it that time! You just need to learn how to maintain your balance. Here..." Maxwell helped him out of the water, and like a dog he shook violently until the excess water in his fur rang out.

"Can you balance on one foot--er.. Hoof?" Maxwell himself balanced on his right foot easily. Saevel mimicked the action without effort.

"Of course I can. It's just... The water is such an uneven surface. It moves on its own like jelly!" he complained, waving his hands about frantically.

"Yeah. This might sound weird, but you gotta synchronize your movement with the water. It takes you right, you lean left. Not your whole body though, let your feet--uh, hooves do the work." He leaned down and retrieved his surfboard and flopped it onto the water, laying on top of it freely.

He pushed himself forward, and for the fifteenth time today, he demonstrated how to stand on it. He hopped to his feet, his hands still clutching the board before he let go and allowed the wave to swoop under him. He used his feet and legs to move, the water spraying and splashing underneath the surfboard as it vibrated viciously.

He whooped and yelled with a smile, making Saevel smile too. The wave soon died down and he was brought back to the surface. When it was shallow enough, he plunged into the water and kicked the board up, catching it with his left hand.

"See, you make it look so easy..." Saevel sighed wistfully, almost entranced by the way Maxwell used his body to make surfing look so elegant.

"You gotta remember I've been doing this my whole life. I came outta my mom's womb with a surfboard."

Saevel chuckled at that, pushing a strand of wet hair behind his ear. "I guess I could try again." he sighed happily.

"That's the spirit!"

_

It ended up turning into a water fight.

Both Saevel and Maxwell were in the water, splashing each other and using the surfboard as a shield. Thanks to Saevel's stronger legs, he was able to lay on his back and utterly drench Maxwell with his kicking splashes.

Saevel emerged from the water with a gasp, kicking his hooves in little circles to keep himself afloat. He raised a leg and slammed it down onto the water, making it curve up and rain back down over Maxwell. The human laughed, lifting his surfboard above his head so that the water would hit that instead.

A voice came far from the shore, stopping their playful war. "Hello?" It was a male voice. They turned curiously.

The satyr from Taintpine, Saevel's brother Praek, was standing alert on the hot sands. Myra was with him, her expression equally panicked. They both approached the couple and stopped right before the tide could reach them.

"Praek?" Saevel stepped out of the water, causing Maxwell to follow suit.

Praek's shaggy shoulder-length hair was pulled back into a short ponytail behind him. His horns were much more pronounced than Saevel's, reaching up with twists and curls to about five inches. His soft amber eyes and matching butterscotch hair really told the two humans that he and Saevel were related.

The same flecks of gold shone in his eyes, much like Saevel's. But something else was there too... A hint of worry.

"A human has entered our world, one we've never seen before. A woman... She seemed angry. We traced back her footsteps and found a portal in your home."

"What is she doing now?"

"She's headed for the Adwick Palace."

Maxwell, Saevel and Myra exchanged stares, long and hard as if they were communicating telepathically. Nobody said a word when suddenly Saevel pulled Maxwell towards his house by the hand.

"We're gonna go get her."

_

While they all traversed the portal, the land before them was in chaos. The citizens of Taintpine were scrambling about, worrying hastily between each other and some even gathering their weapons.

The guards by the castle entrance were standing with their bows to Sarah's head. She was demanding that they let her in and tell them what was going on.

The two guards at the front were prepared to release their bows, pulling them back further. They stopped upon the group's interference. Maxwell stepped forward and grabbed Sarah's arm, tugging her back.

"This is my... Horrible excuse of a mom, Sarah." he announced, shooting a glare her way. As the guards lowered their weapons, they exchanged wary glances between one another. "I'll make sure she doesn't bother you anymore." he went to bring her back home when the silver doors to Adwick Palace opened.

Empress Luhlo emerged with her long braid swinging weighlessly behind her. "What is the matter?" her soft voice called out, flowing as smoothly as a spring breeze.

"As Auri of Taintpine, allow me to take responsibility of this mishap... My mom happened to wander in here while obviously-"

"Tell me what's going on here! You people are crazy; disgusting breeds!" Sarah shrieked, yanking away from Maxwell's grasp. Luhlo rolled her eyes, which wasn't something she did easily, rotated her wrist and a burst or emerald green magic engulfed Sarah.

The tendrils of magic wrapped around her body and squeezed like wire, cutting into her skin sharply. In a swirling, bright vortex, she vanished with a gasp that lingered in the air for a moment. The spiral shrunk to a point of nonexistence.

"Goodness, what a filthy mouth." Luhlo sighed gently.

Maxwell paused, eyes widening painfully. "Where did she go?" he breathed. Saevel placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head slowly.

"She was sentenced to the Taintpine dungeons."

__