The sandy shores along the eastern portion of Anathema’s borders were quickly becoming one of his favorite places. Often he would find himself drifting out to the sea-embracing stretch of lands when he wasn’t busying himself with hunting or any of his duties. He liked the soft sands, the serene sounds of the crashing waves. It was the perfect place to unwind and let his mind drift and clear itself of the day’s troubles. Jackson let his feet carry him out to the shores this cloudy day, the familiar weight of his staff in his hand. As the familiar sound of the water reached his ears, he smiled and picked up his pace, eager to greet the sight of the ocean’s unbroken horizon.

This stretch of beach did not have the clear ocean horizon he was used to, however. Across from the shores on the mainland was a single island standing solemn in the cold waters. It seemed peaceful with its greenery, floating out there in solitude. The peaceful appearance was maintained up until one corner of the island where a tall man-made structure stood up defiantly. Jackson wondered what it was. If he could slip out to the island to investigate, he would. The island’s distance from the shore deterred him, however; it wasn’t so far out that swimming would be out of the question, but the cooling weather meant that the waters would be taking on an unpleasant temperature that he didn’t exactly wish to experience. He furrowed his brow, staring out at the island as if an alternate path across would suddenly present itself.

Jackson himself was so focused on his thoughts of how to get across the stretch of water that he didn’t notice the presence of a pack mate there on the beach at first either. With each second that passed, his curiosity about the island grew, but so did his dislike of the idea of swimming across to explore it. There had to be some other way, right? He glanced across at the beach around him in the vain search of anything useful and did a double-take when he finally realized that he wasn’t alone. What the hell? When did she get here? he thought, cerulean gaze eyeing her warily. It was another stranger, a petite little thing with sleek features he’d never seen on another canine before. The large ears made him think of a coyote at first, but that didn’t seem right. Another type of dog then, like himself?

As he stood there watching her, he began to realize that she was fixated quite intently on the ocean. Had she even seen him or did she just choose to ignore him? Well, there was definitely one way to find out. The boy grinned and made his way toward her as quietly as he could. He came to a halt a couple of yards away and let out a short bark, hoping to catch her by surprise. Oh yes, Jax was the master of etiquette upon first meeting someone.

And there it was, just the reaction he had been hoping for. It seemed that she hadn’t noticed him at all until now, leaping up with such a start at the sound of his voice. As she turned to look at him, hand over her chest from the shock, he let loose a bout of laughter. Blue eyes closed for a moment as he laughed. That had been perfect! His laughter slowed down and his eyes opened back up when the girl finally managed to speak up. She was apologizing to him? Well wasn’t that just precious. The boy shook his head as he spoke. Haha, no, man, no. You’re good, he said, a pleased grin spreading on his maw. Ah, I’m sorry, just couldn’t resist getting a good scare in, ya know? You were just so zoned our there.

He glanced over at the ocean horizon that had so captivated her for just a moment before turning back to her. Jackson supposed he should try to use some of those manners he had, now that he’d had his fun. So, hey, I’m Jackson. Resident trickster and firestarter here in Anathema, he said. That damn grin was still on his maw—but man, had he gotten her good! Look at all the fun he’d been missing out on while being a lonely hermit in the forests the past few weeks.

The girl explained her reason for her earlier captivation with the great sheet of water before them, saying that she had never seen it before. Jackson had to admit that it made sense; when he’d first seen all this water as a pup, he probably had the exact same awed look on his face as she had. The ocean? He glanced back out over the stretch of water. Yeah, man, the ocean’s really awesome. I like to come out here just to think, sometimes, ya know? The sounds the waves make are just so calming. The grin he’d sported moments before developed into something more like a lazy smirk. It sounded weird saying it out loud, but hey, there was no denying the truth now was there?

The Acidic boy switched his staff from one hand to the other as the girl introduced herself. Another new addition to the family, huh? Well, if she’d lived inland before coming to Anathema, he supposed it made sense that she’d never witnessed the wonder of the sea before. Then she offered him a question, to which his brow furrowed in confusion. Was she serious? It seemed pretty straightforward to him. A trickster plays tricks, like I just did, he explained, reaching out to try to poke her shoulder playfully with is free hand. And firestarters take care of all of the fires back there in the caverns. You’ve wandered around in there, yeah? he asked, blue eyes regarding her downturned face.