In Summer's Embrace

by Eltirions

Chapter 1: 14 June 1007

Sun kissed the golden shores of Aris on this fine morning, and there was only the song of common birds and the gentle crashing of the waves onto the shore to accommodate its rising glory at this early hour.

Well, that and the scratching of a pen on paper.

Coral Ridge lifted his pen from the paper, and paused to consider what he had just penned down.

The current political situation within Aris is, of course, a product of the past few years’ turbulent times. There can be no doubt that the Storm War, as well as the developments on Equus and Griffonia, have led to an increase in voices amongst the populace and politicians of our great nation that claim we need to be more assertive, more militaristic, more interventionist.

If one has at any point in my professional career read any of my works, then it should be obvious that I vehemently disagree with these statements. There is something to be said for increasing the defence spending and ensuring we are able to defend our own nation, of course, but that mustn’t mean that we should be involved in the affairs of other countries. We are not Equestria or the Griffonian Empire; it is not given to Aris to dominate the world, no matter what some may claim.

No, our duty should be not to wage wars of conquest, but make certain that our own nation is first and foremost secure; that our people are happy and well-fed, that our gods-given lands are fertile and well-cared for, and that our economy is happily chugging along. Only, and only then, might we consider any of these foreign military ventures that some have so intensely discussed.

‘’Well,’’ he mused aloud, ‘’it’s certain to be divisive.’’

No reply came to his voice, of course. The Sand Gardens were empty at this early hour, and their distance from the industrial or business centres of Canterford meant that there was naught but natural noises at this hour. Perfect for writing columns that were sure to cause the opposite of the quiet and rest he was cherishing in these gardens right now.

With a chuckle, he closed the notebook and laid it away. The morning had just begun, and he had planned to enjoy it.

It was spring still, but that meant little in blessed Aris; there was a calm and warm light from the Sun even now, any possible heat mitigated by a cool - but not cold! - breeze from the sea, and clouds drifted lazily through the blue skies. It was, even by Arisian standards, a beautiful start to what was surely to become an even more beautiful day.

Coral rose from the soft grass, stretching his legs and wings to chase away any cramps that might’ve crept up on him whilst he wasn’t looking, and looked out over the Sand Gardens. Not far away from him was the shoreline, a stretch of golden sand that was ended by the azure-blue waves of the Terraceian Channel. Trees cast shade on the grass around him, but he'd chosen a spot that was - for the moment - fully in the sunlight; it would be a tad too chilly to sit in the shade this early in the morning.

What to do now?

He scooped up his notebook and pen and slipped them into his saddlebags; then he strode over to the beach at a leisurely pace, stopping every few seconds to look at a flower, or a tree, or the Sun's light shining through the leaves and branches onto the grass.

The sand wasn't warm, not yet, but it wasn't cold either. It was a nice, comfortable temperature, surely but a prelude to the warm day that was to come, and Coral was ready for it. When that warmth came, he might retreat into the shade to write and read; or he might head back to his hotel room altogether, and spend the day partaking in conversation with fellow guests there; or he might head into the city, and dwell through Canterford's winding streets and visit its idyllic restaurants and cafes; or he might even turn to his birth-form and go for a swim along the coast.

As a matter of fact, that's not a half-bad idea to do now, he idly mused.

And so, he checked his saddlebags - fastened as they ought to be - and then made his way across the beach, sand dragging through his claws, into the water until his legs were almost fully submerged.

It was warm, not hot but warm. In a flash he changed into his Seapony form - his birth form, and forever the one he’d be most comfortable in - and dove fully into the water, showering himself in its flowing embrace. He pushed against the waves; such was always the case when swimming away from shore, but he did not mind it.

When he was far enough into the water that he wouldn’t immediately get blown ashore again, he let himself float on the surface, enjoying the Sun’s rays shining down on him as waves lapped at him.

There was nothing to bother him here; no militarisation, no Storm King, no war, no radicalisation, just him and the ocean, churning all around him, quite literally near-drowning him in its wet embrace.

It was nature at its finest; and summer had not even come yet! But Coral was glad for that too, for it meant that he had the ocean all to himself, and would not have to share it with a horde of other Arisians eager to relax on the beach or take a dive in the picturesque waters off Canterford’s shores.

No, the lack of others to bother him sat quite alright with him.

Coral turned away from the Sun and dove down, taking in the beauty of the underwater sights. In other places, coral reefs so close to the shoreline would long have been destroyed by fishing or shipping, but in Aris they had always been well-cared for, with caution taken to ensure they were not destroyed. After all, what was coral but Tiamat’s answer to the plants An had made and placed on Aris’ surface?

Coral wasn’t overly religious - few were, in this day and age - but the sight of the reefs which gave him his first name was as enchanting as always. Well, technically these were not the specific coral reefs which his parents had named him after, but they were similar enough.

He sighed contently, before diving again and swimming between the reefs. Any careful Arisian could do that, and he was certainly more careful than the average Arisian.

It did not take long for fish to gather around him, forming an impromptu school in all the colours of the rainbow. Coral did not mind this in the slightest; he always enjoyed swimming with fish. They were companions, in a way, but they did not speak or bother him. It was quite relaxing.

Tiamat above, your creations are as stunning as always.

He swam over to a rocky outcropping; the hilarity of the situation did not escape him as he laid down on it and retrieved his waterproof notebook and pencil from his equally-waterproof saddlebags. ‘’Coral Ridge lying down on a ridge of coral,’’ he mused aloud, and chuckled.

He was deep enough below the waterline that he wouldn’t be easily visible from above it, but not so deep that the sunlight had faded away yet. Just the right spot he needed to continue his writing.

Let’s see…

As I lay on a rock some metres underwater, I can certainly see why many would believe that Aris does not need the rest of the world. The Sea shields us just as much as the Mountain does, and with our grand navy patrolling the seas, who could hope to assail us and win?

I was born in Seaquestria, guarded under the blue waves, but I have never been blind to its fault. If ever we were invincible down there, that time is now past, as submarines, depth charges and other such appliances become ever more common. If an enemy were to assault us now, Seaquestria would not be spared, I fear.

He paused for a moment, and looked out over the coral. In the shimmering light of the Sun, it was like a great forest of red and green and yellow, filled with fish and turtles.

Coral smiled, and turned back to his work.

Life is good.