Welcome to Gaia! ::

Nyota practically pranced through the lightly forested area, his hooves and paws dancing on the ground, his tan colored fur shining like amber in the sunlight. He sniffed at the air, and on a whim, turned toward the marshlands, an area in the opposite direction of his home in the forest. With a sigh of contentment, he trotted across the ground, the long grasses brushing at his legs. His blue eyes took in everything around him, from the sight of the long green grass, to the bright blue sky, to the shining water, to the flying Malu . . .

Nyota screeched to a halt, the last sight having immediately caught his attention. He turned his head to where he had seen the flying Malu, but saw nothing. He shook his head ruefully, wondering if his mind was playing tricks again, but there! There she was again! Nyota watched with fascination as the Malu appeared over the edge of the grass, feathered wings catching the air before she disappeared again. Utterly intrigued, he walked closer, pushing through the tall foliage until he saw what was happening. The young Maluess was hopping across the stones randomly placed in the midst of a stream. He laughed then, rather sheepishly, finding it silly that he had thought that he had finally found a Malu who could fly.

He stood off to the side, and watched the lovely Malu as she bounded across the stones, with obvious admiration, a small tugging at his muzzle.

Nyota realized that he was being rather rude by staring at the Malu, but his blue eyes seemed fixated on her. Her coloring was mesmerizing, both simple and complex, and utterly beautiful. He shook his head back and forth as if to clear it and then smiled again at the Maluess, surprised by her question. He walked over to her and bowed, scraping his antlers gently against the dirt beneath him.

"I'm apologize for staring, but that was quite an interesting journey you made back there. You almost looked as though you were flying," he added with a wistful smile. Nyota glanced down at the dashing comment, both slightly embarrassed and pleased. Deciding to be frank, he gazed back at her, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I thank you for the offer, lovely Maluess, but I have nothing that I need assisting with, as tempting as the offer might be."

Nyota smiled, amused. He found this Maluess enchanting, and could not imagine that others would not want to return for a visit. Then again, if a Malu got lost, that might be a blow at pride, and they wouldn't want to return. Either that, or they were to busy to come back to visit their rescuer. What a shame. Nyota pranced in place slightly, a habit of his when he is pleased. He caught the enchanting female's glance, and was surprised again at her eye color. It was a golden-yellow that reminded him of sunlight on a spring day. It immediately made him relax, realizing that he could stare at those eyes all day.

He shook his head again, having never been a completely fanciful Malu, and chuckled kindly at her comment before responding, "You may ask me an unnecessary question any time you like. And I don't believe that I am lost, though I may well be," at that thought, he glanced around, his lanky neck searching over the edge of the grass. With a sheepish grin he admitted, "Alright, I am lost, though I didn't have the intention of doing so. Though, I suppose one rarely has the intention of getting lost," he added with a laugh, his blue gaze dancing.

"Well, of the few times that I have been lost, this is by far the most pleasant," said Nyota, thoroughly enjoying both the company and the surroundings. The marshland felt just as homey as the forest to him.

Nyota shook his head in both amusement and amazement at her frank speaking. He found that he liked it. Too many times he had run across Malu who danced around their words, never really saying what they wanted to say. For the most part, he was one of them, chewing on his words, but this time, he spoke as frankly as she did.

"Ah, but making girls smile is my specialty, and it is made all the more easy when I find one with a smile that I really want to see." He laughed again, another often practiced exercise of his. He fluttered his wings, enjoying the feel of the marshland breeze on his feathers, and winked at her, catching her alluringly golden gaze once again.

"I might take you up on that offer, but for right now, I am enjoying being lost. The marshlands are quite beautiful, and I think are made all the more lovely with their potential hazards. It is the same with every landscape, but I particularly like the forest and the marsh. They both feel a lot like home," he said with a contented smile playing at his muzzle. "You know, you seem to share the talent for encouraging smiles, only the other way around."

Nyota's expression turned thoughtful as he mulled over her words. This certainly was no 'ordinary' Maluess, but then again, who defined 'ordinary'? She certainly was intriguing though. Nyota had a feeling that her rather carefree visage was a bit of a mask, as she had already shown him a few glimpses of a rather sharper mind.

His eyes glittered as he answered her, in the same order her questions had been asked. "Smiles are very pleasant, but I will admit that there comes a time when one gets tired of them. And of course their is one Maluess whose smile I want to see above all others."

He took another moment to mull over her other comments, about having never left the marshlands. He wondered if there was something else that was binding her to this place, because he didn't personally think that her deity would be angered by her leaving the marsh. Nyota let his smile fade away, and replied seriously. "The marshes certainly are beautiful, and would be a wonderful place to live, but I don't think I would be able to stay in one place forever. After all, the Malu are made to be social creatures. Personally, I don't think your Goddess would be angered by your occasional excursion from this land, but I wouldn't know for sure."