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The sun shone down placidly that afternoon, an oddly warm, calm day for one that was within the winter months. The rays drifted down to warm the brightly colored sands, and along one long, rather flat western strip of beach, all seemed quiet, and serene. Not quite empty, though.

A single shadowy form trotted across the swirling red and creme colored sands, kicking up the stuff occasionally. Itzal had come upon the beaches, in his wandering, and was delighted by the new place, with it's colorful sand and the waves that washed up and down the shores. He liked to play a game in which he would run to and fro, playing tag with the water, almost. Anyone who'd watched might have found it quite silly, but the jet black aeri male was all alone, or so he thought.

He slowed a bit to paw gently at a passing crab, snorting at it softly as he bent down to snort at it, before looking up again, and gazing down the expanse of the beach. He was very curious over where it would lead, though he had his trepidations about staying about the shores in wintertime. If there was one thing he disliked, it was cold weather. No matter now, though, as he spread his multi-colored wings to catch more of the sun's rays, enjoying their warmth and continuing along his way.

The young male startled a bit, his ears catching the sound of beating wings before he saw the tri-colored mare dart past. He jumped a little before standing still to watch, the water rushing up to collide with his hooves and ankles, forgetting about the unusual creature he had come across.

Her appearance didn't do anything to help him get over being startled. He had never seen another Nequus like this one...he'd thought her another Aeri, at first, but that assumption was quickly put to rest. She looked vicious, in a way, and he eyed the multiple forked parts that made up her tail. He eased up a little when he heard her address him.

His eyes took on a sheepish, playful shine, realizing that she must have caught him fooling around near the water. It was his first time near the ocean, truthfully, and he'd always wanted to see it after hearing stories, both good and bad. He was an odd creature, in that he often liked to be up during both day and night. He enjoyed the feel of the way his dark body absorbed the warmth during the day, but being an Aeri, he would always have a deep appreciation for the darker hours as well.

"Yes, very!" he replied after hesitating shortly, his ears perked as he watched, seeming perhaps a little shy. He decided quickly that manners would probably be of use here...the mare didn't look like something he'd want to cross. "My name is Itzal. What is your name?" he inquired, drawing a bit closer.

She certainly was different, Itzal thought to himself. He did his best not to judge, though, on appearances, disliking when he himself was treated with hostility. Though they were about the same size there was something in the mare that was a little intimidating to the stallion, so he remained polite, and rather formal, not wishing to irk her with any coltish antics.

He bowed his head a little, his multi-colored wings fluttering lightly, giving a leathery rustle. "Good to meet you, Nestra." he commented, and tilted his head a bit at her inquiry. "Not rude at all, no," he said, and looked a bit thoughtful. "To tell the truth, miss, you're the first of your kind I've ever met personally. I'm sorry to say that I haven't met anyone matching your description." he said, his tone a bit doleful. He had heard quite a bit about the rarer breeds of Nequus, the Reya, and Ischa, and had always rather been curious about them. Interesting that he should get to meet one, now.

"If there is anything I can do to help, though, don't hesitate to ask." he offered generously. "It must be hard to have lost someone important...if that is the case?" he mused, having it in his mind that the Reya before him had lost someone close to her.

Itzal listened to her, blinking a little bit as the female rolled her eyes. "Oh my, I see....how very unfortunate." he said in reply to her story, picking his words rather carefully. The use of military words made him a bit edgy. He knew how strict some herds could be, and he had become a wanderer on part of that, aside from curiosity. He was certainly not one to enjoy fighting. He brushed the thoughts aside, and gained a look of concern at the rest of her explanation, nodding his black head gravely.

He knew what she meant...it was true, on a couple occasions during his travels he'd found that other Nequus did not favor such a dark pelt color. Luckily enough he'd never encountered anything more than the superstitious, and he'd always been quick to leave if they had displayed any great displeasure at his presence.

He blinked a bit as she moved, seeing the limp at once. "Of course, I shall watch out for her...she sounds like she wouldn't be too hard to discern, in the daylight, at least." he mused, his concerned expression deepening. "Are you alright, miss?" he asked after a moment, his ears drooped slightly.

He tried to conceal his concerned demeanor, not wanting to seem as if he were trying to belittle her or anything of the sort. "I see, how unfortunate. It's good that you did, anyway." he said, tossing his head a bit to clear some of the curly orange bangs away from his eyes, smiling a little.

He'd no idea of the carnage the female had been through, and he was a stranger to any large scale amount of violence himself. He could imagine the female before him as a fighter though, and the mere thought of it always made him nervous. He'd come from a peaceful place himself, and had not yet encountered violence on his many travels, through some slim chance. He blinked in surprise as she explained further, his ears laying back. "How dreadful." he said, looking rather nervous. "Well at least he got what was coming to him."

It was true, sadly enough. Though the stallion was quite strong and healthy, he'd never been taught in any sort of combat, and that peace was the way to go. And of course, if you couldn't fight, you had to take flight. It was perhaps considered a cowardly thing by many, but because the young stallion had drifted away from any semblance of a family he had ever known, he had no one to be responsible for, save himself. Itzal really saw no shame in running, himself...it was simply the law of self-preservation going to work. He'd been lucky thus far however, and had run into no true problems, which he was suddenly feeling rather lucky for.

"No no, miss." he bowed his head a little, smiling lightly. "I...I can take care of myself, usually. Who knows if I'd even be able to come across her, anyway. She sound like a slippery one." he said, trying to imagine what he'd do, if he did come across her. The thought wasn't to savory in his mind, seeing as she was indeed a Reya, just like Nestra....

Itzal couldn't help bit grin, and give a soft, sheepish laugh as she commented about his ability to 'protect himself', which faded off as she continued to speak, and he gave a rather grave little nod. "Alright, then...If I see her at all, I'll tell you at least, if we were to meet again. But I won't approach her." he said, nodding, as if to cement that idea within his mind. He found it unusual that such a militant individual would care about his seemingly insignificant safety, and it touched him a little, though he didn't comment on it.

He brightened a bit at the question. "I'd love some company." he replied, smiling lightly at the little compliment. "You're...quite a change from the girls I normally meet, too." he said with a little chuckle, hoping she wouldn't mind the little tease.

"Shall we walk? I was gonna explore a little more down the beach till nightfall. " he said, pawing at the soft, moist sand. He had wanted to see where it lead, afterall, though he doubted he'd be able to cover the vast expanse in one lazy afternoon. Nevertheless, he would enjoy it much more with Nestra's company.