The story as it's wrote:Ariston (Meaning in Ancient Greek - 'The Best') was raised by his aunt at a young age, due to both of his parents ultimately going out to battle, them both being soldiers that the time. Unfortunately, they both died in that battle, along with his uncle, leaving his aunt to raise him by herself. It was not a good children, but it wasn't a bad childhood, either. She had wanted him to be a soldier as well, just like those before him, and so he trained every day, working with his sword and shield. Once he grew older and took up the trial to become a soldier, he passed with flying colors. Unfortunately, that day, not only did his heart swell from satisfaction, his head swelled from the pride.
It started with his fellow soldiers. He would come in like he owned the place and boss people around. Some thought it was a joke at first, and so allowed it, but it wasn't too long and people began seeing that this was no joke, and it didn't seem like he'd be stopping anytime soon. So, many of the soldiers began avoiding him, and he did take notice, but did Ariston care? Of course not, because only the best of the best could be around him, anyway. So, as more soldiers kept their distance, he began to butter up to his superiors, only to ultimately come across as if knowing more than they. Now, his superiors were a different breed, and so would not stand for any such conduct, so gave him a good scolding. His big head and hard heart barely felt a thing, and so his behavior did not stop. The grace period only lasts so long, and that grace ultimately runs out. Without a change in character, his superiors ultimately expelled him from the guard, as well as barred him from participating in the colleseum, which he had been training for amidst this whole fiasco.
While one would only hope that he'd learn his lesson by now, he did not. Instead of humbling himself and examining himself, he shifted the blame toward his superiors and previous subordinates, when he told his aunt about his ultimate expelling. But he made no big deal of it, claiming that, "I'm just too good for them, that's all." She believed him, her precious boy, and soon just encouraged him to keep training for the colleseum event (he didn't tell her about that, by the way. Uh oh).
He went to his usual training spot, a spot near the sea, where the sand met the water, and there, while he was training, he happened to see a woman within the water, watching him train. Not having seen her before, he tilted his head, but nevertheless, continued his training, thinking that a guy like him would be a catch to any girl. She soon spoke, and beckoned him to come to her, in the water. Well, he was quite warm from training, so that made her request all the more inviting. He dropped his sword and wandered into the water.
He continued to follow her, but she kept taking him farther out. Waves began to pound at his face, and soon he was pushed underwater, unable to get back up to the surface. Water began to fill his lungs as they screamed for air. And as his eyes began to close within the murky depths, he felt a hand grip his own, and something soft touch his lips. Blackness overcame him, and for some time before his thoughts cut off, he truly thought he was dying.
But then he woke up. He was still in the water, but his lungs no longer burned so intensely. In fact, he felt comfortable in the water... but the girl was gone, and so he had to go, too. He swam to the surface... except it was then that he noticed. He did not have legs, he had a tail, like a fish. And his hands - they were hooves!
Looking around, there were a couple people on the beach, and he raised his voice to call out to them, but all that came from his throat was a hoarse, pathetic whinny.
The two looked toward him, wide eyed, and one took up his bow, arrow amidst the string, aimed at him. Still, he whinnied, trying to get them to help him somehow, some way.
Instead, an arrow came flying at him, and hit him square in the face, causing a rather unsettling *crack* to resound from his skin. It scared him enough to go flounder back toward the water.
"What is that?" The one asked.
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it would look good over my mantle." Said the man with the bow.
----
Since then, Ariston remains within the waters, unable and unwilling to leave for fear his skin may shatter completely. What would happen if that day came? Would he become human again, or would he really face his true end? He doesn't want to find out, and so hides in the depths of the sea.
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