Thestral Nest

Nicolas shrugged. "I don't know, I just like reading." Well it was half true. He didn't think it would have been wise to mention he had a certain... penchant for the Dark Arts, specifically any object with specific power.

"It is a common theme in many books, I have found," Sevastyan countered simply. Though, he hadn't exactly specified what kind of books. It was probably best if Nick didn't know his tastes in reading material.

"Indeed." Nicolas agreed. It was a reoccuring motif in many literatures he'd read. Nicolas sensed a pause in the conversation and decided to make things a little bit more interesting.

"Professor, would you like to race?"

Race? Sevastyan's attention focused on the word, though it was by no means a negative vibe. Glancing to where Morana stood, somewhere between the two but further away, and back to Nick, he smiled. "Certainly, Mr. Casillas. And, since ve are not in the classroom, I think it vould be only fair for you to address me as something other than 'Professor' in such situations. How about my given name: Sevastyan?" he offered, taking a few steps to where Morana stood waiting.

"I take it you mean on the backs of our respective horses as opposed to brooms?" Sevastyan added, just to make sure he understood the terms the younger lad was setting. Either way was fine by him, really.

Nicolas nodded smiling. "Only if you call me Nicolas, sir."

He walked over to Persephone and gave her a few sugar cubes.

"Fair enough, Nicolas," Sevastyan smiled as he turned to Morana and offered her another one of the sweetly-spiced steaks as a bribe.

"Вы чувствуете до участвовать в гонке?" he asked the mare softly as she neighed happily and took the offered treat. Once she had finished, Sevastyan hauled himself up onto his thestral's back and silently ordered her to trot toward Nicolas and Persephone with distinct touch signals from hands and knees.

"Ready venever you are," he smiled to the younger lad, knowing how odd it must be for Nick to behold such a sight: a man, sitting in midair as if on a horse, without any visible means of holding him up there for any length of time, including a levitation spell. Just to be on the safe side, Sevastyan adjusted the strap of his treat tote so that it crossed his chest instead of just dangling on his shoulder.


((In case you're curious, Sevastyan just asked Morana if she felt up to participating in a race.))

Nicolas mounted Persephone. He patted the Athenon's neck and whispered in her ear. "Seph, if you'd wish to stop feel free to do so." Nicolas said. Persephone was a rather competitive thing. And Nicolas knew she'd absolutely exhaust herself if he didn't let her.

"Vot shall serve as our course? I assume you currently know the grounds of Hogvarts slightly better than me," Sevastyan asked with a chuckle aimed at his own ignorance of the area.

"Well then we should make the sky our course." Nicolas said grinning.

Sevastyan grinned in kind. "First vone around the castle vonce and back here being the vinner? Or do you have something else in mind?" he asked the younger wizard. If they only went around once it would make for a rather short race. . . perhaps a little too short, but Nick was issuing the challenge and thus was also in control of the terms surrounding the nature of the race.

Nicolas nodded. "Agreed sir." He grinned, "Are you read, sir"

"I believe the expression goes, 'I vos born ready,' Nicolas," Sevastyan replied jovially, a grin still spread out on his face.

"Alright then," Nicolas said making sure he was riding Persephone properly. "On three. One..."

Sevastyan made a slight position change so that Morana's spinal protrusions would not cause discomfort enough to distract him from focusing on leading her during this race. Gently, he gripped a handful of mane hair and braced himself for the jolt that would occur in order to get the both of them airborne. "Two..."

Morana felt a light tap of sorts on her right shoulder. One more tap in that fashion would be her master's nonverbal signal to take flight...

Nicolas smiled. "Three!"

Persephone took the word as a signal and took off.

The moment the word was out of Nick's mouth, Sevastyan gave Morana the second signal-tap in addition to a hurried cry of, "ПОЛЕТ!" (("FLIGHT!"))

Morana's wings unfurled, and with a sudden jerk she ran about four steps and then jumped. Her wings pumped to keep the both of them airborne, Sevastyan making sure to steer close on Persephone's heels but not so close horizontally as to make conflict between the flapping wings. The view would have been marvelous had this not been a race. But that was okay, Sevastyan mused, for there would be more chances to ride than just this one.

Sevastyan leaned forward and whispered a few choice words to Morana, who picked up the pace. The two horses were now nose-and-nose, though Morana's snout was likely only visible to Sevastyan. And possibly Persephone...


((I wonder if other animals can see thestrals without having to have seen death?))

((Oh I never really thought of that... But what death would they have to see? A death of their own kind... or a death of their prey? Or a death of a human? I think they can see or at least sense the Thestrals))

Even without Nicolas steering her, Persephone urged herself to increase her velocity as Morana came at her side.

"Whoa," Nicolas said, not at all out of discomfort but of surprise. Morana must have been leading or at the least close to make Persephone so conscious.

Nicolas glanced at his side to see the Professor floating in mid-air and gave out a chuckle.

((Well, for humans I assume it would be any death. So, it could be the same for animals, but I agree: if nothing else, I think they would be able to sense them.))


Sevastyan locked his sights on Persephone the aethenon and its rider the moment he'd just barely caught a masculine voice on the air. "Hanging in there, Nicolas?" he called, though tightened his grip on Morana when he felt her beat her wings even harder, some of said wings slapping against his legs.

Morana's head was now aligned with Persephone's front shoulders, in an attempt to gain the speed she had lost. Soon, she was just an inch or two ahead...

While Sevastyan had not heard Nick chuckle, he could imagine the sight the Gryffindor was seeing. "I bet this must look absolutely hilarious, eh?!" he asked jovially, turning his head in Nick's direction so that hopefully he would be heard over the roaring wind that was blowing in their faces.

"You got that right Professor." Nicolas said grinning still.

"Go, go, go," Nicolas urged her Persephone on. With her handler encouraging her, Persephone bowed her head for greater aerodynamics and was able to sped up.

Sevastyan practically crowed with laughter at the lad's response. Now that Sevastyan could see thestrals he knew that he was not floating around in midair as if sitting astride an invisible horse, but he did remember his uncle and a few other relations he was unsure of riding around the Kaminski estate on the backs of thestrals. It had been a rather hilarious sight to see three grown men in such a scene.

Morana snorted in a playful scoff as Persephone and Nicolas passed her and Sevastyan. She rose in altitude slightly for to avoid being slowed by her handler's getting tossed about by the wind. Sevastyan leaned forward to whisper a series of commands and then let up a little.

Sevastyan gave her a little nudge in her sides with his knees - once on the left and once on the right, commanding her to curve to the right around the castle but maintain the present course. Once the turn was complete, Morana executed a drastic, several-yards-long swoop in a continuous barrel-roll. The only thing that could be heard was Sevastyan's loud and encouraging whoop...


Reaching this somewhat lower altitude and no longer spinning, Sevastyan looked back to see if Nick and Persephone had followed or if they were still at the same height. Even though Morana couldn't be seen, Sevastyan knew she liked to show off whenever she got the chance. Even if it was in the middle of a race...

(Back on the ground)

Amanda came to see the thestrals. Her professer told her there was a new baby she could take care of.

Taylor walked around and spotted thestrals. He saw a young Gryffindor girl and remembered her from in infirmary, but he ignored her as he went and petted one of the thestrals and smiled as he gave them a peice of meat. Taylor was relaxed at the moment and didn't feel like messing with people at the moment he felt peaceful out in the opened surrounded by the thestrals. He noticed it ate the piece of me and he smiled petting it's head.

Raven spotted the thestrals also and smiled as she watched Taylor giving them meat. She walked right up to him and petted the same one he was petting,

"So...you seen death also?" She asked with a sad look in her eyes remembering who she saw that died right in front of her when she was young.

Taylor looked at her and replied,

"Well, when I was 8 my grandfather and I went somewhere and took the car...terrible accident... I saw my grandfather dead bleeding on his side of his head but then I was unconscious all remember was him and the sirens..." He stopped and looked away. about to cry, "I was attached to my grandfather, he took me everywhere and almost anywhere I wanted to go," Taylor smiled remembering the good old times.

"What about you? Who did you see die?" He asked concerned.

((true story I remember it I was 8 years when my grandfather died in a terrible car accident))

Raven wanted to cry remembering him telling her about that story when they were kids. "I remember..." She looked away sad.

"I saw my father die by the Death Eaters... Luckily I wasn't killed..." She turned away and forced herself not to cry.

((AW! that's so sad!))