Viewing the water... (Kendry!)

Kendry whistled as the carriage halted for the queen and himself to board, both eyebrows raised to accentuate his satisfied expression. He joined Sophia and the guard inside, having almost asked to ride up front, but instead making himself comfortable on the bench as curious ink black eyes examined the mobile structure.

The elemental was so transfixed by the details of the carriage's innards that he was distracted from worrying over their destination. Sophia's question came so suddenly, slicing his occupied thoughts like a freshly sharpened blade. He gave her a lopsided grin as she stepped out of the carriage.

The scent, carried by the ocean breeze, began to burn away Kendry's resolve. The mercenary hesitated at the door, jaw set tight and teeth grinding as he stared out over the waves. His legs felt terribly heavy as he forced them to step out of the carriage and to Sophia's side.

"Y-yes, it is." He cleared his throat, nervous fingers tapping at his lips. "You h-had said you haven't been here f-for a long time, right?"

(Grab at him all ya want! I don't mind!  )

Kendry crouched where he stood, resting his elbows on his knees as he watched Sophia step into the tide. His hands gripped at his elbows as he tried to hold all of his nerves together, not wanting them to unravel all around him like a loose ball of yarn. Paranoid eyes kept watch as the waves lapped the sand. How could he protect the Queen of Atelus from pirates if the very sight of the sea made him cower like a frightened puppy?

There was a time when the water was his best friend - it was where he went to play, to hide, to cry, to share all of his secrets to be carried away out to sea. It was where he mapped out his dreams for his future that would never come to be.

His head perked up slightly at Sophia's question, nodding briefly as curiosity lit up his eyes.

Curiosity shifted into awe as Kendry watched Sophia manipulate the water she stood in, fascinated by each shape that manifested around her. His weight shifted when the stars approached him, and he fell back onto his bottom, unable to look away. A startled laugh escaped him as the sand shifted and began to build upon itself, as if a ghost were starting a sandcastle. More laughter erupted from him when he realized it wasn't a castle at all, but a sandy mimic of himself.

Kendry pushed himself up to get a better look, circling his counterpart as his lips curled back into a toothy grin. "I think he looks better than the real deal," he barked. He was absolutely delighted, and it showed in the way he continued to size the sculpture up, turning to Sophia and posing beside it.

In a matter of seconds the Queen had created such beauty, like artwork, when all Ken could imagine his electricity doing was bringing harm upon another, a tool for torture. The mercenary took a step back from the sculpture, adding more distance between himself and the water in which Sophia stood.

"So, you can just imagine something and it will…" He gestured absurdly with his hands, waving them in an upward motion. "…just make it?"

Kendry stared at Sophia when she began to giggle, his eyes wide with surprise at the sight of it - the Queen herself acting and speaking in such a carefree manner, even demonstrating her powers before someone who was a total stranger only hours ago. Their bond was formed over a piece of dried jerky, for God and Goddess's sake!

Paranoia clung momentarily, and Ken's eyes darted around the beach, only finding a sliver of peace when he remembered the presence of the guards. He laughed loudly, awkwardly. In all sincerity, he was delighted that Sophia was enjoying herself, and maybe it was just his promise to protect her that snapped him into alertness.

She used her elemental powers to create beautiful things, like the dancing shapes that had manifested from the seawater. Kendry used his electricity as a weapon. Appropriate for protection, he supposed, but it made his gut twist in a funny way.

"We'll have to have another day like this," he blurted, standing at attention. "I am grateful to have been witness to your artistic prowess, your Majesty." He leaned into Sandy Ken, forgetting that it was indeed made of only sand, and toppled over gracelessly with it.