Dragoncrest Cliffs float on

Ever since his trip to the shore with his father, Hermes did not stray far from the family den. He had responsibilities after all; that being keeping his family away from danger.
He wasn’t the best at this self-assigned job. It was hard to sway Hyacinth and @Zephyr into staying everytime they insisted they needed to go. Little Hermes would anxiously wait for their return, sometimes with tears welled in his eyes, other times not. But he’d feign confidence everytime for @Dionysus’s sake.
You stay! he ordered his brother, who’d nearly followed him to his post (two feet away from the den entrance) that morning. It’s dangerous! That was enough to send him back to Zephyr for now. Hermes watched his brother’s figure disappear into their home before staring vigilantly towards the horizon.

there were other children in the pack.
mireille, having left off her play with loko, carried a stick of pale wood proudly in her jaws.
the sound of shouting alerted her ears. the girl chewed casually as she came along, boss recognizing boss.
"what do your name be?" she demanded in her mother's lilting tones, tail swishing at her hips.
the stick dropped to the ground but her attention now was elsewhere.

Ah! An intruder! He had to defend the home. Only problem was he wasn’t sure exactly how to do that. This was the first time it’s happened and no ones ever taught him.
Well he figured he had to look bigger first. Much bigger if he was to scare off the elder child. Hermes puffed out his chest, his cheeks, and stuck his tail up like a banner. That didn’t seem to do much scaring.
Oh no, he wasn’t doing a very good job at defending was he? Now she was way too close, and she had a weapon! And she was starting to ask questions!
Umm, well my name is um… No, he couldn’t get nervous at a time like this. The boy inhaled and returned to his puffed up position. Hermes! he replied more confidently. ’n you is too close! You goddah go righ now!

the boy's posture brought mireille to bristling shoulders and indignation. she was the leader of her brothers and sister; she would command the same respect from hermes and the other one.
"mwen pa bezwen fè anyen!" the sea-girl snapped back in defiance.
small red hackles lifted, she planted her haunches where she was, daring the younger pup to continue his challenges.

He figured the command would be enough to send her away, but he was wrong. Very wrong. She clearly wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Her words made him blink with confusion and shock. 
H-huh? Hermes was at a complete loss in the moment. He didn’t know what to do about this, and was quite honestly scared and intimidated. But he couldn’t just chicken out now!
Y-you heard me, Hermes gulped. You goddah go…!

mireille lashed her tail. this time she stood up, and towered as high as she could with her small height. it was her mothers who ran this place. the little upstart was lucky to be here.
mireille would not come to blows, however. she curled her lip at him. "what be your name, huh?" came the pebble's accented demand. how could she best insult him if she did not know his name?

I says already…! The fire that had previously been in his voice was nothing but a tiny flame now, nearly snuffed out by the ever-looming nervousness.
He slunk down and his ears slowly fell down. It’s um.. i-it’s Hermes.

mireille snorted. she supposed he had said it before and she hadn't listened. 
"hermes. i be mireille. erzulie an' rosalyn be my mot'ers."
she stared severely at him, though did not move to threaten the young child again.

Hermes perked up a bit. Oh, I know Erzulie! The sudden cheeriness in his voice was short lived. He crouched down again and his tone went back to awkward state between business-like and intimidated. I sees her sometimes.
My da’s are Papa and Dad. He paused with a squint. Err.. I mean Hyacin’ and Zephee. Saying their names out loud felt wrong. Very wrong. He was never doing that again. They goin’ somewhere.

hyacin and zephee. mireille did not remember meeting their little family before. she would have to take what he said at face value. hermes knowing her mother did a lot to soften the girl.
she blinked her brilliant eyes.
"have you been to de beach yet?"

The question made his breath hitch. Yeah, he replied with much more volume. ’n I’m never goin’ there again!
Hermes’s eyes grew wide. My papa took me once. ‘N you know what? We saw a sleepy lady but she never move! It so scary!

omg

her ears flicked backward at the boy's loudening tone.
what he described was riveting however. and worrisome. she frowned.
"is she still t'ere?" mireille hesitantly asked of hermes.

i dun think so… He have a thoughtful look. i hope not! i hope she finally wake up n’ go away.
why? you gonna go n’ see?

mireille held still a moment. 
she could brag or she could be truthful. she saw no reason to try and impress him.
"no." she gathered herself up. "you should stay away from de water for a time, however. in case de spirit be wanderin'."
mireille glinted with a grin as she began to turn away.

Spirit?
He didn’t have a clue what that was. Quite honestly he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. But he couldn’t help but ask regardless. Whether he’d ever know or not was up to Mireille.

she turned back and winked at him. "you be knowin' a spirit if you see one," she said cryptically.
and then mireille was gone, trotting off along the landline in search of her brother or a tasty morsel, whichever came first.