Kelpie by Catsblood on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

He watched the thing dance in the late summer sun, o' how it's frolic and merry-making stirred the bleak embers of his heart. The slick verdant and silvered scales, the mane-mirroring the last light of the day- billowing in weightless clouds around it's form.

Billowing, like the hair of some drowned thing.

It was beautiful.

My contest entry for #Lesser-Known-Fantasy, this contest's theme, KELPIE. Still have never forgiven myself for missing the Manticore contest. Ahruuugghh.

"The Kelpie is a water horse that roams the rivers and lochs of Scotland and Ireland. Its appearance is that of a magnificent white or black horse with water dripping from its mane and tail. It's skin is smooth like a seal and is cold as death. Those that come across it assume that it's a lost horse, and usually try to capture it. The Kelpie will act docile and let people mount it, but as soon as you come in contact with its skin it becomes an adhesive. It will then return to the water, drowning its rider and devouring them."

Magnificent? Pfah, magnificent my ass. A Kelpie is a half-stared looking fishhorse corpse thing and that's that! (Well. My interpretation. I imagine it uses some subtle fae glamor to lure it's victims.) Not -entirely- pleased with the colours, but heck, I don't usually watercolour a whole lotta green anyway.

Image (c) Myself!