The King's Cup

Kelpies are the elusive waterhorse fae known for fierce independence and shyness. The Kelpie Academy trains the best and most worthy of men and women to ride atop the backs of these majestic beasts upon specially bred kelpies, but for Brenley Lavise, the story is different.

Brenley’s story begins out in the Great Western Sea, upon a luxury boat his parents owned. What was supposed to be a weekend out in the ocean turned quickly into a nightmare, as a sudden change in the weather plunged the boat into a storm with no escape. The chaos led to the deaths of Brenley’s parents, and he was stranded in the water. But fate did not sentence the young boy to the same destiny as his parents, and after falling unconscious from exhaustion, woke up on the shore, with something peering down at him.

The boy had been rescued by a kelpie foal that, like Brenley, had lost its family. It did not take very long for friends of his parents to find him wandering along a road with the horse; even though he was wet and cold, he still remembered the way back home and luckily had washed ashore at the locations nearby.

Brenley’s family name is of great renown, and so even as he felt as if the world was lost to him, he returned to fortune. The foal followed him all the way, and Brenley insisted that the creature his only friend left. Kelpies are not often known for their kindness, attacking people and another fae that encroach near them. Those who dissented Brenley’s decision did not want him to fall prey to a beast whose temperament was unknown. Yet no harm would come to Brenley, as a friendship between him and the horse started to flourish.

Brenley had a talent for horseriding, a passion of his prior to the accident. He did not get back atop a saddle for some time, but the next time he did it would be upon the kelpie. The foal outpaced his growth, becoming fit to ride when Brenley was 14, a mere year later. He had named the kelpie Good Fortune, owing to its presence at his darkest hour. Good Fortune and Brenley had an unbreakable bond forged in their year together, so when the time came for Brenley to take up his passion once more, it was Good Fortune who kneeled and offered her back to him.

Such bonds are unheard of according to the Kelpie Academy, who quickly learned of the prodigy that was Brenley. They found Brenley had even built a suit to the likeness of the riders out of an old diving suit belonging to his father, and he was quickly brought to the Academy to hone his already adept skills.

Since that time Brenley has grown into a kelpie rider of unmatched potential, leading cavalry to skirmishes as often as he fights great beasts on his own. Good Fortune remains his steed, their bond growing and growing with every day. Brenley is known for his humble nature, but the heroic presence he commands shines through all the same.

Brenley holds the trauma of losing his parents dear to his heart, and though he is no stranger to dangerous beasts and terrifying situations, he often finds himself paralytic when he is forced to endure. Good Fortune understands this very well, and even though he is the rider, she is capable of keep them both safe with her own judgement.