Fantasy Skyheart (1 slot open)

[Naberius]

Caliban Lupei

The nudge from Lea caused him to turn and look. Katja was indeed looking pretty down. He frowned, walking back over to sit down next to her and see how she was doing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When they had all gathered in the meeting room, Cal was curious, anxious, and slightly excited. He had never been involved with anything like this before. The situation was dire, even he had enough brain power to realize just how seriously this was going to go. As everyone filtered into the room, they found their seats. Council members, Candour, Deralis. It was obvious that this was incredibly important so he did his best to remain quiet and just listen to everything that was being said. Lea was sitting right beside him, and he took comfort in that. They'd always been side by side, ever since they were very young.

At one point, he had been about to speak up to say something. He had opinions on several things that were being said, and since they were here he might as well let them be known. Unfortunately, his more intelligent half took that moment to swiftly kick him in the shin right as he opened his mouth to speak. It certainly kept him from talking, at least intelligibly, as he bent down to rub it. She spoke up for both of them, and he couldn't exactly disagree without seeming like they weren't exactly as unified as they needed to be for this to pay off so he went back to being quiet.

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[Elenion Aura]

Matthias​

Sulking, Matthias ascended the steps that lead them to the city council chambers. All of this pomp and ceremony was beyond him. Oh, how this strange place and its strange ornamentation made him long for home. Still, he leant his ear to Ord, listening as he prepared them all to face the council. Curious, Matthias thought, that Ord had describe the council as 'scared'. Were they not the leaders of this land? Did the people not look to them for strength in darkest days? Cowards made poor leaders. Still, Matthias conceded that it was a comfort to have Ord with them. Surely he was the best of what this hot, dry country had to offer.

As they walked Matthias cast a sour glance around, refusing to marvel at Westerosi architecture. Pretentious... He thought as he glimpsed the massive, gilded sun-doors that swung wide to accept the little party of chosen ones across their threshold. After yet more walking Matthias and company came upon them all, seated at a crescent table. Matthias captured an empty seat facing the men and women of the council, taking a moment to take the measure of each of them. Katja's grandmother was among them, and Deralis too. He was looking pleased to see them. Katja's grandmother's face on the other hand was darkened with consternation. Matthias had already decided that he would not enjoy what was about to transpire here...

For his part, Matthias kept quiet. Because he preferred to keep his thoughts to himself in most situations. Because he cared little for Westerosi politics. Because he cared even less for Deralis' demeanor, which felt more like that of a street performer than a man of the sword. He reminded Matthias of the snake emblazoned upon the door. Only more sinister. More sly. And because the others in his party seemed to have things well enough in hand. Marylka in particular. Perhaps she had done well to choose Westeros as her country. She had their knack for clever wordplay. Enough that Matthias cast her a sidelong glance, noting this trait of hers, in case he need beware of it later.

When at last it seemed that Deralis had sprung his trap, Matthias found he was relieved. This was what he'd hoped for. The chance to take the fight to these creatures. Scouts, hunters, rescuers... Little more than titles. This outcome simply meant they'd be free to operate outside the bounds of the city walls, to track down Danube and finally be done with this wretched business once and for all. When it was all over, Deralis could play his little games. Matthias would be half a world away by then, gods willing.

When Delila was finished, Matthias was surprised to find he was smirking. Something about the way the old woman so imperiously planted Deralis in his place brought the Northarian no small amount of joy. And she hadn't even lifted a sword. Perhaps there was something to say for words, after all. "You should heed your elders," Matthias added for Deralis' benefit in a low, wry voice. He couldn't help himself.

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[AncientBird]

As the meeting continued, Serik began to get used to its atmosphere and his fear was mostly contained, although it was most likely he put all his attention to the conversation that was still hot with tension. From what Serik could catch, Deralis seemed really desperate to get a hold over the academy for additional force in his army against the deathborn. No matter how the others tried to pull the topic away from the student, he would pull it right back, biting to it without letting go like a jackal on the verge of starvation over meat. And surprisingly, he did it so well that his opponents struggled to come up with a good counter to intercept his point. The little respect Serik had had about this man since last night began to fade away and filled with disfavor. The others were right about Deralis all along, this man is full of slyness... He can't be trusted...

Eventually, Deralis pushed forward and nailed Headmaster Candour over the reason why the youths were brought to the academy and if the military could use them for the scout. Serik looked nervously at his instructors and his friends. What would they decide to do?

Headmaster Candour simply let the youths decided for themselves, which Serik couldn't really blame him for it. There was not much more he could do anyway. Kari and Aldaf immediately volunteered to become the scout, followed by Leandra who also spoke for Caliban. While it seemed like they just did it due to having no other choice, it could be that they wanted to exploit this opportunity to get out of To'bai to seek for Danube under the cover of scouting. The others were silent, Matthias looked as placid and stoic as ever, however Serik could tell that he would likely be content to become a scout as well since he was among the one that wanted to take the fight to the deathborn. Marylka looked totally displeased about this and even let out some Estendorian swear word that even though subtle, still reached Serik and made him shuddered out of shock.

For Serik, he had to admit it was certainly a harsh decision to make. He did not want to face the deathborns any time soon, not in this state that he could barely use any magic and struggled to fend off even a single deathborn. However, refusing would only make their secret vulnerable to the prying eyes of Deralis...

Suddenly, while Serik was in the middle of trying to weight for the better choices, Great grandmother Delia, Katja's Westerosian elder the youths just met yesterday had stood up and faced Deralis directly. She clearly wanted the youths to not mingle with any deathborns and she was not afraid to deliver her opinion right into the captain's face, direct and strong. Serik watched in awe... Perhaps this might offered more choice for him to pick. The young man sat in silence, waiting to see Deralis's reaction.

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[YumenoTsukishiro]

The duel of words continued, and their victory glimpsed over the horizon in rays of light. But Deralis was nothing if not cunning, and behind a genteel mask swiftly drove them all into a corner with logical arguments mixed with a handful of empathy. It all sounded so right, and for a while Gerel agreed with him. To protect the families of To'bai, the mages of the Academy should offer their help. Gerel still didn't like that Deralis seemed too eager to push younglings into fighting an enemy from their nightmares, but perhaps the older members could help, the faculty, or even some alumni...

When Katja's grandmother took the stage and made several brutal strikes against Deralis' words, Gerel felt like he was slapped awake from a haze. She reminded him of who Deralis really was. No matter how logical or reasonable his statements were, there was something behind his smile that couldn't be allowed to win. He didn't bother hiding the grin that spread across his face as Katja's grandma concluded her tirade. It was like watching his mother talk down burly traders with words so sharp they gouged out their spirits and hearts.

"I volunteer for the scouting mission," Gerel said, glancing towards the others in understanding. They would accept Deralis' heavy-handed request. For now. Words -- especially those laden with ill-intent -- had a way of coming back to their speaker. Gerel was looking forward to see just how it would happen with the sly-tongued Captain of the Guard.

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[SilverFlight]

Even Deralis shrank back in the face of Delila's verbal onslaught, and the other council members pressed their lips and looked away.
"I am trying to protect children." He shot back, his voice was calm but Kari read the tension in his stance. He shot a venomous look at Matthias.
"How many people do you think the deathborn kill before my guards bring them down? At least with magic we stand a chance against these beasts. You think me ruthless for suggesting we use mages? Is it not more ruthless to condemn the innocent by not using their power?"
He stepped back with a breath. "But, that is not the point here. Here, I am not asking for children, you said yourself, they are proven, they won their skybeasts and by definition, they are no longer children, and I will ask them to scout, not to fight."
He turned back to the youths with a frown, knowing Delila had won something from him.
"Of course, those that do not with to volunteer, I cannot force."

*~*~*

The meeting dragged on for hours, mostly about novel defense strategies, strengthening barriers, adding more watchmen. There were talks of curfews, and reduced group sizes, some talk of closing the market entirely. Kari listened, sensing the fear in the room. Each one was desperately trying to protect what they loved in the best way that they could. Only Deralis remained placid and contemplative throughout the long hours.
By the end of it Kari was tired. As the meeting ended and the council members prepared to leave she stretched.
"You all did very well." Ord praised them. "Especially you Marylka, I think you'd make a good politician!"
"You can have it." Kari replied in a goodnatured tone. "All that talk is definitely not for me."
They crossed the threshold of the massive double doors and walked out into the cooling night air.
She looked into the sky, which by now had a vast expanse of diamond-dust stars scattered across it.
"But I guess we have the perfect excuse. No one will question us going into the desert now."
Suddenly Kari was overwhelmed by the need to be up in the air. She turned, "I'm going flying."
Ord paused. "Now? At this hour?"
"I don't think after all that I could sleep. Anyone wanna come with?"
"Well, I suppose you are all free until lessons tomorrow, Gods know we have our work cut out for us."
At this hour Ord didn't have any duties either, it was clear he was debating what to do himself.

Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro AncientBird Saturn_moon Elenion Aura kase9187 AquaMarie pinnasina Naberius explosiveKitten

 

[Elenion Aura]

Matthias​

"Nor me," Matthias huffed in agreement, His back was stiff from sitting so long. The cool, outside air was a welcome relief after such prolonged deliberation. Matthias had half-listened to most of it. Deralis had made his point. Matthias tended to agree. Magic was a powerful tool. Even a novice could wreak more havoc than a dozen men, under the right circumstances. Still, to him, even though he stood within its very walls, walked its very streets, these were all the problems of some city far away. His home, the north, was not like this. Not the north he remembered.

"Aye" said Matthias. Volos had been idle for too long, he thought. Even now he could sense the bear, lightly dozing in the stables. Too long had they been apart. That ought to be rectified.

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[kase9187]

Aldaf nodded in agreement.
"I'm coming with. Deralis made me want to slap him so hard."

In all the talk and discussion, Aldaf's thoughts turned to his mother. She must be completely worried... or horribly pissed. He felt drained worrying about all of this, just wanting to find out why he vanished a year ago and why they're tied to this.

He couldnt go and see her, however. He had a job to do. But he could at least count on Spica allowing him to have someone to be with that wasn't focused on death all around or jealousy or spite. He felt safe with her around.

"Plus, Spica could probably go for a good fly."

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[AncientBird]

There was no more heating exchange of words after Delila’s speech. It was all about the defense and how the city would adapt to cope with the attack. Soon, the meeting eventually came to an end and everyone dispersed to their own way. The youths and the instructors went out of the building at last.

Serik took a long breath to expel stress from his head. Fresh air did nicely calm him down and his anxiety waned away... For the time being. His mood began to clear up and small smile of relaxation returned at last.

The night sky was clear and ornamented with numerous stars as usual. As Serik was gazing up to them he heard Kari asking if anyone would want to take a night flight for relaxation. Serik made a quick thought and asked himself if that would be a good idea. He had yet to get drowsy and perhaps it would be a good way to distract his mind from the trouble he and the other were facing at least for a bit. Plus, getting to see the star up close was had become his favorite thing in his list since he finished the proving. “I’d love to...” He added to those that wish to take a flight. “Well, if Valkyrie would cooperate... I am not sure if she’s already asleep or not.”

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[Saturn_moon]

Delila's words, sharp as a sword, struck deep and true and for the briefest of moments, Deralis faltered and lost track of the carefully choreographed dance he led. For all the cunning and manipulation he displayed, somewhere beneath the armor Marylka saw a man who was simply looking for a way to save his home. Ord had mentioned that the council was scared and desperate but it hadn't occurred to her that it was possible Deralis might feel the same. Or so she thought. It was hard to tell what was going on in the man's head but perhaps he deserved some benefit of doubt.

The meeting stretched on for hours, and there were points when Marylka felt her concentration wane and her eyelids grow heavy. The exhaustion of the day was catching up to her. When it finally came to a close, she leaned back in her chair and let out a sigh of relief. She still had about a hundred unanswered questions but for now, they had at least managed to temper Deralis's interest in them and the academy so it was one less thing to worry about. Marylka scrunched up her nose when Ord complimented her for the way she spoke earlier. "Thank you, but I think that was more than enough politics to last me for awhile. Someone like me has no place speaking in a place like this."

As they exited city hall they were greeted by a cool night breeze and star-lit sky. There were few things more wonderful and calming than watching the celestial heavens pass by overhead so Marylka jumped at the opportunity to go for night flight with their skybeasts. She could already sense Archie getting restless after being cooped up in the stables the entire day. "Would you like to come with us, Ord?" She asked, looking to their instructor. "You look like you could use a break as well."

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[YumenoTsukishiro]

Gerel was incredibly grateful when they finally stepped out of the Council Hall and into the welcoming coolness of the night. He was sure that Deralis would keep pressing on despite the clear arguments against his proposal, yet even he backed down before the force that was Katja's grandmother. That wasn't to say that Gerel disagreed with everything Deralis said; in order to protect his family, Gerel would go to any lengths, and ask the same of others. Deralis also echoed what Gerel considered about letting those old enough and proven to lend their magical talents in defense of the city. At the very least, Gerel would no longer dismiss Deralis' statements out of hand unless the man gave a compelling reason to.

If being a politician meant sitting long hours while trading harsh words against someone you might've drank tea with, then Gerel would rather eat a deathborn whole. It was stuffy, suffocating, and stressful. In fighting skeletal monsters, at least there was clarity, a tangible opponent to take down. With politics there was a labyrinth of norms and etiquette to navigate through, and you wouldn't even realize the threads strangling you until it was too late.

( Saturn_moon ) Because of that, Gerel sided with Marylka on the issue of going for politics. "It's not a fate I would wish on my enemies," he said with a wry smile.

At Kari's words, Gerel glanced up the star-studded sky, and was hit with a sudden yearning to see both his partners. He felt Jeff nudging at the edges of his consciousness, begging to let his wings be unfurled. And in the distance, Talon cried out as she flew back from scouting the land. "Maybe we could make a game out of it," Gerel suggested. "Like a race, or a sport, or something. Anything to feel the rush of the wind once again. At least it'll be more fun than Council meetings."

AncientBird Saturn_moon SilverFlight Naberius Elenion Aura explosiveKitten kase9187 pinnasina AquaMarie Lioness075

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nicknames: Lea, Firefly
Clan: Sudenta	Clan Job: Huntress
Equipment: Knapsack, Medicinal Pouch, Bow, Quiver (0/10), Twin Daggers

Spoiler: Leandra's Westeros Outfit

She's wearing the first, green one.

Katja's grandmother brought the smack-down on Deralis and Leandra struggled to hide her grin after that. She had a feeling Katja's grandmother had said many things that Marylka wished she could have, as she had been clearly rifled just as much. Understandably so, though, it was not Marylka's place to speak out of turn. Thankfully, Katja's grandmother was here to step up to the plate.
Leandra still disagreed with Deralis' idea of using any mages in his fight against the Deathborn, but she kept that to herself. She really did not feel like she belonged in this kind of place and felt increasingly uncomfortable with how confrontational Deralis was becoming.

Luckily, the council meeting soon became very boring after their group agreed to be Deralis' 'scouts' and the topic changed. Leandra found herself kicking her legs aimlessly under the table and randomly poked Caliban's shoulder at one point before sticking her tongue out at him. She had no reason for it, other than being bored out of her mind. While she liked to think she was the more mature of the two, even boredom drove her to find random ways to entertain herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When they exited the council meeting, Leandra let out a yawn while stretching her arms above her head.
"I seriously thought that would never end."
Leandra followed Kari's gaze to the sky and closed her own eyes for a moment. She focused on her breathing and then faintly began to feel that urge to be in the sky once more on Falarion's back, the clouds a hand's reach away.
While she felt excitement rising in her at the thought of finally getting to explore the chaotic workshop tomorrow, Leandra opened her eyes and returned her gaze to the group. Everyone began to voice their decision to fly tonight. She blinked at Aldalf admitting to wanting to strike Deralis for what he said tonight and tried to keep a neutral expression when she too responded.
"I absolutely need some time in the sky tonight, and I have a feeling Falarion is dying to get out for a while."

Glancing over at Serik when he voiced concern about Valkyrie being willing to cooperate, Leandra said, "Hey, don't worry. I'm sure she'll at least feel jealous of everyone else going out and come along."

When Gerel suggested a race, Leandra grinned and exclaimed, "Yes, let's race!"
Facing Katja, Leandra shrugged and added with a raised eyebrow, "After all, Falarion and I lost once before. We won't lose again." She felt her heart beginning to race with the adrenaline of a friendly challenge.

Naberius SilverFlight Saturn_moon explosiveKitten AncientBird YumenoTsukishiro pinnasina AquaMarie kase9187 Elenion Aura

 

[AquaMarie]

Spoiler: Emmaline’s Westeros Outfit

Emmaline continued to keep quiet and to herself. Her gaze and attention dancing from one person to another as they spoke. Then Kari stood up followed by Aldaf and then Leandra volunteering herself and Caliban. Almost everyone seemed so quickly jump on board, but Emma was still unsure about what their whole plan was with this. So Emma just looked down not saying a word or standing up and volunteering herself really unsure what her thoughts were on all this.

Emma could feel as someone was watching her, moving back to sit up straight in her seat. She looked up to find Eli had lean over to her, a bit startled not expecting her to be so close. "Do you know what you will do?" Looking over at her fellow redhead she gently shook her head. "Not really…" she spoke in a tiny softly whispered. "You?..." she asked her back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^u^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emmaline quietly sighed feeling exhausted as she walked out of the council meeting behind the others. Who would have thought just sitting in a chair and listening to others speak would have her feeling so tired. Maybe it was best to head to bed early? No, she really wasn't sleepy, just tired from sitting down and being stuck in that building. She figured she could spend the rest of the night in the stables may be brushing and braiding Angus mane. YES! That's what she would do, she would spend some time with him and he would look adorable at the same time.

Then she overheard some of the others talking about going out and flying with their sky beasts. Her eyes got wide as now they had her full attention. From what she had gathered, it seemed everyone might be joining in the night time fun of flying with their skybeasts and maybe having a race against each other. Emma was standing along with Elia a bit away and behind the others in their group. She still felt nervous and unsure about the others, but maybe going out with them on this night flight would help her become friends with them.

Emmaline turned up to see Eli wearing her serious face and well looking annoyed and done with the day. The short redhead looked at Eli with a determined face and grabbed Eli’s hand and started to walk over to the others. “Can we come along too?!” Emma asked hopefully, wearing a friendly smile as she pulled Eli behind her “I know our skybeasts would love to stretch their wings and it would be nice to fly with you all” she added happily.

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[pinnasina]

From what Eli could understand, the ideas proposed by this Theraliz figure made sense. "Why hate for it at the start?" she mumbled. Sending those most appropriate to the task, either those that are the most adept or the most learned of the situation, was just common sense, was it not? The dark-haired one─Kari, her mind supplied─had avowed, earlier, of the elder's protective nature, something that Eli acknowledged and quickly held in contempt.

No one will be safe. There is no point in trying to preserve what will eventually be lost, nor is there a point in coddling children. Times like these call for hardness of heart and body, not for softer values, like compassion and optimism.To spoil the mages like this does all of them a disservice.

But it does not matter. What does, however, is Emmaline's opinion on all of this. Eli subtly inclines towards her closest companion, almost leaning on the shorter girl. "Do you know what you will do?" (To be continued in Little Feathers under #9365B8.)

─────​

Fly? So soon after the council meeting? No, maybe it is the escape they want. To be free from their responsibilities for one last time before they return to the grind.

It is their right, she understood that, but it is not right. Eli thought it better to save that energy they had now for the upcoming tasks. With their opponents so far beyond some of their levels, whatever free time they had should be put to training instead.

Eli raised a brow at the group. "Not tired?" That could be changed. She could put them to working on their body if they were keen on it. That could be a good opportunity to see them all in action, too.

But before Eli could put out the suggestion: "Can we come along too?!"

She turned to Emma. "You... Want to fly?"

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[SilverFlight]

Ord considered Marylka's invitation to join them.
"I suppose some fresh air after that stuffy meeting would do everyone some good, including myself." He said happily.
"Everyone's welcome." Kari smiled, and at the mention of a race she uncharacteristically remained quiet. The failure earlier that day, crashing in such a spectacular way after letting the strange little deathborn escape still weighed heavily on her confidence.
"Maybe I'll watch this time..."

The walk back to the academy was blissfully quiet, and they got back onto school grounds uncontested. Kari half-expected the deathborn to appear again, they had become such a frequent occurrence in their lives, but they did not, and Kari was soon out in the stable yard with Zephyr, adjusting his saddle.
The gryphon seemed more than eager to get back into the sky.
"We should try and stay within sight of the city." Ord cautioned. "Those creatures may have gone to ground for now, but there is no telling where they're lurking. I don't want to provoke an attack." His skybeast, the otter-faced dragon Pasha gave a deep, rumbling coo in agreement with his concern.

~*~*~

The night air was filled with moisture, which cooled the burning sand and stone and brought the scent of rock high into the sky. Only a few clouds dotted the distant horizon, and otherwise the stars glittered brightly above them. Zephyr beat his wings to gain more height, catching an updraft and rising lazily into the sky. Kari was getting better at thinking in a way Zephyr would understand, and sometimes, their minds came so close, it almost felt like the gryphon was an extension of herself.
She only had to envision it and Zephyr reared up, folding his wings and stalling, twisting backwards as they fell and short ways before snapping his wings open again and rising up. In ways flying was a lot like she had imagined it would be...and also nothing like it. Lift was much harder to obtain, and turning required wings and tail in a way that didn't come naturally to her mind. Zephyr helped with that though, and it was easy to learn if she let him into her mind too.
Kari was content to wait for the others, letting them choose the details of the race, she still wasn't sure if she was up to joining.

Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro AncientBird Saturn_moon Elenion Aura kase9187 AquaMarie pinnasina Naberius explosiveKitten

 

[Elenion Aura]

Matthias​

Volos huffed happily as Matthias and company entered the stables. The Northarian took the great bear’s boxed head in both his hands and, in a manner seemingly most uncharacteristic, pressed his own forehead flush against the beast’s. He hadn’t expected to grow so attached to the creature so quickly, even one that was literally bound to him through magics both deep and confounding. It’s good to see you, Matthias thought. Or felt. Or... He actually wasn’t sure from which of them the thought originated, only that the feeling was mutual.


Flying, still, left Matthias a bit wary. Despite Volos’ constant, calming affirmations, Matthias found himself gripping tighter the saddle in the face of any ill wind or turn. Volos was patient with him, and eventually Matthias came around to some semblance of equilibrium, so long as he did not look straight down.

Racing was, of course, out of the question for either of them. Volos acquiesced that he was not built for speed, which Matthias knew, and that, if given the chance, he would rather take in the sights and sounds of the night sky at his own pace. For both of them, Westeros was a land far from home. Yet to Volos, it seemed more like a friend not yet met. To Matthias, Westeros still felt like an enemy... Or perhaps just a particularly unsavory neighbor. All of this time spent here would see him returned to Northaria a changed man. He was sure his father would smell it on him.

The beat of wings and the sound of the sky, coupled with the wide berth Volos and Matthias gave the rest of them, made communication all but impossible. This was, perhaps, the best boon flight could bestow. Following Ord’s instructions, Matthias and Volos kept well within the city’s borders. Ord and Pasha flew with them; Matthias and Volos looked as one at the pair, gliding gracefully through this sea of stars...Until an unexpected updraft caused Volos to wobble and Matthias to tighten his grip until his knuckles and face were drained of their color.

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[kase9187]

Aldaf greeted Spica happily as the group entered the stables. She rattled her scales, hay falling out of it. It wasn't as much as the first day, so she didnt feel as itchy.

"Let's go for a ride, Spica." Aldaf said, hopping onto her saddle. She let off a growl in response as she walked out of the stables, ducking to make sure Aldaf didnt bang his head.

---------------

In the sky, Aldaf felt peace. Up here, he was completely safe. Spica below him and his magic at the ready, Spica and Aldaf gained enough height to nearly be at the clouds before diving back down to start gliding.

Aldaf checked the rope that secured him to Spica's saddle in case he fell, and he stood up on her back. He felt her unease, so he stopped down to give her a reassuring pat on her head.

"I'll be fine! I have the rope and everything. And we'll try the drop thing much later, so don't worry. I'm not gonna fall to my death."

As his cohorts flew by, Aldaf walked around carefully on Spica's back. He might've, from a distance, looked somewhat confident in what he was doing. However, the sound of rushing wind masked the sound of his magic, ensuring he had a good stance wherever he stood. He also moved rather slowly.

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[AncientBird]

Serik arrived at the stable with the others. Everyone so far had agreed to participate in this night flight, even the two new comers and it made Serik excited for this acitivity. However, a concern still remained.

Approaching Valkyrie in her stall, Serik could see that the stork drake was in her sleeping position, legs stood firmly like pillar while her head snuggled under her wings. However, just a single sound of Serik pressing his weight on a wooden plank lying around was enough for Valkyrie to snap out of her slumber... It seemed nothing can get around a stork drake unnoticed even in her sleep.

“Oh hey, Valkyrie... Sorry, I wasn’t sure if you are still up or not.” Serik said as his skybeast looked straight at him. Valkyrie quitely moved toward her rider and checked Serik, in case if he bring some food. “Well, do you want to go out for a ride? Everyone is going. I mean... Both of us could use some quality time together, huh?” Serik said and patted the skybeast on her long beak. Valkyrie looked up at the other skybeasts leaving the stable with their riders one by one. She looked back at Serik, her golden eyes pierced through Serik’s as if she wasn’t certain of what to do.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to... After all, you aren’t really a creature of the night.” Serik said and patted the beast once more. He started to feel disappointed... So far, Valkyrie didn’t seem to be so keen to come out.

Just as Serik was about to turn away, the stork drake walked passed him and out of the stall. She stopped and looked back at him. The young man smiled brightly, flaring his dimples. “Oh you’re up for it? Alright let’s go!” He cheerfully grabbed the lent saddle, placed and fastened it over Valkyrie’s back and quickly climbed up. After Serik securing himself on the saddle, both of them moved toward the entrance. She passed through other skybeasts, carefully not to get too close to any other beasts and quickly made her way out.

Into the open at last. Valkyrie looked to the sky as if she was planning of where to head off and then, with a push of her powerful limps, she launched herself into the air and up into the starly sky. Serik tightened his grip as they flew higher and higher. Over the days he had been with Valkyrie, he had begun to get used to flight, however there was still a part in him that would still be excited every time he took off with his skybeast, as if the sky was a newly met friend that he’s always happy to see.

Featuring: SilverFlight kase9187 Lioness075 Naberius pinnasina AquaMarie Elenion Aura Saturn_moon YumenoTsukishiro explosiveKitten

 

[AquaMarie]

Emmaline smiled and jumped for joy when she heard her and Eli could join the others on the night flight. "You... Want to fly?" Emma turned to Eli with a huge smile of excitement plastered on her face. "Yes!" She happily answered with arms stretched out like wings as she spun around. The redhead who seemed that she might fall asleep on the spot a few munites ago, now had a huge spurt of energy "Come on Eli! It will be so much fun...Cloudy can stretch his wings and enjoy the beautiful night sky" Emma said with big hopeful and pleading emerald eyes (puppy dog eyes).
pinnasina
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"Angus!" Emma cheerfully said as she entered the stalls. The large black Clydesdale alicorn slowly lifting his head to look at his overexcited rider quickly making her way over to him. She smiled petting his muzzle, “Hi big guy” she said giggling as he started to sniff and nudge her side smelling the teats on her belt pocket. Taking a step back she pulled out one of the treats she had gathered for him. He took it as she gently petted him. “You want to go flying with the others?..” she asked as he huffed in response, unsure about flying with the others but he did want to stretch out his wings.

Once saddled up Emma walked out of the stables with Angus before mounting him and taking up into the air. The redhead took in a deep breath of the night air. With a smile, she lifted her arms and extended them out to the side. Closing her eyes as the cold night wind blew throw her hair.

Tags: SilverFlight Saturn_moon Lioness075 explosiveKitten YumenoTsukishiro kase9187 Elenion Aura Naberius AncientBird pinnasina

 

[Saturn_moon]

Entering the stables, Marylka found Archie with his head poking curiously out of his stall and both front talons propped up on the door. Catching sight of her, his neck feathers fluffed up and he let out an excited squawk. Despite everything that had happened today, Marylka instantly relaxed in Archie's presence. Reaching up, she gently scratched the top of the hippogriff's head who returned the affection by nuzzling her cheek. They had known each other for no longer than a week and yet, Archie already seemed to understand everything going through her mind without her having to utter a word. She suddenly wondered if she might ever share that connection with her own parents (they had been on her mind a lot since the proving ceremony) and thought of the countless arguments she'd had with her mother that resulted from misunderstandings from both sides. At some point, they had simply given up trying to understand each other, let alone make any attempts at reason.

The sounds of skybeasts and their partners making their way out of the stables snapped Marylka out her thoughts and she looked around to see that everyone was already saddled up. Hurriedly, she grabbed Archie's saddle hanging in front of his stall. "Come on, let's go stretch your wings."

☾​

Keeping Ord's advice in mind, they circled the outskirts of the city, just far enough that they wouldn't attract too much attention but keeping the city in sight. Up in the air the world was quiet and little else mattered except for the winds and her skybeast. She let go of the reigns and leaned forward, resting her head on the back of Archie's neck. The sky was his domain and she trusted him wholeheartedly, so it seemed only right to let him take control of this flight. "Just stay close to the group okay?"

As Archie glided at the back, occasionally dipping, rising and turning with the currents, she watched the city lights pass by underneath. Normally, her gaze would be turned to the celestial bodies above but her new home had certainly proved itself to be far more intriguing than she had ever anticipated.

AncientBird AquaMarie Elenion Aura explosiveKitten kase9187 Lioness075 Naberius pinnasina SilverFlight YumenoTsukishiro

 

[Lioness075]

Name: Leandra LaFrae	Nicknames: Lea, Firefly
Clan: Sudenta	Clan Job: Huntress
Equipment: Knapsack, Medicinal Pouch, Bow, Quiver (0/10), Twin Daggers

Spoiler: Leandra's Westeros Outfit

She's wearing the first, green one.

Spoiler: Falarion's Appearance

Falarion actually has brightly colored wings that have a rainbow hue in bright lighting. In darker settings, they can seem muted into a dark grey or even black color. He also does not have the golden tattoos spanning his body or the necklace around his neck.

The new pair who had very recently joined their group seemed keen to join everyone for a night flight and Leandra glanced around the group to take note of how weary and tired most people seemed to be. Her sudden exclamation about racing Katja suddenly seemed excessive and Leandra inwardly winced at it. Her shoulders slumped slightly too when she heard even Kari voicing that she would rather watch the race than partake.
Rubbing the back of her neck, Leandra said, "Ah, well, we don't have to race..."

Feeling dejected on the walk back to campus, Leandra worried about whether she was trying too hard around this group. Back home, she had only really been friends with Caliban. Her little brother had been bullied endlessly and she spent most of her time rescuing him or rescuing Caliban. She did not have much time for herself and even now, she still felt as if she was busy worrying about everyone except herself.
Subconsciously, her right hand went to her left and she began rubbing at where the stuffed pinky was on her leather glove concealing her left hand. She still had so many questions and so few answers.
Lost in her thoughts, Leandra remained quiet all the way back to the stables.

Following the others into the stable, Leandra slipped into the stall where Falarion had been lounging, his colorful wings shining under the lamplight.
Falarion's head slowly rose and he blinked at Leandra blearily before huffing.
Sensing his soothing feelings, Leandra smiled and knelt beside Falarion's head, scratching his chin while he began purring.
"I do believe you are well overdue for some flying, yes? Let's get some fresh air."

Outside, Leandra slipped the saddle over Falarion's back and adjusted the straps while he looked up at the sky and flared his nostrils. He dug his claws into the dirt and then sheathed them, repeating this a few times.
Feeling the growing anticipation for flight, Leandra grinned and mounted Falarion.
"Alright, let's fly, Falarion."

With a yawning roar, Falarion ran forward a few paces before leaping into the sky and beating his wings.
Leandra squealed with glee as they rose into the sky, the cityscape spanning below. She leaned forward in her saddle to scratch Falarion's neck and he purred as he stretched his wings into a gentle glide.
With a sigh, Leandra relished in the peacefulness of flying at night without the looming threat of a Deathborn behind every cloud.

SilverFlight Saturn_moon Naberius kase9187 explosiveKitten Elenion Aura YumenoTsukishiro pinnasina AquaMarie AncientBird

 

[AncientBird]

Serik wasn’t aware that flying through the night sky would do so much to his mentality after all the stress he faced all day. The wind blowing through his head so hard that he had to removed his turban or risked losing it to the wind, yet it was refreshing and defenitely blew steam off his mind. The young man could stopped smiling and he couldn’t help but greet any of his friends that already on their skybeast with waving hand whenever their path crossed.

The same thing couldn’t be said for Valkyrie though. The stork drake didn’t seem to enjoy the activity as much as her rider. The main reason were the other skybeasts. Even after about a week of her established bond with Serik, the idea of living close to other winged beasts, espcially working or participating in activities alongside them still didn’t feel right for her. Everytime they got close, she felt intimidated... Every single glare from their curious eyes made her feel unsafe... These feelings were what made her safe back in the wild, as these creatures would most likely see her as either prey or enemy.

Serik noticed her feeling but he never truly understood her. He kept telling her to work with all these creatures, to befriend them and scrowled her whenever she lashed out of her fear and insecurity. But does she deserve these punishment? Do these creatures even deserve her trust after all those time?

Serik suddenly noticed Emmaline riding on her alicorn not so far away. He was glad the new comers seemed to be joining the group activity tonight. The faster they bond with the them, the stronger the team becomes. “Hello! Emmaline! Having a good time?” Serik called at her. Valkyrie tilted her head and took a good look to see who Serik was greeting and she caught sight of the large alicorn stallion Emmaline was riding.

While Valkyrie distrusted all skybeasts, the earlier members within the team were alien to her and she didn’t know much about them. Something like Gryphons and wyverns are typical sight back in her habitat but these were still not the same kind she had to compete with in the wild. The alicorn on the other hand tied greatly to her way of living. Back in the Estendorian plain, her kind would prey on their foals along with other winged horses. And with that Alicorn stallions like this mostly act very aggressive at any stork drak caught stalking the herd. An assault from these furious horses can maime her and even though she can deal a devastating attack just as her equine opponent, a stork drake walking away from the fight with broken wings or legs are as good as dead...

Seeing the large stallion flying close by made her primal fear kicked in and the stork drake suddenly made a sharp turn and flew off into another direction, dragging poor Serik who was hoping to make a coversation away with her. “Whoa! Valkyrie, whoa! What got into you!” The you man exclaimed as he clung on tight. “Well, good bye for now!” He shouted back at Emmaline as his skybeast took him further and further away.

Featuring: AquaMarie

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Gerel was about ready to match Kari's fire with his own spark when he suggested a race, but what met his ears was unexpected hesitation. In the days he'd known her, Gerel never heard Kari back down from a competition. In between the rodeo and then, something changed. He took a step towards her, mouth open and ready to question, but he thought better of it. She probably wouldn't appreciate another confrontation right after their heated Council meeting.

Perhaps when they were in the sky, wide open and eternal, he could ask her what was wrong.

=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=

It was only a day (or two), but it felt like forever since he connected with Jeff. Sure, the Skybeast was constantly in his thoughts, bombarding him with impressions of self-grandeur, and expressions of disdain at the subpar quality of the hay. It was different when he was standing before the majestic creature, clad in midnight and streaked with starlight. Never in all his wildest dreams did Gerel imagine he would bond with a Kirin from legend. With a name so incomprehensible, and a visage of near divinity, Jeff could easily earn the awe and reverence of the people around him.

If only he weren't such a... Gerel didn't know the word to describe this pompous tuft pointedly ignoring him.

"Come on, Jeff," Gerel said, reaching out with a hand to stroke the Kirin's head. Jeff didn't move away, yet his beady eyes spoke of irritation and abandonment. "We had a lot of things to do, and there will be more to worry about in the coming days. Sorry if I haven't been coming to visit you as much as I should."

Huff. Head shake. Hoof tap.

"I know, I know. That's why we all came here. What say you and I go on a nice flight outside?"

Nicker. Nod.

"There you go. And once we're done, I'll talk to the stablehands to see if we can't get you a better batch of hay."

Finally Jeff pressed back against Gerel's hand, forgiving him of the heinous crime of daring to ignore his glorious form for the past two days. They walked out the stable, side-by-side. The first time Gerel tried to put a saddle on Jeff, he nearly lost his head. Since then they've reached an unspoken agreement-- Gerel would leave Jeff in his purest form, and the Kirin would ensure that his master wouldn't fall to the ground no matter what.

With one smooth motion he mounted Jeff and they launched into the night sky. While Ord said that they shouldn't fly beyond the city limits, he said nothing about flying above. They shot past the others, aiming for the wisps of cloud painting the starry night sky. Frosty winds whipped at his face. The earth yearned to pull them back down. Yet Gerel gritted his teeth and kept his hammering heart at bay. Jeff shared in his exhilaration, wings pushing them further into their ascent. Finally they broke through the clouds, and the land opened itself before them. Moonlight reached as far as the eye could see. The sands, golden during the day, were painted with dim azure. Below him the lights of To'Bai were candle flames amidst blocks of stone, and circling above them were his companions.

Like a subtle pull of a thread, Gerel's gaze turned westward, where their path now led. For once, doubts were voiceless inside his head. Whatever came their way, he would have no choice but to overcome, through force of will, the strength of bonds, or the forbidden fruit of death that hung low before his fingertips. If the deities willed their victory, then it was theirs. If not... then perhaps others would take up their banner and continue the fight, to protect the islands from the deathborn, and to protect the families they left behind.

It was a sobering thought. Gerel did not want to leave his family behind. He wanted to stand before their yurt once more, full of pride and confidence in a peaceful tomorrow without skeletons.

Come what may, he would make it so.

Remembering the dark-skinned ember who sputtered earlier, Gerel began circling down towards the rest of his companions. Along the way, a screech preceded the bolt of brown feathers that unfurled into Talon. The golden eagle screeched once more in exhilaration, happy once again to be flying with her partner. Or perhaps angry that Gerel took so long to do so.

( SilverFlight ) With a gentle pull of Jeff's mane, Gerel pulled alongside Kari and Zephyr, careful not to give the gryphon an excuse to take a chunk out of his leg. "Hey," Gerel greeted, waving one hand at Kari. "Hope you reconsider my offer for a race. Might help wipe that gloom off your face."

SilverFlight Naberius Elenion Aura Lioness075 explosiveKitten kase9187 Saturn_moon AncientBird pinnasina AquaMarie

 

[AquaMarie]

Emmaline was sitting on Angus arms extended out to the side and eyes closed enjoying the cool night air blowing on her face and through her hair. The short redhead was lost in her thoughts, enjoying the night air when she was pulled out by the mention of her name. She opened her eyes, lowering her arms as she looked around wondering who had called out her name. That’s when she spotted Serik riding on his stork she happily smiled and gave him a wave. “Hi!....oh yes! I am!” she replied with enthusiasm.

Angus kept his eye on Valkyrie, making sure to keep his distance from the stork. After all he had to keep his rider safe from such creatures. He huffed noticing the cheery demeanor of Emma greeting that crazed rider on top of the stork. She might have her guard down, but he knew better, storks hunted foals and small creatures. In the alicorn's mind, they weren't to be trusted.

The large alicorn stallion flew close to Serik and his mount Valkyrie. Emma at first taking it as a sign that maybe Angus was warming up to the new group of riders and their sky beasts. But she was wrong Angus took this chance to send out a warning snort and head butt to the stork drake. Making sure it clear he was ready to fight if Valkyrie got any ideas of getting to close to him or Emma. The stallion flew proudly as he watched the stork drake quickly change its flying course and took off into another direction.

"Bye!...." Emmaline yelled out to Serik, waving as she watched him fly off. The red head's disappointed smile turned into a frown, looking down towards Angus. "What was all that about?!" She questioned the equine. “You need to be friendly with them Angus, we are trying to be friends with them not be enemies…” the short girl went of scolding the alicorn.

Featuring: AncientBird
Tags: SilverFlight Saturn_moon Lioness075 explosiveKitten YumenoTsukishiro kase9187 Elenion Aura Naberius AncientBird pinnasina

 

[SilverFlight]

Kari winged by the group one by one, above, under and around. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, well, except for Serik's skybeast.
"I wonder if there's something we could do collectively to make her feel more comfortable." She called out, leveling next to Emmaline.
"A horse with that sort of temper wouldn't be permitted to herd cattle at all. It would be relegated to plow work, away from cows and other horses both, but like most animals, trust has to be earned."
Zephyr sneezed at that thought in their head. Drakes didn't want trust from other beasts.
"Your our link Serik. If she trusts you, it'll be easier to get her used to our team."
Kari tried to sound hopeful, but even she was wary of the massive, volatile creature.
AncientBird AquaMarie

Kari flew in silence for a moment, she thought back to Leandra's disappointment when she'd turned down the race. It wasn't like her, and she felt bad.
"Hey," she angled over to the other girl. "It's not that it's a bad idea. I'd normally leap at it. It's just--" But at that moment Gerel leveled at her other side.
His words sent a jab of annoyance through her.
"What gloom? I'm not gloomy. Do I have to say yes to everything?" Kari took a breath and checked her temper:
"I messed up all right?" It was painful to say. "Back in the plaza. I thought I could beat that thing, and it ran circles around me. Zephyr could have been hurt, or someone on the street. I just...maybe I shouldn't take so many risks...and take up every single challenge someone waves in my face..."
Zephyr glanced over his shoulder, crooning sadly. Kari shut her mouth after that, waiting to hear what the others were going to say.
Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro

Ord was watching Matthias too, and he hid a smile when the updraft caught them off guard. Pasha beat her wings to rise to their level.
"You did not bond with an easy skybeast." Ord offered with respect. "Volos doesn't fly like the others, to many, riding a skybear is a bit more challenging, they need more power, and their flight path is less stable. However, I've heard of skybears pushing through storms that would break the wings of other creatures." He said it in a way that spoke of full confidence Matthias could do it too.
"It helps, if you find your skybeast's confidence through your bond, hold onto it. He knows how to fly, so, theoretically, so do you."
Elenion Aura

Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro AncientBird Saturn_moon Elenion Aura kase9187 AquaMarie pinnasina Naberius explosiveKitten

 

[kase9187]

Aldaf and Spica flew a decent distance from everyone before Aldaf slumped and sighed. He heard about Karis reason for her mood and her couldn't help but think back to what he had done.

"Hey, stay still for a bit. I'm gonna check your neck." Aldaf said as he maneuvered himself into position, the rope keeping him secured. Spica let out a noise of protest, as if to say she was fine.

"Don't give me that. That thing got at you, I'm just checking to see if you're okay."

As he brushed aside Spica's scales, he thought back to the plaza. That thing managed to get Spica because he was too cocky. He thought he'd killed it, and Spica ended up taking the punishment for it.

He could've helped against the one that got away if he'd been faster, or if Spica hadn't gotten hurt by his mistake.

Spica growled reassuringly, feeling his emotional turmoil. He sighed, patting her head. The bite wasn't bleeding, but it wasn't fully healed yet. It was just scabbed over.

"I know, I can't let those things get under my skin." His words sounded hollow. If he couldn't help but let his own teammates get to him, what was stopping these things?

SilverFlight pinnasina AquaMarie explosiveKitten Naberius YumenoTsukishiro AncientBird Saturn_moon Elenion Aura Lioness075