Fantasy Skyheart - Little Feathers

[AncientBird]

Characters: Serik, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: During class break

Serik was rather pleased to see Keshka stayed placid about the entire situation… But he wouldn’t in anyway, believe of what his instructor spoke to her dragon skybeast. Serik’s eyes widened in shock as he watched Storm darted out toward the stable.

“What are you doing?!!! You can’t-“ Serik shouted at Keshka but he had to drop whatever thing he had to with the instructor and ran as fast as his legs could does to catch up with Storm and hopefully intervene before bad thing happened.

Sensing Serik’s fear had give Valkyrie caution. The stork drake looked out of her stable and tried to see where Serik was only to find a black dragon charging at her from the stable entrance. Unlike Spica that came to visit her earlier, this dragon charged at her head on without any sign of peace. Valkyrie retreated into her stall and prepared to make her stand. She rose up, lifting her long neck as high as possible and raised her hackle to make herself bigger. The stork drake faced the black dragon with a vicious screech, warning it not to proceed any further.

Featuring: SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Characters: Serik, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: During class break


Storm's mouth opened wide as she flew through the air and then...she vanished.
Keshka came to stand at the entrance to the barn, her arms folded, her expression placid. "Ultimately, it doesn't matter how smart your enemy is. If you catch them in a moment where they cannot think, they become predictable."
A soft squeak could be heard coming from an open stable not far away from where Storm had vanished. Something moved in the straw, and a long beak pushed its way into the light, followed by a pair of intelligent black eyes. It was a young storkdrake, just hatched. It wobbled and squirmed, trying to stand on gangly limbs before toppling back, whining in dismay.


AncientBird

 

[AncientBird]

Characters: Serik, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: During class break

Just before Valkyrie felt the impact of the charging dragon, it disappeared into thin air… The stork drake groaned in confusion and she looked around for her adversary.

Serik was close enough to see Storm disappeared with his own eyes. His fear turned into confusion but the boy was still shaking from earlier commotion. “Illusion…” He said as he panted. Keshka suddenly appeared next to him, explaining her point of fooling the opponent in their unpreparedness

"Ultimately, it doesn't matter how smart your enemy is. If you catch them in a moment where they cannot think, they become predictable." Said Keshka.

“I see…” Said Serik placidly as he turned to Keshka. “I could have been ambushed while my mind worried about Valkyrie… I could have been taken down by even a simple man with a knife here, no matter how strong my magic is in combat… As long as I got caught off guard, and so do my enemies…” Said Serik as he looked at his confused skybeast in the stable.

Suddenly, something emerged from the straw in front of Valkyrie. A small storkdrake chick, seeminly like it was just hatched from egg. The little creature made a loud but softer screech as it tried to stand up. Valkyrie looked at it in awe. She hunkered down to get a better look at the small chick. While it’s common for storkdrakes to cannibalize chicks that aren’t theirs, Valkyrie seemed to be more confused and unsure of what to do. She tried to touch and invesigate the little chick with her beak but no sign of her usual predatory habit.

“Is… Is that an illusion too?” Asked Serik as he watched the small chick squirming about.

Featuring: SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Characters: Serik, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: During class break


Keshka smiled at the chick. "In a way."
The chick raised its head, swaying a little, and bumped it's long beak against Valkyrie's, then wobbled to it's feet and crawled to the base of her wings, pressing against the soft membrane. It was tangible. Something a simple illusion couldn't be. It began to rumble contentedly. Keshka called to it with a soft word and the chick looked up, suddenly it could walk fine, and as it reached her side, the last of the illusion melted away to reveal Storm. The dragon purred, looking back at the strokdrake with calm eyes.


AncientBird

 

[AncientBird]

Characters: Serik, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: During class break

Serik was amazed at the sight of stork drake chick slowly transformed into Keshka's black dragon as it ran toward them. He clearly saw the chick touched Valkyrie, so it wasn't definitely an illusion that was created out of thin air like the ones he had been doing. "How... How was that possible?..." Said Serik in awe as he reached his hand out to touch Storm. "You transformed Storm into that chick and back?" Asked the boy.

Valkyrie was confused about the entire situation. Just before she could decide of what to do with the little stray chick, it went away and disappeared. The black dragon earlier returned but was further away from her personal space that she didn't feel threatened anymore. Valkyrie looked around for the chick one more time and once she was sure that it had certainly disappeared, she turned around and settled down in her stall. She gave a wary stare at the black dragon in case it decides to come back.

Featuring: SilverFlight

 

[AncientBird]

Location: Westerosian wilderness
Time: Sometimes during the youths' stay at To'bai Academy

Kassadin grinded his teeth together as he urged his skybeast to fly faster. The two headed dragon, Maelstrom and Volkan flapped their massive wings and glided forward. As a heavily built and lumbering species of dragon, their species is not a fast flyer by nature, and with a large wooden crate tying on their back, they were already at their limit.

There were two companions flying with Kassadin and his skybeast, One riding a gracile peryton and another a winged serpent. The two skybeasts were significantly faster than Maelstrom and Volkan, but they seemed to be covered in wounds. Kassadin looked at them in concern.

“Do you think it has given up?” The peryton’s rider asked. “Terra is getting tired, she will need to rest soon.”

“I am not sure…” Kassadin replied. “I have never seen a seregios so mad and determined like this one.”

“If it does return, I don’t think we can’t face it anymore. What do we do, Kassadin?” Asked the serpent’s rider.

The petite head librarian used his thoughts for a while and then spoke up. “No, you two won’t have to face it again… Hurry up and go ahead of me.” Said Kassadin.

The two companions’ eyes widened. “You can’t be serious! It will catch you!” Said the peryton’s rider. “Maelstorm and Volkan can still fight, your skybeasts can not… Please go on and get to the rest of the team, prepare to defend. I will catch up later, I promise.” Said Kassadin, reassuring his companions.

The two riders hesitated. They were there to be Kassadin’s guards, to defend him, his skybeast and the cargo they brought… But the head librarian was also correct that their skybeasts were no longer in the shape to fight any more threat… They had to make a decision… “Fine, but please be careful alright? We will go ahead and tell Shivali to prepare.” Said one of the riders. The two then sped up and went ahead, soon leaving the librarian and his dragon behind.

Just in that moment Kassadin heard a loud shriek coming up from behind. He ducked his head low immediately. An object darted from behind, crashed against Volkan’s horn and bounced off. It was a quill, a golden quill that was as sharp as a blade. Kassadin looked back, sweat trailed from his forehead. “Come back already? You don’t know when to give up, do you?” Mumbled the little man.

Flying behind him was a very large quilled wyvern seregios, with its long iconic horn and sharp scaly manes, rattling menacingly. The seregios screeched furiously and dashed forward. It was much faster than Kassadin’s sluggish dragon and quickly closed in, with talons ready to grab its adversary.

However, just before the wyvern made contact, Kassadin pressed his hand on to his dragon’s back. “Down, boys, down!!!” Volkan and Maelstrom bellowed and in an instant, they dove down, successfully evading the charging wyvern. Although not as fast as most flying creatures, the pyrexae dragons are surprisingly agile and can change direction of their flight in an instant, this seemed to apply to the Kassadin’s polycephalic companion as well.

The seregios circled around, returned and launched out a flurry of its sharp quills again. Kassadin lowered his head to duck. The quills went past him and those that struck his dragon, easily bounced off the tough and osteoderm filled skin of the two headed dragon.

The chase went on, with the seregios making many attempts to strike the rider and the dragon down, but Kassadin and his dragon fought on and kept moving, relying solely on their agility and timing to dodge the attack.

“Just a little bit more! We are almost there, boys!” Kassadin spoke to his dragon when suddenly, a quill darted in and struck him on his shoulder. The young man screamed in pain but he kept reassuring his dragon to continue on. Sensing their rider’s weakness, Volkan and Malestrom began to lose their edge. They started failing to evade the wyvern’s assault, getting tackled and bumped around several times… While their sheer bulk and tough hind greatly helped them to withstand the damages, they were slowly worn down...

The seregios sensed its target slowing down and less evasive, it then prepared to land a final hit, flying up high above and was about to drop down and used gravity to drive its talons into the prey’s body… Even the tough hide of the pyrexae would not be able to save them and their rider this time…

Suddenly, a flurry of arrows darted from a direction, one hitting the seregios right at its thigh. The wyvern screeched and fell down for several metres. As it readjusted itself, it noticed a band of people standing on a nearby cliff where the dragon was heading toward.

“Be careful, do not hit Kassadin, alright?!” Shivali commanded a small group of archers as they nocked their arrows, ready for another round.
Kassadin grinded his teeth, trying to endure the pain from his wound which started to bleed at an alarming rate. If he could land and rejoin Shivali and the others, they could better protect him and his dragon would have more advantage fending off the wyvern in case it decided to keep attacking. The little man’s shoulder soaked red and the longer the time passed, he started to feel dizzy and the world began to get darker and darker...

The arrow had prevented the seregios to perform its killing blow but yet to make it give up. The quilled wyvern circled and headed for the dragon and their rider once again. “Fire!” Shivali gave order and another round of arrows darted through the air. They passed right above Kassadin and his dragon and headed for the charging quilled wyvern. The seregios tried to dodge, but a couple of arrows struck its wings, throwing the wyvern off its attempt to charge again. The wild beast screeched in pain, correcting its balance and flew off into another direction, finally giving up the chase.

Volkan and Maelstrom landed on the cliff near the archers. They lowered their wings, revealing the injured Kassadin lying still on their back. “Kassadin!!!” Shivali cried and was the first to dart toward the dragon and their rider. She pulled the small young man into her embrace. “Little Bean, please! Talk to me!” Said the woman, trying to get any reaction from the little man… However, Kassadin had already lost consciousness.

“Kassadin!!!”...

----

Kassadin eventually woke up, his head was dizzy and his eyes were blurred. However, he could still recognize someone sitting right next to him. “Shivali…” Groaned the young man. “Little Bean! Oh thank goodness!” Shivali replied as she pulled Kassadin into her tight embrace causing the little man to yelp slightly. “Where are we?” Asked Kassadin. “Back at the academy, you were so lucky we could bring you back from the desert in time. Rhyne said you would be doomed if we were a bit slower.”

Kassadin scratched his head and rose up. His eyes started to clear up and he noticed lots of bandages binding his injured shoulder and arm. “They weren’t kidding when they said how nasty a seregios’s quill is…” Kassadin commented. “Yeah, but why was that one attacking you and the others? I thought we already checked that the path was safe?” Asked Shivali.

Kassadin suddenly seemed guilty and looked away. “Well, I actually took a detour off the path a bit…” Said the little man. “What?! Why would you do that?! You were supposed to take those relic scrolls and books back as soon as possible! You risked damaging them, endangering our crews and yourself!” Asked Shivali, frowning at Kassadin’s irresponsible action.

“You remember that night we flew through the oasis canyon with Manak and you lost your prized dagger while we were chased by that wild manticore?” Said Kassadin. Shivali’s face was saddened at the mention of the dagger. “Yes, I do… It was my family heirloom and I was very upset about losing it. Why do you ask?” Replied Shivali.

Kassadin smiled softly and pulled something from under his turban, a dagger with a fine metal work sheet and ivory handle. “I decided to pay a visit to the oasis and searched it for you.” Said the young man.

Shivali gasped at the sight of her once lost dagger, finally reunited with her… She picked it up from Kassadin’s hand and thoroughly inspected it before looking back at the young man, her eyes began to soak up with tears. “It took some time to convince the crews to take the detour with me… I knew that the package needed to be delivered as fast as possible… But I thought the place wasn’t much further from the route and you were so devastated about losing it. I didn’t expect to fly into a seregios on the way back…” Said Kassadin.

Shivali set the dagger aside and smiled at her boyfriend. “It was very sweet of you to recover this for me and I am very grateful for it… But I would rather lose a thousand more heirlooms than to have my beloved Little Bean nearly shredded to pieces.” Said the young woman as she gently fondled Kassadin on his cheek. “I’m sorry I made you worry, I should have thought it through… But I guess love clouds one’s mind sometimes.” Replied Kassadin. Shivali smiled and lowered her head toward the lying young man. The couple touched their forehead and exchanged a kiss. “Well, what’s done is done… You are fine now and that’s what matters most.” Said Shivali as she got up. “I will leave you to rest… I have another lesson with Serik and Shrill in an hour, I will have to go prepare the equipment, see you soon Little Bean.” Added the young woman.

“See you later, Desert Honey.” Replied Kassadin.

Shivali was shocked, standing there with her face reddened like never before. Kassadin chuckled at the sight. “Ha, didn’t expect me to eventually come up with your pet name, huh?” Said the young man as he winked.

“Erggh! Why you!...” Shivali groaned and sheepishly pulled a streak of her hair before leaving the room.

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Characters: Gerel, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: The days leading up to the rescue mission

No matter which
I’ll go to
The heaven or the hell
My mind is clear
Like the sky at dawn.

The poem came unbidden to Gerel, echoing in his mind along with his footsteps. His nightly strolls through the Academy’s corridors had not entirely gone unnoticed by some of his peers, though they never pressed the topic. They figured it was simply another thing a shepherd far from home would do to reminisce and ruminate. And in some way, the more he walked the moonlit halls, the more… familiar they felt. He would turn a corner and a memory so vivid would flash before his eyes; different people from a different time, talking to a different Gerel.

Would the Gerel living a few years in the future walk these same halls, and experience the same thing? Would he relieve the memory with fond nostalgia, or unbearable regret?

No matter. This was the path he had chosen. History could condemn him for his actions, but it would never be said that Gerel Sarnai was a coward, that he did not take every possible measure to destroy the Deathborn threat once and for all. All in order to protect his friends, his land, and his family. And if he had to plunge his hands into the same filth as those skeletal monstrosities, then so be it.

With each step closer to his destination, it felt like the sands of time were pouring heavily on him. He could faintly feel Jeff through their bond, and there was a distinct sense of concern from the skybeast. Gerel sent a wave of assurance, along with images of windswept plains beneath a blue sky. At the very least, he would have the noble kirin by his side, whatever happened.

Finally he reached the double wooden doors that led into Keshka’s office. He made sure that there weren't any other people loitering around. Part of his deal with the professor was absolute secrecy... even from his close friends. He swallowed the last of his doubts, and with grim resolve knocked three times.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Characters: Gerel, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: The days leading up to the rescue mission


"Come."
Keshka's voice sounded, clear and commanding from the other side of the door. When it was opened, the room was dark, lit by only a candle on the table, illuminating something covered in a cloth.
"Shut the door." Keshka said as she closed the blinds. Once she was certain the lesson would not be overheard or seen she walked to the table and withdrew the cloth.
A canary, still and silent, eyes closed, lying limply on the hard wood.
"So, I said I would test your affinity. Let's see if you even have the magic in you."

Keshka put her hand just above the little bird.
"The call for magic is the same as any, but instead of summoning an element from the air, you'll think of the earth. Everything born comes from earth, even the great sky whales that never touch it. What you are doing, is imposing your will on a body with none. Using the power of the earth to reanimate what is part of it."
A soft purple light began to trickle from her hand and flow into the bird's body. It twitched, it's eyes opened, hollow sockets where the real eyes had long since decomposed. It rose, neck hanging limply, head dangling like a gruesome tassle
against it's bright yellow breast. The the head snapped up, sitting at an unnatural angle. The bones the only things holding it in place.
"As long as my will is there, the corpse will stay like this, but having it out of your sight requires a conduit. Like those glass orbs in the deathborn."

She withdrew her focus and the bird collapsed again.

"Your turn."

YumenoTsukishiro

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Characters: Gerel, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: The days leading up to the rescue mission

"Your turn."

Gerel took a moment to shove the undulating contents of his stomach back down his throat. It was one thing facing a horde of skeletal monstrosities, it was another to see the foul, heretical power at work. Even the way Keshka made it sound -- talking about how death magic came from communion with the earth -- did little to dispel Gerel's rebounding reservations. But again... there was no going back now. May the five deities forgive him for what he was about to do. May his parents still remember him as the son who fought bravely for their sake, no matter the cost.

Closing his eyes, he felt for the power of the earth like the professor mentioned. Somewhere in his mind sang the pure notes of Ventra's wind. It might be his imagination, but he could faintly hear tinges of regret and... resignation. Gerel brought his attention downward, to the floor, to the ground he stood on, to the essence of the land beneath him. He grasped for the power of the earth, trying to find its tone.

There.

He reached out, stretching his will further, hearing the whispering melody of a thousand voices...

And he finally touched it.

DEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDEATHDEATH

"Aaaaagh!"

Power burst from Gerel's hand and knocked him flat on the floor. The ceiling above him swam before his eyes. His ears rang with the aftermath of the failed magic. Somehow he knew he failed, even before he noticed the tiny fluffs of yellow floating down on his cheeks.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Characters: Gerel, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: The days leading up to the rescue mission

Kesh had not even taken a step backwards, still, the expression on her face was…unsettled. She had not expected that Gerel would have had any power. But he did.
She brushed feathers off the table and turned to the window. She pulled back the curtain slightly and whistled. Storm’s dark head poked in, stretched down from her perch on the roof. Keshka placed a gentle hand on the dragon’s jaw before Storm retreated and the teacher turned back to her stunned student.

“I don’t keep a surplus of dead things.” She said in her usually flat tone. “You weren’t prepared. It’s all right. I wasn’t either, the first time I tried. This sort of magic has a much stronger voice. You can sense the strength of it, almost like it has its own will.”
A soft growl at the window told her Storm had returned. Something small and feathery was in the dragon’s mouth and she released it to Keshka when a hand was held out.
Keshka put the freshly-killed dove on the table, white feathers stained with its own crimson lifeblood.
“Again.”

YumenoTsukishiro

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Characters: Gerel, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: The days leading up to the rescue mission

Dazed and slightly confused, Gerel pushed himself up. Keshka said what? He can sense... something. Did that mean he succeeded? But the canary blew up. Yes, the power definitely had a will of its own, and he could barely stop it from blowing himself up. Gerel thought he was ready, coming into this, but clearly he was out of his depth. How could he think to control the very essence of death itself?

Yet Keshka seemed to think they were getting somewhere, because at her behest, the dragon Storm got them a fresh corpse to work with-- a dove. The blood on its white feathers served as a stark reminder of the forces Gerel was trying to meddle with.

"Again."

Gerel had no choice. Increasing his distaste for it all may be, he had to go forward. So he reached his hand out, closed his eyes, and focused once again on the earth below. The cacophony of voices crashed into him once again, threatening to break what little control he had. This time, he grasped for an anchor, a conduit for the power.

He found it in a tiny chirp amongst the noise. He opened his eyes and looked at the dove. For a moment he felt the bird's desperation in its last moments, and its yearning for a single more second to live. He grabbed hold of that, and made a simple wish to the power of the earth.

Arise.

Instead of an explosion, tendrils of purple power trailed from Gerel's fingers and wrapped around the dove. The dove shuddered, then stood on shaky legs, not quite like the macabre twitchings of the canary, but more like itself. Unmistakably dead, yet maintaining a facsimile of life.

Keshka mentioned that imposing one's will was necessary for this magic to work. Gerel felt differently; it was a melding of his will and the dove's, a tacit agreement made for the chance to move again.

Somehow, that comforted Gerel enough that his entire body slumped forward. Maybe that also had something to do with the sheer amount of energy it took out of him. But at least Gerel was more at ease with the power he was coming to know-- it could be used for something noble, if only for a moment of borrowed time.

SilverFlight

 

[Damafaud]

Location: Demetrius Residence, To'Bai
Time: A week after The Missing Year ended

Faris Demetrius​

In the open pagoda by the fish pond, a woman clinged to a helpless young man. Her body pressed tight against his side, their loose robes, white as they were, could not stop any would-be onlookers to misunderstand. The longer it went, the more the young man felt everything was improper, so he could only try to persuade her again.

"Sister, I really won't leave. Truly."

"That's the last thing you said before you disappeared!"

Faris pursed his lips. "I recalled mother saying my last words she remembered was 'I will take Katie to my room tonight'. If you are so worried, why not stay and listen, and provide a company?"

Reluctantly, Terra let go of her hold with a sigh. "Fine, but don't you think you can escape by making me fall asleep!"

She moved to an empty cushion, folding her legs underneath her flowing dress. Faris smiled, finally able to persuade his twin sister, and played the wind flute. A tune carefree and light took air. Airy, like the rustling of papyrus leaves facing the sunrise of a hopeful day. The melodies were familiar; it was a song Faris composed when he was 15 and a tune he had by heart. Playing it, it was like he had never left. Like the scene of his father breaking down into tears when he appeared at the door never happened. Like the year he had lost never happened.

Even so, when Faris opened his eyes, the eyes he unconsciously closed, and his sister's eyes red, with tears streaming down her cheeks, he knew it was not so. He lowered his flute and let his gaze wandered to the fish in the pond. Terra dabbed her tears off with a handkerchief. She never wanted to appear weak, so at that moment, he could only look away.

"We thought you died," said Terra once she regain her calm. "leave to die in the desert, to disappear out of shame. Mother blamed herself for teaching you too strictly. Some of her hair turned white over night. Father... I knew he secretly blamed himself for not protecting you better in that accident. It was difficult for them."

Faris remained silent. There were too many things he could not answer, and more that he could not. Most of the year he lost he truly lost, yet the few that slowly returned confused him. For instance, even if something urgent came, why didn't he leave a message or an excuse behind? What was the creature he fought? And... who were the people he fought with?

He hadn't told anyone about the fragments he had. He did not want to make his family worry any more than he had. Faris could only put a helpless expression and shook his head.

Terra Demetrius​

"It is as if someone has poured ink to a calendar. The day I went to sleep with Katie felt like just a week ago."

"It's unfair!" The words rushed out of Terra's mouth before she could stop it, and her eyes widened in realizing what she just said. As she stammered to take her words back, Faris grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. "I took no offense, Sister. It is unfair.

"For me, everything had passed without me, but it was also like I have seen you just yesterday. For you, for father and mother, I had disappeared without an explanation. Died without a word. You said that it was difficult for them... but it was also difficult for you. Where would the need for you to enter the family's business if I was here? You would be flying in the sky, dashing against the wind and blazing ahead of the race with your face flushed with excitement. For making you taking my burden... I'm sorry."

Terra blinked repeatedly and opened her mouth as if to say something, though she ended up simply rolling her eyes. "It's a good thing you know what good I did. What I sacrificed because of my stupid twin- !"

She stopped and put on a playful smile. The heavy atmosphere between them dissipated as they smiled to each other. "It's fine. I'm still racing when there's no caravan around and in festivals. Besides, it will be difficult for you to be a spokeperson while being a jinx. So, what are you going to do now?"

Faris thought for a moment before answering. "Recovering my memories and looking into where I was that year is a priority, but the matter cannot be forced. I will be helping Father and Mother working on documents as needed. I should lay low for several more months until the rumors disappeared again. Ah, and Father had also asked me to tutor you-" "What!"

Terra looked shocked. Faris nudged her waist with his flute and laughed teasingly. "The matter of having no suitable teacher is solved. You can finally show what you have learnt during all those private reading times in the study with snacks and cats."

"Ahh, Brother, spare me!"

"Meow."

The siblings turned their head together, their eyes shining with expectation. A black cat jumped to Faris' lap, circled around, before curling into a nap. Faris had a silly smile on his face, a smile that Terra mirrored.

"This must be what the monkey that was trapped under a mountain feels like."

"Yeah, when he's eating peaches from heaven."

Faris leant against a pillar and stopped moving, lest he woke Katie up. Terra lay down in front of Faris, her hand gently patting the cat in rhythm with its purr. The small pagoda soon turned silent but for the occasional splash from the fish pond. The twins enjoyed their blissful time together, in peace and quiet.

 

[SilverFlight]

Characters: Gerel, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: The days leading up to the rescue mission

Keshka watched the bird, but more, she watched the emotions flying across Gerel's face. Her mouth was only the thinnest of lines. Though her expression was barely readable, there was conflict in it. Gerel had the gift. Or, perhaps it was more of a curse.

"That is enough."

She turned from the table, turned her back on Gerel and stood in silence for a long moment.

"Rest. Spend time with your friends. Be back here tomorrow night...and I will teach you what I know."


Through the next few days Keshka pushed him hard. Lessons went well into the early hours of the morning. She taught him how to animate, but more importantly, she taught him how to de-animate. To battle the will that held the conduit in the deathborn and shut it down. She drilled him relentlessly on everything she had learned herself, but ultimately, it wasn't much. Keshka couldn't create a conduit, or animate more than a single corpse at a time, that magic was still a mystery.

The eve of their departure was fast approaching, and Keshka caught him before they made their way to the stables.
"You might find out more about the true workings of necromancy, if we find the source of the deathborn out there. Either way, I doubt you'll be able to hide it from your friends for much longer, not if you want to improve. You will have to practice, but from here on, everything you learn, you will have to learn it on your own. I have taught you as much as I can."

YumenoTsukishiro

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Characters: Gerel, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: The days leading up to the rescue mission

His success should have been a cause for celebration. Wrangling forces beyond his ken was no small feat. But all Gerel felt was exhaustion, which carried him through all the way back to the dorms and well into a fitful sleep plagued with dreams of canaries and doves (his dependence on the wonderful drink called coffee only deepened during this time). It didn't help that keeping this grave secret from the rest of his companions lay heavy on his soul as much as the newfound knowledge of death. Kari, in particular, was difficult to be with. Gerel found that around her, he couldn't keep any secret for long. So he did what he had to do to honor his agreement with Keshka and put up a wall, to protect her and his friends from knowing what he knew.

Didn't matter that he couldn't keep it up for long.

Didn't matter that his friends would someday find out, one way or another.

The first two nights was particularly gruesome. He kept seeking the voices of those he wanted to reanimate, working his will along with theirs in an attempt to lessen the burden on his psyche. Then the lessons shifted to taking away the power that reanimated the corpses-- de-animating them, in Keshka's parlance. In Gerel's mind, it was like killing them a second time.

It felt strange, even borderline traitorous, to have sympathy for these creatures which should've long been resting in peace. These were monsters who gave everything they could to kill him and his friends, all the way from Arebos up until they reached Westeros. He himself have loosed many an arrow and called upon the winds to put them back to the grave where they belonged. But he couldn't help feeling sorry for them, and as he practiced de-animation on the night before their scouting-slash-rescue mission, pity gave way to a smouldering anger. There was something, or someone out there manipulating these creatures to some malevolent purpose, wielding the same power he was beginning to understand.

That became the target of his anger, a conduit for the burden of necromancy, the reason why he pushed himself to master everything Keshka had to teach him. There was a certain poetic justice in destroying their enemy with the very magic that made them powerful. Gerel found himself looking forward to that day, when he would stand atop their fallen body, and watch the light fade from their eyes as he squeezed the life through every single hole on their body.

Such dark thoughts surprised Gerel when he noticed them the first time. In those days he didn't bother showing up to Keshka's lessons and instead threw himself into the routine task of caring for Jeff. The noble kirin clearly felt something was amiss, and wasn't shy to show it through nickers and the not-so-subtle shove. Gerel could only smile, forcing the image of those windswept plains beneath a bright blue sky through their bond, with his parents riding alongside him towards the horizon. He couldn't lose sight of that. He couldn't forget the reason why he was putting all the effort into this.

That was why when Keshka caught up to him on his way to the stables, he had to ask. "How do you do it?" Gerel said, letting down the walls he'd been increasingly building up for days. "How do you bear with the knowledge that you command death? I'm having these... thoughts that I know I shouldn't. Everything I've been taught railed against them. But I have them all the same, and it's frightening. How can you handle it, professor? I need to know."

SilverFlight

 

[AncientBird]

Location: Estendor
Time: Various

Timur just came back to the tent after a long morning trip to fetch firewood with his father from the nearby grove when his mother hurried out of the tent’s entrance. “There you two are! Quickly, to the Tagaev’s tent! The baby has arrived!” Said Mrs. Aybekov excitedly. “Really?! Inkar’s baby is born! Let me put these woods away first and then I will join you!” Said Mr. Aybekov. “Come along, Timur! Let’s go see the baby!” Mrs. Aybekov spoke to her son and ushered her son to come with her. Timur was clueless about the baby but he was at least curious about it, thus he hurriedly followed his mother.

The two arrived at a tent which was already surrounded by Timur’s other relatives and their neighbor, the Bayzhaev. Inside, the Tagaev were sitting in a ring, and in the middle a woman could be seen lying in her mattress, carrying something.

“Oh, Inkar! I am so happy for you!” Timur’s mother spoke cheerfully as he made her way through the circle of the Tagaev. The woman who was lying on the floor, Inkar Tagaev, smiled at her visitor. She looked very exhausted, yet the radiance of joy shone from her face. “Thank you for coming, dearest. I can’t believe I am a mother now.” Replied Inkar to the older woman.

The 10 years old Timur pushed himself through the crowd to see what’s inside. He noticed the object Inkar was carrying in her embrace. “Is that the baby?” Asked Timur. “Yes, Little Magpie.” Inkar kindly replied and invited the boy to come closer. In her arms, revealed a small pinkish figure wrapped in fur clothes. Timur looked at the baby in awe. “He’s a boy, just like you. His name is Serik.” Inkar said. “He looks so... Weird.” Timur said as he looked at the pinkish baby sleeping soundly in his mother’s embrace. Inkar chuckled at the boy’s innocence’s remark. “Newly born babies are like that. I remember the day you arrived too. It was such a special occasion. I can’t believe I would have such a moment one day.” Said the new mother. “When he grows up, you two are going to be friends for sure!” Said Timur’s mother to her son.

Timur watched and inspected the baby closer… He was a bit repulsed by the baby’s appearance… But something began to form inside of him… A warm and gentle feeling like he never had before.
---------

“Timur… Are you sure this is a good idea?” Serik asked

“It isn’t just a good idea, it’s a GREAT idea!” Replied Timur.

Timur just came back from the proving 5 days ago and was so eager to demonstrate his skill to his little friend Serik, who was now 8 years old. The two were on top of a rock formation in the middle of the plain, the usual spot they hang out together whenever their family came to make a stop here during their nomadic travel. Behind their scene was a vast landscape, filled with herds of sheep, cattles and camels grazing peacefully.

“Ayna is always head over heels with those fancy acrobatic riders in Ocris… This evening I will show her that I am as capable as those city boys, maybe even more so!” Timur announced confidently, raising his fist up high as he posed on the rock. Serik watched his friend, frowning with doubt. “I don’t know… This sounds so dangerous… And very stupid.” Replied the little boy.

“The stupider it sounds, the greater the result when it’s actually accomplished!” Timur smirked and winked at the younger boy. “Now, let’s go over the act one more time. I am going to stand on the back of Snowmane, doing tap dance, then you tossed those pebbles at me so I can grab and juggle them. You follow?”

Serik gave Timur a concerned gaze but eventually nodded in agreement. He then started collecting pebbles while Timur called his pegasus skybeast, Snowmane, who was grazing nearby to him.

The confident teenager leaped from the rock formation and onto the pegasus’s back, balancing himself. “Are you ready, Serik?” Asked Timur. “I am!” Replied the little boy.

Serik started tossing the pebbles at Timur. Surprisingly, the older boy managed to catch all of them, while beginning to tap dance on the back of the pegasus. Snowmane watched her rider intensely, seemingly worried about him as well. Timur started to juggle the pebbles and to Serik (and perhaps Snowmane)’s surprise, he was actually doing very well.

“You did it! You did it!” Serik cried as he excitedly bounced up and down. But suddenly, Timur placed his foot in the wrong spot and he slipped. The teenager fell from the pegasus’s back and before he could react, his buttock landed hard on the ground, with a few pebbles falling on his head afterward. “Ouch!!!” Cried Timur loudly.

“Oh no! Are you alright?!” Serik asked as he climbed down hurriedly from the rock and went to check on his older friend. Timur touched his head and felt a big swelling forming on his head and his butt hurted as he stood up. “I’m fine… Ouch…” Replied Timur. Snowmane nuzzled her rider, trying to console him.

Serik inspected his friend, but once he realized Timur was in no danger he began to chuckle. “Now you really looks stupid… Stupid but cool! You actually pulled it off for like 6 seconds! Can you do the juggle again?!” Timur smiled, trying to shake off the pain. “Maybe, but no more standing on horse’s back.” Replied the older boy. Both then became silent for a short while then began laughing about the incident, exchanging ideas of how their parents would react once they returned to the tents.
---------

Timur was lying in his tent, groaning in pain. His upper torso was bandaged and leaked a slight sight of blood. He was all alone as his family was outside, discussing his condition.

“Psssh! Timur!” A quiet voice called.

Timur opened his eyes and saw Serik sitting right next to him. The boy, now in early teens, seemed very worried at the sign of his injured friend. “Hey, Little badger… Why are you here?” Timur asked, his voice weak and quiet. “To see you of course! Your parents didn’t allow me to see you yet, so I slipped under the tent sheath from the other side.” Replied Serik.

The younger boy observed his friend’s condition one more time. “That wyvern got you good… Are you going to be alright?” Said Serik as he touched Timur’s hand. “Father said I am out of danger now… Just need to recover.” Timur replied. The older boy inhaled to resist the pain and spoke again. “The painkiller herb just can’t act any faster when you need it to, am I right?” Said Timur, followed by a soft chuckle. However, it didn’t seem to erase the anxiety shown from Serik’s face.

“Anyway, thank you again for coming back for me… Still, it was very dangerous you turned your horse back like that. Normal horse doesn’t have the courage to face a wyvern like winged horses do. That wyvern could easily get you too.” Said Timur. “How could I just escape and leave you there? Never!” Serike replied. “You are like a brother to me, Timur… And I know you would do the same for me!” Said Serik.

Timur lay there, but a smile showed up on his face, a genuine smile of gratitude. “Yes, I would do the same for you… We always look out for each other and it will always be so… I promise that no matter what danger you are in, I will be there to help you.” Said Timur.

Serik finally had a smile on his face as he wiped a small drop of tear from his eyes. “Save that for later when you can walk again.” Said the boy teasingly. “Now I will have to find my escape before-”

“Serik?! What are you doing in there?!” A loud voice came from outside the tent.

“Oh no… Busted...”
---------

“Serik!!!” A voice echoed through the snowy forest…

... There was no answer…

“Serik!!!” More calls… Yet only silence replied.

Timur collapsed to the snowy floor… His legs finally gave up. Snow fell all over the young man’s wool coat as he sat on the forest floor insilence. Snowmane walked into the scene and hunkered down near her rider. She nuzzled the young man, trying to console him.

It had been a week since his little friend had disappeared, gone without any trace… Right there, on the very same spot Timur was sitting on. Timur had been returning to this very same place as often as his body would allow, trying to find the friend he had lost, but to no avail, all he had ever found was failure, including this time.

The young man wept, tears running down his face. He was exhausted and hopeless. Nothing he had done worked… He couldn’t find Serik, couldn’t find even the slightest sight of his trace and even if his heart was still determined, his body seemed to have given up… And it was frustrating.

Timur called out one last time. His voice cracked and raspy, as if all of his spirit was drained out… Again, only the sound of the wind returned.

“We always look out for each other and it will always be so…” A promise he made a long time ago came up in his mind…

“I’m so sorry, Serik… I don’t know what else I can do… I am so tired… Please all gods and goddesses above, return Little badger back to us.” Whispered Timur as he slowly lowered his body on the snowy floor. Snowmane neighed nervously and laid down next to Timur, trying desperately to warm Timur’s body.

Both man and beast lay there while the snow raged on… Covering everything in its white blanket.

 

[SilverFlight]

Characters: Gerel, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: The days leading up to the rescue mission

"Regretting your choice already?" Keshka shot the barb with no remorse.
"I told you before, there are costs, and if you don't believe in something with all your heart, this power will consume you. You won't notice it at first. It will poison you slowly, like rust in a well. The pressure will always be there, in the back of your mind. If I'm being honest, I don't know if you have the will to follow this path. The most dangerous thing you can do is think of the power as yours. Think of the potential it has. All you should be focused on, is what you can protect when you wield it."

And then, Keshka looked away, but her eyes held something she very seldom expressed. Fear.
"I know only fragments of this magic..but from what I can tell, there's a consciousness attached to it...almost like a god. But it is not like our gods...it's dark...and toxic. I have no doubt it wants to destroy everything in Sky."

When she looked back at him her expression was as neutral as it always was. "Good luck archer. You'll need it."

She turned then, and walked away.

YumenoTsukishiro

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Characters: Gerel, Keshka
Location: Westeros academy
Time: The days leading up to the rescue mission

Was he regretting it already? Perhaps. Keshka was painfully blunt, but her words reflected Gerel's thoughts. And there was a challenge set before him. From now on, he would have to constantly contend with that voice inside his head, wearing his face but speaking malice. Without thinking on the reasons why he set out to do this -- his friends, his family, those windswept plains beneath a bright blue sky -- he would definitely succumb to the darkness. As Keshka spoke, Gerel found himself smiling. With the people around him -- Kari, especially -- he could count on them to pull him back from the brink and towards the light.

But then Keshka revealed a side of herself that Gerel surely knew to be rare. The fear in her eyes sent a shiver running across his skin like little spiders. A consciousness. That explained so much, and certainly threw more fire to that cauldron of doubt bubbling in his stomach. Yet in her words, Gerel found questions... if the magic was from the earth, why would it want to destroy the... sky? The skylands? What happened in that distant past beneath the clouds? And would he find himself standing on the earth below himself and beholding that cruel, furious god?

Gerel didn't like that with the way things were going, it wasn't a matter of if, but a matter of when.

He shoved those thoughts at the back of his mind. As in all days, he had enough to worry about. They had a professor to rescue, who could very well be the key to unraveling the first mystery of their journey: their lost memories.

"I don't need luck professor," Gerel spoke as Keshka walked away, taking hold of the pendant around his neck. "I need peace."

--END--

SilverFlight

 

[Damafaud]

Location: Demetrius Residence, To'Bai
Time: The day they remembered the Academy

Faris Demetrius​

"IM... POSSIBLE!"

The sudden exclamation startled Katie awake. It widened its eyes at Faris, who clutched his head with pain in his eyes. Satisfied there was no more noise to be heard, Katie yawned, stretched its back, and returned to sleep.

Faris took a moment to calm his heart. He was again at the pagoda, composing a new song after he spent the entire morning practicing his martial arts. His skills did not deteriorate. No, they improved by leaps and bounds... with the exception of his archery which remained as awful as his sister's painting skill.

When he arrived, Katie was already at the pagoda, his favorite napping spot. The faint sound of a percussion instrument playing from the city contrasted the peaceful scene at the pagoda and inspired him, so he went and composed a song, at least, until a memory fragment slowly appeared in his mind.

The initial shock slowly passed, but Faris remained stunned inside. The memory fragment showed him at a familiar hall. Westeros Academy. He was there. In the year he lost, he had visited the academy yet made no attempt to contact his family. Why? What matter was so secretive, so urgent, he would leave his family in the dark?

The turmoil subsided, but he was no longer in the mood to compose. Faris faced the still pond, deep in contemplation. What had he discovered so far?

He could not remember anything from the 3rd year of the Wyvern but for the two fragments he received. One was him, with people he did not know, fighting what he later knew as deathborn in a place he could not recognize. The second fragment showed him with the same group training in the academy. Nothing was wrong with his body or mind, so far as the doctor he had visited could tell. Rather, he praised his good physique and vitality.

It was decided. Faris took a fresh piece of paper and wrote a message explaining his leave to the academy. They were not home and would worry if he returned late. Whatever he did in the lost year had honed his combative skills beyond their initial training. That made him anxious. For the deathborn to first appear and his memory to be lost in the same year, he couldn't help but suspect a correlation.

"Selene, accompany me for a trip." Faris gently shook the skybeast awake.

Since arriving home, it had taken a liking to the cool and shaded terrace. The cats, though initially wary, now took joy in napping under the panther's fluffy wing. So, when Faris disturbed Selene awake, he was met with five disgruntled, sleepy yawn. Millicent, Cream, Sirius Constellation Lord, Liquid, and Selene all stared at him, fully offended he had intruded on their sacred nap time. Still, Selene arched her back and stretched her wings. She was ready to go wherever Faris wanted. He didn't miss the annoyance in her eyes, though.

Faris smiled and scratched the panther's chin as they headed out. "I will go and purchase a big fish after this. You can choose, as long as it is within my limit."

The resentment in Selene's eyes diminished just like that, much to Faris' amusement. He left the message on the table, though he also mentioned the matter to the house servants just in case. The excuse he gave was that he wanted to consult the academy about his memory loss. Faris did not use the house's front door and immediately flew out from the courtyard.

He still did not have the face to walk on the street openly.

 

[AncientBird]

Location: To’bai academy
Time: During the youths’ stay at the academy

Sweat rolled down Serik’s face as he stood silently in the sun. He was at the river, along with a couple of younger youths, awaiting for their falconry class. Everyone had their own raptors with them. The westerosian buzzard Shrill perched on Serik’s arm, looking around curiously and begging to be fed once in a while with his usual sharp squeal. The younger youths, a boy and a girl, likely several years younger than him, each possessing their own westerosian buzzards, with regal and confident stance, seemingly older and much more experienced than Shrill was.

Shivali arrived with one of the stable hands as her assistant, carrying a wooden equipment box. On Shivali’s shoulder, stood Mesa the cliff eagle, large and menacing with her beautiful raven feather shining in the sunlight.

“Greeting everyone.” Said Shivali as she came to stand in front of Serik and the other youths, while her assistant began to open the box and took out some equipment. “Today we will continue our basic on targeting moving ground target. I take that you three have been preparing your birds to get used to lure already, yes? So I will demonstrate once and then you guys can try it on your own.” Said the tanned skin young woman. Shivali then turned to signal her assistant

The assistant began running with a long string in his hand. Behind him, trailing a woolly lure, bound to the other end of the string. Shivali let go of Mesa, sending the massive eagle into the air. Mesa gilded with her wingspan stretched out, gaining altitude and then in an instant, diving down toward the moving lure. Her talons spread out and in the blink of an eye, she snatched the lure with all her force, plucking it clean off from the string and taking it off to the sky with her.

Shivali proudly smiled at her eagle, whistling to signal Mesa to return to her. Mesa flew back to her trainer, dropping the lure on the ground before landing on Shivali’s stretched arm, claiming her reward, a small chunk of meat. “Alright, seems easy enough, yes? Now your turn.” Said the woman.

Serik let the two younger youths try first. In each of their rounds, their buzzards flew right out of their arms and charged immediately to the moving lure. They may lack the strength of an eagle, but the impact was more than enough to put the lure into a stop and rip it out from the string. Both buzzards stood proudly on their catch before being called back to their trainers.

It’s Shrill’s turn to try on the lure. “Alright, remember what we have been doing for the last few days? Go and get it.” Serik spoke to his bird, ruffling Shrill in his chest then let go of the buzzard. Shrill flew quickly toward the moving lure, quickly catching up to it, but then the young buzzard slowed down, trying to land on the lure instead of striking at it like a hunting bird would, resulting in him missing the lure and crashing on the ground.

“Shrill!” Serik cried, concerned about his bird. The buzzard rolled on the ground a bit, but got up immediately after, then proceeded to run across the ground, trying to pursue the lure on foot, while also squealing loudly, as if he wished for the lure to come back to him itself. Serik’s face reddened with embarrassment as his younger classmates looked at him strangely.

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

“Alright, let’s take a break!” Said Shivali as he wiped sweat out of her face. The other raptors were put on their own perch, except for Shrill who decided to stay with Serik. Shivali came up to the two as they were resting under the shade of a palm tree. “Well, how are you holding up?” Asked Shivali. “Errr… Fine…” Replied Serik. The young man seemed quite exhausted and frustrated… Throughout the class, Shrill seemed to not be getting any better. “Well, I know that face… It’s alright. Remember Shrill had never learnt to hunt before. I don’t expect him to get the hang of it on the first try.” Said Shivali as she sat down next to Serik and his bird. “We spent a lot of time on the lure, having him chasing it before feeding… I thought he would have gotten it by now that he needs to work harder for food to come by.” Serik explained about his frustration. “Like I said, things need time to settle. Raptors too, remember that just not so long ago, he was still being spoiled by butchers and had never even known the strength of his own talons. Keep giving him more challenges and he will get it in no time.” Shivali said and patted Serik on his shoulder before getting up and walked away to check with her other pupils.

Serik sighed before leaning his back against the palm tree’s trunk. “When did I even get you, huh? I didn’t even care about falconry before but now, I have to train a spoiled bird to hunt…” Said Serik as he rubbed the buzzard on his chest. Shrill squealed and tilted head curiously at Serik.

The soft breeze from the river began to blow and Serik’s eyelids began to get heavier and heavier… Eventually he fell to darkness and in there, suddenly a glow of light shone up in his vision.

Something surged through his head… Serik saw something, a market… The To’bai marketplace. He saw himself, walking through the street with some of his friends, browsing through the bazaar… He heard someone talking… “It’s a runt..” They said...

“Waste of time, it got bullied hard by the other chicks, it would never recover from that. Better feed it to the snake…”

Serik saw himself confronting a pair of animal merchants, arguing over something… “I will nurse it back to health, you’ll see! I won’t give up on it like you did!” Said Serik in the vision… Then he came back with something in a basket… A chick, a little buzzard chick, white and fluffy like a cotton ball, but seemingly ailing and weak.

Serik saw himself feeding it the best meat and organs he could find. He saw himself researching from the library, asking out from stable hands… Little by little, the chick became stronger and fatter. “You squeal so much, I will call you Shrill.” Said himself in the vision, fondly scratching the chick on its head.

He saw himself carrying it everywhere he went, in a small basket tied on his waist… It slept next to him in his dorm and played around on his lap whenever he had some free time.

Soon, Shrill was shown as a fledgling, with scruffy feathers and beginning to flap his wings repeatedly. Serik bought a leather anklet with the bird’s name on it for him. “You are so big now, I can’t wait to train you and take you back to Estendor with me Shrill. You will love that vast, endless plain for sure!” Said Serik as he fondled the bird, who squealed back loudly at him…

...He was so happy with his bird… But then the vision showed an opened window and empty basket. “Anybody saw Shrill?” Asked Serik nervously. “He was just over here when I left!”

“Shrill! Where are you?! Shrill!” Serik called and called… He looked everywhere in the academy ground, tears rolling down his face. “It’s over, Serik… He’s gone.” Someone told him. “No! It can’t be! Shrill! Shrill!”...

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

“Shrill!” Serik cried as he sprung himself up, having awakened from his nap. Shrill squeaked, startled by the sudden movement of his trainer. Serik breathed heavily, looking around. His face was red and hot and his eyes were soaked in tears. “Memory… It must be a memory… It has returned!” Spoke Serik to himself. He then looked at Shrill right next to him. More tears began to roll down. “I remember now… I remember everything about you! Oh, Shrill!” Said Serik as he pulled the buzzard to his embrace. “I have seen how we came to be… And, and you have been waiting for me this whole time!” Said Serik, beginning to weep. “I promise, I will take better care of you and I will make up for the time we lost each other, I promise.” Said the boy with a grateful smile on his face. Shrill tilted his head and then began to squeal, begging to be fed again. Serik wiped his tears away and laughed.

Soon Shivali would call the new trainers back to lessons again… However, Serik would not be practicing in frustration any longer, for he knew he was meant to be there with his beloved bird all along...

 

[Damafaud]

Location: Demetrius Residence, To'Bai
Time: The week after the Forgotten Year
The Napping Spot

Selene​

Life was was comfortable at the Demetrius residence. The courtyard and house stretched across a large swath of land. There were no children; everyone from the servants to the Demetrius rarely raised their voices. Food was served three times a day, with snacks if she asked for it, and there were plenty of rooms and space in the courtyard to take a nap.

Yes, Selene was very comfortable here.

During her exploration yesterday, a funny little structure caught her eyes: a building surrounded by a pond. Faris called it a pagoda. With a paw, Selene shoved the low table at the center aside. She stretched her legs and wings. Yes, it was cool there, near the water. The perfect place for a nap. However, before she could curl and rest, a black shadow zoomed forward. Selene stared at Katie. Katie slept on the cushion like he had been sleeping there for a long time. On her spot. Selene released a low growl. "Listen, little one-"

"What, hairball?"

.
What.

Katie pried open an eye, as if too lazy to actually pay any attention at the dumbfounded Selene. "This spot is mine. You think just because you're huge you can take my place? I've been here since before you are here. I napped here before you even knew this paradise existed and I will nap here until the last day of my living breath. The humans can't stop me, the jaguar can't stop me, the lions can't stop me, so why don't you give it a rest and be a good little kitty like the rest of them, hairball?"

"I-"

"What, just because you are huge and stronger you think you can scare me away? Give me a fright? I was here before you were and my Mama was here before you were born and my Mama's Mama was here before your Mama was born! Ask the idiot jaguar why it can't enter the courtyard. That polkadots fought me over this place and got the nerve trying to push me away, so I jumped to the pond and had to be rescued! That attack left me so scarred I can't see that polkadots without losing my appetite and shaking in fear. I'm still napping in here, that polkadot sleeps in the stable, veranda, or house, but not courtyard. Get some funny idea about stealing my spot and you are out of the courtyard. Out. No tree shades, no branches, just flat places. Get what I'm saying, hairball?"

Selene snapped out of her daze and glared at the cat. She, a great winged panther, was intimidated by a cat? Wasn't it just relying on those humans for protection? Stupid little thing, she didn't need to shove it away to drive it off.

"Hey, hey, what are you-" Katie's eyes widened with alarm when Selene opened her large maw at him. He tried to run off, but he was too late... Selene pinched him by the neck and lay down where he was. Without releasing Katie.

"Hey, hey, let go! You will pay for it when a human sees this!" Katie yowled and yowled, but no one came. Selene closed her eyes, no longer paying attention, and tried to sleep.

"I will make you pay! I will be so traumatized I can't even see you in the house! You will sleep only in the stable."


"...hey, if you release me now, the humans won't notice. I feel pity. We can pretend this never happen."

"Ughh, can't you at least move me a bit to the left? I'm getting too much sun here. Please?"



"WHY DOESN'T ANYONE COME TO SAVE ME YET?! WAAAAH, JUST LET ME GO!"

Selene slept soundly despite Katie's pitiful cries. She only wake up by the afternoon, when a servant arrived and asked her (with a bit of fear in his voice) to release Katie. The black cat scampered off with its tail tucked and Katie snorted. Smart as it was, it was only a cat, not a skybeast. See if he could stop her from sleeping at the pagoda!

---

"Faris, can you ask Selene to stay away from the courtyard? Agarath said he saw Selene scaring Katie a few days ago and he hadn't been eating well. I fear a repeat of the accident with Terra's Lyonne."

"I will ask her, Mother, though it may be difficult since she loved the shades... would it be fine if she just avoid the pagoda? It is the only place Katie ever visited."

"Yes, that should do."

"..." Selene was speechless. Fine, she admitted it. Katie won this round.