Fantasy Skyheart - Little Feathers

[Naberius]

Location: At the tables
Time: Celebratory Party
Characters: Caliban, Marylka

Cal nearly jumped when he heard a voice nearby, he hadn't been paying too much attention to his surroundings. He was intent to keep his eye one someone for the moment, and lost in thought about a great deal many things. He had started to unwind a little, the sweet drink and good food had helped a great deal with getting him back to his usual form. Still, he was a lot more quiet than he had ever really been and even he couldn't tell why. Sure he was conflicted with the decision on what path he should take going forward, but that had never stopped him before or caused him to hesitate.

He looked over, meeting Marylka's eyes and smiled a bit brighter.

"Oh, hey. Yeah, I've just...got a few things on my mind at the moment. It's a lot to take in, so many mysteries all at once and the small fragment of memory we've uncovered just adds more questions."

He turned more fully to face her, but his eyes occasionally flicked in the direction he had been staring for a few minutes now.

"It's just a bit much, even for me. Honestly though, I've never been one to worry so much about the future but...This is all so different. So...odd. But what about you? How are you holding up?"

Saturn_moon

 

[Lioness075]

Location: Mountain’s Crest
Time: Post-Bonding
Characters: Leandra, Katja

Leandra stuck her tongue out at Barran's expression while Falarion let out an echoing roar. It was his attempt to throw off the large owl, though Leandra did not feel as if he would be successful in this endeavor. Feeling Leandra's uncertainty, Falarion inhaled and roared again.

Hearing Katja's response, Leandra laughed again.
"How is this not fun!? We're flying!"
Although, Leandra did realize that she had little difficulty staying on Falarion's back and Katja looked as if she was rather precariously balanced. Perhaps it was time to end their shenanigans and return to the group.
Before Leandra got a chance to say this, Barran was flying higher and higher above them. Leandra watched him go while Falarion continued to lazily glide about.
"Man, they're really gettin' up there, Fal."
Falarion harrumphed at this and then suddenly lurched upwards, flapping his wings to gain altitude as well.
Leandra screamed in surprise at this and clung tightly to Falarion's neck, her heart pounding once more. Just as they caught up to Barran and Katja, Leandra began to feel lightheaded as well. It was a rather soothing sensation, if she were not losing her ability to breathe.

Abruptly, Barran did a 180, diving back down to the earth below. She flew past with Katja screaming yet again.
"No, no, no, no..."
Leandra screamed again, as Falarion followed after Barran. At this point, Leandra was starting to share Katja's sentiment about flying. She could only handle so many adrenaline rushes in such a short time period.

explosiveKitten
#9365B8

 

[Lioness075]

Location: Near Plateau Hole
Time: After Undead Monster Fight
Characters: Leandra, Caliban

"Yeah, we will."

Leandra began absentmindedly petting her lemur on his head, his chirping helping her relax again. Falarion purred lazily behind her and Leandra watched as his tail rose up and then thumped against the ground. She already felt relaxed having Caliban at her side and now with two animals snuggled up with her, she felt truly relaxed.

Listening to Caliban's words, Leandra continued to pet her lemur, scratching him behind one of his large ears. After Caliban finished speaking, she quietly leaned her head against his shoulder while wiping away a tear from her cheek. She smiled wistfully, already knowing without seeing that Caliban was sporting his usual smile of endless cheer.

"I know, Cal. I wasn't upset by how you reacted. I was just...scared."

Naberius
#F759CA

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Mountaintop Campsite
Time: After Undead Monster Attack
Characters: Leandra, Kari

Kari became quiet very suddenly.
"I..used to have a brother." She said, just barely above a whisper. "He died...years ago."
She didn't seem to want to say more about it, so she let Leandra lead her back to the large winged panther.
"He's beautiful." Kari breathed, admiring his fantastic wings. She reached out cautiously, to offer the panther her hand to smell. Being so close to the massive animals was going to take some getting used to.
"What are you going to do once you finish your ceremony?" Kari asked. She was probing. Kari wanted to go home, she wanted to see her parents more than anything, but she couldn't shake the feeling that whatever had been started with the giant creature's attack...it was far from over.
"Hey...you don't think...they'll attack again do you? They seemed to be focused only on us."
That scared Kari. The sky was vast, and beneath those bruised could...there could be an army of creatures just like that one. Was that attack really all there was?

Lioness075

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: The proving camp
Timing: Middle of the night, after the party
Interaction: open ( Naberius YumenoTsukishiro Elenion Aura Saturn_moon explosiveKitten kase9187 SleepyCreamy Lioness075 AncientBird )
color: #ff9900

The party had carried on long into the night, even now there were still a few revelers, drinking, laughing and telling stories. Kari passed them, wreathed in the red light of the dying bonfire, cracks in the ash-white logs glowing like veins in some living creature.
It was here, in the darkness and the silence that Kari's mind turned inevitably to her brother. She looked at all the things she had the privilege of enjoying, knowing that he had been thinking of nothing else before he died. And then there was Zephyr, a beast his brother wanted, with a name he had dreamed. Kari felt like she had stolen these things from him. Like she was living his life, and he should be here now, instead of her.

Something hit her shoulder and she was brought out of her brooding. Another pebble struck her arm. She was about to get angry when she saw the group of youths, standing just by a path leading into the trees. A Sudentan, A Westerosan and an Estendorian.
"Hey, you're one of the proven aren't you? Friend here says you're a pretty good rider."
Kari's interest was piqued. "What's it to you?" She asked defensively, wary of three boys in the middle of the night obviously up to no good.
"More to you." One of them answered, and made a gesture for coin. She understood. She had seen the game played before: A warrior would put forth their skybeast in a rodeo competition (if the beast was willing) and others would have to stay on their backs for a period of time to win the challenge. There were probably other recruiters, lurking about the party grounds. Kari hoped they didn't enlist any of her friends...
"No saddles, one rope, ten seconds." Another of the boys set out the rules.
Kari considered, then nodded. "I won't put mine in but I'll ride."
By now Zephyr had caught up with her, and looked at the boys with intense intrigue.
"Half the take." Kari began. The boy gave a bark of laughter.
"Ten percent."
"Thirty."
"Twenty five."
"Done."

The pathway through the forest was dark, but Zephyr's vision was perfectly suited to the night, and she held his shoulder as he guided them through.
The arena was a fenced circle of grass in a clearing, and Kari couldn't believe how many people had gathered!
Technically betting on such games was regulated, but Kari had been in these types of competitions before. She rolled up her sleeves, wrote her name, and went into a group of others, waiting for her turn. Zephyr she decided, was safer in the amulet, and called him in with the single word they'd been taught.
The first beast she was paired with was massive. A peryton, but with a neck thick as a tree trunk and a rack of antlers she could comfortably recline in.
"Rules boys and girls!" The announcer yelled over the din of excitement.
"One rope, no other gear! Beasts can't fly more than twenty feet off the ground, rider stays ten seconds or the win goes to the skybeast! Wings are not permitted to dislodge the rider, no intention to inflict harm from either side! Ready?"
Kari was helped onto the creature's broad back by several warriors. She caught sight of what had to be the skybeast's partner, looking smug as he watched from outside the fence.
"Give her hell Charger!"
There was a bell, and suddenly the world turned into a blur. It was almost impossible to count the seconds, while the peryton hurled itself about the circle, bucking and kicking like a thing possessed. It was experienced, Kari realized, and as soon as the bell sounded again she let go, but not well. The buck tossed her aside and she landed on the fence, breaking it. A shard of wood slashed through her sleeve and buried itself in her arm. She'd bitten her cheek also and when she struggled to her feet a trickle of blood ran down the side of her mouth. She relished the pain, the adrenaline, it was almost enough to forget her brother...
Someone grabbed her arm and raised it and there was a cheer. The skybeast's owner looked livid and through the pain Kari grinned at him.

 

[kase9187]

Location: Proving camp
Time: Midnight after party
Characters: All

Aldaf cheered for Kari before writing his own name on the ballot. From the looks of it, he'd probably get a Pegasi. He wrote in Spica as well, confident in her ability.

Spica had a boy that looked to be from Northaria hop on her back with the rope. She snorted and looked at Aldaf as the rules were explained.
"You can do it, Spica!" He cheered.

The call was let out and Spica immediately rocketed up to the 20 foot mark then spun, dislodging the poor boy from her back. Seven seconds.

Aldaf shook hands with the Northarian and pet Spica's head. His turn would be later, but not now.

SilverFlight

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Location: The proving camp
Timing: Middle of the night, after the party
Interaction: open ( SilverFlight )
color: #ff9900

While Gerel was still a little concerned about the Northarian girl behind the owlet mask, he was a little happy that he finally managed to thank Katja for everything she did. Given how Katja looked nervous and jittery around crowds, he couldn't blame her for suddenly wanting to make an exit. Besides, something else had caught his attention from beyond the crowd. Rather, someone. Kari -- and Zephyr -- were being led by three boys deeper into the forest. Gerel whistled high enough to pierce the ambient noise, and the responding screech from above told him that Talon was already on her way to watch over Kari. Jeff was nowhere to be seen, but through their bond Gerel knew that the Kirin was also wandering inside the forest, eating grass for sure.

Dumping the last of the dumplings into his mouth, Gerel stood up and followed after Kari and the boys, weaving through the crowds as smoothly as possible (which was nearly impossible between the jostling and the jumping and the general partying). Eventually he found himself in a fenced clearing where (surprisingly) a large number of people gathered. He broke through the front of the crowd just in time to watch Kari mount a peryton. Why she was riding another skybeast and not Zephyr wasn't clear to Gerel, and confusion only turned to shock once the peryton started bucking wildly about. It looked like the skybeast wanted to throw her off, and people were somehow... cheering for it?

But then a bell rang and Kari was suddenly flying and crashing against the wooden fence. Feeling a sense of deja vu, Gerel ran over to the girl who had a shard of splintered wood on her arm and blood running down the side of her mouth. He quickened the pace when he saw someone grabbed her uninjured arm and raised it, then nearly stopped in his tracks when he saw Kari grinning. She was enjoying it.

Without a word, Gerel walked over to Kari and pulled her off to the edge of the crowd, ignoring any complaint she might throw at him. He sat her down against a tree, and without waiting for her to react he took hold of the shard of wood and pulled it out. Moving quickly, he took a strip of cloth (ripped from his tunic from earlier) from his sack and wrapped it around the bleeding wound. He took another one out and dabbed at the side of Kari's lips, making sure all traces of blood was wiped away.

Feeling another sense of deja vu, he wanted to ask her if she was in pain, what in the five deities happened back at the clearing, and why Kari agreed to do it. Instead, he said, "We just got back from a fight to the death with a giant skeletal wyvern and already you're pushing yourself into danger, again. What were you thinking?"

 

[Lioness075]

Location: Mountaintop Campsite
Time: After Undead Monster Attack
Characters: Leandra, Kari

Leandra's heart stopped for a moment when Kari responded about her brother. The sense of dread she herself had felt earlier was returning like a wave washing over her. She felt chills up her arms and shivered.
Unsure of how to respond to that, Leandra watched Kari reach out to Falarion, who promptly sniffed at her hand and then nudged it with his head. The gesture was a clear indication that she could pet him if she wanted. Leandra loved how warm Falarion was compared to some of the other Skybeasts. He had a gentle soul for a big cat that could easily maul someone to death. She flinched at the mental image that resurfaced from her Bonding and quickly shoved it away, burying it deep in her mind with the Bonding itself.
Hearing Kari's inquiry, Leandra rubbed the back of her neck and said softly, "I really need to visit my parents soon. I have a younger brother, not Caliban. Caliban's, well, adopted more or less."
Leandra hesitated, but missed her chance to ask a question when Kari moved on to the subject of the monster attack. Now that Kari had mentioned it, the monsters had certainly been fixated on the group instead of the many Skybeasts that had been fleeing all around them.
"I honestly have no idea. That whole situation was freaky and terrifying. I hope they don't make another appearance after that. Oh, and great job figuring out the orbs, by the way. We would have been floundering about in that fight were it not for you figuring that out."
Pausing, Leandra knelt down beside Kari and Falarion before she whispered, "Look, you don't have to share what happened to your brother with me. Just know that I'm always willing to lend an ear or just a shoulder to lean on."

SilverFlight

 

[Lioness075]

Location: The Proving Camp
Timing: Middle of the night, after the party
Interaction: Open
Nearby: Kari, Gerel, Aldalf
Color: #FF9900

The party was coming to an end now and Leandra wistfully was sitting on a bench near the dying bonfire. She watched the red glow of the fire, the pulsing veins of the burned logs entrancing her.
Abruptly, her vision was filled with Kari, as the girl walked past, her mind on something. Leandra watched her go, curious about what had Kari in such deep thought. Growing a bit bored now that everything was ending for the night, Leandra stood and trailed after Kari, with Falarion walking after her. He was her silent protector now. Leandra half smiled at the thought that Caliban would have competition now.

Leandra hesitated when Kari began talking to some teenagers. She held back, turning to pet Falarion on his head, as if this was a perfectly normal thing to do when one was eavesdropping so obviously. Hearing what was going on, Leandra perked up and grinned. Now this was a game she could absolutely get onboard with.
Falarion huffed, looking up at her worriedly, as Leandra whispered, "It's fine, just a little rough and tumble game. You'll see."
Staring blankly at her, Falarion did not seem to share her sentiment.
Throwing her arms up, Leandra said, "Whatever, I'm going to go do it, alright? You don't even have to watch."
And with that, Leandra said the word and Falarion vanished into her amulet.

Listening for Kari and Zephyr's movements in the forest, Leandra carefully followed them to the hidden arena. Once inside, she moved into the crowd and watched with delight as Kari had her go at it. Almost immediately, Leandra was shouting and cheering for Kari amidst the crowd's shouts. She raised a fist and cheered when Kari held on long enough. Leandra had not noticed any injuries until Kari stood and had her uninjured arm raised in the air. Before Leandra could make any move to help her, though, Gerel was at her side and dragging her away.
Disappointed, Leandra watched them go and then turned to face the arena just as Spica entered the ring. Blinking and rubbing her eyes, Leandra watched as Spica took to the air, reaching the arena limit, and then tossed her rider. It was a quick go at it and Leandra flinched when the rider landed down below. A 20-foot fall was no joke if you did not land properly. The rider was dragged out of the arena and Leandra watched Aldalf silently petting Spica's head, as if she had done well. Leandra felt uneasy at the sight.

Shaking her head, Leandra decided it was her turn to get into the ring and she gladly put her name in. The last thing she wanted right now was peace and quiet. She needed noise and distractions.
Her turn soon came up and Leandra stepped out to see a hippogryph waiting for her. Leandra hesitated a split second at the sight, seeing the undead hippogryph in her mind. Then she was getting onto the hippogryph's back with some help and she clung tightly to the rope she was provided.
Leandra let out a surprised squeal, as the hippogryph lunged into the arena, bucking and twisting its body to toss her. Determination took over and Leandra leaned forward while tightening her rope around the hippogryph's beak. It squawked and bucked again, but her ten seconds were up. As the hippogryph relaxed, Leandra raised a fist in the air and the crowd cheered at the sight. She dismounted from the hippogryph and flexed her muscles, more than happy to show off in the moment. She did not even care if there were any earnings to be made from this, she just wanted to go again and again.

SilverFlight YumenoTsukishiro kase9187

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: The proving camp
Timing: Middle of the night, after the party
Interaction: open kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro Lioness075
color: #ff9900

Kari had been afraid that Aldaf might have judged her, been upset, told the others, but he let his beast compete, and he signed up too. Kari gave him a look of genuine camaraderie. Aldaf got it, and she felt a little closer to him for that.

Kari cheered them both on when the time came. She hoped she'd get the chance to face Spica.
((We can roll a die to see who wins the round, Kari or Spica))

After Kari had been thrown she was about to return to the rider's group when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her away. Her side, bruised from the fall sang with pain.
"Ow! Ow! Hey!"
Her anger flared, but when she turned to see who it was she nearly choked.
"Gerel?!" Had he followed her?
She was so stunned she let him sit her down without protest.
"Look, Gerel...It's not--AHH!" Kari swore colourfully and slapped a hand over the hole in her arm where the wood shard had been. She let him bandage it only after a withering glare.
He tended her wounds delicately, and with great care, bandaging her arm and dabbing at the blood on her lip. Suddenly she felt ashamed. She had wanted to be hurt, but now, she wasn't just hurting herself. She watched him work, brow creased, an expression somewhere between annoyed and worried...probably both.

"We just got back from a fight to the death with a giant skeletal wyvern and already you're pushing yourself into danger, again. What were you thinking?"

Kari's anger flared, fueled by shame, and pain. She was angry at him for being there, but she was also angry at herself for giving in in the first place, and signing her name on the damn competition roster. She stood up and shoved past Gerel roughly. "I don't owe you an explanation." She snapped over her shoulder, "And I don't expect you to understand either. What do you care anyway? Aldaf's here, why not drag him over here too? Why is it me?"
She paused for only a moment, and only let herself think in that time. She regretted those words immediately, but once said, they weren't so easily taken back. The memory of a desert night, the closeness...and warmth.
"I didn't ask you to come," She said it a bit more softly, face burning with shame, "so just stay out of my way, okay? I'm winning this thing."


Location: Mountaintop Campsite
Time: After Undead Monster Attack
Characters: Leandra, Kari Lioness075

As soon as Kari had been given permission she reached over and rubbed the panther under his massive chin. Leandra mentioned having a biological brother, and that she needed to get back.
"Is he okay?" Kari asked, Leandra seemed almost worried.

She waved off the compliment, "It was Aldaf that figured it out actually, his whirlwind drove one of Spica's spikes into the creature's chest, and that's when it collapsed. I found the spike embedded in that weird orb, that's how I knew."
She let herself sink back into thought.
"Lea...what if they come again?...I'm..I want to go home but...if those things come when I'm with my parents...I couldn't stand it if I was the one that brought that kind of danger right to their doorstep..."
At the prompt about her brother Kari sighed heavily. "I was about twelve...we were doing stupid things...bating monsters, trying to ride on their backs. We didn't see the bigger monster, hunting right behind it." She had to pause and take a shaky breath. "It killed the beast...then it turned on us...my, my brother didn't make it."
If she continued she would cry, and she didn't want to dissolve in front of Leandra, so she stopped speaking.
"It was a long time ago." She finished, and then turned her face to the sky, trying to rein in her emotion.
"Let's talk about your brother." She offered, trying to smile. "What does he do?"

 

[Elenion Aura]

Location: The stalls
Time: During the Proving Celebration
Characters: Naberius , explosiveKitten
Color: #2bab73

Matthias’ lips parted again to speak, but the sight of Katja without her mask caught him by surprise. He tried not to let it show - too late. He respectfully averted his eyes until she’d replaced her mask on her face. But it did not change the fact that he’d seen her. Caliban had arrived to chase the coward away. Matthias nodded at the boy, who joined him by Katja’s side, concern evident in his voice and on his face. Matthias said nothing, until finally...

“That man. You knew him.” That much was obvious to glean. The way the boy had spoken, it seemed he and Katja had a history of some kind. Matthias hazarded a guess that it was not a pleasant one. Then, slowly, gingerly, Matthias added, ”I... take it he’s a friend of yours?” He spoke normally, but his eyes twinkled and the corners of his mouth quirked, both telltale signs that he’d tried to make a joke. To Matthias, humor was a clumsy, often misplaced thing. But now he’d try just about anything to set the distressed girl’s mind at ease.

 

[explosiveKitten]

Location: The festival
Time: During the party before... The Incident™
Characters: Gerel and Katja
Color- #daf599

“GEREL!” She squealed, flinching back in fear when she saw him, then sighing when she realized it was just Gerel.
“Gerel, sweet gods, you scared me.” She held a hand to her heart, breathing hard for a few moment before she calmed down. “I mean, I was just- I have- I... Yeah... sure, okay.”

She awkwardly turned back around and sat down, looking at Gerel with curious eyes. “Are uh... are you okay after that fight? I know I was so busy with Aldaf I hardly paid attention to anyone else... you are okay, right?”

YumenoTsukishiro


Location: The stalls
Time: During the Proving Celebration
Characters: @Caliban, @Katja and Matthias!
Color: #2bab73

“Yeah, Yeah, real great ‘friend’...” Katja sighs from her spot on the ground, sighing and unbraiding her hair, before she started to wring it out.

“Gotta admit, the water barrel, semi-drowning act was new...” she coughed, leaning back on her hands and breathing hard. “Him... Ralof is just an old bully from my village. Nothing but a thug with some prejudice against me and my dad. I’ve gotten used to it... normally I just avoid him...”

Naberius Elenion Aura

 

[kase9187]

Location: Proving Camp
Time: Midnight, after party
Characters: All

Aldaf took to the ring, gesturing to Leandra. "I'll have my turn now, please. I wouldn't want you hurt." He bowed. After Leandra had left, he looked to his Skybeast opponent.
The Skybeast was a Gryphon, the rider the Northarian boy Spica had thrown off.
"Show no mercy." He shouted, a competitive glint in his eyes. Aldaf smirked.

Shortly after getting on, the round started. Aldaf took no time throwing the rope around the Gryphon's wings, restricting it's flying. He wedged himself underneath, clinging to the rope and the gryphon with his hands and legs respectively. The gryphon kept trying to shake him off, and Aldaf kept getting his head knocked around as the Gryphon shook.

Five seconds passed, and Aldaf felt his grip loosening. He flipped around, going prone on his stomach. If he got knocked out it was over. His legs gripped the tail of the beast and he kept getting shaken. His grip proved to be stronger than normal.

Seven seconds in. Aldaf's hands were sweating and his arms were burning. Just three more seconds.

Nine seconds. Aldaf let go of the rope, his hands starting to get burned. He flopped backwards, his legs still clinging on.

Finally it was over. Aldaf let go and shook his head, trying to regain his composure. The rider came and shook his hand as Spica darted in, her scales rattling in excitement.
"You got one, I got one. I just don't think I'll be doing another anytime soon." Aldaf grinned. He exited the ring as Spica took on what looked like a rather young Westerosian lad tried his luck. He saw that the second the round started, Spica just shook awfully hard. The poor lad lost his grip and slid off her scales, a gentler landing than her first challenger. Aldaf chuckled as Spica licked the boy's face.

"Hey, you two. What are you doing so far from the action?" Aldaf approached Kari and Gerel. His smirk was infectious, but he knew what was going on.

YumenoTsukishiro SilverFlight
#FF9900

 

[Naberius]

Location: The stalls
Time: During the Proving Celebration
Characters: Caliban, Katja, Matthias

"You should never have needed to 'get used to it'. He's a coward and a rat, and people like him make me sick to my stomach."

Cal was finally letting the anger and fear for his friend leave his body, trying to go back to smiling. But the thought that she had had to put up with this crap for what was apparently a very long time didn't sit well with him at all. She was far too kind and good hearted of a person to be subjected to that. He stepped closer, offering her a hand up

"Well I promise you this. So long as you have your friends around, we won't let him even say a word to you. Under penalty of being forced to lose a few teeth."

The last part was said almost with a real smile.

explosiveKitten Elenion Aura

#2bab73

 

[AncientBird]

Location: Proving Camp
Time: Midnight, after party
Characters: All
Currently present: Aldaf, Kari, Leandra, Gerel, Serik

Serik walked along the forest once he had sent Valkyrie to her sleep. The weather was getting colder and the party started to tone down by the dying bonfire.

He didn’t feel any more pain or sorrow, a good sigh that Valkyrie was going to be alright... His concern started to wear off and he started whistled to himself to light his emotion up.

He suddenly heard some commotions of cheer and speech coming from the forest nearby. Curious of what’s happening, he headed toward it.

Serik arrived at a clearing in the forest with fence forming into ring. People were gathering in large numbers, along with some of their beasts. He saw people taking turn riding random beasts and as the creatures tried to buck them off, people would cheer and wail.

“Is this some sort of game?” Serik asked himself and then he spotted some familiar faces among the people.

Aldaf was there with his spiky wyvern, Spica. The wyvern was in the ring, bucking off a man who tried to mount her. Aldaf cheered and then there was Leandra, also cheering around. Kari and Gerel was there too at the outer side of the ring, bickering about something that Serik took a guess that it’s the safety of the game.

Serik approached Aldaf and Leandra.

“Wow, this game looks like a good way to decimate your dear arms and legs if you ask me.”

Serik spoke at them, shrugged by his memory of when Valkyrie threw him into the air during his proving moment, leading to the painful broken leg.

Featuring: kase9187 Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro SilverFlight
#FF9900

 

[Lioness075]

Location: The Proving Camp
Timing: Middle of the night, after the party
Interaction: Aldalf, Serik
Nearby: Kari, Gerel, Aldalf, Serik
Color: #FF9900

Leandra's celebration was brief, but she relished in it. Aldalf stepped forward to take his turn and Leandra left the ring. Cheers fluctuated, as Aldalf took on a gryphon. Leandra got caught up in the heat of the moment and found herself losing her voice trying to cheer for Aldalf as well. The crowd's energy was irresistible.

Then Aldalf's ten seconds were over and he dismounted, victorious as well. Shortly thereafter, Spica made a show of tossing yet another rider. Leandra was not too keen on trying to challenge Spica in the ring. She had seen what those spikes could do and she was not interested in testing how well Spica could keep them under control. She was here to have fun and let loose, not endanger her life. Not too much anyways.

Suddenly, someone spoke behind her and Leandra jumped in place, surprised that there was anyone speaking instead of screaming in this area. With Spica's recent victory, the screaming and shouting briefly died down.
Grinning, Leandra turned to face Serik and crossed her arms over her chest, speaking with a wheezy voice, "I suppose it depends on what you want to get out of this."
It was kind of crazy, but Leandra realized just then that she had not spoken to Serik all this time. It was interesting to consider that this was the very first topic they had ever discussed. At least, it was until they got their memories back.

Leandra briefly noticed Kari and Gerel exchanging words nearby, but she could tell it was something of a private moment. She was about to return her focus to Serik when she overheard Aldalf calling out to Kari and Gerel. Frowning at this, Leandra tried to shout over the crowd to get Aldalf's attention while cupping her hands around her mouth, "Oi, let those two have their moment, yeah!?"
Alas, Leandra had been shouting so much already that her voice was starting to cut in and out. She had to wonder if Aldalf had heard her, much less understood her.

kase9187 AncientBird @SilverFlight YumenoTsukishiro

 

[Saturn_moon]

Location: Around the bonfire
Time: Celebratory Party
Characters: Marylka, Serik AncientBird

"I'm... doing okay." Marylka replied vaguely, avoiding Serik's gaze. She knew it wasn't fair that he had trusted her with his insecurities but she couldn't trust him with hers. She'd come to accept at a very early age that any problems she had, she would have to work through them alone. Her parents, who were pragmatic to a fault and ever busy trying to make a living to look after their family of seven, didn't have the capacity to listen to the inane problems of a teenager. Her siblings on the other hand, looked up to her far too much and she felt it necessary to put up a strong front for them. As for her grandfather, no matter how close they were, there were just some things she would feel too embarrassed to share with him. He always found out eventually, but this was only when she'd derived on a solution after spending days agonising over the situation.

Not wanting to come off as hostile, especially towards Serik of all people, she forced a smile. "Hey, this is supposed to be a party. Whatever worries we have it can wait till tomorrow, don't you think?"

❊❊❊❊❊​

Location: At the tables
Time: Celebratory Party
Characters: Marylka, Caliban Naberius

Marylka poured herself a cup of juice and sniffed it before taking a tentative sip just to make sure it actually was juice and not wine. "Would you be surprised if I told you that wasn't the first time I've heard someone say that tonight?" She replied, the corner of her mouth quirking into a small smile. "Odd is probably putting it mildly. At this point, I can't even tell what's real and what isn't anymore..." She absent-mindlessly waved her hand over her cup, pulling and pushing the liquid within with her magic. "What if all these visions aren't actually real memories? Just figments of our imagination and we're looking for answers that don't even exist?"

She tensed when he asked how she was doing. Since the choosing ceremony, she wondered if he had judged her, if they all had, when she decided to forsake her clan and her family for a path she hardly knew anything about. Would she now just be the girl who thought only of herself? Would they expect her to abandon them as well when push comes to shove? Suddenly, she wished the juice in her cup was actually wine and she could put a stop to the never ending noise in her mind.

For the second time that night she put on a smile and muttered some nondescript answer about being fine hoping it would suffice for the moment.

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Location: The proving camp
Timing: Middle of the night, after the party
Interaction: open kase9187 SilverFlight Lioness075
color: #ff9900

The moment he said it Gerel wished he could sew his mouth shut to keep the stupid from pouring out. But the damage was done. He saw anger flare in those brown eyes and he knew he screwed up. Yet somehow anger wasn't the only emotion burning on her face. She shoved past him and said, "I don't owe you an explanation. And I don't expect you to understand either. What do you care anyway? Aldaf's here, why not drag him over here too? Why is it me?"

Why was it her? Like Gerel said back at the mountain, they were practically strangers stuck together by strange circumstances.

'Was that all there is to it?'

No, and Gerel knew it. The shared vision earlier proved as much. All of them knew each other before the Proving. And if they did, then those surges of emotion were echoes of actual memories shared with another. Warm and soft and strong. Cinnamon spice in the dark desert night.

Was it Kari?

Did he want to know the answer to that?

Gerel realized that he hadn't answered Kari's question because she continued talking. "I didn't ask you to come," she said it a bit more softly, "so just stay out of my way, okay? I'm winning this thing."

Those last words triggered something in Gerel. Worry and concern battled with frustration and pride as he rose and walked ahead of Kari. He turned to face her, face hardened but beneath it roiling with things he desperately wanted to make sense of. At least a few pieces of the puzzle fell into place; the fence, the crowds, the cheering, the desire to win. Kari was part of a competition of some sort, and she was in it to win it.

Then, to his surprise, he smiled. Sharp as an eagle's talon and filled with grim determination. Aldaf's voice, for some reason, spurred him on. "Then maybe all I need to do is win this… competition to get you to listen to reason," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "After all, I promised to see you in second place silver after we got our skybeasts."

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: The proving camp
Timing: Middle of the night, after the party
Interaction: open kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro Lioness075 AncientBird
color: #ff9900

Kari stopped when Gerel stood to block her, she clenched her fists and met his eyes, ready for a fight, but his expression gave her pause. He was...smiling.
His proposition was not what she had expected at all. Kari was used to people trying to convince her, tell her, order her not to. She had been ready for harsh words and a cold gaze, but Gerel was...challenging her. He wasn't trying to stop her directly, but was willing to put himself in danger to make her see.
The tangle of emotions that rose from that Kari could only begin to untangle: Outrage, that he would intrude, fear, that he would be hurt, though she understood now, that was exactly what she'd been doing to him, but there was also admiration, for his absolute audacity. Gerel wasn't fighting her, he was standing beside her, playing by her rules and that sparked...Kari's face felt hot in exactly the same way as it did with the memory back on the mountain.
"You're on." She said, the surprise still apparent in her voice, but the worry was there too.
She turned to Aldaf, "Gerel's signing up, put his name on the roster."

It was Kari's turn again and she slipped onto the creature's back, waiting for the bell. This beast was a wolf, and almost seemed to smile at her as it looked back over it's shoulder. Gerel had made his point in the only way Kari would accept, and now, she was thinking about what had happened carefully.
The bell chimed and the beast launched itself into action. Kari knew how to ride, she knew how to hold on, but the wolf's body was lithe and flexible and she felt her spine resist as it moved in ways she couldn't possibly follow. The wolf galloped around the ring and then jumped right to the other side, sliding left, then right, suddenly Kari's leg slipped, she was thrown into the air, just as the bell rang. The crowd roared as she hit the ground, the bell had gone before she had touched earth, she had won...just barely. She got up, standing beside her panting adversary and gave the wolf a hard pat.
She grinned at Leandra, also participating, and saw Serik in the wings as well. The skybeasts and the people were having fun, and the air was filled with energy.
"Relax the muscles in your back," Kari told her friends, giving them pointers on how best to keep from hurting themselves. "That way you can roll with the movement, its harder to pull something."
When it was Gerel's turn Kari felt more than a little conflicted. Maybe he was only doing this because she was being stubborn, but part of her just couldn't quite let go.
"Be careful." She told him, trying (and failing) not to feel responsible for what might happen. Then she shot him a sly smile, "And try not to cry when I win."

 

[AncientBird]

Location: Proving Camp
Time: Midnight, after party
Characters: All
Currently present: Aldaf, Kari, Leandra, Gerel, Serik

"I suppose it depends on what you want to get out of this." Leandra answered. Serik never personally talked with her before but judging from her interaction with her brother in arms, Caliban. He’s pretty sure she is a trusty fellow with good personality, and also obviously, a thrill seeker.

“Well, but seriously. You have been doing this before? Not counting the taming of the skybeast ealier of course.” Serik asked and watched as people and beasts prepared for the next round.

Gerel and Kari seemed to get on good term again and both of them came at the ring to perform their round. Serik smiled and nodded at them then turned back to Leandra.

“I am personally not a thrill seeker but perhaps I will be a thrill watcher tonight. Just be careful and don’t spill your guts or part your limbs alright?” He said and chuckled.

Featuring: kase9187 Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro SilverFlight
#FF9900

 

[YumenoTsukishiro]

Location: The proving camp
Timing: Middle of the night, after the party
Interaction: open kase9187 SilverFlight Lioness075 AncientBird
color: #ff9900

The challenge was on. Both of them walked back to the crowd where Kari signed him in for the competition. Almost immediately Kari was called to go up next. Gerel folded his arms and tried his best to look relaxed while a winged wolf was trying its best to throw Kari off its back. Even in the turbulent motions, Kari was all fiery grace and burning determination to hold on as long as she could. At the very last second she slipped, and Gerel nearly moved by instinct to try and catch. He held himself back long enough to watch her land safely and secure another win. He roared with the crowd, letting out all his worries for her safety and letting himself feel proud of her for once.

She walked back to where he was just as the announcer called his name forward. "Be careful." Kari told him, face flush from the thrill of the games. Then she shot him a sly smile, "And try not to cry when I win."

"Right back at you," he said with a challenging grin. Then he stepped into the fenced circle, where a pegasus was waiting for him. To the side he saw Aldaf looking happy with the spiky Spica and their wins so far; Leandra beaming after her recent success, and; Serik trying to keep back as a spectator and nothing more. The brown coat of the skybeast reminded him of the horses grazing near their family's herds. He would always spend his downtime breaking them in and egging them to dare dismount him.

Full of confidence, he mounted the pegasus and as soon as the bell rang, he squeezed his thighs on the beast as hard as he could. Following Kari's suggestion, he loosened his upper body, letting himself flow with the pegasus' wild motions. He even managed a smile every time he faced Kari's side of the crowd. When it was clear that he wouldn't budge on the ground, the pegasus suddenly shot upward, barely below the height limit. But Gerel was ready for it , leaning forward and wrapping his arms around the skybeast's neck. The bell rang again a second time, calling the pegasus to land. When they were about ten feet from the ground, he jumped off and flipped once, somehow landing right in front of Kari.

"Well," Gerel said, smoothing his windswept hair back and trying hard to keep his breathing even. "That was fun. I can see why you would want to do this."

 

[AncientBird]

Location: Proving Camp
Time: Midnight, after party
Characters: All
Currently present: Aldaf, Kari, Leandra, Gerel, Serik

Just as Serik was looking at the ring, waiting for the next round he heard someone approaching from behind.

“Aye, mon” Someone called him...

Serik turned back and stood face to face with a man. He was a dark skin Sudentarian, a bit older than Serik. The man had tattoos all over his face. He was definitely a very tall person, probably as much as Matthias, however the man had an obvious kink in his spine that made him hunched over, making him only a bit higher than Serik. He wears a usual Sudentarian’s outfit of leather and cloths but with some decoration made of feathers of various colors and size. The man grinned at Serik, showing a missing incisor at his upper jaw.

“You called me?” Serik asked, feeling unsure. “Ya you!” Said the man. “Err, what can I help?” Serik asked again.

“Da name’s Krohal” The strange man introduced himself. “Say, ya look like da kind of peaple with sweet luck, ya wanna bet?” He asked. “Gambling? Oh no, no... I don’t gamble... I am here just to watch my friends participate in the game.” Serik replied.

“Awww wut da fun in sport if ya don’t bet, mon! It bring da people togetha! Feelin da rush when ya hope go up and down.” Krohal said. “I... I don’t think losing money, leg or limps over sports is making anyone close to eachother...” Serik said, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

“I be into lots a sport, mon... Wait, let me introduce ya to mah beast first... Juju!!! Get ova here!” The weird Sudentarian called out and waved his hand to the sky.

Loud hissing could be heard and in that moment, a large feathered serpent flew down from the sky. Serik could barely saw its detail due to the dim light but he could see its six wings fluttering as it came closer. The creature flew pass them and was about to land... Just then that it crashed against a big tree nearby, sending barks flying everywhere. The feathered serpent stuck on the tree trunk for a while before it slowly slid down, lying limply on the ground.

“Oh my goodness! Is your skybeast hurt?!!” Serik exclaimed. “Don worry mon, he’s always like dat... Aye, Juju! Get ovar here and meet our new friend!” Krohal assured Serik and called to his beast. The serpent lay idly for a while and the it lifted its head up and into Serik and its rider’s direction.

It was the most uncomfortable thing Serim had ever seen. Juju’s body was typical to those of normal feathered serpent, a large snake with wings and luxurious feather that glitters in the light, in this case it was red, gold, green and blue, resembling some sort of exotic parrot. However, his head bore a pair of large, bulging eye balls that seemed like it was going to drop out from eye sockets at any second. His blank pupils was enlarge and looked almost unreal as they glare aimlessly without any movement at all.

“He... Is he alright? He looks as if he could see through my soul...” Serik said as he looked into Juju’s eyes. “Isn’t he beautiful?” Krohal spoke smilingly, being real proud at his skybeast. “Juju loves da ridin game mon, he likes throwin people off his back.” Krohal said. “Go prepared ya self, Juju! Ya turn is near!” The man told his beast to get in the ring. The feathered serpent licked its blank, bugged eyes with his unusually long tongue and then squirmed toward the other skybeasts that participated in the game. They all made way for the serpent, simply because of how uncomfortable he was to look at.

“So ya change ya mind now?” Krohal asked Serik again. “No, I am not going to lose my money over thing like this.” Serik still insisted not to play.

Featuring: kase9187 Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro SilverFlight
#FF9900

 

[kase9187]

Location: Proving Camp
Time: Midnight, after celebration
Characters: All

Aldaf put his hand on Serik's shoulder. "No problem if you choose not to bet. Don't worry."

"Krohal, huh?" Aldaf smirked. "Your skybeast looks tough, but can you handle mine?"
Spica walked up behind him, leaning her head over his shoulder.
"She's won both matchups so far. Do you feel like the third time's the charm?"

Aldaf's smirk grew. "Or is my Spica too much for you to handle?"

AncientBird Lioness075 YumenoTsukishiro SilverFlight

 

[Naberius]

Location: The proving camp
Timing: Middle of the night, after the party
Interaction: open
#ff9900

Cal had come across the strange gathering in the clearing during his wandering around the camp. He hadn't noticed anything before hand. It was the noise, cheering and laughter and jeers that brought his attention to the gathering. Many of the others had assembled here to take on other riders' beasts. It was an interesting activity, and he had certainly done his fair share of wrestling with large and dangerous beasts, though most of those had just wanted to kill him outright, not buck him off. He watched the others take turns, with varying degrees of success, and even saw Lea having a good bit of fun too.

He made up his mind to at least give it a try, and walked up to just the edge near some of their other comrades.

"This a private party or an open invitation?"

His smile was a bit different. Excited but competitive. He could easily see why the others found this so enjoyable.


kase9187 YumenoTsukishiro Lioness075 AncientBird SilverFlight

 

[Naberius]

Location: At the tables
Time: Celebratory Party
Characters: Marylka, Caliban

Cal quietly pondered her words, but then smiled like his old self for a bit.

"But does it really matter if they're real memories or not? Can't you feel that connection between the group? We certainly know each other or have met at least once before, even our pets remember it. It's no fluke that we're all here together at this moment in time, right when a giant skeleton monster decides to show up."

Caliban studied and measured her reactions, read her body language. He knew she was holding something back, though he supposed, they all were.

"I don't know what it is you're dealing with right now, but just know that we're friends. We have each others backs. Doesn't matter what choices we make, what path we walk or if we ever see each other again after tonight. Friends don't abandon each other, or judge each other. We support one another no matter what. So if you ever need someone to talk to, you know where to find me. Just follow the smiles. Oh and Marylka? The only one you hurt by bottling up your feelings is yourself. Trust me, I learned that lesson a long time ago..."

Saturn_moon
#D14841