Legend of Ransera

Glade 4, 122

The smell of fresh rain gently wafted through the beaded strands of a window, clattering the many colored pieces of bone, wood, and clay against one another. It was still a bit dark out as a pair of bright, amethyst colored eyes opened slowly, sidling over to peer out into the slowly rising sun, obscured by the clouds overhead and the shade of the great tree that she called home. Norani pulled the light linen sheet from her dark green form, groaning a bit as she sat up, her rope hammock bouncing a bit under her shifting weight.

A soft whistle, gentle and soothing, a beckoning, went through pursed lips, made lower and deeper by her Orkhan throat and wisping around her tusks sidled through the room toward an exposed balcony.

'Ree?'

A large, pointed head silhouetted against the dim sky as it raised up. Norani leaned forward, her feet catching her upon the well smoothed boards and she stood up. She walked toward the creature, cooing softly as she went, creeping from heel to toe, just like when she played 'Tag the Bird' with her friends. A small scree was uttered, a warning, and Norani gently swirled her back leg around her, setting to the opposite side, a small wheeling dance of a step. More coos from her as she crept forward, a shadow within her own small home. She reached out and touched the hard beak of Ruvaf. A soft coo was elicited as the Ci'uvan pressed into her hand.

"Good morning, Ruvaf."

"God noinonh, Ruvaf."

The young Ci'uvan stood up to full height, standing just as tall as she, stretching out its wings as it woke up. Norani pushed up against the flighted reptile and squeezed him tight.

"Today is the day."

"Eodat io eh'uv dat."

Ruvaf screed in agreement.

"Let us go to the fire."

"R'uve uo go eo eh'uv fi'uv."

A happy little screech and Norani let her companion go. She turned around, grabbing her light robe from the hook and pulled it on. Norani stepped out onto the balcony, moving past Ruvaf. She smelled the wet, musty air of the early spring of Ecith as she looked out before her. Down before her, a lake vast and deep, a dark grey as the clouds overhead reflected upon it, splashes from the heavy drops of rain. Beyond the lake she and her people called home, fields and fields of grasses, a faded green this time of year, yearning for the sun to show once more. And in the far off distance, the trees of the great southern jungles, extending up into the clouds and disappearing. It was the view she had the pleasure of seeing each morning, and every day she did she loved and was grateful to the Old Three she was a part of them, rain or shine.

She reached up, grabbing at a curled vine there, thick as her own thigh. She flicked it hard, and it unrolled, stretching as it fell down the trunk of the great tree she called home. Thinner than her forearm now, she reached out, grasping it first with one hand, then the other. She hooked one ankle around it, using her other foot to press the vine into the first leg. Then she slowly slid her way down the vine, making she to not grip too tight, not wishing to damage it. As she slid down, Ruvaf gave one large beat of his wings as he took up, letting loose a screech that was now being matched by many others of his kind in this great tree. He soared about, casting one large, green eye, always watching Norani, as he took his curve to go around the width of the tree.

Norani made her way down to the next branch, one far larger than the old knot her home was perched upon. She walked along it, waving as she approached the fire. There were several other villagers there, seated about on the tree, a few with legs dangling over the edges, others simply lounging about, enjoying the comfort of a meal and camaraderie. Juva was busy working the fires, working her hands to keep the embers and flames in control as she cooked the food, her magic doing just as she required. She'd never once burnt the great tree and had no intention of starting so now. She did all of the communal cooking for the village, and trained many a mage and cook in her ways so that they may one day replace her. She was a big, burly brute of an Orkhan woman and she was proud, every inch of her skin, nude as the day she was born covered in the story of her life told through the complex and woven images that all Orkhan adults built through their life.

As Norani approached the fires, she stopped and waited. A scree came, and Ruvaf landed in next to her, looking hopeful at Juva. The large woman laughed,

"Well, you are quite hungry today, Ruvaf."

"Vona'uvr, tou ai'uv quie'uv hungit eodat, Ruvaf."

A birdy chortle of agreement.

Juva reached over into her containers she kept nearby, plucking out some long strips of fishmeat, tossing one after the other to Ruvaf who caught them and swallowed them whole.

"More meat today, for the both of you. New dragoons need meat for your training. Makes your muscles strong."

"Noi'uv n'uvae eodat, foi eh'uv koeh of tou. N'uvona diagono n'uvd n'uvae foi toui eiainonh. Nak'uvo toui nuocr'uvo oeiong."

She handed Norani a bowl of roasted vegetables and a large slab of fish.

"Eat all of it. You need it. Tomorrow morning, you will need more."

"'uvae ar of ie. Tou n'uvd ie. Eonoiovona noinonh, tou vonair n'uvd noi'uv."

She handed a milkskin, "Make sure you finish that too."

"Nak'uv oui'uv tou finioh ehae eo.

Juva smiled at Norani, "We are all very proud of you, Norani, Ruvaf. This is a most exciting day."

"Vona'uv ai'uv ar v'uvit chioud of tou, Norani, Ruvaf. Ehio io a noe 'uvxcieonh dat."

Once breakfast was finished, Norani and Ruvaf made their way up to one of the highest branches of the Oktai Tree they called home. Ruvaf, of course, took the easier route, flying upwards while Norani took the various ladders and ropes her people had outfitted into the branches. Once there, she sat on the large branch, looking out over the beautiful lake, smiling, Ruvaf perched next to her. Over the next hour or so, the other new recruits made their way along, joining her. Six recruits in all, a bountiful year for the village. But since they were all applying to be dragoons, it did not count just yet.

A loud, bone chilling screech rang out over the land, one that forced everyone to pay attention, a shiver just a bit with instinctual fear. Out over the lake, a massive Ci'uvan was soaring toward the village. It flew so fast over the water, it created waves in its wake. It's wingspan was thrice the size of Ruvaf's, and the beautiful, red creature was actually Ruvaf's great grandmother. Trecate, the matriarch of the flock, partner of Boraba, their chieftain. As the pair flew closer, they could see Boraba, in her ornamental dress of a kaleidoscope of painted bones and feathers. They soared up the base of the tree, and as they arrived, Boraba leapt off, landing upon the branch as easily as one might walk. Tracate made her way to the end of the might branch, settling in and watching the recruits and their partnered Ci'uvan.

Chieftain Boraba was a mighty woman, carrying Wind Singer on her back. Her face was fierce, severe, as she glared at the recruits, seeming to be studying them, taking in every detail, peering into their souls. Enough to make them all cower a bit, gulping. Then she broke into a bright smile, "Welcome young ones!" Her arms went wide, "Come, come, stand up." Boraba knew each and every single one of them well. She attended the births of all of them, and marked the occasion in the tattoos upon her own body. Every person in the village was part of her, under her guidance and protection.

"Vona'uvrcon'uv toung on'uvo!"

"Con'uv, con'uv, Oeand uch."

She walked up to Norani first, pulling her into a tight hug. She moved down the line, hugging each Ci'uvan and Ork in line. "I am proud of all of you. You have chosen to follow the footsteps of our ancestors and take to the skies, forming partnerships unbreakable. Ounokt Nora is honored to have you. I am honored to be here with you."

"I an chioud of ar of tou. Tou hav'uv cho'uvn eo forovona of oui anc'uvoeio and eak'uv to eh'uv oki'uvo, foinonh chaien'uviohicho unki'uvakakr'uv. Ounokt Nora io honoi'uvd eo hav'uv tou. I an honoi'uvd eo k'uv h'uvi'uv vonaieh tou."

Chieftain Boraba then walked down the branch, "But now, we fly. Follow me, listen to your partner's body."

"Kue novona, vona'uv frt. Forovona n'uv, rioe'uvn eo toui chaien'uvo-kodt."

She showed them how to climb upon the Ci'uvan without hurting them. Nora turned to Ruvaf, who bowed to make it easier for her to climb on. She placed a bracing hand on his back without gripping. She then bent one knee deep, and lunged upward in a leap, her other leg kicking up to swing over Ruvaf's back. He ankle got over her his back, but it simply wasn't enough. As quick as she'd launched up, she fell back down, thudding against the branch on her back. Only one recruit had managed to get successfully mounted on his first try, and Boraba was currently criticizing him for doing so in a manner that could hurt his partner.

Growling, Norani got up and tried again. Her and all of the recruits kept at it, discussing amongst themselves the best ways. Norani snarled on her fifth attempt and lunged hard. Her leg kicked over widely, but her momentum was too great. She fell over the opposite side of Ruvaf. She thudded against the wood again, the momentum carrying her into a roll, until she felt nothing beneath her. The roll allowed her to see the shocked faces of her fellow recruits and the impassive face of her chieftain, before she rolled over again, seeing the ground far below her, coming up at a startling speed.

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