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Ready for the Storm [Closed]

Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2024 1:43 pm
by Hilana Chenzira
Image
Glade 25, Year 124

[Closed - Aegis]

[Prompt - Ord Kruv]

Having spent the last few hours in meditation in order to attune to Air, Hilana and Athalia returned home to the new apartment. “You’re sure you don’t want to come? We’re going to go as far as the Crystal Sea, and back. It’s not a race this time,” she assured her. In other words, it would still be a decidedly fast flight, but with luck, nothing quite like the last breakneck race Hilana and her Patrician friend had undertaken. What HIlana wanted to see was what an attunement with Air would do for her up here, and to expand her knowledge of the area up above.

“I will pass, soror. You get into enough trouble on the ground; I respect the wyverns far too much to risk playing up there,” Athalia shook her head, but there was a teasing tone to her voice. She trusted Hilana to have a plan, and navigating over the water was a useful skill, even if she stayed desert-bound for the rest of her days. Hilana wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug, checked her rucksack for her map and emergency supplies, and scarpered on out, leaving Lia to her tea and her embroidery.

Venture belonged to the adventurous.

Long legs took her out to Valerian’s family estate, and after a greeting that involved a teasing kiss, Hilana formally greeted Rhiend. He was a temperamental beast, but she enjoyed him just as much as Nagas, and perhaps more for his spiciness and the mutual respect that the two of them were developing. Once she was secure in the saddle, they rose high into the sky after several bounding leaps.

Where they normally went south, the pair went eastnortheast. Valerian sat behind Hilana, because the further they went; the less familiar territory this was for him. He vastly preferred going to the south; where the sands were open and barring the massive windstorms that sometimes developed much further down; it was safer and one could see much further. But going north… towards the mountains and the sea… as they flew, Hilana easily guided Rhiend away from the foggy cliffs, not about to risk a collision. The air spirits were helpful, pushing away the fog back towards the jungle to help keep their vision clear.

But this was beautiful territory, and while Hilana would have liked to have really taken the time to explore and investigate it, for now, she wanted to go to the Sea. The air helped settle the push and rush against them so that they could talk, carrying their voices back and forth. She wouldn’t mind borrowing Rhiend to explore with her Mask, but that would need to be another day. “This is amazing,” the Vastiana laughed, her delight clear in her voice as she leaned back against Valerian, the two Vastii looking on around them.

But what Hilana was finding as they got closer to the coast of the Crystal Sea, was that the air had been whipped up into a frenzy of excitement. Valerian, who didn't possess the Rune, didn't like it. "We should turn back, Hilana. This is not a storm to fly in," he touched her hip. "Let's go. Turn back."

"They're excited about something," Hilana protested. "Or someone. This isn't a natural storm, Valerian, we should see what it is. I can protect us, the air will help. If it gets dangerous, then we'll portal home." The young man just let out a deep sigh, and double-checked the straps on both of them on the saddle. Hilana, in turn, encouraged Rhiend to take them out further, away from the relative safety of the coast and land, and into the skies above Crystal Sea.

She reached out, too, to the spirits, to ask them why they were so excited. All she was getting back from them was a sense that 'he comes'. So someone was coming. A dragon, maybe? Someone. "Did you see that?" she called back to Valerian. Far ahead, through the clouds and storms... there was a whale. A whale in the sky. "Hello!" she called out a greeting to the furthest one as she guided Rhiend towards them, helping to keep the buffeting winds from all around them from throwing them off course with the air spirits. It was a song, after all, the song of the Air, and their excitement was palpable.

And now Hilana's was, too.