For a while now, I've been struggling to write something, anything. This first scene struck me a...
A Peaceful Afternoon [Exalted]
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Part 1
Fortuna
Court Astrologonomomancer
For a while now, I've been struggling to write something, anything. This first scene struck me a couple of days ago, and I've been working on honing it into this first-and-a-halfth draft since then. I can't promise even semi-regular updates, but this story is prominent in my mind, and I'll post more as and when I have more.
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I never really understood why people have problems with heights.
That may be a strange sentiment, coming from someone falling to their death, but it's one of the first things that crossed my mind, shortly after 'oh crap' and 'what bastard pushed me'.
Admittedly, I shouldn't have been where I was. Climbing the spire was probably not the best idea I've ever had, but there were too many tourists on the balcony, and again, it's not like I had a problem with heights. Or with climbing, for that matter. And up on the little maintenance platform, with just the wind for company, and the whole city spread out below me, was exactly the kind of peace that's so hard to find these days. For all the steel and concrete below me, I might as well have been up the world's tallest tree, out in the open and alone. Not even a safety railing to block my view.
On reflection, that turned out to be more of a downside than an upside. Bracing against the wind, sure, that was easy, but I didn't figure on someone actually coming up behind me – without me noticing them, which was odd now I thought about it – and pushing me off a skyscraper. What kind of person does that? Apparently the same kind of person who can sneak up on me, and disappear before I twist around to get a look at them.
Given the complete lack of anything better to do for the next several seconds, I played with that thought for a while. It could be magic, I guess, but who'd send some sort of magic ninja after little old me? Hell, who'd send any kind of ninja? I don't remember pissing anyone off important enough for that. Even if I did, how'd they know I'd be up there? I didn't know I'd be up there. Mind control? But if you can do that, why bother killing me? Round and round in circles.
Not forever, though. The rapidly-approaching ground would see to that soon enough. I was upright, at least, so it might only break both my legs. No point even trying to roll from this height – well, that height, there wasn't much height left of it now. I thought I heard screams from below; well, that's only natural. Wonder whether I'll get on the news. Wonder what they'll say if I do. Wonder… really, no point in wondering much of anything, anymore. For a moment, I considered laughing, but that just seemed a bit pointless. So I closed my eyes and did what little I could to prepare for impact. The sidewalk, with a titanic CRUNCH, was happy enough to oblige.
There was surprisingly little pain; a hell of a jolt, but that went away quickly. No numbness, either. Probably shock – that's what happens in this sort of situation, right? That'd explain why I thought I was still crouching – probably I was more sort of oozing. That made more sense. Although I couldn't figure out who'd put a spotlight on me.
No, hold on. I could move my legs. Hell, I could wiggle my toes. Pretty sure that's not normal. And the people crowding all around weren't so much averting their eyes in disgust as staring in astonishment. Looking down, everything seemed to be in place – except the ground, which had sort of cratered from the fall. Now, expert I might not be, but I was pretty sure that when bone fought concrete, concrete usually won. And that wasn't a spotlight; a spotlight would be casting shadows, and I didn't seem to have one just now. The people around me, they had shadows – pointing away from me, sunlight be damned. So apparently I was not only stronger than concrete, but brighter than the sun. Some peaceful afternoon.
The sudden noise of an engine broke into my thoughts. A car – a new, sleek one, with some sort of iridescent finish on the smooth chrome – had pulled up alongside me, the passenger door flying open as it screeched to a halt. (Some part of me wondered how it got past the ring of spectators.) The driver looked straight at me with a pair of startlingly green eyes. "Get in." Without really thinking about it, I vaulted up into the passenger seat, closing the door behind me. (That same part of my mind thought something uncomplimentary about the cliché.) Almost before I was in the seat – and certainly before I could get the door closed – the car was leaping forward, pedestrians scattering, being missed by inches. As we cleared the kerb with a surprisingly muted bump, I got my first chance to really look at the driver.
The first thing that struck me was his height. The man couldn't be more than four and a half feet tall. He was wearing some sort of floral shirt and baggy shorts, despite the fact that Air was starting in earnest, and a pair of seriously ornate glasses, almost more frame than lens and all covered in sigils. From his skin tone, I guessed he was Eastern, which went a little way to explaining that incredible eye colour. Although he was bald, he didn't look that old; maybe thirty or so.
"Okay, so. Short version. Welcome to the oldest war in the world. You just got drafted, and now the other guys are closing in on you. You're lucky I happened to be driving just now; technically, it's my day off. You drive, kid?"
"No." I had to bite down on a 'sir'; he was surprisingly commanding, given his appearance.
"Damn. Guess you're on foot. Sucks to be you."
"I have a bike."
"You any good with it?"
"You could say-"
"Don't get smart with me. No time. The bike any good? Never mind; you'll need a new one anyway, by the time they get done. Got much cash?"
"Uh, I have a few hundred at home."
"Useless. On you now?"
"Nothing."
"Gods save me. Alright, you've got nothing. Got any friends? Family?"
"Uh, yeah. Family's overseas, but-"
"Sucks to be them too, then. You show any signs of leaning on them for help, they're dead or worse. Or on the run, like you are. You want to subject them to that, feel free. Otherwise, steer clear."
I took a moment to process that. Then a question occurred, so obvious a question I didn't understand how it hadn't come to mind before now. "Sorry, but who the hell are you?"
"Just think of me as the Driver. I'd tell you my name, but you'd forget it before I finished saying it. We're good at keeping secrets."
"Uh-huh. Forgive me if I don't… sorry, mind went blank. Forgive me if… If…" I shut up and glared at him.
"That's my name. Three times now, and I can keep this up all day. Almost enough fun to make up for driving young lightbulbs around on my day off. But you can't afford that. Point of fact, you can't afford much more than another couple of minutes; they're onto us."
"How can you tell?"
"Look out the back."
Turning to look behind me, I saw… open road, just one car in sight. "How'd we get out of town so quickly?"
"Magic. See that black car? Look a bit more closely at the headlights. See the red tint? That's their mark. Could be worse; it's not yellow, so you've got a chance. Unless they catch you. Then you'd wish it was yellow."
"So… what do I do?"
"We-ell. That's a company car; this used to be, but they were getting rid of this model so I rescued it from the scrap heap for personal use. So they have the edge on us. Pretty soon they'll catch us up. If you're still in here when they do, trust me, you don't want to know. So you need to get out."
"But there's nowhere to run."
"Not here, there isn't. Fortunately, I know a shortcut. Open that door, just the slightest crack, and get clear of your seatbelt."
"Why?"
"Because you're going to jump in about twenty seconds. I'll take a hard left. You jump then, or I give you up to them. Fifteen seconds now."
"But-"
"Ten seconds. Oh, and try not to look out the window while you go. Apparently that makes people nauseous. Five seconds. Ready?" I gave a sort of half nod. Somehow I'd been less terrified falling off a skyscraper.
With a sudden wrench of the wheel, he turned the car as promised. Eyes tightly shut, I leapt from the car, braced to roll – although hitting asphalt wasn't going to be pleasant anyway.
Hitting grass, now. That was more pleasant. And much more unexpected, too. And the sound of engines was gone. Opening my eyes, I found myself in what looked like a park.
Fucking magic.
---------
I never really understood why people have problems with heights.
That may be a strange sentiment, coming from someone falling to their death, but it's one of the first things that crossed my mind, shortly after 'oh crap' and 'what bastard pushed me'.
Admittedly, I shouldn't have been where I was. Climbing the spire was probably not the best idea I've ever had, but there were too many tourists on the balcony, and again, it's not like I had a problem with heights. Or with climbing, for that matter. And up on the little maintenance platform, with just the wind for company, and the whole city spread out below me, was exactly the kind of peace that's so hard to find these days. For all the steel and concrete below me, I might as well have been up the world's tallest tree, out in the open and alone. Not even a safety railing to block my view.
On reflection, that turned out to be more of a downside than an upside. Bracing against the wind, sure, that was easy, but I didn't figure on someone actually coming up behind me – without me noticing them, which was odd now I thought about it – and pushing me off a skyscraper. What kind of person does that? Apparently the same kind of person who can sneak up on me, and disappear before I twist around to get a look at them.
Given the complete lack of anything better to do for the next several seconds, I played with that thought for a while. It could be magic, I guess, but who'd send some sort of magic ninja after little old me? Hell, who'd send any kind of ninja? I don't remember pissing anyone off important enough for that. Even if I did, how'd they know I'd be up there? I didn't know I'd be up there. Mind control? But if you can do that, why bother killing me? Round and round in circles.
Not forever, though. The rapidly-approaching ground would see to that soon enough. I was upright, at least, so it might only break both my legs. No point even trying to roll from this height – well, that height, there wasn't much height left of it now. I thought I heard screams from below; well, that's only natural. Wonder whether I'll get on the news. Wonder what they'll say if I do. Wonder… really, no point in wondering much of anything, anymore. For a moment, I considered laughing, but that just seemed a bit pointless. So I closed my eyes and did what little I could to prepare for impact. The sidewalk, with a titanic CRUNCH, was happy enough to oblige.
There was surprisingly little pain; a hell of a jolt, but that went away quickly. No numbness, either. Probably shock – that's what happens in this sort of situation, right? That'd explain why I thought I was still crouching – probably I was more sort of oozing. That made more sense. Although I couldn't figure out who'd put a spotlight on me.
No, hold on. I could move my legs. Hell, I could wiggle my toes. Pretty sure that's not normal. And the people crowding all around weren't so much averting their eyes in disgust as staring in astonishment. Looking down, everything seemed to be in place – except the ground, which had sort of cratered from the fall. Now, expert I might not be, but I was pretty sure that when bone fought concrete, concrete usually won. And that wasn't a spotlight; a spotlight would be casting shadows, and I didn't seem to have one just now. The people around me, they had shadows – pointing away from me, sunlight be damned. So apparently I was not only stronger than concrete, but brighter than the sun. Some peaceful afternoon.
The sudden noise of an engine broke into my thoughts. A car – a new, sleek one, with some sort of iridescent finish on the smooth chrome – had pulled up alongside me, the passenger door flying open as it screeched to a halt. (Some part of me wondered how it got past the ring of spectators.) The driver looked straight at me with a pair of startlingly green eyes. "Get in." Without really thinking about it, I vaulted up into the passenger seat, closing the door behind me. (That same part of my mind thought something uncomplimentary about the cliché.) Almost before I was in the seat – and certainly before I could get the door closed – the car was leaping forward, pedestrians scattering, being missed by inches. As we cleared the kerb with a surprisingly muted bump, I got my first chance to really look at the driver.
The first thing that struck me was his height. The man couldn't be more than four and a half feet tall. He was wearing some sort of floral shirt and baggy shorts, despite the fact that Air was starting in earnest, and a pair of seriously ornate glasses, almost more frame than lens and all covered in sigils. From his skin tone, I guessed he was Eastern, which went a little way to explaining that incredible eye colour. Although he was bald, he didn't look that old; maybe thirty or so.
"Okay, so. Short version. Welcome to the oldest war in the world. You just got drafted, and now the other guys are closing in on you. You're lucky I happened to be driving just now; technically, it's my day off. You drive, kid?"
"No." I had to bite down on a 'sir'; he was surprisingly commanding, given his appearance.
"Damn. Guess you're on foot. Sucks to be you."
"I have a bike."
"You any good with it?"
"You could say-"
"Don't get smart with me. No time. The bike any good? Never mind; you'll need a new one anyway, by the time they get done. Got much cash?"
"Uh, I have a few hundred at home."
"Useless. On you now?"
"Nothing."
"Gods save me. Alright, you've got nothing. Got any friends? Family?"
"Uh, yeah. Family's overseas, but-"
"Sucks to be them too, then. You show any signs of leaning on them for help, they're dead or worse. Or on the run, like you are. You want to subject them to that, feel free. Otherwise, steer clear."
I took a moment to process that. Then a question occurred, so obvious a question I didn't understand how it hadn't come to mind before now. "Sorry, but who the hell are you?"
"Just think of me as the Driver. I'd tell you my name, but you'd forget it before I finished saying it. We're good at keeping secrets."
"Uh-huh. Forgive me if I don't… sorry, mind went blank. Forgive me if… If…" I shut up and glared at him.
"That's my name. Three times now, and I can keep this up all day. Almost enough fun to make up for driving young lightbulbs around on my day off. But you can't afford that. Point of fact, you can't afford much more than another couple of minutes; they're onto us."
"How can you tell?"
"Look out the back."
Turning to look behind me, I saw… open road, just one car in sight. "How'd we get out of town so quickly?"
"Magic. See that black car? Look a bit more closely at the headlights. See the red tint? That's their mark. Could be worse; it's not yellow, so you've got a chance. Unless they catch you. Then you'd wish it was yellow."
"So… what do I do?"
"We-ell. That's a company car; this used to be, but they were getting rid of this model so I rescued it from the scrap heap for personal use. So they have the edge on us. Pretty soon they'll catch us up. If you're still in here when they do, trust me, you don't want to know. So you need to get out."
"But there's nowhere to run."
"Not here, there isn't. Fortunately, I know a shortcut. Open that door, just the slightest crack, and get clear of your seatbelt."
"Why?"
"Because you're going to jump in about twenty seconds. I'll take a hard left. You jump then, or I give you up to them. Fifteen seconds now."
"But-"
"Ten seconds. Oh, and try not to look out the window while you go. Apparently that makes people nauseous. Five seconds. Ready?" I gave a sort of half nod. Somehow I'd been less terrified falling off a skyscraper.
With a sudden wrench of the wheel, he turned the car as promised. Eyes tightly shut, I leapt from the car, braced to roll – although hitting asphalt wasn't going to be pleasant anyway.
Hitting grass, now. That was more pleasant. And much more unexpected, too. And the sound of engines was gone. Opening my eyes, I found myself in what looked like a park.
Fucking magic.
Fortuna
Court Astrologonomomancer
That's... good? I'm... inspiring empathy with the character. Yes, indeed. My intention all along.
frozenchicken
Does not have a custom title.
All I've got is that the driver is probably a Sidereal named 'Believe'? Maybe?
Part 2
Fortuna
Court Astrologonomomancer
For my first time jumping out of a car, I like to think I did pretty well; it's like falling off a bike, but faster. A slight graze on my left elbow, a few moments of disorientation, but otherwise no ill effects. Mind, those moments of disorientation might be from the precipitous change of scenery. Or from the miraculous (dis)appearing car. Or all the things the Driver said that were only now catching up to me. Or falling off a skyscraper.
For my first time jumping out of a car, I did pretty well. Just a slight graze on my left elbow, really. Which left me surrounded by more greenery than I think I'd ever seen in my life, without a single comforting concrete spire in sight. Right that moment, that's what struck me most of all: not only was I out of my depth, I was out of my element. No alleys, walls, or shops here. Just apparently-endless grass, dotted here and there with trees, and the sun creeping down the sky. I had a shadow now, at least, although I still seemed to be glowing. But apart from the sun, which I guessed from the skyline before I fell was probably a few points north of west, I had nothing to go on.
So, unfamiliar situation, no hope of rescue. Keep your eyes open and, unless a compelling reason presents itself to do otherwise, keep moving. At least, that was my theory; what am I, an expert? So I turned to face my shadow – no sense having the sun in my eyes – and starting walking. What I wouldn't have given for a decent bicycle.
I'm really not sure how long a walk it was before I heard the river. I was kind of wrapped up in confusion and (entirely justified) self-pity at the time. Probably only half an hour or so. What limited knowledge of survival in the wild I had suggested that finding water was probably a good thing, and the rest of the landscape had stubbornly refused to alter in more than the placement of the trees and occasional little ridges and hills. So I veered left and followed the noise.
To call it a river, really, is probably a bit too much. More of a creek, or perhaps a brook. A minor miracle that I heard it before I saw it, really. Fortunately, that also meant it wasn't too far away, so I reached it quickly. It was surprisingly clear. I'd expected it to be full of mud, but the water was clear enough to see the bottom of the far bank.
It was also still enough for me to cast a clear reflection, which gave me my first real clue of what the hell was going on. The glow was pretty much gone, but there, shining on my forehead, was a perfect ring of gold.
Because the day wouldn't be complete without demonic influence, right?
I mean, I'm not what you would call devout. My family isn't really, either. But we had a shelf of Immaculate writings, and prayed at the major festivals. And, of course, heard the stories.
Fuck. I'd assumed I was some kind of mutant or something. Some sort of comic book shit like that. But instead it's magic from thousands of years ago, hollowing me out into a vessel for evil spirits.
At least… that was what the stories said. But I didn't feel hollow. So far as I could tell, I was still me. I guess that's not the most reliable indication, but between gut instinct and three-thousand-year-old bedtime stories, I'll take gut instinct any day. There was probably some perfectly rational explanation for the glowing, and the falling off a skyscraper unscathed, and the caste mark, and… no, okay, there probably wasn't. 'Rational' wasn't a word that seemed to apply today.
Okay then. So I'm… Anathema, or Accursed, or whatever it is you call it. If there was any truth to the old stories, then, I'd have more up my sleeve than falling unscathed from high places. That was supposed to be the temptation; incredible power in exchange for giving the demon a place in your soul. But I didn't hear any whispers of temptation, besides a temptation to just sit down and relax for five minutes – and that didn't strike me as all that evil.
So, okay. I could fall from a great height. What else could I do? I didn't remember any specifics from the stories, and anyway every Accursed seemed to have different tricks. How the hell was I supposed to figure this out? I tried a few martial arts poses, jumped around, and generally made a fool of myself for a few minutes, without effect. As demonic pacts go, this one seemed like a bit of a let-down.
Giving up on that, I took those five minutes of non-evil relaxation, and then headed off down the river what I reckoned was south-west-ish. Hopefully I'd reach civilization soon; I wasn't sure how I'd handle food and shelter. At least water didn't look like it would be a problem.
Again, I heard the voice before I saw its owner. The river flowed past a hill up ahead, blocking my view along the bank. If it hadn't, I probably would've steered well clear. As it was, I was drawn to investigate further by the sound of a voice singing in a language I didn't recognize, all vowels and hisses. The melody was weird, too, lots of quick runs up and down, almost no jumps. As I approached, though, it seemed to be getting quieter, so as I broke into a run I called out: "Hey! Can you help me?"
The song stopped, to be replaced by a stream of the same language, but at least it was getting louder now. A couple more seconds, and I was cresting the hill – and instantly regretting calling out.
Now, if I'm honest, it's not like I knew much about spirits at that point. I'd seen the big sleeping dragon in the museum, and maybe caught a glimpse of some wind spirits once or twice – hard to be sure, with creatures made of air. But you couldn't really say I'd ever met one. All I had to go on was stories and a very cursory classroom education that amounted to 'Spirits exist. Most of them are probably more scared of you than you are of them – a lot are just dumb animals, really – but unless you have training, avoid them'. And between the classroom and the stories, the stories were the less encouraging. So I think I can be forgiven a little terror when I saw the woman with river-blue hair trailing dew behind her. Not that she seemed to fare any better – her torrent of chatter died on her lips, and her eyes went big and round. For a few moments, we stood there, staring at each other. Then she seemed to catch herself staring, and drew herself up straight. She said something short in… I thought it was that same language, although was less… hah, I suppose less watery.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand."
She made a face. "What is your burden here? Why do you come so disguised?"
"Disguised?"
She gestured to her forehead in response. "Your anima."
"Uh, this isn't a disguise. I can't work out how to get rid of it, actually."
That stopped her dead for a few moments while she stared at me, this time with more curiosity than hostility. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision, and made a shallow bow. "Then be welcome, Highness, and forgive my presumption."
Now it was my turn to stare. "I… think you must have me mistaken for someone else. I'm just lost and trying to get home, or at least somewhere to stay the night."
"The Mandate dictates assistance. I will help as I can."
"…what 'Mandate'?"
"Sorrow; the Mandate of Heaven. Your rights as Lawgiver, to our assistance."
"'Lawgiver'? Wait, no, hold on. 'Our'?"
"Naturally, the gods. Come, there is shelter not far from here. It is meagre, but I cannot offer more. On the way, we can speak."
I stared at her for another few seconds, but the sun wasn't getting any higher. With a sigh, I jogged down the hill to her, falling into step as she led me away from the river towards this mysterious shelter.
For my first time jumping out of a car, I did pretty well. Just a slight graze on my left elbow, really. Which left me surrounded by more greenery than I think I'd ever seen in my life, without a single comforting concrete spire in sight. Right that moment, that's what struck me most of all: not only was I out of my depth, I was out of my element. No alleys, walls, or shops here. Just apparently-endless grass, dotted here and there with trees, and the sun creeping down the sky. I had a shadow now, at least, although I still seemed to be glowing. But apart from the sun, which I guessed from the skyline before I fell was probably a few points north of west, I had nothing to go on.
So, unfamiliar situation, no hope of rescue. Keep your eyes open and, unless a compelling reason presents itself to do otherwise, keep moving. At least, that was my theory; what am I, an expert? So I turned to face my shadow – no sense having the sun in my eyes – and starting walking. What I wouldn't have given for a decent bicycle.
I'm really not sure how long a walk it was before I heard the river. I was kind of wrapped up in confusion and (entirely justified) self-pity at the time. Probably only half an hour or so. What limited knowledge of survival in the wild I had suggested that finding water was probably a good thing, and the rest of the landscape had stubbornly refused to alter in more than the placement of the trees and occasional little ridges and hills. So I veered left and followed the noise.
To call it a river, really, is probably a bit too much. More of a creek, or perhaps a brook. A minor miracle that I heard it before I saw it, really. Fortunately, that also meant it wasn't too far away, so I reached it quickly. It was surprisingly clear. I'd expected it to be full of mud, but the water was clear enough to see the bottom of the far bank.
It was also still enough for me to cast a clear reflection, which gave me my first real clue of what the hell was going on. The glow was pretty much gone, but there, shining on my forehead, was a perfect ring of gold.
Because the day wouldn't be complete without demonic influence, right?
I mean, I'm not what you would call devout. My family isn't really, either. But we had a shelf of Immaculate writings, and prayed at the major festivals. And, of course, heard the stories.
Fuck. I'd assumed I was some kind of mutant or something. Some sort of comic book shit like that. But instead it's magic from thousands of years ago, hollowing me out into a vessel for evil spirits.
At least… that was what the stories said. But I didn't feel hollow. So far as I could tell, I was still me. I guess that's not the most reliable indication, but between gut instinct and three-thousand-year-old bedtime stories, I'll take gut instinct any day. There was probably some perfectly rational explanation for the glowing, and the falling off a skyscraper unscathed, and the caste mark, and… no, okay, there probably wasn't. 'Rational' wasn't a word that seemed to apply today.
Okay then. So I'm… Anathema, or Accursed, or whatever it is you call it. If there was any truth to the old stories, then, I'd have more up my sleeve than falling unscathed from high places. That was supposed to be the temptation; incredible power in exchange for giving the demon a place in your soul. But I didn't hear any whispers of temptation, besides a temptation to just sit down and relax for five minutes – and that didn't strike me as all that evil.
So, okay. I could fall from a great height. What else could I do? I didn't remember any specifics from the stories, and anyway every Accursed seemed to have different tricks. How the hell was I supposed to figure this out? I tried a few martial arts poses, jumped around, and generally made a fool of myself for a few minutes, without effect. As demonic pacts go, this one seemed like a bit of a let-down.
Giving up on that, I took those five minutes of non-evil relaxation, and then headed off down the river what I reckoned was south-west-ish. Hopefully I'd reach civilization soon; I wasn't sure how I'd handle food and shelter. At least water didn't look like it would be a problem.
Again, I heard the voice before I saw its owner. The river flowed past a hill up ahead, blocking my view along the bank. If it hadn't, I probably would've steered well clear. As it was, I was drawn to investigate further by the sound of a voice singing in a language I didn't recognize, all vowels and hisses. The melody was weird, too, lots of quick runs up and down, almost no jumps. As I approached, though, it seemed to be getting quieter, so as I broke into a run I called out: "Hey! Can you help me?"
The song stopped, to be replaced by a stream of the same language, but at least it was getting louder now. A couple more seconds, and I was cresting the hill – and instantly regretting calling out.
Now, if I'm honest, it's not like I knew much about spirits at that point. I'd seen the big sleeping dragon in the museum, and maybe caught a glimpse of some wind spirits once or twice – hard to be sure, with creatures made of air. But you couldn't really say I'd ever met one. All I had to go on was stories and a very cursory classroom education that amounted to 'Spirits exist. Most of them are probably more scared of you than you are of them – a lot are just dumb animals, really – but unless you have training, avoid them'. And between the classroom and the stories, the stories were the less encouraging. So I think I can be forgiven a little terror when I saw the woman with river-blue hair trailing dew behind her. Not that she seemed to fare any better – her torrent of chatter died on her lips, and her eyes went big and round. For a few moments, we stood there, staring at each other. Then she seemed to catch herself staring, and drew herself up straight. She said something short in… I thought it was that same language, although was less… hah, I suppose less watery.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand."
She made a face. "What is your burden here? Why do you come so disguised?"
"Disguised?"
She gestured to her forehead in response. "Your anima."
"Uh, this isn't a disguise. I can't work out how to get rid of it, actually."
That stopped her dead for a few moments while she stared at me, this time with more curiosity than hostility. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision, and made a shallow bow. "Then be welcome, Highness, and forgive my presumption."
Now it was my turn to stare. "I… think you must have me mistaken for someone else. I'm just lost and trying to get home, or at least somewhere to stay the night."
"The Mandate dictates assistance. I will help as I can."
"…what 'Mandate'?"
"Sorrow; the Mandate of Heaven. Your rights as Lawgiver, to our assistance."
"'Lawgiver'? Wait, no, hold on. 'Our'?"
"Naturally, the gods. Come, there is shelter not far from here. It is meagre, but I cannot offer more. On the way, we can speak."
I stared at her for another few seconds, but the sun wasn't getting any higher. With a sigh, I jogged down the hill to her, falling into step as she led me away from the river towards this mysterious shelter.
Fortuna
Court Astrologonomomancer
The setting is... sort of a blend of Modern, future-shifted canon, and what I make up, blended together in that time-honored mixture of whatever works. Some past events of some version of Exalted lore almost certainly happened in some form or another. And that's all I'm saying at this juncture. 
Part 3
Fortuna
Court Astrologonomomancer
After a couple of minutes it seemed clear that the spirit wasn't planning on continuing the conversation by herself, so I spent a few moments trying to work out which of my half-dozen pressing questions I wanted to ask first. "So… can you tell me about this 'Mandate'?"
"Surely. Long time ago, before I was made, the power over the gods passed from Heaven to the Lawgivers. Since, it is our duty to obey you, where it matches our duties."
"Okay… so who are these Lawgivers, then?"
"Your kind, and you. Sun-Blessed, sometimes we call you, and more names. I can think of perhaps five or fifteen. Since before I lost my people, you are the first I have seen."
"How long is that?"
She frowned, and moved her lips like she was working something out. "I am poor with your numbers, but I think… five thousands of years? A great five, we call it, in seven years."
I blinked. Even if she'd made a mistake, that was a hell of a long time. "What happened to them all?"
She shrugged. "They died. Your way is not to live safely, and time came for the ones who did in the end. And no more were born, since well before that. Maybe two great five-years." So ten thousand years, if she had figured right. That was… a long time ago. I honestly couldn't process it, really, so I just moved on to the next topic.
"What about your people? What happened to them?"
Another shrug. "They left, and died. Air won many years, and so some starved – they were Southern, and so Air's fury was new to them. And I disagreed with the court, which made it harder. I have put it behind me now; I have my river."
"Your river? You're a river spirit, then?"
Her face twisted, and for a moment I thought I saw knives in her mouth. Then she got herself under control. "A river god, Lawgiver. I am Aelesha, and I set the river in its course as it flows."
"Uh, right. Good to meet you, Aelesha. I'm…" it struck me that if I believed the Driver (though I wasn't sure I did), I probably shouldn't be giving out my name. I almost went with John Smith, but restrained myself. "Cody."
She bowed slightly again, the rage apparently forgotten. "My pleasure, Cody Sun-Blessed. Come; we are almost to the village."
She was right; I could hear the wind blowing past walls, rather than trees, up ahead. Just around the next rise it came into view; a wide, low tumbledown stone wall, ringing a space in which the outlines of more stone buildings could be seen. I guess five thousand years doesn't leave much to look at.
"It is poor, but the best in a night's walk. I hope it may be adequate."
I supposed it would take the teeth out of any wind, at least. "Thank you. I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Is there more you wish of me, Lawgiver?"
"Uh… food? Is the river water good to drink?"
She frowned. "The water should be clean for drinking; I do not know where food is to be had. I will look."
"Thanks."
"Surely. Shall I go now, then?"
"Uh, sure. I'll be here."
With another bow, she… dissolved? Faded? Sort of came apart into dust, and scattered into the air. I sighed, and turned around to go get a drink.
Short one today, but it was a natural stopping place and I'm not sure I'll write any more before bed.
"Surely. Long time ago, before I was made, the power over the gods passed from Heaven to the Lawgivers. Since, it is our duty to obey you, where it matches our duties."
"Okay… so who are these Lawgivers, then?"
"Your kind, and you. Sun-Blessed, sometimes we call you, and more names. I can think of perhaps five or fifteen. Since before I lost my people, you are the first I have seen."
"How long is that?"
She frowned, and moved her lips like she was working something out. "I am poor with your numbers, but I think… five thousands of years? A great five, we call it, in seven years."
I blinked. Even if she'd made a mistake, that was a hell of a long time. "What happened to them all?"
She shrugged. "They died. Your way is not to live safely, and time came for the ones who did in the end. And no more were born, since well before that. Maybe two great five-years." So ten thousand years, if she had figured right. That was… a long time ago. I honestly couldn't process it, really, so I just moved on to the next topic.
"What about your people? What happened to them?"
Another shrug. "They left, and died. Air won many years, and so some starved – they were Southern, and so Air's fury was new to them. And I disagreed with the court, which made it harder. I have put it behind me now; I have my river."
"Your river? You're a river spirit, then?"
Her face twisted, and for a moment I thought I saw knives in her mouth. Then she got herself under control. "A river god, Lawgiver. I am Aelesha, and I set the river in its course as it flows."
"Uh, right. Good to meet you, Aelesha. I'm…" it struck me that if I believed the Driver (though I wasn't sure I did), I probably shouldn't be giving out my name. I almost went with John Smith, but restrained myself. "Cody."
She bowed slightly again, the rage apparently forgotten. "My pleasure, Cody Sun-Blessed. Come; we are almost to the village."
She was right; I could hear the wind blowing past walls, rather than trees, up ahead. Just around the next rise it came into view; a wide, low tumbledown stone wall, ringing a space in which the outlines of more stone buildings could be seen. I guess five thousand years doesn't leave much to look at.
"It is poor, but the best in a night's walk. I hope it may be adequate."
I supposed it would take the teeth out of any wind, at least. "Thank you. I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Is there more you wish of me, Lawgiver?"
"Uh… food? Is the river water good to drink?"
She frowned. "The water should be clean for drinking; I do not know where food is to be had. I will look."
"Thanks."
"Surely. Shall I go now, then?"
"Uh, sure. I'll be here."
With another bow, she… dissolved? Faded? Sort of came apart into dust, and scattered into the air. I sighed, and turned around to go get a drink.
Short one today, but it was a natural stopping place and I'm not sure I'll write any more before bed.
Excellent view of a modern setting Exalted.
Part 4
Fortuna
Court Astrologonomomancer
It was dark by the time Aelesha came back. By that point I'd built up a little nook out of stones, and was experimenting with finding a way of covering a space that wouldn't fall over before you got a chance to look at it funny. She came up on foot, instead of just reappearing – maybe she could only teleport to one specific spot, or something? Anyway, I heard her before I saw her again, by her footfalls this time. That was surprising; maybe super-hearing was one of my 'tricks'? Anyway, by the time she actually arrived at the ruins, I was leaning against the most stable wall I could see, waiting for her. She didn't seem to be carrying anything, which wasn't promising – my stomach protested, although mercifully it was at least quiet.
Aelesha gave no sign of noticing me until she was past the outer wall, so I waved to catch her attention. She nodded at that, but waited until she was just a few feet away before speaking. "I have found no food; however, if you wish transport, it is to be had in the morning."
"Great! What did you find?"
"No doubt you know, Lawgiver, that among the elemental courts there are many migrants. One such is without employ, and has offered to convey you so long as it is convenient."
"Convenient for me or for him?"
Aelesha showed no sign of catching my tone, or the meaning of my smile. "Surely yours, Lawgiver. Forgetting the Mandate is below even the nadir of the courts."
"Right." That was… frankly a little creepy. It was only now beginning to register that I had apparently come into power over an entire society I knew almost nothing about.
Well, that could be fixed, and it was looking like I'd need to. I opened my mouth to ask Aelesha, then paused. How do I put it? 'Hey, Aelesha, I have no idea what the fuck is going on, any idea who can help with that?' 'Hey, Aelesha, I need a crash course on your culture, got any suggestions?' That didn't seem like a good way to go about things. I closed my mouth and turned the problem over in my head.
"Is there anything else, Lawgiver?"
"Uh… not immediately, thanks. You'll be back here in the morning?"
"Surely."
"Okay, thanks. I'll see you in the morning, I guess."
She nodded, and then turned to leave on foot. I sort of wondered why she didn't just go *poof*, but decided against asking. Instead I set about making myself comfortable in my little nook for the night.
I dozed for a bit. It wasn't the worst sleep I'd ever had, but then I'd caught naps in active construction sites. Surprisingly few aches and pains come morning, though. Mostly I was just hungry. Unfortunately, food didn't seem to be an option just now; I figured I'd probably stop noticing in a couple of hours, for a while at least. I was starting to seriously wish I'd found time for lunch yesterday. I got up as dawn was just starting to think about showing its face, moped about the ruins for a bit, went and got a drink of water. I came into sight of the ruins just as the first sliver of sun peeked over the horizon - straight into my eyes, by chance.
It hurt, of course. But there was more to it than that. There was... almost a message in that moment. A sensation, however absurd, that the sun itself was speaking to me. The voice, if you could call it that, was so faint that I couldn't make out the words - but at the same time so forceful that I wondered if I could have stood it any louder. And even if specific words eluded me, there was another level to that voice - a wash of emotion, all flowing together. Pride was there, both in the speaker and in me, chased by a joy that I can only call fierce, like it would sweep up its owner and carry them through whatever challenges they might meet laughing with the sheer power of it. But hard on its heels, there was a sense of regret - almost a plea for forgiveness - and an undercurrent, tainting it all, of sickening, paralyzing fear. For a long, long instant, I stood there, gaze locked with the sun's, and felt these things.
Then I blinked, and turned my face away, and the sun was just a great ball of flame, making its way up the sky to start the day.
I stood on that low hill for another few moments, processing what had just happened. Then I heard footsteps behind me, and turned to see Aelesha approaching from the direction of the river. I waved to her, and she nodded and quickened her pace. I went down to meet her.
"Lawgiver, that you are awake is good. Skerie is already impatient to be gone. I asked him to wait at the river, so as not to alarm you; if ready, we can go now."
"Sure. Let's go."
We passed the short walk in silence, this time. That was good; the rustle of feathers from up ahead gave me time to prepare myself.
Skerie, as it turned out, was a giant bird.
Aelesha gave no sign of noticing me until she was past the outer wall, so I waved to catch her attention. She nodded at that, but waited until she was just a few feet away before speaking. "I have found no food; however, if you wish transport, it is to be had in the morning."
"Great! What did you find?"
"No doubt you know, Lawgiver, that among the elemental courts there are many migrants. One such is without employ, and has offered to convey you so long as it is convenient."
"Convenient for me or for him?"
Aelesha showed no sign of catching my tone, or the meaning of my smile. "Surely yours, Lawgiver. Forgetting the Mandate is below even the nadir of the courts."
"Right." That was… frankly a little creepy. It was only now beginning to register that I had apparently come into power over an entire society I knew almost nothing about.
Well, that could be fixed, and it was looking like I'd need to. I opened my mouth to ask Aelesha, then paused. How do I put it? 'Hey, Aelesha, I have no idea what the fuck is going on, any idea who can help with that?' 'Hey, Aelesha, I need a crash course on your culture, got any suggestions?' That didn't seem like a good way to go about things. I closed my mouth and turned the problem over in my head.
"Is there anything else, Lawgiver?"
"Uh… not immediately, thanks. You'll be back here in the morning?"
"Surely."
"Okay, thanks. I'll see you in the morning, I guess."
She nodded, and then turned to leave on foot. I sort of wondered why she didn't just go *poof*, but decided against asking. Instead I set about making myself comfortable in my little nook for the night.
I dozed for a bit. It wasn't the worst sleep I'd ever had, but then I'd caught naps in active construction sites. Surprisingly few aches and pains come morning, though. Mostly I was just hungry. Unfortunately, food didn't seem to be an option just now; I figured I'd probably stop noticing in a couple of hours, for a while at least. I was starting to seriously wish I'd found time for lunch yesterday. I got up as dawn was just starting to think about showing its face, moped about the ruins for a bit, went and got a drink of water. I came into sight of the ruins just as the first sliver of sun peeked over the horizon - straight into my eyes, by chance.
It hurt, of course. But there was more to it than that. There was... almost a message in that moment. A sensation, however absurd, that the sun itself was speaking to me. The voice, if you could call it that, was so faint that I couldn't make out the words - but at the same time so forceful that I wondered if I could have stood it any louder. And even if specific words eluded me, there was another level to that voice - a wash of emotion, all flowing together. Pride was there, both in the speaker and in me, chased by a joy that I can only call fierce, like it would sweep up its owner and carry them through whatever challenges they might meet laughing with the sheer power of it. But hard on its heels, there was a sense of regret - almost a plea for forgiveness - and an undercurrent, tainting it all, of sickening, paralyzing fear. For a long, long instant, I stood there, gaze locked with the sun's, and felt these things.
Then I blinked, and turned my face away, and the sun was just a great ball of flame, making its way up the sky to start the day.
I stood on that low hill for another few moments, processing what had just happened. Then I heard footsteps behind me, and turned to see Aelesha approaching from the direction of the river. I waved to her, and she nodded and quickened her pace. I went down to meet her.
"Lawgiver, that you are awake is good. Skerie is already impatient to be gone. I asked him to wait at the river, so as not to alarm you; if ready, we can go now."
"Sure. Let's go."
We passed the short walk in silence, this time. That was good; the rustle of feathers from up ahead gave me time to prepare myself.
Skerie, as it turned out, was a giant bird.
Chloe Sullivan
Subdefective
- Location
- 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale CA
I get that a lot. I hand out hugs ratings for anything that gives feels.
Usually flying around immaterial might help a tad.
Part 5
Fortuna
Court Astrologonomomancer
I think it's to my credit that I didn't break stride. After falling off a skyscraper and walking away, my tolerance for weird had got a lot higher. Still a bit disconcerting to be going to meet a giant bird with an ancient goddess.
I figured Skerie stood a good seven feet, head to toe. When you think of a giant bird, you expect them to be built kind of like an eagle, I guess, or maybe an owl. But the way Skerie stood, the way his body aligned, reminded me of nothing so much as pictures of hummingbirds I'd seen, all leaned over - but snow-white, streaked with an icy blue. His face was more like an eagle, though, with a beak that I could see from here was wickedly sharp - and then, when he clacked his beak, I caught a glimpse of pointed teeth in that mouth, which just seemed excessive.
I waved as we approached, and he lifted a remarkably agile wing in response, then jumped at the same time, bringing up the other wing and turning the hop into a short flight, wings beating more furiously than should be possible at that size to bear him remarkably smoothly straight over to meet us. Barely a foot away, he just stopped dead, wings snapping back to his sides with a sort of rolling motion that arrested his movement, and landed neatly, cleanly vertical. I couldn't quite keep a grin off my face at that, which led him to bend in a sort of bow.
Aelesha spoke up. "Cody Sun-Blessed, I present to you Skerie, wanderer of the Air."
"Nice to meet you, Skerie."
In the corner of my eye, Aelesha's face briefly went deathly still. Skerie's beak clacked twice in rapid succession. "An honour, Lawgiver. Shall we be underway?" His accent, unsurprisingly, was Northern.
"Uh, I guess so, if you're ready."
"Of course, Lawgiver."
Aelesha made another little bow to me. "If I may, Lawgiver, I have duties to tend."
"Oh, uh, sure." That somehow seemed inadequate. "Goodbye, Aelesha. Thanks for everything."
"It has been an honour, Lawgiver." With that, she dissolved into the air.
Skerie clacked his beak again. "Well, that's a relief. Gets on all our nerves, she does." Now his accent had shifted; still Northern, but with a very Union overtone. "So. Travelling light, she said? Any specific destination in mind, or just with the wind?"
"Just get me to a city. I'll be fine from there."
"You sure? I mean, if you like, 'course, but it's not like I'm doing anything important. First Sunchild in how many fucking thousand years? No one's gonna care if a few prevailing winds don't blow as hard as they should."
I just stared at him for a moment. "You're telling me you literally make the wind blow?"
"Well, yeah. Huge flocks of us, all flying the same way. Gets real elaborate. All dances and patterns. It's a damn shame you lot can't see them."
"And, what, you got bored of the family business?"
Skerie flinched away. Just for the barest fraction of a second, but it was there. "Not so much. Just personal disagreements. Nothing to trouble you, Lawgiver."
Now it was my turn to flinch. "Cody, please. I haven't been a Lawgiver for three days yet, and I'm still not sure what it actually means."
Skerie tilted his head and said nothing for a few moments. "You know, I'm barely five hundred, never seen a Lawgiver before. But you're nothing like the stories."
"Yeah, well. It's not like they give you lessons. Or maybe I just missed out. I got a nutjob with a disappearing car instead, and I still don't know if I should trust half of what he said."
Skerie's wingtips sort of flicked up, then down again. "Well, I dunno. Folks say they used to have this whole system. I guess now it's just you."
That made me laugh. "I just wish there was an instruction manual." Skerie flicked his wingtips again. "Or maybe someone to explain it all."
That made him tilt his head again. "Well, you know. I'm just the ride. But there's folks around who know stuff. If you've got nowhere in mind, we could track a few of them down, see what they have to say."
I shrugged. "Who've you got in mind?"
"Well, you know. There's some old folks out on the edges. Or on the mountain, but they don't like visitors so much. Or a Starchild, maybe, but they say finding one of those is like finding ice in the desert. Or if you get really desperate, there's the dead and the demons, but if you'll pardon my saying so, I hope I'm long gone before it gets that bad."
I shrugged again. "Alright then. What's the first stop?"
Skerie closed his eyes a few seconds, then spoke without opening them. "How are you with the cold?"
"Pretty good, I guess. Why?"
He paused another moment. When he spoke again, there was a sort of sing-song rhythm to his voice, the cadence of a story. "Way up North, they say, past where I've ever been, past the last outposts of the mortals' iron, there's a wind that's blown since before the sun first rose into the sky. A great whirlwind, a thousand ages old. And in its heart, at the eye of that storm older than you or I, lives the one whose breath first kindled it. And soon or late, all wind blows there, and all secrets and whispers find their way to the heart, where the one takes them, in exchange for that first breath."
He opened his eyes. "I don't know how true it is. But it's a place to start. You game?"
I caught myself staring. "Uh, sure. But let's start with a trip to some city. Sounds like I'm going to need to wrap up very, very warm."
Skerie clacked his beak a couple of times. "Sure thing. Climb on, Cody. We've got a long flight ahead of us."
I figured Skerie stood a good seven feet, head to toe. When you think of a giant bird, you expect them to be built kind of like an eagle, I guess, or maybe an owl. But the way Skerie stood, the way his body aligned, reminded me of nothing so much as pictures of hummingbirds I'd seen, all leaned over - but snow-white, streaked with an icy blue. His face was more like an eagle, though, with a beak that I could see from here was wickedly sharp - and then, when he clacked his beak, I caught a glimpse of pointed teeth in that mouth, which just seemed excessive.
I waved as we approached, and he lifted a remarkably agile wing in response, then jumped at the same time, bringing up the other wing and turning the hop into a short flight, wings beating more furiously than should be possible at that size to bear him remarkably smoothly straight over to meet us. Barely a foot away, he just stopped dead, wings snapping back to his sides with a sort of rolling motion that arrested his movement, and landed neatly, cleanly vertical. I couldn't quite keep a grin off my face at that, which led him to bend in a sort of bow.
Aelesha spoke up. "Cody Sun-Blessed, I present to you Skerie, wanderer of the Air."
"Nice to meet you, Skerie."
In the corner of my eye, Aelesha's face briefly went deathly still. Skerie's beak clacked twice in rapid succession. "An honour, Lawgiver. Shall we be underway?" His accent, unsurprisingly, was Northern.
"Uh, I guess so, if you're ready."
"Of course, Lawgiver."
Aelesha made another little bow to me. "If I may, Lawgiver, I have duties to tend."
"Oh, uh, sure." That somehow seemed inadequate. "Goodbye, Aelesha. Thanks for everything."
"It has been an honour, Lawgiver." With that, she dissolved into the air.
Skerie clacked his beak again. "Well, that's a relief. Gets on all our nerves, she does." Now his accent had shifted; still Northern, but with a very Union overtone. "So. Travelling light, she said? Any specific destination in mind, or just with the wind?"
"Just get me to a city. I'll be fine from there."
"You sure? I mean, if you like, 'course, but it's not like I'm doing anything important. First Sunchild in how many fucking thousand years? No one's gonna care if a few prevailing winds don't blow as hard as they should."
I just stared at him for a moment. "You're telling me you literally make the wind blow?"
"Well, yeah. Huge flocks of us, all flying the same way. Gets real elaborate. All dances and patterns. It's a damn shame you lot can't see them."
"And, what, you got bored of the family business?"
Skerie flinched away. Just for the barest fraction of a second, but it was there. "Not so much. Just personal disagreements. Nothing to trouble you, Lawgiver."
Now it was my turn to flinch. "Cody, please. I haven't been a Lawgiver for three days yet, and I'm still not sure what it actually means."
Skerie tilted his head and said nothing for a few moments. "You know, I'm barely five hundred, never seen a Lawgiver before. But you're nothing like the stories."
"Yeah, well. It's not like they give you lessons. Or maybe I just missed out. I got a nutjob with a disappearing car instead, and I still don't know if I should trust half of what he said."
Skerie's wingtips sort of flicked up, then down again. "Well, I dunno. Folks say they used to have this whole system. I guess now it's just you."
That made me laugh. "I just wish there was an instruction manual." Skerie flicked his wingtips again. "Or maybe someone to explain it all."
That made him tilt his head again. "Well, you know. I'm just the ride. But there's folks around who know stuff. If you've got nowhere in mind, we could track a few of them down, see what they have to say."
I shrugged. "Who've you got in mind?"
"Well, you know. There's some old folks out on the edges. Or on the mountain, but they don't like visitors so much. Or a Starchild, maybe, but they say finding one of those is like finding ice in the desert. Or if you get really desperate, there's the dead and the demons, but if you'll pardon my saying so, I hope I'm long gone before it gets that bad."
I shrugged again. "Alright then. What's the first stop?"
Skerie closed his eyes a few seconds, then spoke without opening them. "How are you with the cold?"
"Pretty good, I guess. Why?"
He paused another moment. When he spoke again, there was a sort of sing-song rhythm to his voice, the cadence of a story. "Way up North, they say, past where I've ever been, past the last outposts of the mortals' iron, there's a wind that's blown since before the sun first rose into the sky. A great whirlwind, a thousand ages old. And in its heart, at the eye of that storm older than you or I, lives the one whose breath first kindled it. And soon or late, all wind blows there, and all secrets and whispers find their way to the heart, where the one takes them, in exchange for that first breath."
He opened his eyes. "I don't know how true it is. But it's a place to start. You game?"
I caught myself staring. "Uh, sure. But let's start with a trip to some city. Sounds like I'm going to need to wrap up very, very warm."
Skerie clacked his beak a couple of times. "Sure thing. Climb on, Cody. We've got a long flight ahead of us."
Last edited:
Finagle007
[Verified Great Old One]
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Off to the Elemental Pole of Air, then...
Are you having the Five Elemental Dragons be Third Circle Devas of Gaia (BTW, Gaia's devas are known as kami), or what?
Are you having the Five Elemental Dragons be Third Circle Devas of Gaia (BTW, Gaia's devas are known as kami), or what?
Part 6
Fortuna
Court Astrologonomomancer
I'd never ridden so much as a horse, so there was a bit of difficulty with figuring out how to climb on in the first place. After a little consideration, I gave up on climbing and just took a running jump, finding a sort of shoulder seat that seemed to leave Skerie's wings free to move. A few experimental flaps and a short test flight (well, hop) later, Skerie agreed, although I got the impression that he was beginning to regret agreeing to carry me.
When we actually took off, I had a brief moment of regret as well, feeling my grip slip a moment as Skerie's wings really hit their stride. Then I realized that if I could fall of a skyscraper without even a scrape, falling off a bird probably wouldn't be any worse. Skerie, meanwhile, was flapping furiously, his wings literally whirring. The wind came up behind us, like it was answering him - actually, given what he'd said about making winds, I figured it probably was. Most of our forward motion seemed to be coming from the wind; Skerie's focus was on taking us up high. I made a mental note to ask him about that when we landed.
And maybe ask him to fly a bit lower next time. It was still soon after dawn, in Resplendent Air, so the air wasn't that warm in the first place, and between the wind at our back and the height we were gaining, it was quickly getting colder. I still had my hoodie - you don't go and climb the Red Tower without something to take the teeth out of the wind - but that didn't make it comfortable. I hunched down over him, trying to present as little area to the wind as I could, but we were still climbing, and the wind seemed to be picking up speed.
By the time we got done climbing straight up, there were clouds below us, the kind that looks all fluffy from the ground. They still looked fluffy, but from this height you could really see the scale of them, some of them miles to a side. And below them, the ground unrolled, untouched fields with the occasional silver river, drifting past ever-so-slowly - until I looked to the west, and caught our shadow racing over the landscape, a diffuse patch of ground a fraction darker than the ground around it, covering twice its length in the blink of an eye. I tried to figure out how long it would have to be, but gave up - I barely passed trigonometry in the first place - and just enjoyed the view.
We were still climbing, it looked like, but more slowly now, at a shallow angle. We had started out what I figured was due north, but now we were curving slowly around to the left, in a huge arc. I resolved that if we didn't get where we were going today, I would ask Skerie where exactly that was after we landed.
I really don't recall most of the trip all that well. At some point I got bored of watching the ground pass and settled back into my own head. I think I actually managed a few bits of sleep, unlikely as that sounds. And I thought a lot about my situation, although mostly I just went around in circles. And I wished I was warmer, of course, although I tried to keep my shivering to a minimum to avoid distracting Skerie.
A little while after noon, we finally levelled off for a few moments. Then abruptly, Skerie just stopped flapping, stretching his wings out to their fullest. For just an instant, we dropped like a stone, but Skerie sort of cupped his wings, settling us into a glide. That answered why we'd climbed so high, at least.
After a couple of moments, I decided it was probably safe to talk to him now. "So, Skerie. Where are we going, exactly?"
He tilted his head. "There's a city, I think it's called Vether or something. We should make it within a mile or two before dark, so you can go in and sort out your clothes and stuff."
"Great." If they had a decent sports store or something, I probably wouldn't have so much trouble with flying high tomorrow anyway. "And where we're actually going? Way up North? How long a trip do you figure?"
Skerie clacked his beak again. I was starting to figure that was his version of laughing. "I've been flying south as far as I could most days since Calibration. And I didn't start out all that far north - well before the ice sets in proper. We'll be going a good season just to get to your northmost cities. And if the first storm does still exist, it'll be a long way past that."
I grimaced. Somehow I'd assumed it would take us a couple of weeks at most. "That's a longer trip than I was thinking of. I don't suppose there's a faster way I could go?"
"Trying to get rid of me already, boss? I'm hurt. But there's not a lot that goes faster than a galebird. A few demons, some magic, but it all comes with costs, or tricks. You want no strings attached, I reckon I'm your fastest bet."
"Someone closer we could talk to, maybe? I don't exactly need the lost secrets of primordial sorcery. Just someone who can reassure me that I'm not going to turn into a ravening demon."
Skerie stayed quiet a few moments. "Don't seem all that demonic to me, mate. But yeah, we could probably find someone, if you think it's important. I think there's a tree of records another half-day or so past Vether."
"What's that?"
"You know, a lore-tree. Big fellows, don't move about much, don't forget a thing and live a hell of a long time. This one's got to be a good three or four thousand years old, at least, and lore-trees are trustworthy, as a rule. We can be there at dawn, if you don't mind a short sleep tonight. No point going faster - that sort don't wake up easy at night."
"...okay then. That sounds good."
"Right then. So pressing on for Vether?"
"Yeah. I want a better jacket before we go up again. It's freezing up here."
Skerie clacked his beak again. "Good thing we're not going up north, then."
I shivered at the thought. Or maybe at the cold. "I guess so."
That seemed to be the end of the conversation. We stayed quiet for the next few hours, until Skerie had landed in a field with the 'city' of Vether, proudly home to a hundred thousand citizens, in close view, the sun just starting to go down. I got down from Skerie's shoulders by letting myself fall backwards. I was just going to let myself fall to the ground, but at the last moment I stuck out my hands and flipped back onto my feet. What can I say, I've always been a showoff. Although Skerie couldn't see me, and there was no one else around, so it was a bit wasted.
"Alright then. I should be back in an hour or two. If I'm not... I guess there's not much you can do."
"I'll think well of you always." There was a joking sort of look in his eye, but I wasn't quite sure how to read him yet.
"Yeah, do that. Get some sleep while I'm gone, maybe? I can nap on your back, and I'd like to be gone once I'm back."
Skerie clacked his beak. "Napping on my back? That's got to be a sight to see. Right you are; I'll be here. Just call my name."
"Sure. See you in a couple of hours." And with that, I set off for the city at a brisk walk, wishing I'd had my lockpicks in my pocket up the tower.
When we actually took off, I had a brief moment of regret as well, feeling my grip slip a moment as Skerie's wings really hit their stride. Then I realized that if I could fall of a skyscraper without even a scrape, falling off a bird probably wouldn't be any worse. Skerie, meanwhile, was flapping furiously, his wings literally whirring. The wind came up behind us, like it was answering him - actually, given what he'd said about making winds, I figured it probably was. Most of our forward motion seemed to be coming from the wind; Skerie's focus was on taking us up high. I made a mental note to ask him about that when we landed.
And maybe ask him to fly a bit lower next time. It was still soon after dawn, in Resplendent Air, so the air wasn't that warm in the first place, and between the wind at our back and the height we were gaining, it was quickly getting colder. I still had my hoodie - you don't go and climb the Red Tower without something to take the teeth out of the wind - but that didn't make it comfortable. I hunched down over him, trying to present as little area to the wind as I could, but we were still climbing, and the wind seemed to be picking up speed.
By the time we got done climbing straight up, there were clouds below us, the kind that looks all fluffy from the ground. They still looked fluffy, but from this height you could really see the scale of them, some of them miles to a side. And below them, the ground unrolled, untouched fields with the occasional silver river, drifting past ever-so-slowly - until I looked to the west, and caught our shadow racing over the landscape, a diffuse patch of ground a fraction darker than the ground around it, covering twice its length in the blink of an eye. I tried to figure out how long it would have to be, but gave up - I barely passed trigonometry in the first place - and just enjoyed the view.
We were still climbing, it looked like, but more slowly now, at a shallow angle. We had started out what I figured was due north, but now we were curving slowly around to the left, in a huge arc. I resolved that if we didn't get where we were going today, I would ask Skerie where exactly that was after we landed.
I really don't recall most of the trip all that well. At some point I got bored of watching the ground pass and settled back into my own head. I think I actually managed a few bits of sleep, unlikely as that sounds. And I thought a lot about my situation, although mostly I just went around in circles. And I wished I was warmer, of course, although I tried to keep my shivering to a minimum to avoid distracting Skerie.
A little while after noon, we finally levelled off for a few moments. Then abruptly, Skerie just stopped flapping, stretching his wings out to their fullest. For just an instant, we dropped like a stone, but Skerie sort of cupped his wings, settling us into a glide. That answered why we'd climbed so high, at least.
After a couple of moments, I decided it was probably safe to talk to him now. "So, Skerie. Where are we going, exactly?"
He tilted his head. "There's a city, I think it's called Vether or something. We should make it within a mile or two before dark, so you can go in and sort out your clothes and stuff."
"Great." If they had a decent sports store or something, I probably wouldn't have so much trouble with flying high tomorrow anyway. "And where we're actually going? Way up North? How long a trip do you figure?"
Skerie clacked his beak again. I was starting to figure that was his version of laughing. "I've been flying south as far as I could most days since Calibration. And I didn't start out all that far north - well before the ice sets in proper. We'll be going a good season just to get to your northmost cities. And if the first storm does still exist, it'll be a long way past that."
I grimaced. Somehow I'd assumed it would take us a couple of weeks at most. "That's a longer trip than I was thinking of. I don't suppose there's a faster way I could go?"
"Trying to get rid of me already, boss? I'm hurt. But there's not a lot that goes faster than a galebird. A few demons, some magic, but it all comes with costs, or tricks. You want no strings attached, I reckon I'm your fastest bet."
"Someone closer we could talk to, maybe? I don't exactly need the lost secrets of primordial sorcery. Just someone who can reassure me that I'm not going to turn into a ravening demon."
Skerie stayed quiet a few moments. "Don't seem all that demonic to me, mate. But yeah, we could probably find someone, if you think it's important. I think there's a tree of records another half-day or so past Vether."
"What's that?"
"You know, a lore-tree. Big fellows, don't move about much, don't forget a thing and live a hell of a long time. This one's got to be a good three or four thousand years old, at least, and lore-trees are trustworthy, as a rule. We can be there at dawn, if you don't mind a short sleep tonight. No point going faster - that sort don't wake up easy at night."
"...okay then. That sounds good."
"Right then. So pressing on for Vether?"
"Yeah. I want a better jacket before we go up again. It's freezing up here."
Skerie clacked his beak again. "Good thing we're not going up north, then."
I shivered at the thought. Or maybe at the cold. "I guess so."
That seemed to be the end of the conversation. We stayed quiet for the next few hours, until Skerie had landed in a field with the 'city' of Vether, proudly home to a hundred thousand citizens, in close view, the sun just starting to go down. I got down from Skerie's shoulders by letting myself fall backwards. I was just going to let myself fall to the ground, but at the last moment I stuck out my hands and flipped back onto my feet. What can I say, I've always been a showoff. Although Skerie couldn't see me, and there was no one else around, so it was a bit wasted.
"Alright then. I should be back in an hour or two. If I'm not... I guess there's not much you can do."
"I'll think well of you always." There was a joking sort of look in his eye, but I wasn't quite sure how to read him yet.
"Yeah, do that. Get some sleep while I'm gone, maybe? I can nap on your back, and I'd like to be gone once I'm back."
Skerie clacked his beak. "Napping on my back? That's got to be a sight to see. Right you are; I'll be here. Just call my name."
"Sure. See you in a couple of hours." And with that, I set off for the city at a brisk walk, wishing I'd had my lockpicks in my pocket up the tower.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
So.
Cody is a Chosen one, with Sun-related powers, riding a giant bird, on his way to find out if he's truing into a monster and (if so) how to cure it.
Is this Dark Souls?
Cody is a Chosen one, with Sun-related powers, riding a giant bird, on his way to find out if he's truing into a monster and (if so) how to cure it.
Is this Dark Souls?
Chloe Sullivan
Subdefective
- Location
- 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale CA
It's a good story, with a smooth balance of exposition and action, but the prose is a little... plain. And there needs to be more conflict soon.