The morning sun had retreated far beyond the stretching walls of Ascent by the time the final lines of Lokasenna hung in the hushed air. Breathing a reluctant, but finished breath, savoring the chilled afternoon air, Astrid dragged her gaze upwards to the darkening sky in defeat, ".. Uh oh.. Story time's over." Astrid heaved a soft groan, running her nervous fingers through her blackened hair in anxiety.
Fead narrowed his eyes in confusion before starting softly, "How hard could it be to explain the fight to your fath-"
"Ynir." Astrid informed quietly before leaping from her perch upon the branch. Hopping about childishly, Astrid's serious demeanor twirled upon its heel as she groaned, spat and complained bitterly of the rather impressive bruise the branch left upon her backside and her legs. Swearing for the life of her that she would regret the seating arrangement later.
"He's not your father?" Fead gaped in alarm, panic written tightly across his growing, boyish features, "But- But he said he was! If he's not- That-" Fead stammered in terror before he leapt from his seat upon the branch. His panicked words cut off adruptly as the satyr skipped about in an attempt to regain sensation in his furry goat legs "-That makes you a liar for calling him your father, and him a liar for telling you to! You both could burn if anyone so much as suspected! My father burned for less!"
"He is my father!" Astrid assured, holding out her slender hands sweetly to calm the satyr as he hopped about the place in a strangely mesmerizing attempt at a jig. Despite herself, a soft smile crossed her features; Even when Fead was certain she'd burn alive for her lies, he was still charmingly sweet, "He just, well, doesn't like me to call him it anymore. After Iheia got pregnant, he's been.." Astrid paused, looking deliberately into the evening sky in search of a distraction before, noting there was nothing above but the circling birds, pulled her lip between her nervous teeth as she continued, "Well.. He's been worried for the babe. Worried for 'the family'. He thinks that I shouldn't.. Stir things.. Believes that I do it on purpose. Says it's too Chaotic. Scares people.. He will not like this." Astrid admitted in guilt, directing a repentant look in Fead's direction before she started upon the faded path with dreading steps. Her gaze reluctantly staring at the soil beneath her bare feet rather than toward the looming, oppressive walls of Ascent.
"But, they were going to hang me!" Fead burst out, dashing a step forward to keep up with Astrid's sudden pace, "He's not worried about you anymore?" Fead asked as his brow furrowed in concern and alarm, "But, you've been hung! You need his help!" He exclaimed as if Astrid didn't know such things.
"The unborn babe matters more." Astrid condemned miserably.
"Oh." Fead breathed as his gaze slipped across the horizon in a desperate persuit of a distraction. Or, better yet, something that would fill the sullen silence with the same wild laughter that had filled the afternoon air just a few moments ago.
The floating land that the city of Ascent rested upon was named, confusingly enough, Ascent. Primarily because the inhabitants of the city chose to believe that the rolling hills and whispering trees that stretched just south of their highest walls were non existant if a certain number of people simply ignored it hard enough; And so the land ended with the city.
The city itself was a poorly designed creation when it had been originally built. Needless to say, it was never intended for the sharp increase in the population pressing within its walls. But it did rise rather quickly, only a single generation after Ascent rose the population had swelled to a rather unreasonable number for the tight space provided.
As the unknown was generally a chaotic, unruly and disorderly subject, the people of Ascent stubbornly settled themselves in their nest and simply took to cramming as many homes in the tight space as possible; Rather than risk such a dangerous, terrifying subject as expansion.
The product of their nesting was quite simply put; a really very chaotic city. Twisting from the city's heart sprouted crooked and lengthy alleys, each named decidedly after some ore, gem or mineral that was once mined in the heathen land of Descent, before, of course, it fell apart at the hands of their own Gods. Surrounding the packed city was a constricting wall built after Ascent rose, constructed primarily with uneven, poorly crafted bricks that stretched high into the sky, casting the entire city in shadow.
Bleating loudly in joy, Fead suddenly launched himself into the gently babbling creek that was born within the Ever-Fountain at center of Ascent, its waters travelled decisively in each of the cardinal directions of the compass. Only to drop their clear waters off the cliffs upon the edges of Ascent, where they plummetted onto the land of Descent lost in cloud below.
Plucking a glittering treasure from the crystal waters, Fead spun upon his hoofed heel, proudly brandishing his prize with delight to Astrid. Inadvertently splashing the dark haired child with water as he made such a swift movement.
A single, dark stone gleamed pleasantly between his tanned fingertips, wordlessly boasting proudly of its own rarity.
"A stone!" Astrid gasped in shock, tripping over her own feet as she staggered forward before she knew particularly where she was heading. The chilling waters of the creek lapped playfully at her ankles as Astrid's sparkling blue eyes drank in the rare delight before her. "What a find! I haven't seen one of those in years!" Astrid exclaimed as her lips gaped softly in wonder. "No one has! Can't even find them in the nest of the Evelnii anymore! You should hide it before the Evelnii above sees! Ynir says that it's because its been too long since Ascent touched Descent; All the stones we once had have been stolen, dropped, or discarded and we can't get anymore!" Astrid excitedly informed as she absently bounced upon her heels with excited awe. "What a find!"
"Perhaps.. Guin Morr of Iron will bind it to wire.." Fead wondered aloud as he stepped out from the creek with a considering smile, before he shook his dripping hooves firmly by kicking each limb in determination to rid himself of every last drop.
He DESPISED the sensation of water against his newer skin, or rather, fur.
"Why would you want a stone bound to wire?" Astrid inquired curiously as she leapt from the chilled water, mimicing Fead as she hopped from one foot to the other, shaking the water from her ankles just as comedically.
"So it can be hung from a cord. It's how you make a necklace."
"Clever!" Astrid declared ignorantly as a wide grin stretched across her features in innocence.
Fead suddenly threw his horned head back, bleating aloud with a pounding laughter, "Astrid, it's a necklace for you! Consider it a reward for disturbing The Gallows Game." Fead chuckled as he turned to Astrid's blank, yet flattered features, "Well, that, and for giving Ivor a Frost Giant's Eye, as well as Loki's Grin!" Fead declared boldly before freezing adruptly the instant Astrid leaned forward, softly pecking her lips against his cheek. "Mwah."
Fead's confident grin dropped in shock at the unexpected kiss as his softly agap, incredibly silent mouth, formed only the unspoken words, 'Wow.' before the stone fell from his numb fingers.
"If I'd known-" Fead's voice squeaked sharply, much to the embarrassment of the very red cheeked satyr, "-That a stone earned that.. I would have hunted for one for every hour I was able to see!" He declared in a squeaking voice hushed with shock.
Astrid laughed softly as she crouched to the ground, delicately plucking the stone from the dust with gently fingers, as if she held gold, "Knightly Knight! You really know nothing about women! I kissed you because you were kind! Not because of a trinket, or a treasure!"
The Evelnii, a descendant of a bird known to the people of Descent as an eagle, circled over head, contemplating boredly the sight of the gleaming treasure within the palm of the dark haired child. Unlike the eagles upon Descent, The Evelnii was an enormous beast, with a wing span the size of Ascent itself. The creature was so large, that the small thing clutching the stone it desired was only the size of its own talon, it calculated greedily, the child's grip would be nothing troublesome.
And with that thought, the giant eagle dove sharply towards the child with bared talons, a sharp screech filling the air as it delicately plucked the treasure from the child's palm before returning to the air. What The Evelnii hadn'texpected, however, was for the black haired girl to stubbornly refuse to let go, and instead of releasing the stone, she simply gripped the leg of the beast as it dove past, and only tightened her fingers as the two gained altitude.
And so the Evelnii gained a rather unwanted passanger.