Chapter Five: Stormy Skies
Her lithe body twisted in upon itself as she plummeted towards the earth. Sapphire hair streamed out behind her, the tattered rages of her very battered tunic fluttered around her fragile body in an almost attractive way. I dove after her, striving to catch her, but to no avail, she slid right through my intangible fingers. She was screaming, ah, I thought, the consequences of her 'flight' are sinking in. Wait, no, not screaming...laughing?
Yes, she was laughing, a musical, joyous sound. It only added to my confusion. She wanted to splatter herself across the ground? Damn, had to come up with something, or I'd never live it down. The ground rushes closer and closer. I closed my eyes, readying myself for the impact...that never came.
Instead, when I opened my eyes, I found her floated a few inches off the ground, and being gently lowered by faint, shadowy women. She flashed an impish grin at me, "Had you scared, didn't I?"
"How the hell did you..."
Her grin only widened, "I'm half sylph, air elemental. My mother was fascinated with humans, so she married one," a frown darted across her face, "They're both dead now, Mother and Father, they died in the pit before the Winglies found me."
I rested a ghostly hand on her shoulder, surprised to find that I could indeed do that, "Don't worry, we'll be paying them back tenfold for everything they've done to us. Do you have a name, or do I keep calling you Kid?"
"Mekalya," I caught a faint glimmer of light in her amber eyes, a light I knew all too well.
"Well then, Mekalya, we should head back to Vellweb. The others will be waiting for us I imagine."
She cocked her head to one side, spilling blue hair across one semi-bare shoulder, "I could probably get us there faster...I think. The Sylphs owe me a major favor."
"Really?" I lofted an auburn brow in question, "How?"
She flashed another cheerful grin, "Sylph travel!"
I couldn't believe my luck, really. I thought for sure I was going to die in that wretched place, not that it would be a fast death mind you, but a very slow one from infection or something. The day that Kanzas appeared in my little cell room, the world seemingly turned upside down. For once, I felt hope, not just for myself, but for all of humankind. With his support, I broke myself out of my prison and fled. I think, though, that I scared him greatly when I flung myself over the edge.
Freedom is such a wonderful thing, but how can I enjoy it when those oppressors are still sitting there in their gilded cities, keeping us all slaves of terror? No, not for much longer. Kanzas said that he thinks I am meant to take his place among the Dragoons, and that can only mean that there will be others. Instead of just seven Dragoons, now there will be fourteen. We –will- strike the Winglies down, or die in the effort. But I am sure we will be victorious.
It's strange, the Kanzas in legend was so bloodthirsty, borderline on evil, and so bloodthirsty that only Shirley could calm him. Are the legends wrong? Did they someone overstate the little things, and exaggerate his mental state of mind? I found him to be so much like myself, it was scary.
He mentioned going to Vellweb, and I offered him the sylph travel winds to transport us. Little did I know the horror, and the surprise that would greet me upon entering Vellweb.
Her lithe body twisted in upon itself as she plummeted towards the earth. Sapphire hair streamed out behind her, the tattered rages of her very battered tunic fluttered around her fragile body in an almost attractive way. I dove after her, striving to catch her, but to no avail, she slid right through my intangible fingers. She was screaming, ah, I thought, the consequences of her 'flight' are sinking in. Wait, no, not screaming...laughing?
Yes, she was laughing, a musical, joyous sound. It only added to my confusion. She wanted to splatter herself across the ground? Damn, had to come up with something, or I'd never live it down. The ground rushes closer and closer. I closed my eyes, readying myself for the impact...that never came.
Instead, when I opened my eyes, I found her floated a few inches off the ground, and being gently lowered by faint, shadowy women. She flashed an impish grin at me, "Had you scared, didn't I?"
"How the hell did you..."
Her grin only widened, "I'm half sylph, air elemental. My mother was fascinated with humans, so she married one," a frown darted across her face, "They're both dead now, Mother and Father, they died in the pit before the Winglies found me."
I rested a ghostly hand on her shoulder, surprised to find that I could indeed do that, "Don't worry, we'll be paying them back tenfold for everything they've done to us. Do you have a name, or do I keep calling you Kid?"
"Mekalya," I caught a faint glimmer of light in her amber eyes, a light I knew all too well.
"Well then, Mekalya, we should head back to Vellweb. The others will be waiting for us I imagine."
She cocked her head to one side, spilling blue hair across one semi-bare shoulder, "I could probably get us there faster...I think. The Sylphs owe me a major favor."
"Really?" I lofted an auburn brow in question, "How?"
She flashed another cheerful grin, "Sylph travel!"
I couldn't believe my luck, really. I thought for sure I was going to die in that wretched place, not that it would be a fast death mind you, but a very slow one from infection or something. The day that Kanzas appeared in my little cell room, the world seemingly turned upside down. For once, I felt hope, not just for myself, but for all of humankind. With his support, I broke myself out of my prison and fled. I think, though, that I scared him greatly when I flung myself over the edge.
Freedom is such a wonderful thing, but how can I enjoy it when those oppressors are still sitting there in their gilded cities, keeping us all slaves of terror? No, not for much longer. Kanzas said that he thinks I am meant to take his place among the Dragoons, and that can only mean that there will be others. Instead of just seven Dragoons, now there will be fourteen. We –will- strike the Winglies down, or die in the effort. But I am sure we will be victorious.
It's strange, the Kanzas in legend was so bloodthirsty, borderline on evil, and so bloodthirsty that only Shirley could calm him. Are the legends wrong? Did they someone overstate the little things, and exaggerate his mental state of mind? I found him to be so much like myself, it was scary.
He mentioned going to Vellweb, and I offered him the sylph travel winds to transport us. Little did I know the horror, and the surprise that would greet me upon entering Vellweb.