"Ok, so I just flap my arms?"
"Yes."
"Seriously."
"How else?" Cel watched Tom frown, his brows furrowing. She held back a laugh; he looked so serious. "The cape follows your movements. If you want, we could hold your hand and show you how we take off and land."
Ori piped up at that. "Oh, no, Cel, he has to do this by himself, every moth does, being taller than a darkness tree doesn't make him special!"
Cel rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny it. She still remembered her first day on this beach, just before she'd been found. "Well, he can decide what he would like to do." She turned to Tom, smiling. "We've all taken first flaps, and we've all knocked our heads on things. You'll catch on quickly."
Tom looked at her with those dark eyes of his, seemingly discarding his answer, and instead looked at the crowd of other moths around him, all watching wide-eyed.
Whitti spoke up from where he stood beside them, holding one of the smaller one's hands. "Oh, don't worry about us, we've all been there! No pressure!"
"Yeah, thanks," Tom muttered.
Suddenly, Cel had an idea. There were multiple things to be gained here. "How about we all have a flying lesson? How does that sound?"
Ori scoffed but Whitti yelled over them, maybe a little too excitedly. "That's a great idea!"
"But I already know how to fly," Question grumbled, kicking at the sand, but the other moths were making sounds of agreement, stepping forward.
"All right everyone, form a line next to Tom, okay?" They did, even with Ori's half-hearted objections. Cel watched Question and Tina squabble for a few moments over who got to be second in line after Tom, before she spoke up: "Now, today seems to be your lucky day; Tom apparently has two sides, one for each of you! How fortunate!" She ignored Question sticking his tongue out at her, and soon they were all lined up.
Just as she'd hoped, Cel saw the small relief on Tom's face at no longer being the center of attention. However, She also knew that attention was something he would have to get used to. He was just so very interesting.
"All right!" Cel put herself at the end of the line, holding her arms up, the edges of her cape following her movements. "Make sure there's enough room to fly, we don't want anybody crashing into each other!"
Some embarrassed shuffling.
"Deep breaths! Raise your arms! Picture where you want to go, and Tom, you only have one flap so don't expect to get too far, all right? Let's focus on gliding for now, so keep your legs under your body while in the air, understood?"
Out of the corner of her eye she saw him nodding, towering over the rest of the brown caped moths.
"We'll start on three. One... two..."
A tensing, an anticipation; something that a skykid never stopped feeling, no matter how old they were or how many wings they found.
"Three!" With a great flapping, the children of the sky took off together. Cel joined them, but resisted the urge to fly as high and hard and fast as she could; old habits didn't die easily. Instead, she kept her eyes on Tom.
He glided off, retaining his low altitude, before drifting back towards the lowering slope of the dune, seemingly without much struggle. A sign of strength, she knew. The capes were light, but if they fell under control of the winds instead of their owner, it suddenly became a contest of control, especially up in the higher altitudes.
He landed, and slid for a moment over the fine sand before his heavy boots caught and he started stumbling, flailing his arms in search for balance.
Cel angled her wings and landed gracefully, her smooth shoes sliding effortlessly on the sand, watching his first awkward landing attempt. Tom would be all right, just like she had been. She stopped sliding deliberately and jogged closer, slowing.
With a decisive step and a small skid, Tom brought himself to a halt.
She saw, at this distance, his smile. It was hesitant and small, but genuine. And that brought a smile to her face, too. Then she focused her attention on the other reason she'd suggested this flying lesson.
The other skykids were flying freely, flapping and soaring joyfully, while cheering each other on. She'd purposefully not made it a distance contest. The moths, for the most part, were shaky and disorganized, their little arms supporting their direction and speed with as much strength as they could muster.
Whitti was his usual self, carving his way through the air like a manta, and Ori fluttered and flipped, not only showing off but genuinely enjoying themself (they'd never admit it, of course).
Cel made mental notes. There was a reason they'd been on the Isle of Dawn today, and while it was a blessing to meet Tom, there had been something they needed to do. She made her way to Tom, who was also watching the other children, analyzing them.
"How can they fly so long? Does it have to do with the diamonds on their capes?"
"Yes," she replied, stopping next to him. "The diamonds show how many wings you have, which are made of individual winged light. A wing equals a single flap."
"Winged light, the shiny boi I touched?"
"Uh, yes. The shining boy."
"How many do you have?" He looked over her shoulder, and she turned slightly to let him see her back.
"I have eight wings." She met his gaze. "Ninety-five winged lights."
His eyes widened. "That… sounds like a lot."
Cel smiled. "I've… well, I've been working on my cape for a while now."
"Why?"
She hesitated. It was too early to bring up the Eye, she thought, but sooner or later he'd have to know, just like the rest of them. "Well, for one it's nice to be able to fly further, faster."
He nodded, a small smile still present while watching the other skykids circling each other.
"So you enjoyed your flight?"
Tom looked to her again, eyes alight. "Of course. Well, I was a bit worried about landing, it would be easy to twist an ankle if you do it badly, and I wouldn't want to crash into any-"
He was interrupted by a panicked moth careening out of the sky at terminal velocity, heading for the ground very close by. They crashed with an almighty THUD accompanied by an eruption of sand.
"Holy-" Tom then said a word that Cel didn't know, and ran to the crater. "Tina!"
Cel followed, confused.
A small form sat up from the impact zone, head nodding woozily. "Yes, Tom?"
He knelt beside her, face stricken, a hand reached out as if to help her but uncertain of how. "Are you… how in the…"
The moth stood up, smiling dizzily, then wiggled, sand falling from her cape in waves. "I'm ok, big brother."
Cel's eyes flicked between the unharmed child and Tom, trying to understand why he'd been so worried. There wasn't any polluted water nearby and no chance at all that dark creatures were involved in Tina's fall… But he didn't even know about those yet.
He looked taken aback. "Oh… good. I'm glad you're ok."
She smiled again, already recovered, her cape lighting up in their proximity. Tina gave Tom a quick hug, which made him freeze, then took off again.
He watched her go, dumbfounded.
Cel approached him slowly. "What's wrong, Tom?"
"Oh... I was just worried about her. That was quite a fall."
Cel spoke slowly. "An impact like that… you thought it would harm her?"
"Yeah, actually…" He looked at her. "If I were her, it would have killed me."
Cold shot through Cel, shaking her heartfire with confusion and shock. "What?"
"You heard me. If I hit the ground like that, I'd be dead." Catching her expression, he went on, eyes narrowed in confusion. "Bones broken, blood all over... " He stopped, as if realizing something. He smiled ruefully, scratching his head. "Sorry. It would be bad."
She shook her head, pushing back memories of broken things, of running, fear, and pain, and- Cel forced herself back to the present. "...Blood? What's that?"
His eyes widened, then he started thinking, presumably to explain the alien concept to her.
Celeste had basically known that he wasn't like them, the sky children, but this confirmed it. He was a completely different kind of being, what with his lack of internal candlelight, dark hair, odd body, and excessive height. And he had blood, whatever that was. They were walking now, and the ruins of the takeoff point were visible.
"It's a liquid, that flows inside me. Red. It helps my body to work properly, so I can't lose it. If I get hurt, it can… uh, spill out."
"So…" Her mind spun, but it made some sense. "Like light? We can't lose too much without bad things happening?"
"Yeah. Sounds about right. I don't know a whole lot about light, though." Tom paused and looked out over the view for a moment as they rounded the dune, then stopped walking.
Cel paused. Why had he stopped? Then she followed his gaze, taking in the view of the Sky Temple of Dawn up in the clouds, overlooking the rolling sands swallowing up the few ancient structures that remained.
"Man, it's gorgeous here…" Tom breathed.
Cel nodded. It was beautiful. How had she forgotten that? They stood there a moment, taking in the scenery. She'd been to the Isle so many times now, she'd lost count. The journey meant so much, but she hadn't considered what it had cost her.
Tom took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and Cel saw, ever so slightly, a weight being lifted from his shoulders.
He looked like a friend's touch would do him good. She reached out her hand to him. He looked at it for a moment, then took it. His hand was large, cold, and rough. But firm, almost desperate. They began walking down the dune together.
With a hoooooooooooooooooonk Question and two other moths whizzed by, spinning and shouting at each other, each flapping desperately, but soon they had all made equally spectacular crashes at the bottom of the dune.
Cel laughed, and looked to Tom.
But he wasn't looking at the skykids removing themselves from the sand, only to start wrestling in it. He was looking beyond them, at a dim figure kneeling in the ruins of the takeoff point, a cluster of eroded stone. "What's that." It wasn't a question; he was wary. Tom's grip had tightened slightly.
She replied, "Looks like a spirit. Not dangerous, I promise."
"Good." His gaze didn't leave the round figure, dark eyes narrowed and focused. "A spirit? Spirit of what?"
"The People. Those who came before."
"Huh."
"Here, I'll show you."
Just as she readied herself to call to the others, Whitti soared by overhead.
"Spirit at half-past sun!"
"We saw!" she called back, and he landed near them. He was holding hands with two of the smaller moths, who were bright and excited from their flight, which had presumably been higher and faster than they've ever been before.
"Just checking," Whitti said, smiling that easy smile.
"You saw it from all the way up there?" Tom asked.
Whitti shrugged nonchalantly, but the moths replied for him.
"I didn't see it," the moth Zua said, eyes wide.
"That's because you were too busy looking at Whitti," moth Lemmina stated, and Zua went red in the cheeks, turning her skin a shade of maroon.
"That's not true!"
Whitti laughed, abashed, letting go of their hands. "Ok, sisters, you two go on over to that spirit, ok? I'll meet you there."
The girls eyed each other, but obeyed.
"Ok!"
"Yes, Whitti!"
Zua and Lemmina flapped off, and Cel watched them go. Then she looked to Whitti, who sighed, a pained expression on his face.
Cel knew that look. "You were the one who took them on a flight."
"They asked!" he replied, eyes wide, but then subsided, kicking the sand. "You're right, Cel."
Cel sighed, letting go of Toms hand. "Tom, why don't you go with them? They've probably seen a spirit before, and can teach you how to interact with it. If not, call to us, ok?"
Tom looked to her, confused. "Uh, ok? Why am I… interacting with it?"
"The spirits are bound to this world, and your light will set them free."
He blinked at her. Then, "Ah."
"Yes. Very important. We'll be over soon."
He nodded, and after a deep breath and a braced stance, he took off, his single flap taking him down to the glowing figure.
Cel turned to Whitti, meeting his downcast eyes.
"What's wrong, Whitti?"
"Why does that always happen? They don't even know me, but I can tell that they're… interested in me."
She raised an eyebrow.
He huffed. "That's a problem, Cel. They can't stay with me, can't get too attached, I already promised that I'd go with you to… Eden." He looked away. "It's hard enough knowing that I have to tell Iris when we get back to the Valley." He narrowed his eyes. "Never mind. It's not a big deal."
She touched his shoulder. "It isn't a bad thing, you know that, right? It's not your fault that people are drawn to you; you're kind, with a big heart. You being yourself won't hurt them."
Whitti looked back to her, so confused, so anxious, that she wanted to hug him. Sometimes it was hard to picture him as a former Victor of the Valley, and she'd even been there when he'd won that honor. But Cel had known the sensitive, caring boy far longer than he'd been known as Champion of the Quarterstaves.
He mulled over her words. "I… I know."
She met his eyes determinedly. "They'll have to learn to deal with loss and leaving, just like the rest of us. Better now, and on friendly terms, than later. Yes?"
Whitti allowed a small smile. "Yeah, sister. Thank you."
She drew him close, and they shared each other's presence for a small while. She released him and her smile turned coy. "And besides, what would Iris think?" She poked him lightly in the side, and Whitti laughed. "Or is she used to moths fluttering around your flame?"
"Staawwp," Whitti groaned good-naturedly, and Cel raised an eyebrow with a sly smile.
A rustle of cloth, and Ori landed beside her daintily. "Quite a bunch, these moths," they stated, without preamble. They were like that, not very much into wasting time.
Cel had known Ori for a while, and she still didn't know a whole lot about the veteran sky child, mainly that they were a master of multiple instruments, too clever for their own good, and fiercely loyal to those few they considered a friend. Whitti and Cel counted themselves among those who had that honor, and despite their occasional brashness, Ori was a good kid. Also, Ori was dedicated to Cel's purpose, which was always welcome. She'd already encountered enough resistance on this journey.
"The other two moths?" Cel asked, leaving the gentle ribbing behind and moving on. It was time for more important things.
"Already on their way to the spirit," they replied. "What do you think of them?"
She thought for a moment, remembering what she'd seen of these young sky children. In the distance, a few of the moths, holding Tom's hand, followed the urgently gesturing form of the spirit. Two of the skykids, however, had gotten distracted, and were busy piling sand on each other's heads.
"Several are showing signs of emotional maturity, but only one is physically strong enough."
"That one?"
"Yes, Ori, that one. What do you think?"
They sighed. "You're right, of course. Maybe we could invite the others to the Prairies, do you know if they've been?"
Whitti spoke up from his attentiveness. "Zua has, but not Lemmina. I overheard Kreflyn saying that he knew what the Eye was, so that's a sign. I think they're all ready for the Shallow Forest, but it's up to you, Cel."
"Noted. What do you think of Question?"
Whitti seemed taken aback, then thought for a moment. The moths following the spirit were running up the far side of a dune, and one with a distinctly questioning and loud voice was prominent in leading the charge. "He's odd, but he does have five entire wings." A pause. "I think he's ready."
"Ori?"
The small skykid blew out a breath upwards, their white hair flopping. "He's a honking nuisance. Did you see how he tried to stop us earlier?"
Cel fixed him with a glare.
Ori adjusted their floppy hat. "But, he does have skill with flying, and had the self-awareness to send for help when he found Tom. He's proactive and smarter than he looks. I think with some time, attention, and an attitude adjustment, he could be ready."
Cel met Whitti's, then Ori's eyes in turn. "Then it's decided. We'll invite the moth known as Question to journey with us through the Deep Forest, to the Valley of Triumph. Are we in agreement?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Good."
"Cel…" Whitti began carefully. "I know safety is important, and being a good example to the moths is… also important, but do you think all this is really necessary?"
"Of course," she replied without hesitation, meeting his gaze firmly. "Every child of the light's fire is important, and systems like ours help in protecting them from the darkness."
He didn't reply immediately, just nodded. This was something that needed to be understood, Cel thought. It was too easy to lose the small lights.
They watched the moths, and Tom's prominent figure, gather around the spirit, whose translucent blue form was waving behind it. Meanwhile, one of the playful moths had become one with the dunes, feet poking from the sand, and it's companion was now building a sandcastle on top of its still form.
"What about... Tom?" Whitti asked, carefully. He didn't like flying where he hadn't before, Cel knew, and she understood.
Ori shrugged. "It's simple. He's a moth, and only has one winged light. He needs to stay here, where it's safe. I keep saying, he shouldn't be treated as special."
"Even though he is," Whitti stated, "without question."
A distant honk.
"I agree with both of you," Cel stated deliberately. "Maybe we could invite him to the Prairie, but that's as far as I'm willing to take him. He has to be watched for a while." She thought of his reaction to Tina's crash, and of blood. "Just to make sure he'll be okay as a Sky Child."
"You don't want to stick around, watch him, guide him?" Ori asked. "This could be the only chance we have to see something like Tom the moth."
"No," she replied immediately, narrowing her eyes. "I'm tired of waiting. I want to see him happy and safe, like all sky children, but we have somewhere to be. Yes?"
"Yes," Ori replied.
Whitti nodded solemnly.
"Cel!" A call came, drawing her gaze. It was Tom, waving at her, his brown cape moving with him. "I have a question, if you have a minute?"
"Yes, we're coming!" She raised her voice, and the power of it radiated from her. She took off, after assuring with a quick side glance that her companions would follow
When they arrived, Tom wasn't looking at the large spirit's vague, blue silhouette. Instead he followed their gaze to the second individual that lay on the ground in a curled-up ball. They were transparent like the spirit, but white instead of blue.
"What's wrong?" she asked. The sight of the spirit rang a bell, but she couldn't quite place it. The moths watched silently, apprehensive.
Tom, serious, pointed down at the smaller figure. "Do you know what that is?"
"It's a fragment, part of the memory of the blue spirit you're following. Why?"
He shook his head, gaze unwavering. "No, that's not what I meant. What was it, back then?"
She blinked, then took a second look. "It looks like a child. But…"
Whitti continued for her, strolling up to them. "It's a bit small for a spirit child, they were tall people."
"I don't know what it is," Ori said, alighting beside her. "But I remember it." He moved his hand, like he was tapping the intangible knee of the rotund figure of the spirit. "This was the first spirit I ever met, a long time ago."
"Me too," Whitti added, confusion in this voice. "I remember this as well."
Cel scrunched up her brow, befuddlement filling her. Spirits were a particular phenomenon, once they were encountered, they never appeared to anyone else but the sky child who released them. And then she remembered, too. Beyond the memories she held back, behind her mental walls and barricades, back to that time of simple happiness. She's also seen this spirit, beckoning others to come and help the small figure that lay there, still on the sand.
"The reason I asked," Tom began, hesitant. "Is because it feels like the Winged Light. Dimmer, probably just because it's just a memory, but I'll never forget that feeling."
...
Song for section- don't have one, this section is going longer than I thought XD
Special thanks to Bini, my new editor :D
