Author's Note: Ya know, I've given up on writing Author's Notes. Hehe.
The long journey to Synlic, the house of the Sun Symbol of storms, would take a total of three days, including their planned stops in Mida and Fimkurd for supplies and lodging. Having walked for about four hours, Misavi was starting to get tired. The winding road they walked upon seemed endless. "I need," she panted, "a break." "Come on! You can't be tired already!" Haruko teased. "What happened to Ms. Brave-Warrior-Who-Chases-After-Hungry-Wolves?" Misavi became suddenly interested in playing with the beads on her necklace.
The sun had set by the time Haruko and Misavi arrived at the town entrance. Her sore legs made the journey to inn almost intolerable. "Welcome to Mida," Haruko said with sarcasm.
The next morning, Misavi's legs were stiff. She could barely lift herself out of bed and change into an outfit similar to the one she wore the day before, a pair of tan pants and a tan long-sleeved shirt with dark brown strings on the edges. She then donned her necklace, and the dragon hide belt that was crafted to hold the Rockjewel. Haruko wasn't in the room. She assumed he had left to find food. It wasn't until Misavi grabbed her spear and went out the door that she noticed the Sun Symbol was missing.
It didn't occur to her that someone would steal it in the middle of the night, yet when she bent down to tighten the belt, the metal that was meant to hang from it was no longer there. Haruko, who had just finished buying supplies, walked cheerfully into the lobby with small bags in tow. He stopped and stared at his sister. "Where's the Sun Symbol?" he asked, head cocked to one side. "It's uh…" Misavi paused, embarrassed to reveal the truth. "Someone took it…" "WHAT?" Haruko practically exploded. "We were assigned to protect the Sun Symbols, and you lost the only one we had? What were you thinking? Put it under your pillow or something!" His face softened. "You had me for a minute there. Good one." "I'm not joking. But I think the guy who stole the Emblem of Light must have taken it. If we find him, we can get both of 'em back."
With new hope, Misavi almost skipped down the road. Haruko still seemed mad, but Misavi knew they would find the thief in Synlic. She was confident now that the world would be saved. But her confidence soon turned to dismay.
The farther away she and her brother walked from their hometown, the hotter the weather became. Misavi, unused to this new temperature, had difficulty traveling for more than a few hours at a time. She was relieved to discover that Fimkurd was only a few miles away. "Almost there," Haruko encouraged her, though he, too, was suffering from the heat. "How hot out is it?" Misavi panted. "Got to be at least sixty degrees. Man, it's hot!" Someone behind them chuckled.
The pair wheeled around to see who had laughed, but no one was there. "Who was that?" asked the girl. "Who knows?" replied her brother. "Well, aren't we observant?" she muttered. "That voice sounded familiar…" Haruko's voice trailed off. Speaking of trails, the path that led to Fimkurd was now paved, indicating the city was nearby. Misavi was both relieved and worried. She had heard tales of the strange bird-people who lived in and around Fimkurd, and how much they hated those without wings. "Careful," warned Haruko, trying to sound calm and strong, "these things will rob you right down to your panties if you don't keep a weapon nearby." "What do they have against us?" asked Misavi as she walked. "What do we have against them?"
"Long ago," Haruko began, using the traditional storytelling template, "before our mountains emerged from the ground, the entire world was flat. Not even a hill existed, nor a valley, nor a stream. The ancient people were dying, as well as the animals and the Hillu, half-falcon, half-human. Our gods carved the sea for the serpents, the forest for the animals, the plains for the people and the mountains for the Hillu. But our ancestors were greedy; they wanted the entire world as their own. The bird-people were driven from their rightful homes and left here, to try and survive in the stormiest, most dangerous place in the world. I guess these guys haven't forgotten what we did to them. I know I wouldn't."
That little narrative's duration closed the gap between Fimkurd and the two travelers. They received angry glares from passersby as they strolled down the main road. Haruko didn't survey his surroundings, but Misavi swiveled her neck back and forth, staring at the Hillu with interest. They were the same height as normal people, if not a bit taller, and had a similar build. Their bodies, however, were covered in feathers, ranging in color from a light brown to a dark gray. Misavi's childhood research projects taught her that, similar to a human's hair, the feathers turn gray with age. Hillu had long, curved beaks tinted gold and sharp, lethal talons on their feet of the same hue. Their eyes were smaller and darker than a human's, which, Misavi assumed, enhanced their vision. But perhaps the most noticeable difference between Hillu and human (other than the feathers, of course) was the pair of narrow but sturdy wings protruding from each creature's arms. It seemed the citizens were very proud of said wings; certain feathers were painted vibrant colors and laces of beads flowed from the wingtips of each and every Hillu in sight.
"We came just in time! When the sun sets tonight, Fimkurd's most famous festival will begin!" Haruko said rather excitedly. "Huh?" Misavi asked with a raised eyebrow. "The Storm Gathering, of course. Sure, the Hillu in Synlic guard the symbol of storms, but the real hurricanes and stuff happen here. So they celebrate the end of hurricane season with an awesome party," he concluded. "But the sun's setting as we speak. Aren't they a little late?"
"Well, for some reason, it begins when the last ray of light vanishes. So it'll start anywhere from ten minutes from now to right this sec-" He was interrupted by a loud crowing from the center of the city. Haruko started running towards the noise's source, slowly picking up speed as the roads began to clear. "Wait up!" Misavi, faster and lighter than her sibling, caught up in a flash. They stood among a crowd of Hillu, gripping their spears tightly, as if to warn any potential thieves.
The beating of a drum was heard above all the chatter and squawking. Everyone fell silent as a flute joined in, then another drum, then six or seven flutes, each playing the same tune at a different tempo. The result was a fast-paced yet relaxing jingle that made even Misavi want to get up and dance along. Around ten of the more elaborately-decorated bird-people stepped into the ring of spectators and flapped their wings to the beating of the main drum. Soon the creatures were high up in the air, flying in a graceful circle. They kicked open pouches tied to their talons, and glitter fell upon the rest of the festival. Misavi's brown eyes were wide with excitement as she reached out for the falling pieces of paper. Upon catching one, she discovered that they were cut into cloud and lightning bolt shapes, and painted bright colors similar to the Hillu's feathers.
Suddenly, however, all the cheering and partying ceased. A bird-man with speckled gray feathers addressed the crowd. "Today is a very special day indeed," he said in a deep voice. "The Black Moon has risen yet again. It is time to summon another Warrior of the Sun. He must be stronger than thunder, yet faster than lightning. His wings must beat in tune to our prayers. Fellow Hillu, this is why we have chosen…" A dramatic pause followed. The intensity of the crowd's gaze urged him to continue, but the gray-feathered man relished the moment. "…Lyruc Hasyn!"
Claps and cheers could be heard all around Misavi as a tall, muscular Hillu sauntered over to who she assumed was Fimkurd's mayor, the old creature who announced his new rank. He took a handful of paint from a jar, and slapped it onto the warrior's outstretched wings in violent strokes. Misavi and her brother saw him wince a few times, but the young Hillu did not move from his location. A symbol was taking shape on Lyruc's wings, becoming more pronounced with each hard press of the mayor's paint-covered hands. It resembled a thundercloud with two bolts of lightning shooting from it, but the bolts were straight, forming a right angle when they hit the ground. Tiny lines were painted near the vertex of the angle, indicating a storm's strength. Misavi squinted until she could clearly see a black dot in between the two bolts.
"The storm's blessings rest in your wings. Bear them well," the mayor stated Fimkurd's traditional farewell, and bowed to Lyruc. He bowed in turn and left the ring of watchers. The festival was over.
The next morning, Misavi was shaken awake by her brother. "What's the rush?" she asked drowsily, sitting up in bed while watching her brother hop around the room, gathering supplies. "We're going to have a talk with that warrior guy. Maybe he can help us," announced Haruko. "Help us? What do you mean?" asked his sister. "That man who stole the Sun Symbols could be dangerous. We'd be safer if we enlisted the help of a true warrior," Haruko replied. "We've killed lots of monsters! Aren't we warriors?" asked Misavi. "Compared to these Hillu people," Haruko frowned, "we're ants when it comes to battle. Helpless little ants." "I'll have you know, ants can lift things ten times their own weight," retorted the girl. "Okay, bad comparison, but we should talk to him anyway," admitted Haruko.
The inn door opened and Fimkurd's human visitors stepped out into the fresh morning air, and were instantly bombarded with rain. "Nice day," said Haruko, his words dripping with sarcasm. Their traveling uniforms, light brown clothing with a dark brown trim, were now soggy and wet.
The amount of moisture gathered on their clothing made the transition from the rainy outside to the air-conditioned inside rather uncomfortable. "I've never been this cold in my entire life," whined Misavi. "Who's there?" demanded a deep voice, though not as deep as the mayor's. "We need to speak with Lyruc," answered Haruko, quickly adding, "please." A bird-man stepped into the room, whom Misavi immediately recognized as the Hillu from the previous night. He stared at her with intense black eyes. "What do you want?" "We…um…we…we'd like you to-" "We need you to help protect the Sun Symbols," Haruko cut his sister off. Lyruc raised a feathery eyebrow. Together, the siblings explained their cause in great detail. "As much as it seems you need me, I cannot assist," Lyruc said after ten minutes of storytelling. Misavi frowned. Lyruc stared at her again, then folded his winged arms and said, "However, I must travel to Synlic for business. You will be graced by my presence until then." Misavi almost jumped up and down out of pure joy. She loved meeting new people, and was certain that Lyruc would become her friend.
