Fantasy The Chosen of Seven

[KiKi Kitsune]

Adruo

Adruo had remained silent as Romon clearly struggled to stay awake. If whatever he had to say was that important to him, she knew better than to interrupt. He sounded so pained by his belief. Some of what he said was true. Adruo did almost lose her arm. If Kiara wasn't there, the outcome would have been far worse.


As she thought, the dragonkin frowned. Her injury was due to her underestimating her opponent and not reacting fast enough. Why did Romon continuously blame himself for that despite her protests? Why did he feel the need to carry everyones pain as his burden? In some ways, it was almost insulting. Adruo thought herself to be a proficient enough fighter. She and Romon had tied when they sparred, yet it seemed that he did not believe she could take care of her own hide in battle.


Beatrice returning provided a much needed distraction from her thoughts. Romon's insistence to blame himself for every misfortune that every person experiences ever would be a topic to discuss with the elf in question at a later date. The dragonkin looked over to the crow with a smile.


"I take it that the area is safe then. Thank you Beatrice." Adruo carefully reached over to her satchel, doing her best not to jostle her sleeping comrade. She fished out a strip of dried meat which she fed the bird.


Since Romon was asleep, Adruo would need to keep watch. Her mind drifted between a variety of topics, not lingering on any specific one for too long. Steel-grey eyes looked down at the slumbering elf with curiosity. The sharp talons caught the sun as her hand rose, the light glinting off her scales. She paused for several moments, debating with herself over the intelligence of the idea.


Adruo waved her hand in front of Romon's face, and when he showed no signs of waking up, the dragonkin shrugged. She reached down and patted his head.


Her face showed her surprise. "It's so fluffy." She murmured to herself, amazed by - and somewhat jealous of - the elf's hair.


As time passed, Adruo sat and watched the clouds that lazily rolled across the afternoon sky. She absentmindedly petted Romon's hair as she tried to find shapes in the clouds. They should probably get going soon, but Adruo was surprisingly comfortable. It was such a peaceful day. She could almost forget about the battle which almost killed several people that happened only a day or two ago. She could almost forget the encroaching danger that was the weakening Core and the rise of the Demon Lord.


Almost.


Those thoughts never left her mind. But for now, they were pleasantly muffled.


@TerraBooma

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Mayweather

Mayweather blinked owlishly a few times, surprised that Severis had answered at all, let alone with such... gusto. Her brows knotted togehter as she looked down, as if the floor would give her the answer she needed. Her head snapped up so fast Ezi gave a noise of concern for the condition of her neck. "Well, since you are meant to be resting, you shouldn't move around much. So why don't we share st-" May paused. Stories seemed like it would receive a negative response. "Information?" She tried not to let her hopes rise at Severis accepting her idea, so she attempted to explain herself. "For example, what goals did you accomplish?" She couldn't help but be curious about her travelling companion. His very curt replies to her questions the other day did little to help.


"I don't know what information I could give... But I can always try!" She looked to him with a happy yet determined smile.


@The J

 

[Jayus]

Ghost, despite being Phoebe, was intimidating. She looked at him with eyes that bared just the slightest hint of familiarity beneath them and held his own gaze with enough intensity that he believed she could almost see passed him and straight into how he and Fekitoa ticked. Then she got up and, with a quick shake, began to shapeshift. Kito wasn't entirely sure if it was polite or rude to stare during the mystical sequence playing out before him, but he couldn't help being entranced by it. The white ethereal glow shone brighter than the sun rising lazily into the sky and just as quickly as her trnsformation started, it ended.


Before him was the Shapeshifter he had met not a day earlier. She seemed to be struggling and he quickly rushed at her with the sole intention to help, but she was managing by the looks of things. Scanning over her quickly he let go of a tense sigh he had been holding and was now radiating with a beaming smile, excited to see his friend again.


"Oh good you're okay! I was worried for a m-moment."


Rising to meet him she once more locked eyes with him, only this time the warmth from her dark eyes could be seen and not cast away by those of her other form. Being addressed as Fekitoa, a small blush crept over his face out of embarrassment. He looked down towards the ground, gazing down at the body that was not just his own. He fiddled with his hands timidly, trying to get the nerve to stomach his request.





'U-um..." He trailed off, unable to find the right words. "W-well. Y-you see." She welcomed him back, taking what he guessed she believed was his nervousness for shyness. She was ready to fly again. For someone who feared heights and after all he did he was surprised she still held any trust for him. At all. Hearing her next statement he saw a golden oppurtunity to say what he wanted and blurted it out in a mad rush.


"I was just about to say! I'm not Fekitoa." Hearing the loudness of his own voice he shrunk back into himself.


"W-well. Physically yes, b-but I don't go by Fekitoa. He's Fekitoa. My name is Kito. I'd prefer Kito please."


"A-and for how we communicate." He pointed to the back of his head, as though someone shorter were hiding behind him. "Um. It kinda sounds like someone is standing right behind you and is talking loud enough for only you to hear. He has his own thoughts at the same time as me too. B-but if we're listening to each other it kinda sounds like a faint echo, but we hardly notice that anymore. It's a little weird I guess, for other people."


He stopped playing with his fingers and looked up to meet Phoebe.


"Like I can hear him right now. He's telling me that I'm sharing too much." His eyes widened and his rose-tinted blush blossomed into that of a tomato. "I already knew that much." He mumbled to himself. Not wishing to prolong the awkwardness he was feeling he managed to recover his beaming grin again and did his best to rid the anxieties plaguing his thoughts.


"A-anyway! Do you wanna ask me anything? Before we go? We don't have to fly if you don't wanna! I mean Fekitoa says it'll take too long, but it's still an option! You've been flying a lot for someone who's not a harpy."


@SepiaInk

 

[SepiaInk]

“I certainly have,” Phoebe agreed in a soft tone, dropping her gaze to a leaf resting alone on the rich soil. She had her arms crossed, trying to mask how badly she wanted to hold her stomach. The knot she felt there was definitely a result of nerves. 


Because as her human side regained near full control, she suddenly remembered this was the side of the harpy that had let her slip and fall. Of course he hadn’t done it on purpose, it was an accident. But that thought did nothing to change the fact that it happened, that it had been a horrifying experience and no part of her, human or animal, wanted a repeat of that. 


The discomfort must’ve surely shown in her face, but she forced her muscles to relax so as to not worry the harpy. 


“We can walk for a bit, if that’s not too much of an inconvenience. We’ve covered quite a bit of ground already, the eastern coast shouldn’t be too far,” she said, doing her best to keep her tone light and casual, the kind she used to reserve for younger readers back at the library.


Fishing out one of the maps from her bag, she turned her body towards the west and mentally worked out how far they actually were. She hadn’t been too far from the truth, they did seem to be pretty close, if what she saw as they flew over the forests and fields was indeed what she was correctly identifying on the map. If they flew the rest of the way and kept the same pace or made no breaks, they could possibly arrive at the coast at the end of the day. 


The knot got tighter at that thought and she couldn’t seem to push down the feelings of self-reproach that began eating away at her resolve. She honestly felt torn, which wasn’t anything new, really, but dealing with that sort of struggle never got any easier. 


“Fekitoa,” she stopped, shaking her head. “I mean, Kito. To be honest with you, flying would be the best option here.” 


Stepping next to him, she showed him the map and the distance between them and the shore. 


“But, of course, I-“ another pause as she thought of the best way to approach the subject. Sighing, she pressed on. “Listen, Kito,” she started, locking eyes with the young harpy, expression somber. “Can you promise me that what happened back then won’t repeat itself? That … fall. Was it just a fluke, or an actual problem? Because if you can’t promise me that, I’d rather we just walk, even if it costs us time. We all have our limits, I’m no exception.” 

@Jayus
​

 

[minismurf]

Sylvanus
​

As Chilali opens the doors to the kitchen Sylvanus's keen sense of smell gets overwhelmed by the scents that emanates from the various ingredients being cooked inside. He can smell meats being treated in more ways than he could ever imagine, and more scents were added from ingredients he couldn't even guess what they were, there was meat being cooked, dried, grilled and prepared in many more ways. He could smell strong scents battling to beat the other, and more subtle ones who were gliding underneath the other ones. The initial shock had made him not even realised that Chilali had approached the man who anyone could tell was the head of all the chefs, the man was large, burly and had a face that would make you wonder if he was meant to cook the wildlife or capture it, Sylvanus didn't want to cause any trouble so therefore he decided to let Chilali speak and if he'd be asked what he wanted for nutrition he'd just simply respond with "Meat" and then return to looking around at the chefs cooking. 


@KiKi Kitsune

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Chilali
​

The ice mage was still slightly giddy from the flight she had taken earlier. Even so, she forced her attention to her current task. The faster all the preparations were made, the faster they could leave, which would mean the sooner she would be able to ride a hameling again. While that gave her good reason to focus, it wasn't exactly very helpful. After having to be brought back to the present by a loud sound every now and then - a banging pan, a whistling kettle, someone breaking a plate - Chilali eventually explained to the head chef what she needed. 


The large man scratched his stubbly chin. "So," even at was his hushed tone, his voice was more than clear in the bustling kitchen. "You need food for your trip to the Blue Isles and then a volcano?"  At the mage's nod, the chef frowned. "You're going to need food that lasts a while then. It's not the best tasting stuff, but it will keep you going." 


After some more discussion concerning carry weight and such factors, the chef asked if they had any special dietary requirements. The ice mage looked over her shoulder to the hybrid who was peering at the working humans. "Sylvanus, do you have any requests about food." His short answer received a nod from both his travelling companion and the chef. 


Chilali guided Sylvanus out of the kitchen by his wrist as the head chef began bellowing orders so loudly that their ears rang. As she lead them through the maze of corridors, she decided to try start a conversation. 


"So, how do you fare with the cold? The Blue Isles is mostly frozen at this time of year."


@minismurf

 

[minismurf]

Sylvanus
​

Even after they'd returned to the, seemingly endless, maze of corridoors Sylvanus could still faintly feel the smells from the kitchen as they walked, he assumed that the scents had somewhat stuck to their clothes, wasn't complaining though. The castle that was Chilali's old school was a lot larger than he'd first assumed, as they'd walked around he'd done his best to try to remember the outlay of the building, however the paths were now starting to just blend together.


He almost didn't hear Chilali at first when she asked him about him handling the cold, since he was busy trying to retrace the layout of the academy, "Hm, what? Oh, well just like any spider so have I spent most of my winter's inside a cave or some form of dark, isolated space, because well, my appendiges don't really handle the cold very well due to their lack of flesh, they're really just carapace and bones" He brought one in front of him and knocked on its hard carapace "And they're thin too, which makes them very easy to freeze" As he talked about it he came to remember one time when he'd run out of food one time during the winter and he'd been forced to dig his way out of the cavern he'd hid in, only trying to make his way out of his hole had almost made his fingers freeze through, luckily he'd managed to find wildlife fairly quickly to let him return to his huddle.  His entire body shivered just by talking about it.


@KiKi Kitsune

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Chilali
​

The ice mage frowned. Sylvanus wouldn't be able to hide away while they were in the Blue Isles, but - when looking at them - Chilali noticed that what he said was true. The lack of any sort of insulation on his arachnid limbs would cause serious problems. Frostbite might be the least of their worries and they wouldn't have the same healers that tended to Chilali when she ended up freezing herself. 


An idea popped into her head accompanied by a snap of her fingers. "The school has a personal tailor. He works really quickly and it would be pretty simple. We could get some covers for your legs to keep them from freezing." The smile she had donned faltered slightly. "It would probably impair their movement a fair bit. Definitely be more difficult in battle..." The mage shook herself out of her thoughts. "Oh well, we'll ask to have them easy to take off in an emergency." 


Chilali led her travelling companion along a different path. She had to pause every now and again to get her bearings. It wasn't a route she took often when she had still been living there. Even so, they eventually arrived at the tailor's room. There were rolls of fabric in racks and leaning against the walls. Shelves held neatly organised accessories and tools. Draws were labelled and had an ageing man rummaging through one of them.  Hearing the two enter, he looked up only for his eyes to widen in surprise followed shortly by fear. 


The human woman gave a small bow in greeting. "We have come here to request your services. Sylvanus and myself are two of the chosen by the gods." She continued by explaining the permissions she had received and a few other formalities. The tailor still kept a worried eye on the spider. Chilali sighed. She understood that people were frightened, but was still irritated that they let it interfere with there work. "Can you please make him a winter coat and covers for his arachnid limbs. We are hoping to leave this evening."


A small debate ensued. The tailor outright refused Chilali's request. As response, Chilali ended up having to blackmail him and threaten to cause some bodily harm - as inconspicuously as she could. Eventually, she managed to get him to agree to the coat, but he continued to refuse even getting to close to Sylvanus' legs. The ice mage let out a sigh. "Fine. Create a pattern and give me the fabric. I will do the leg covers myself." She made no attempt to hide the irritation in her voice. 


Within a few hours, Sylvanus had a new item of clothing. A thick winter coat. The colour matched his other clothes and was fur lined with a hood and all. Chilali noticed - with increasing levels of irritation -  that she would need to create the holes for his legs to go through. That, along with the pattern and fabric for Sylvanus' leg covers would go in a saddle bag for Chilali to work on when she had a chance. 


Now evening, everything was set. Their mount was ready. The food had been packed. Chilali had even gotten a fair amount of medical supplies for the journey. The pale blue hameling swished its tail back and forth in anticipation for its flight. 


Chilali couldn't help the smile that split across her face. She petted the winged creature before seating herself in the saddle. Making sure everything was set to the correct lengths for her, she held out her hand to Sylvanus. "Ready to go?"


@minismurf

 

[Jayus]

He nodded his head, a small smile gracing his face in understanding of her choice. Of course she would want to walk. Fekitoa rough-handled her with both flying and landing moreso than Kito thought was necessary. Still he wasn't going to pressure her now after the passed two days. Ready to start moving he paused when she called out the wrong name. A knot wound up in his chest at the mistake. It was an honest one too, after all she had been in contact with Fekitoa for most of their time together. He was just being ridiculous. He suppressed the ball of anxiety and managed another nervous smile in her direction.


He listened quietly, with every word she said he felt himself shrinking into himself more and more. So it wasn't because of Fekitoa she wanted to walk. Fiddling with his clawed fingers, he stared with enough focus he almost bore holes into the ground. A hot pain bubbled at the back of his throat as his face heated up in what could only be shame. He tried to attempt a sentence, but it came out in short squeaks. A few deep breaths later, yet with his eyes still gazing at the ground, he spoke.


"I-it wasn't a fluke." He choked out in a watery tone. He took a deep gulp and steadied himself before trying again.


"I-I'm not very good at flying. I can't fly much at all. I'm sorry." He said lamely. A harpy that could barely fly. He hated the sound of that. Fekitoa had been pressing him to fly more for years and he finally caved a few months back. Since then he could hover over the ground perfectly and could fly to the tops of trees and maneuver through the woods quite easily. Long distance, however, was still challenging. And carrying someone? No chance. The fact they had got as far as they did was still surprising to him. Catching her eyes he realized how he must look to her. He perked up immediately.


"H-hey! It's not your fault! Fekitoa's the better flyer, but I can walk faster than him! And I'm much better with my hands than him when they don't... um... start shaking." It was unclear whether he lost his confidence first or his point, nonetheless he donned the brightest smile he could and reached for her wrist, making sure to grab it gently to coax her into walking.


"It's really okay, Phoebe! We can walk there and anyways I prefer walking too! C'mon let's go this way we'll get there in no time!" He half lead, half dragged her for the first few minutes before they slowly fell into a quick step. There were points he thought he may be walking too fast, but if Phoebe was struggling to keep up he couldn't tell. For what must've been hours asked her a few questions and he himself rambled on about various things; what food he liked, what Fekitoa and him were good at, what there part of the world was like when with no warning he stopped.


His wide red eyes swam with the colours of blues and purples as he looked out at coast. It was impossible for him to see where the vastness of the large body of water ended and he slunk behind Phoebe despite there height difference. His heart sped, his breath quickened and he could feel a cold sweat at the nape of his neck. For a moment his thoughts were lost at the bottom of the water and he too lost himself in it. The water licked at the land a couple of metres from where he stood and with every few minutes his breath would hitch as it crept closer and closer to where they stood. He took a few steps back and eventually a voice pulled him back to reality, whether it was Fekitoa or Phoebe he was too scared to tell the difference.


"Sorry," He choked, the colour draining from his face as he let out a dry laugh, faking a slim amount of calmness. "I-I'm dead scared of water."


@SepiaInk

 

[SepiaInk]

Phoebe failed to stifle the snort that bubbled up in her throat upon hearing her companion’s confession. Her hand flew to cover her mouth a moment too late, ears burning red with shame. 


“I didn’t mean to laugh,” she spoke hurriedly, eyes wide. “It’s just that,” she continued, searching for the right words, “It’s both surprising and not so surprising that we both have that in common."


The other’s expression seemed to demand more clarity from her words, but Phoebe felt too embarrassed to elaborate on her thoughts and steered the conversation towards a direction she was more comfortable with. “Besides,” she said, clearing her throat once before moving to stand beside Kito. “It’s a perfectly understandable fear. Nothing to be ashamed of, specially when considering our nature.” The former librarian smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner, albeit aware those tended to come off like grimaces more often than not. Though hesitant at first, she managed to swallow her reservations and awkwardly pat the cowering harpy on the shoulder. She cut the action short, feeling stupid for doing it in the first place. 


Turning away from Kito, she fished out her map and began to walk along the shore, careful to keep her distance from the rising tide. “As for our destination… We should be able to see it. Right about…” 


Letting the words hang in the cold night air for a brief moment, she scanned the rest of the coastline stretching up north. The sky had turned a deep and heavy blue, but as her pupils dilated to adjust to the growing darkness, a particular column of rock stood out. “There it is,” she breathed out, smiling as the flame of an enormous lighthouse roared to life and a beacon of light, brighter than any other in the entire mainland, waved at them. 


“That’s the lighthouse of Phaidros, the second largest port city of eastern Pangeros.” Phoebe pointed at the lighthouse and the hundred lights that came to life to reveal the city resting on the slope of a steep mountain. “It’s there that we’ll board the boat to the island,” she explained, more than aware that she was stating the obvious but feeling inclined to speak all the same. Pausing to sweep dark locks of hair away form her eyes, she glanced at Kito before admitting, ”Didn’t think I’d ever get to see it. Been avoiding the sea for all this time… didn’t realise how much part of me actually missed it.”  


After giving Kito a moment to breathe and relax, they began the long walk to the harbour. By the time they had reached the city gates, the conversation between them had long died down and the stars had come out to greet them, though not even they could outshine the lighthouse of Phaidros, the Great Beacon, the brightest light in Pangeros. Though not sleepy, Phoebe could feel her body grow tired and sore, and Kito must have felt the same, if not worse with the added weight of his wings. When travelling long distances, she’d always shift to save time and energy, and the harpy would no doubt avoid walking whenever possible, so neither were used to walking on foot for such long stretches of time. 


The guards at the gates sent them both weird looks, but let them in without much hassle after they identified themselves and stated their intentions. Phaidros’ citizens were mostly humans, but in the cover of night the pair managed to avoid drawing too much unwanted attention. Soon they found themselves on a street near the port, still lively despite the late hours, filled with both sailors and travellers from around the land. The bigger boats towered over them like the giant dragons of old, a couple of them lit up and ready to set sail.  

@Jayus
​

 

[Jayus]

To say he was nervous was an understatement. He was not just nervous, he was petrified. The sound of the ocean crashing onto the port sent a jolt up his spine every time and his breathing was haphazard as he tried to gain a semblance of self-control. The water did, however, distract him of the thought of prying eyes and he fiddled with his hands as he walked alongside Phoebe. Eventually the two came to the ships they were to board. Kito looked up in awe, he had never seen a ship in person, yet alone one so big. It reflected the light of the stars in streaks of cold silvers against the dark wood. The coolness and steadiness of how the ship refused to be swayed with the current soothed his frazzled nerves slightly. Finding there ship they spoke to the captain and after a few minutes were given permission to board.


This sounded like a simple task and Kito tried to make conversation about how excited he was until he saw how he had to get on the ship. There was a wooden plank that did not look the least bit stable to get on the ship and his fear slipped past his confident mask. He watched a few people board and how it swayed along with them with each step. He tried to reason with himself. it wasn't that deep. Even if he fell he would be able to stand... maybe. He must've been staring for quite some time because he was suddenly aware of Phoebe next to him. He chuckled slightly.


"I'm sorry I just, I really don't want to walk across." he said meekly. The words echoed over and over again in his head and he was aware of how idiotic they sounded. He was a Chosen. In a few weeks, maybe even a few days he was going to be battling for every life on this planet and here he was refusing to cross a board because of some water. He could hear Fekitoa trying to encourage him and with the puff of his chest turned to Phoebe and forced a bright smile.


"But it's okay! I got this." He said his voice shaking more so than the ship before them. With one foot on the plank he felt it rock beneath him, he swallowed, his throat going dry instantly. The distance between him and the boat seemed longer than he had remembered. No, he shook his head slightly, he was Chosen and he was going to do this. Quickly he half walked, half flew across until he was finally on the other side. Panting he looked at the blackness reflecting the fearful glimmer in his eyes which slowly oozed its way into disbelief. He made it across. He made it. Looking up his grin only widened as he proudly waved over for Phoebe to come over. Once there, he immediately bolted to the center of the boat where the mast stood. Just because he crossed the water didn't mean he wanted to see the water. Kito looked around. There were a few other passengers, but not many would board a ship at this time of the night which he was slightly relieved about. He asked Phoebe a few questions; was this her first time on a ship, how did she feel about it, was she nervous? A few casual questions until the ship started moving. Almost immediately he sunk down and held his legs tight to his chest. Just the sensation of swaying made him feel like he was already neck-deep in water.


"I'm sorry." He said not wanting to look up to see Phoebe rock back and forth, he thought he might be sick if that happened. He would get over his fear of water another day, but it was not this day.


"I don't have much of sea legs."


@SepiaInk

 

[SepiaInk]

In an effort to distract herself, Phoebe made good use of her night vision and inspected the magnificent vessel. It was clearly a war ship, one that never got to fulfil its purpose judging by the lack of battle scars, but definitely not a ship built for something as mundane as carrying passengers or cargo. The flag flown at the top of the main mast had the sigil of a house that Phoebe didn’t recognise, hopeless as she was at identifying those, but it made it clear that this was owned by a somewhat influential family in Phaidros and not the city itself. Which made it all the more confusing, and frankly worrying, that a war ship was being used as a common ferry boat. 


Was it just an odd purchase by a family with too much wealth at their disposal? Or were the canons actually necessary for what ought to be a simple journey across the sea? 


The image of a pirate ship sailed across her mind. Phoebe had to drown it before she managed to work herself up into a state of panic. 


She shifted her focus onto the waving green flag instead, the one with the symbol of their destination, the Great Forest Island, reminding herself of the quest given to them by the gods, but felt her attention being drawn to her travelling companion. The young harpy had sunk to the floor and was clearly stressed out, a feeling she could definitely sympathise with at the moment. With the ocean smell overpowering everything, Phoebe couldn’t rely on her nose to determine Kito’s state, which was almost as distressing as it was disorienting, so she was forced to do it the human way. By actually talking. 


“You have to stop apologising for things beyond your control. Remember, we’re on the same boat,” she said. A split second later, her frown softened. “Literally and figuratively,” she added, allowing herself to smile at the accidental pun and hoping that it would at least cheer up Kito a bit. It wasn’t often that she made a joke, even accidental ones, so it felt good when one did come up and people actually laughed, even if most of the time it was at her, not with her, or just sarcastic laughter. 


“How are you feeling?” she asked, pushing down her own growing nausea to lean over Kito, her dark locks falling like curtains over his head. His already fair skin had gotten paler and beads of sweat were rolling down the sides of his face, but other than that he seemed to be doing a good job of keeping himself away from the edge, which was commendable. Phoebe wasn’t quite sure she would be able to do that, not with the way her stomach was reacting, but watching the harpy gave her a bit of hope, showing that it was in fact possible. Maybe if they just kept talking, the feeling would go away. 


Just as she was about to open her mouth and strike up a conversation of sorts, a warm reddish and orange light washed over them and the whole deck. It reflected off of the harpy's wings and the feathers covering his arms, making the edges glow softly. For a brief moment, she was entranced by the spectacle of light and the beauty of his plumage, but when she turned her head to look at the source, she was met with the great Beacon of Phaidros towering above them as the ship passed by the sea stack upon which the lighthouse stood. The ship’s many sails and the waves around the lighthouse looked like they were burning, the heat caressing her exposed skin.  


“Kito, look up, I’m sure neither of you want to miss this,” she whispered, tapping his shoulder.


As she did that, her gaze caught the other passengers also stopping for a moment to stare at that massive fire, its flames licking the night sky and waving at all boats sailing in and out of the harbour. A few of the younger passengers ran to the side of the boat to see it up close, including a tamer, who let his bird fly away and circle the lighthouse all the way to the very top. 

When I become captain, I’m taking you to Phaidros, Phee. We’ll see that light together. 
​

Phoebe wiped off the tears before anyone could see them. 

@Jayus
​

 

[Jayus]

Kito nodded and mumbled his thanks into his folded arms. Phoebe was so nice. Even if she was just trying to check he wasn't going to hurl at any moment and even if he didn't know anything about her. The cackling of fire fizzled through the sound of the water beneath them and the cold moonlight burnt away into a warm glow. The warmth improved his discomfort slightly and he could hear Phoebe calling for him to look up. He froze. Although he was curious to see this light that had moved so many to action he wasn't sure if his stomach was as willing. He squeezed his shoulders, wrapping his arms tighter around him in an act to focus on anything other than his rapid breathing. Slowing his breaths he reasoned with himself. Just a quick glance and he could look back at his hands. One quick second dart of his eyes and he could say he did it.


In an action so fast he almost whipped his head up he stilled. The large flames danced and twirled. Golden colours elegantly and slowly casting away the darkness. It had a life of its own refusing to bend by the law of the dark night. Embers glittering and fading away with each new flare. The acid building in the back of his throat subsiding as his mouth opened in awe. In that moment he realized he had never actually seen a lighthouse at night. For some reason, he remembered, he always wanted to. At least he thinks he did. His eyes slowly drifted to Phoebe, who was staring with a mixture of emotions crossing across her features seeming to shift with the change of light. Her eyes were glistening and reddened, yet for some reason Kito wasn't entirely convinced it was the reflection of the fire swimming in her eyes. For her sake and his he decided against starting his planned conversation with that.


"Phoebe," his voice called out to her a lot stronger than he thought. Grazing his hand on the mast he managed to stand up, his legs shaking. "Do you maybe wanna go sit somewhere? I'm sure this place has some kinda seats available." Waiting for Phoebe they eventually found some place to themselves, the flame still brightly shining despite the distance.


"Wanna play a game?" He asked. He took Phoebe's expression as an answer enough to continue his plan.


"It's real simple. I ask you a question and you ask me a question. It really isn't much a game actually, but it's still fun! It can be a random question like 'If you were a sailor where is the first place you'd go to' or a more serious question like-" He paused for a moment and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Um I'm gonna leave my example for later actually. So whaddya say? Do you wanna play? I'll even ask the first question! What's your favourite..." He wracked his brain, occasionally repeating the last word or looking around the ship for a clue. Suddenly it dawned on him and he very nearly shouted it. "Book! What's your favourite book!"


@SepiaInk

 

[SepiaInk]

A wry smile twisted the lines on Phoebe's face. Her gaze shied away from Kito’s, chest filling up with air before being slowly released through her nose in a rare and unintentional admission of exasperation.


“When you’re a librarian, that question becomes sort of,” she trailed off and turned pensive for a fleeting moment, raising her hand to eye level so as to filter the glow of the distant lighthouse through her splayed fingers, "irrelevant.” 


“There are countless books out there, and there will be countless more. All of them unique, just like the people who write them. Just like stars…” she mused, looking up at the night sky and the few bright dots that managed to not be swallowed up by the light of Phaidros. “How can you pick a favourite?” 


That was it. Those were the words she’d ever cared to share with others who’d asked that same question, at least in the few occasions she’d actually chose to share any whatsoever. Her colleagues had been quick to inform her that wasn’t really an answer, like she wasn’t aware of that already. But, in her defence, why would she bother with such a question? It wasn’t as if they really cared to know. People only asked her that because she was a librarian and that’s what you apparently ask a librarian when you want to start a conversation or have nothing else to say. If the question wasn’t earnest, then why should her reply be any different? 


But Kito wasn’t a visitor at the library and neither was he a colleague. The young harpy truly wished to get to know her better. To him, Phoebe wasn’t simply a librarian, or a shapeshifter.  


So perhaps this time the question was a worth a bit more. 


“There is this one book though,” she started, hesitation slowing down her words. "Don’t know if it counts as it being my favourite, but I’ve found myself coming back to it every now and then,” she said, meeting his gaze. “It was written a long time ago by a shapeshifter, at a time where most of the great thinkers who shared their work were humans. It's called The Duality of the Soul.”


A brief moment of silence followed to let her words sink in. The inky brown in her eyes simmered in the heat of the passion rising in her chest and bubbling up her throat, overpowering even her nausea. She pushed on, “It explores how our sense of self forms around a never ending conflict between two opposing sides. How our whole lives are just one big balancing act and we’re all trying desperately not to fall,” she explained with a smile caught somewhere between bitterness and amusement. “But in this book there are also the experiences of the writer, Janus, as a shapeshifter. It was the first and only book I’ve ever read that was written by,” she stoped, taking a deep breath, "by someone like me.”


“So it’s special to me. And I think you would enjoy it as well,” Phoebe admitted. The very next second she was bitting the skin of her thumb hard and refusing to acknowledge the heat crawling up her neck and pooling beneath her freckles. “So…” she trailed off, desperately trying to come up with a question so they could move on, all the while avoiding Kito’s eyes.


In her frantic search, she spotted two of the passengers with worried expressions speaking to one of the crew members, a bird hybrid. They look related, possibly brothers, the taller one holding the other’s arm out and pushing up his sleeves to show something to the hybrid. The arm was covered in these deep, dark and softly glowing gashes and claw marks that seemed to have begun festering. 


Those weren’t the marks of any living being Phoebe knew of. 


She shivered at the image and suddenly decided on what her question would be. 


“What are your real thoughts about this journey?” she asked the harpy, keeping her voice low even as she leaned into him. “We’re close to getting your weapon. How do you feel about that? How do you feel about being chosen by the Gods to confront … whatever it is that’s coming."

@Jayus
​

 

[Jayus]

There was a certain magic when she spoke about books. Well magic might be a bit overdramatic, but there was definitely something captivating about how she spoke. It was rocky in the beginning and at first Kito worried he'd somehow offended her no matter how impossible it seemed to offend a librarian by talking about books. Yet as time went on and she eventually described her favourite Kito wanted to know as much about it as possible and as much about his new friend as possible. Yet the point of the game was not to continue a question straight after with another question and he would simply have to sit patiently waiting for her to ask him her own. Her small smile as she recalled the book with an old fondness slowly fell away and she too was now looking around for a question, but not as energetically as Kito. Something caught her eye that sparked a different kind of emotion, but before Kito could look over his shoulder she asked him her question.


"O-oh," He breathed out not expecting a question like that so quickly. What did he think of it? He wasn't even sure if Fekitoa knew.


"I don't know." He mumbled softly. "I haven't given it much thought." He admitted. It was an innocent question. One where excitement could easily have been an answer or eagerness. Yet at the present time Kito felt none of them. His eyes drifted to the floor between them, hidden by darkness from the night sky and illuminated by the condensation droplets catching what little light there was. It was easy to lose your train of thought in an artificial sky.


"Fekitoa decided to do it. He said we can't escape fate especially when it was told to us. Literally laid out in front of us by a god." He said knocking his hand gently on his temple for extra effect. He couldn't remember the exact words that day, but he remembered the searing pain shooting through his head and the drop in his stomach when Phoebe confirmed what that pain was.


"I didn't want to." His eyes grew more fixated on the floor, and for the first time he didn't care what he looked like in front of her.


"I didn't want to get a weapon, go on a journey, fight an entire demon army... but that doesn't mean I won't do it." His eyes flickered upwards, usually a bright ruby now a deep wine.


"I'm going to get stronger so I can wield this weapon, whatever it does. I'll do whatever it is Semino wants me to do even if I'm scared, even if I'm nervous even though I-"


I don't want to die.


The words caught in his tongue before he could say them aloud and he was thankful for himself for being too frightened to say it. He cleared his throat, attempting to discard any remnant of that thought still in his mouth. 


"I don't want to let you down. Or Semino. Or anyone. So I'll do my best and I'm sure eventually I'll be fine." He said instead and with a new found spirit, happy to get it off his chest.


He wasn't his usual nervous self. The cowardice that always hung on him like a chained weight slipping for a moment.


"S-so what about you? What do you think?"


@SepiaInk

 

[minismurf]

Sylvanus
​

 
​

Sylvanus wasn't opposed to Chilali's idea about keeping his arachnid limbs from becoming pure icicles, so he followed her through the academy to the tailor. The tailor's reaction to the request was exactly what Sylvanus had expected, the disgust that people showed towards Sylvanus becaused of his hybrid nature, however Chilali's obvious annoyance over the man's behaviour and her commitment to making the coat itself amazed him. The way Chilali seemed to care about Sylvanus sometimes made him think if there could possibly be something past their mission for the two, however he always quickly threw away those thoughts. They were a pair of agents, chosen by the gods to complete a mission, they'd complete that mission, and then part ways forever, if they both survived that is.


When the coat was complete and Chilali handed it to him he held it up in front of him, just to notice that there weren't any holes for his arachnid legs "Uuuhm" Was all he could utter before Chilali grabbed it, with increasing annoyance, to solve the problem.


When the coat was finally finished, again, he joined Chilali as they headed to the platform where the mount that would take them far, far above the ground and to the Bkue Isles. As he thought about the experience of flying up high in the air his skin started to crawl, he put on the coat try and counteract it. The jacket was surprisingly warm, and when he thought about it he realised that this was the first piece of clothing that he'd worn that had felt... Comfortable, all the clothing he'd owned earlier had mostly been rags he'd stolen off villagers and even the clothing that Chilali had given him earlier had been slightly out of proportions for him, however this coat seemed to be exactly right for him, it seemed that Chilali had learnt his proportions very well whilst nursing him.


As he grabbed Chilali's hand and she pulled him up on the mount he felt the beast between his legs, it felt very uncomfortable, thinking about the fact that this was all that would keep him from crashing down onto the ground and break like a piece of glass. "You ready?" Chilali asked him with a beaming smile, "As ready as I can be I suppose" He said as he grabbed a slight hold onto her waist, keeping his arachnid limbs under the coat around his own waist, however when they lifted of with such an unexpected force his grip tightened quite a lot, he could feel the limbs around his waist trembling.


@KiKi Kitsune

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Chilali
​

Chilali did not notice any change in the pressure of the spider's grip. Her mind was focused on the flight. She was enjoying the wind whipping her hair around, the sound as it whooshed past her ears. The rhythmic beating of the hameling's wings timed perfectly with its undulations lulled the ice mage into a sort of autopilot mode. She had to force herself to remain present. The temptation to ride as she would by herself was ever present. Thinking of her passenger, she glanced back at him. He seemed to be shaking, and it wasn't due to the movements of the hameling. 


The woman frowned. Her love for flight had clouded her judgement enough that she had not noticed Sylvanus's discomfort. Her eyes moved back to the horizon they moved towards. Flying was definitely the fastest way to get to the Blue Isles. They had already lost a week while recuperating at the mage school. They couldn't afford to loose more time. They would also be able to use the hameling to journey to get Sylvanus's weapon, not needing to wait on boats and the like. 


As the warm wind began to cool as the evening drew to a close, Chilali carefully contemplated her options. They could take a lot of breaks to let Sylvanus rest. However, that would take a lot of time. Or else, they could try push for a long stretch. Then again, that would tire the hameling and possibly scare the hybrid enough to have him refuse to ride again. 


But what was the problem? That question got the gears in the mage's head churning. Why was Sylvanus so clearly uncomfortable. Was it the hameling? He had said that he had never even known the name prior to her speaking of them. A creature looking similar to some of the gods could quite easily scare someone. So perhaps it was the creature itself that worried Sylvanus. Or maybe it was something different. 


"Hey Sylvanus." She twisted her head around to see him, but still had to raise her voice a fair bit to be heard over the wind. "Are you afraid of heights?" She was still trying to steer a flying creature, so didn't exactly have the thought capacity to find a more discreet way of asking. 


@minismurf

 

[SepiaInk]

Phoebe was taken back by the overwhelming bitterness that flared up inside her chest as she listened to Kito. Terrified that the other would notice it, she sprung up to her feet and stepped away, back turned to him. Unfortunately, that forced her to face the side of the boat, rising and falling with the waves in a way that turned her stomach into knots.


The surrounding water felt oppressing now that they had left the comforting embrace of the harbour and the familiar warmth of the lighthouse. The crew had made sure to keep the boat relatively well lit, despite the approaching darkness, but still most passengers preferred to head to their small shared quarters. Only a handful remained, bundled up against the cold bite of the night breeze, their gazes lost at sea. 


“I think… I’m a lot more selfish than you.” 


Getting that out there was equal parts horrifying and liberating, the relief that followed blossoming into a delirious smile. She laughed, feeling every bit of nervousness leave with it.


“I’m not like you, Kito.” His name left her lips like a caress, but she still refused to look at him. “My heart isn’t in the right place. So, please, don’t feel like you owe me anything. Just focus on surviving, and I’ll make sure we both come out of this alive.” 


The wind picked up and she hugged herself, hands rubbing up and down her arms to generate warmth. “You know what, it’s getting late,” she said out of the blue, voice sluggish and tired. “We’re going to need every bit of rest we can get,” she turned towards Kito as she said this, smiling faintly while avoiding his gaze. 


The harpy seemed reluctant to drop the conversation. His eyes begged for something and his mouth opened to say something, but perhaps her pleading stare reached him, as he eventually closed it and nodded. Phoebe was glad for that small favour and walked alongside him to their quarters in an awkward silence.


Deep into the night, Phoebe remained wide awake, listening to the soft breathing of the other passengers as she counted away the minutes till sunrise.  

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
​

@Jayus
​

 
​

 

[Jayus]

Kito didn't understand how it was possible for Phoebe to think of herself as anything less than selfless. She was risking her life to save the entire world from a Demon army. Wasn't that selfless enough? He kept quiet, listening to every word she had to say, hoping he'd understand her reasoning if she spoke more. The more she spoke, however, the more confused he was. She didn't seem to believe at all that she was a good enough person. And from what he had seen she was one of the best people he knew.


"Phoebe you're not-" He was cut off before he could finish his sentence. Her eyes were heavy and each word she spoke oozed how tired she was. He wanted to debate with her. Tell her she was not as bad as she though she was. He opened his mouth, but he too realised how tired he was, and he wasn't as great with arguments as Fekitoa was. Eventually, after siding with the part of him that said he could deal with this at a later time, he nodded and watched as she made her way to their sleeping quarters, which he followed next to her soon after. The quarters was smaller than he thought they would be. A bed lay on either side of the opposite walls with only a step between each bed frame. A small window barely larger than a dinner plate lit the room in an ethereal glow from the moon outside. A small candle hanging on a wall lit what little the moon couldn't reach and bathed the air in a warm humidity. Kito blew it out and took the bed to his left. He moved around trying to find a comfortable position, but this room was clearly not designed for harpies. Eventually he settled on having to press his wing up the side of the wall and the other hanging off the edge of the bed. The rocking of the ship was not soothing in the least as he fought the bile rising and falling with the current to stay in his stomach. He looked over to Phoebe. She wasn't facing him and she seemed to be sleeping.


"Phoebe?" He called out to her groggily, half taken by sleep already. There wasn't a reply he could make out. Maybe she had fallen asleep. Maybe he should too, but the thoughts were scratching the back of his tongue in a desperate attempt to get out.


"I just wanted to say." He yawned, his eyes lazily flicking up as his vision went in and out of a blur. "I don't think you're as selfish as you think you are." With that he was taken by sleep and woke up what felt like minutes later to an icy room. He rubbed the little sleep away from his eyes and slowly got up. It was both a blessing a curse to be an early bird, but at this point he dreaded it more than ever. He tried to fall asleep again, but he never could once he woke up. Slowly he rose from the bed, his joints cracked and popped back into place. He groaned aloud and finally he propped himself up into a sitting position. He stretched his wings and blindly reached for his shoes. The sun was burning away the cold air in the room by the time he was done and he called for Phoebe again to see if she was awake. Not waiting long for a reply he walked out their quarters and to the outside. The brightness shocked him and immediately he held both hands to his face waiting for it to pass. He could hear people walking around and he could hear them whispering. Instinctively he hid his arms behind his back and accepted the harshness of the day. 


He walked to the edge of the ship, his eyes slowly adjusting and opening minutely with each blink. It was an awe-inspiring morning. There wasn't a cloud in the sky as the day started off painted in reds and pinks and faded purples, The brightness of the sun danced and sparkled over the multi-coloured water... wait water?


His red eyes shot open as he did his best to stifle a yelp. How did he forget he was in the middle of an ocean? Panic seized him. 'No no no.'


Fekitoa was now trying to calm him down and instructed him over and over to look up instead of down. His neck jerked up, a splash of green slipping into view. Kito stopped panicking. The splash of green morphed into shapes of trees, high and towering, low and thick, flowers of every hue imaginable decorating the island in sprinklings. They were still too far to hear the wildlife, but dark spots soared over the forest. His chest fluttered as a new emotion seized and gripped his heart. Somewhere in that thick brush of nature, was his weapon.


@SepiaInk

 

[SepiaInk]

Mornings have never been a particularly pleasant experience for someone like Phoebe, especially the ones following sleepless nights, but this one was shaping up to be the worst one yet. She was taken back but how disorienting it felt to wake up on a boat. Not only was the constant rocking messing with her sense of balance and making her head spin but the ocean smell was so strong it overpowered any other scent she could’ve used as a crutch. 


Shielding her eyes against the harsh sunlight, Phoebe wobbled across the deck and towards Kito’s silhouette, somewhat thankful that the winged young man was so easy to spot even through her blurred vision. There was a split second were she made the motion to grab on to the back of his shirt, that one patch of white fabric between his dark wings that she was sure would make the whole world stop spinning out of control, but she was able to catch herself in time. She leaned into the side of the boat instead, one hand gripping the wood beam while the other covered her nose. It was no use though, she could still smell the tar and oils coating the hull of the ship, the rotting seaweed, sulphur and salt in the sea sprays and … pollen? 


Frowning at the new scent, she rubbed the grogginess from her eyes and looked up. The green canvas that greeted her actually made her heart throb for a sweet stretch of a second. But then the functioning side of her brain that wasn’t so easily distracted by a couple of trees reminded her why they were arriving at the Great Forest in the first place and she sobered up pretty fast. 


Perhaps too fast. 


Her poor legs did their best to get her as far away from Kito and other people as possible, but that didn’t turn out to be nearly as far as she would’ve liked. In the end she had no choice but to throw her upper body over the stern side of the boat, clinging to the railing for dear life as she emptied out the contents of her stomach. It felt like an eternity before the queasiness began to fade and she could trust herself enough to let her body go limp against the railings, and all the while she could hear what sounded like the whole crew laughing at her. 


“There ya go, love. Better out than in, I say.” 


“Now that’s more like it. Was starting to think none of ‘em would puke their guts out."


“Told ya it’d be the shifter. Now cough up those coins!” 


“For the record, I’m definitely not cleaning that up."


Heat pooled in her cheeks as she shut her eyes and hid her face in her arms, doing her best to drown out every other sound expect the slap of the waves against the side of the ship. She was beyond embarrassed, the high tower where she placed her pride crumbling down until it was nothing but a pile of rubble at her feet. Eyes refusing to meet anyone’s, she graciously accepted the water canteen she was offered to wash out the bad taste in her mouth and let herself be pulled to her feet by a pair of strong but unfamiliar arms. 


The captain barked her orders and the crew soon turned their attention to the more pressing matter of docking their ship. Phoebe found herself standing next to Kito in the middle of the deck. The last thing she wanted at the moment was to face him or speak a word to him, but he had done nothing to deserve her cold shoulder. In fact, she had the vague notion that someone had held her hair back during all of that, and it was hard to believe any of the crew members or even the kindest of passengers had done that. 


“Thank you for… you know...” she whispered to him, hating how hoarse and meek her voice sounded. Clearing up her throat, she pushed on, “I sincerely hope you don’t follow my example.” She briefly glanced at him, immediately regretting her decision as her face only got hotter.


“Did you sleep well? Are you feeling better? What do you think of the Great Forest?” she asked a little too loudly, gaze shifting from place to place, unsure of where to rest.  

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
​

 
​

 
​

@Jayus
​

 

[Jayus]

Kito watched the land approach at a steady pace. The details of the trees slowly taking a more real shape and the smell of dirt and salt stinging his nostrils. He was entranced by this island and he could sense it drawing him closer. He wanted to be closer and he could almost feel his wings rising up to catch the breeze. His thoughts crashed into each other with the sound of crew members snickering. He turned around, nervously eyeing them, but there eyes weren't focused on him for once. Quickly he bound towards Phoebe and grabbed her hair before it could get caught in her mouth. He looked around wildly, people still laughing at her lack of sea legs. He had half the mind to tell them all where they could stick their business, but that would only draw more attention. Locking eyes on a female hybrid he asked if he could borrow her water. She hesitated for a moment, eyeing the two of them up and down, her mouth twisting into something resembling bitterness. He wanted to retreat into himself and pretend it never happened, but he forced himself to stay firm and asked once more. Finally, the woman walked forward and Kito reached to hand the canteen to Phoebe, but the woman missed his hand and gave it to her herself. Kito was taken aback and his hands retreated to Phoebe's hair, hiding his fidgeting fingers between her locks. He bit back his lower lip to steady himself and nodded out of thanks. The woman scoffed, making sure Phoebe was doing better and made her way back to the Captain.


Kito looked on at the crew members. They were no longer gossiping or sending either of them dirty looks. He didn't understand why he was still on the receiving end of such malice. He was risking his life to fight an army that deserved some praise right? Or at least peace of mind. His anxiety flared up into his throat and he thought he was also going to be sick.


He heard someone talking to him and followed the voice. Listening to Phoebe, the nausea fizzled down and he was able to breathe normally again. He was more than happy for the distraction of questions.


"It was okay. Kinda cramped so I'm still a bit stiff, but when we get on land I'm sure things will go better." He mused turning his attention to land again. 


"It's funny." He spoke softly. "I definitely want off this boat, but I don't know how ready I am to reach shore." He looked down at his feet. 


"I mean... I do want to, but I'm a bit worried to I guess? I thought I'd be more scared, but I'm actually okay which is making me more worried." Hearing himself aloud he laughed at himself.


"That's weird right? I should probably stop talking now or I'll confuse both of us... well all of us." He cleared his throat and looked back at the crew members. He wished more than anything that Fekitoa was in control, but they had gone back to their old arrangements and Fekitoa preferred control in the late afternoon. He took his gaze off them and looked back to Phoebe, a bit of dried leftovers still on her chin. He dug around in his pocket and offered a handkerchief shyly, pointing to a corner of his own mouth with a taloned finger.


"And you Phoebe? How do you feel about shore?"


@SepiaInk

 

[SepiaInk]

Making sure to avoid eye contact, Phoebe took the handkerchief and wiped her mouth with one quick swipe. After going through the unnecessary motions of folding it, she handed the soft cloth back to him. “Thank you,” she mumbled, refusing to look up from the floor. Before she could stop it, her hands rose to rub her cheeks and neck, feeling the skin there heating up. The nausea had died down, but she still felt sick somehow. 


“How I feel about it is irrelevant,” she said after a while, suddenly remembering she’d been asked something. The response came without much thought, like a rehearsed line, and it took a few seconds for her own words to sink in. When realisation struck, the shapeshifter grunted and smacked her forehead, leaving a red imprint on her still pale skin. Fumbling for words, she tried to make amends, “That’s not what… What I meant to say was-“ 


Sighing in defeat, Phoebe held her face in her hands and just breathed in and out for a bit before peeking through her fingers at the approaching shore. They should be docking any minute now. 


“I don’t know how to feel,” she admitted, letting her hands slip down her face and fall to her sides. “My… two halves have very conflicting opinions of this place. And I don’t know which one is right or which one I should listen to. Maybe-” 


The words died in her mouth the moment the ship hit the dock, the sudden jolt knocking her over on her side. Or it would’ve if the harpy hadn’t been there to stop it. Kito stumbled just as much, but then his wings sprang open and he was able to regain balance, catching Phoebe’s arm before she could fall on her face. 


“No flying on the deck, please!” yelled a crew member somewhere behind them, sounding more annoyed than alarmed. Phoebe was more than happy to pretend he didn’t exist. 


“Thank you,” she said for the second time, though much firmer this time around. Doing her best to ignore the sting in her arm where Kito’s talons had probably pressed a little too hard, she stood up straight and looked around to try and calm down her racing heart. 


People were staring, passengers and crew alike. And it took a bit more time than she cared to admit for her to realise why. Over time she’d gotten used to the harpy’s unusual condition, but that didn’t mean others had. Not that it excused such crude behaviour in any way, and she reserved the right to openly glare at them and take some enjoyment out of it. However, Phoebe didn’t wish for Kito to feel anymore distressed than he already was, so she tugged at the hem of his white shirt, ushering him to follow her to the gangway so they could be the first to disembark. 


“We need to find a forest guide. Someone we can trust and who knows exactly where to find what we seek.” 

@Jayus
​

 

[Jayus]

Kito felt a jolt to the chest. Sharp and quick like lightning and just as painful. He retreated into himself and mumbled into his hands softly. 


"O-oh o-okay." He breathed. He could hear her trying to change her story and her tone rose a few pitches into something less grave, almost apologetic. He looked up carefully, still running over his palms with his fingers. She paused for what felt like a small second before she spoke, speaking with a bit more confidence in her lack there of it for what she expected. The jolt came back, but it wasn't nearly as painful. It shot from under his feet and luckily he had curled his claws into the ships dock so the shock was not nearly as bad. Watching in what felt like slow motion Phoebe lost her own balance and fell. He reached for her and helped her to her feet, his wings shooting out to keep himself from falling over. 


A shout dragged the slow motion into reality, the burst of noises hitting him as strong as a current to the shore. His grip tightened. He shrunk behind Phoebe, retreating into safety behind her smaller frame . He could feel the fire rising in his throat, a burning sensation that begged for him to choke it out in sputters and coughs. He had never felt so exposed to people than he had these past few days and now he knew why Fekitoa had refused them to make friends all those years ago. The fire in his throat was no match for the water clouding his vision and he had almost dissolved into the opposing elements coursing through his body when Phoebe tugged on his shirt. He looked up at her, not realizing he had sunk lower and lower into the floor until he was on his knees. She spoke clearly and her words were the only thing screaming in his mind besides Fekitoa's constant repeating of 'You better not be crying, you better be allergic to something'. It was time to go. He stood up and nodded. The world still a fuzzy haze of browns and greens, but he knew the moment he blinked it was over. 


"Okay." He managed with a watery grin and turned to the crew members, thanking them for their hospitality before turning sharply. A few crew members whispered to themselves. Thinking him too humble to be a Harpy and wondering if it was a disorder for his very obvious condition. Whatever it was, the crew decided, good riddance.


Running down the ramp, the feeling of sand beneath his feet had never been so good. He blinked away the tears and quickly rubbed away what little evidence was still on his face from his anxiety-ridden panic.


'Honestly I'm surprised you walked down the ramp' Fekitoa mused. 'If I were their when I said I wanted to be there I'd have shot straight in the air and told them exactly how far they could shove their egos up their-'


"Grass!" Kito exclaimed loudly forgetting nobody else could hear him momentarily and swivelled around to meet Phoebe's eyes. He laughed nervously, his face tinged in a faded pink.


"There is just so much grass. It's been what a whole day since last we saw it. A-nd it's write over there." He pointed. He scratched the back of his head.


"Right let's go find a guide. I'm sure if we can find a little fishing or farming village we'd find someone who knows the area. Just... j-just none of the crew or w-well-" Kito's eyes fluttered quickly to a few other passengers leaving the ship. There eyes scrunched in disgust every moment they caught his own gaze.


"J-just none of t-them p-please." He stuttered. 


'Let me be in control, they think their the only ones who can look at people like the dirt under their shoe.'


'No, Fekitoa.'


'They'll wish they were the actual dirt beneath my shoe.'


'Fekitoa no it's okay. And we don't wear shoes'


Noticing Phoebe had been quiet for a while he asked what was wrong. She hadn't spoken yet, but he could guess what she was about to ask.


"It's okay. I've had worse than them." He said now tugging on the hem of her own shirt and gesturing behind his head. "They mentioned there was people North-east of here. It's about a ten minute walk, let's get ahead of them okay? They're not even that far into the forest. And you can pick the guide! I trust you." And just for extra measure he smiled a bright lively grin that was too childish for Fekitoa's liking and far too happy, but at least it was happy.


@SepiaInk

 

[minismurf]

Sylvanus
​

Sylvanus keeps holding tight on to Chilali as they both soared through the sky on the mount, even though he is terrified to the point that he can feel his bony limbs and ribcage rattling in unison. However he knew that not only was this the most efficient way of reaching each of their weapons, as well as the fact that Chilali loved the experience of the flight, so he decided to hold out, no matter how long it would take and who knows, maybe he'd manage to adapt to it even.


After a while he started focusing less on the massive distance between him and the ground, and more on everything else around him, the scenery that they flew over, the breaths of the mount between his legs, Chilali's waist in hi- "Hey Sylvanus!" He got pulled out of his thoughts by a shout from Chilali. "Huh, what?" Sylvanus looked up at the mage's face, "Are you afraid of heights?" Sylvanus found the question to be ridicilous, however when she appeared to be serious he supposed that a response would only be fitting. "Well, it's not as much the height itself that I'm afraid of" He said "It's more the thought of falling off and getting crushed on the ground like a bug, no pun intended" He said and shimmied slightly in the spot, still holding onto Chilali's waist.


@KiKi Kitsune

 

[KiKi Kitsune]

Chilali frowned slightly. Wasn't that what the fear of heights was? Then again, she loved flying too much to care about falling, so the fear made no sense to her anyway. Either way, it was a worry for the spider and that made Chilali feel... guilty. She had dragged him onto what he must think was a death trap. It wasn't like there was a harness holding him in place or anything. 


Wait a moment... 


An idea struck the mage, causing her to smile widely at Sylvanus. She turned to face forward, leaning down closer to the hameling. She issued a command to it, probably too quietly for Sylvanus to hear. The beast snorted and began to slow its undulations, gliding more than flying now. Chilali turned back to the spider.


"Don't freak out, okay? He's really well trained." She slowly released the reigns. "I'm still in control with my legs. All is fine." She made sure to try her best to calm the hybrid. Being worried about falling and then seeing the rider let go of the reigns was probably not helping his concern. 


Chilali didn't waste any more time. She scrabbled around the saddle bags, being careful to not drop anything. Eventually, she found the pelt she wore on her head. Undoing the leather strap that usually kept it in place on her head, she closed the bag. She quickly checked to make sure the hameling was still going the right way. With a slight nudge of her heel to adjust course a minuscule bit, they were perfectly fine. 


The strap was slung around Sylvanus' waist in one swift movement and tied in front of Chilali's in another. With it properly fastened, the ice mage looked back to the spider with a smile hidden behind her mask. "Now you won't need to worry about falling off." She knew that wasn't quite true. The belt was too flimsy to keep all of Sylvanus' weight. "I'll figure out something more stable later." She promised the hybrid. Damn, she had a lot of things to do once they landed now. The list just seemed to keep growing.  


@minismurf