Lu's footfalls were soft, but up here there was little to distort their distinct sound other than the whip of the wind and the ambient noise of normal life below. He was doing well to keep up with her, but she knew for a fact it must be taxing on him. As a matter of fact, their chase had already been taxing on her. Her palms and bare feet were scuffed and raw from running and climbing, and her breaths didn't seem to satiate her lungs appetite for the mountain air of Lhavit.
Despite her ministering of this lesson, she wasn't quite the athlete she wanted to be. The Shinya did not focus on the body quite so much as her old routine in Syliras had, and she felt it's effects now. Her pace was quick but not quite as spirited as before, and each leap to the next rooftop was beginning to sting her feet and palms as she stuck her lands and sprang forward. Perhaps it was time to end this little game… though Lu was the only one who could truly end it, she did have an inkling of how she could force his hand. He was ever resourceful and would likely rise to the challenge, but perhaps that was a good thing. Confidence was always something to covet when it could be found, though some Shinya seemed not know the difference between confidence and cockiness.
Green lunged into her vision as the rooftops began to give way to a small clearing that had remained free of human architecture. It was a small garden with a naturally occurring pond, bored into the peak of the mountain and constantly filling with rain water. It was a favorite of children to play and swim, and of the younger folk as well. There was a sort of cliff there that hung over the center of it's deeper middle area of the pond, and brave teenagers would dive in to prove their worth to their ever impressionable friends. It struck Elhaym as she pounced over another gap in the buildings that Lu was of an age with them. Well, how fitting.
Her body snaked to the side, and Elhaym veered for the edge of the rooftop. There was a small tree that grew up along the pathway near there, and it would make as good an exit point as any. There were a couple of thick branches that looked sturdy enough to support her weight. That was all the confirmation she needed. Her sudden departure from their relatively tame and unobtrusive jaunt over the lesser rooftops of Lhavit was quick… far too quick. As her foot pushed her over the edge and she leaped through empty air to embrace one of the thickest branches she realized her mistake. Her body tried to correct itself, but she only managed to impact the branch on her torso and wrap her arms around it prevent herself from falling down to further injury. The jarring blow sucked the wind right out of her lungs, and she lost her hold on the branch to find herself falling down on all fours to the ground below. Luckily the division of her fall between the initial impact and her ungraceful drop deprived her of any real injury. Still, the harsh landing left her palms and feet stinging and of course, breathless.
Disoriented and panicked, Elhaym rose and stumbled forward. She had only to reach the little cliff that hung over that pond… not too much farther to go. Still, her frantic gasps for air brought the attention of several townsfolk who she tried to wave off as she stumbled. She could return to a jog in a moment, but for now she only plowed forward.
Despite her ministering of this lesson, she wasn't quite the athlete she wanted to be. The Shinya did not focus on the body quite so much as her old routine in Syliras had, and she felt it's effects now. Her pace was quick but not quite as spirited as before, and each leap to the next rooftop was beginning to sting her feet and palms as she stuck her lands and sprang forward. Perhaps it was time to end this little game… though Lu was the only one who could truly end it, she did have an inkling of how she could force his hand. He was ever resourceful and would likely rise to the challenge, but perhaps that was a good thing. Confidence was always something to covet when it could be found, though some Shinya seemed not know the difference between confidence and cockiness.
Green lunged into her vision as the rooftops began to give way to a small clearing that had remained free of human architecture. It was a small garden with a naturally occurring pond, bored into the peak of the mountain and constantly filling with rain water. It was a favorite of children to play and swim, and of the younger folk as well. There was a sort of cliff there that hung over the center of it's deeper middle area of the pond, and brave teenagers would dive in to prove their worth to their ever impressionable friends. It struck Elhaym as she pounced over another gap in the buildings that Lu was of an age with them. Well, how fitting.
Her body snaked to the side, and Elhaym veered for the edge of the rooftop. There was a small tree that grew up along the pathway near there, and it would make as good an exit point as any. There were a couple of thick branches that looked sturdy enough to support her weight. That was all the confirmation she needed. Her sudden departure from their relatively tame and unobtrusive jaunt over the lesser rooftops of Lhavit was quick… far too quick. As her foot pushed her over the edge and she leaped through empty air to embrace one of the thickest branches she realized her mistake. Her body tried to correct itself, but she only managed to impact the branch on her torso and wrap her arms around it prevent herself from falling down to further injury. The jarring blow sucked the wind right out of her lungs, and she lost her hold on the branch to find herself falling down on all fours to the ground below. Luckily the division of her fall between the initial impact and her ungraceful drop deprived her of any real injury. Still, the harsh landing left her palms and feet stinging and of course, breathless.
Disoriented and panicked, Elhaym rose and stumbled forward. She had only to reach the little cliff that hung over that pond… not too much farther to go. Still, her frantic gasps for air brought the attention of several townsfolk who she tried to wave off as she stumbled. She could return to a jog in a moment, but for now she only plowed forward.
