The sun was setting, casting vivid reflections upon the jolted water, appearing to be broken and shifting, altering the colors and hues and patterns to create completely new images. But, their colors are muted in the tired eyes of Xiani; their brilliance is lost upon her. Xiani had been flying upon near-silent wings for the past two days, just barely within sight of the coast. She had not stopped, she had not eaten, she had not stopped thinking about him. Sleep had only embraced her for less than an hour at a time. Despite her exhaustion, she pushed on across the unending expanse of ocean. Ever since meeting that other Zith things had become clearer to her. She did not want to be that, that savage creature consumed by a primal need for friendship only among its own species. Never had she understood why others of her kind held no appeal to her, but now it was clearer.
Other Zith spend their entire lives thinking only of hunting, killing, mating, and acquiring new slaves. She wanted more. She wanted to see the world, and all it had to offer. She wanted a mate that would last more than a season, and was bonded to her in more than just a physical manner, a mutual need. She wanted to truly live.
As the sun sank further below the horizon, Xiani's hope dimmed. Yes, she had been hoping to run into him for many weeks now, but this was the first time she had searched in earnest. No, she did not expect to find him instantly, but each day spent away from him seemed to be a sign that they were never to be reunited. A sign... From a god, perhaps? No. That was a silly notion. Gods are the product of hopeful, weakminded humans. With a sigh, Xiani sought out a current that would be strong enough to carry her through the night with as little effort as possible. After finding one, she settled down for what would be a long flight through the night. If all else were to fail, she could find the flotilla of which she had heard talk before and, assuming no one were to kill her on sight, ask around until she were to find someone who knew his location.
Night fell and passed without incident.
A pale green light alerted Xiani to the start of a new day as the sun began to show through the ocean. Her entire body was trembling, and she knew that it was time for her to abandon the search for the time being and take a rest. Despite how she hated the idea, it was a necessity. Rolling slightly to the left, Xiani began to drift towards shore, eyes drifting closed only to be snapped open an instant later as she fought off exhaustion. As the sun lipped the horizon, her feet touched the sand. The instant solid ground was within her grasp, her wings ceased their attempt to keep her in the air, causing her to crash into the soft sand, knees followed by elbows as she tried to retain a stance that would keep her from looking like easy prey to any passing predator. It lasted only for an instant before her arms gave out and her cheek also met the sand.
She lay there for who knows how long, breathing ragged and lips dry, raw, and unwilling to meet as she attempted to breath through her nose, but was unable to sate the need in her lungs. Exhaustion had not been this apparent while in flight. But now, it was claiming her entire body as she lay there, wings spread out across the sand trying to disperse the heat trapped within.
Just beneath the sand, Xiani heard a faint clicking, one that signaled life hidden below. Without thinking, instinct took over and Xiani began to dig into the sand, a scowl on her face as she reached and took hold of a crab. It pinched her finger in a vain attempt to fight back, to escape her steely grasp, but in that moment of instinct driven hunger, she did not care. Snarling quietly, Xiani pulled the crab to her mouth and bit right behind the eyes just before it could lock a pincer onto her ears. In a flurried motion, Xiani scraped the shell away at the front, chewing off any chunks of flesh that managed to cling to the shell. She then rolled onto her back and managed to sit up with a strain. The motion set off the equilibrium in her body, causing her to nearly fall to the side. After regaining her balance, Xiani tried to ignore the feeling through her body that made it seem as if she were still in flight and began digging meat out of the crab with her fingers, tossing aside any foul tasting organs.
A movement in the distance catches her attention.
Her crab falls to the sand, forgotten.
Sailing in front of the now risen sun was a ship whose lines she could never forget. Her hunger, her pain, her weariness now forgotten, Xiani managed to rise to her feet, ignoring how she wobbled, and ran towards the surf, pushing herself to rise above it and into the air. She failed at first, tripping and falling as the water rushed up and over her knees. Snarling at her weakness, Xiani rose again, this time leaping and pushing down with her wings in a surge of adrenaline. Finally in the air, the adrenaline spike keeps Xiani aloft and allows her to speed towards the casinor, automatically letting out a screeching greeting that will carry across the surf towards her target. She has found him. Now she must hope that he will be as happy to see her as she is to see him.
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by Xiani on March 8th, 2013, 11:57 pm 