[Bazaar] Up and Away

by **Calters** on August 1st, 2014, 11:06 pm

55th of Summer, 514 AV
14th bell

Calters pushed himself through the bazaar on an angry gale. His wings flapped and flustered about and his hands clutched a bag of Mizas tightly. He had everything that he needed mentally; he had found his courage and motivation and that necessary dash of stupidity. He was tired of being stuck in Riverfall with nothing better to do than to worry away his days and he planned to change that. He was leaving.

This was a spur of the moment idea, and Calters was chasing it through the market with a fire under his tail. He was afraid that if he moved too slowly, logic might catch up and nip him in the bud. He would not be taking any chances on that. To ensure that he did not lose his rash idea, Calters had hurried out to find everything physical that he would need for the journey the moment he dreamed it up. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew that it would be memorable and surely great fun.

Travel on the Sea of Grass promised harsh landscapes and near impossible navigation and Cal welcomed it. He wanted nothing more than to leave and find something he had never seen. He didn't know for sure what had gotten him hooked on the idea of travel. Perhaps it was the notes in his journal, complaining of the tired and sickly feeling one could get from being cooped up for too long. Maybe it was the sight of the sky and sea stretching out just beyond his reach, calling him to come and join them in their span of Mizahar. It could have been so simple passing the Modeller's Quarter and seeing all the adventurous and worldly Pycons gathered there.

Now amongst the stalls, Calters picked up a small one-person tent from a grinning old man at one stop, traveler's stock and water additive from a sultry young woman, and lastly a map of Cyphrus from a shifty looking man off to the side of the bazaar. Calters had no way of knowing whether or not the map was accurate as he had never been out of the city. That was why he needed the map in the first place! Left to trust, Cal purchased the map from the man, paying a full 10 gold Mizas (he was almost certain that this was a rip-off) and finally headed home to get organized.

Receipt :

by **Calters** on August 2nd, 2014, 4:02 am

As it turned out, Calters' room was not the best place to organize oneself. In fact, the room was in dire need of a good cleaning itself. Objects were spread out on the floor without rhyme or reason. Papers fluttered when Cal opened his door. His journal flapped noisily on the bed, the pages whispering as though they were welcoming him home. Sheets and pillows were huddled in a corner and his self-proclaimed "fancy pants" (which technically were not pants at all, but a scarf and wrap for formal situations) topped off the pile. Sticks of charcoal lay strewn out on the floor, waiting patiently for an unfortunate fellow to trip upon them. In short, a Glassbeak would have turned up its nose at the complete havok in the room.

Calters did not show a single sign of disgust.

On the contrary, he closed his door and carefully maneuvered around each and every paper. He lovingly nudged the charcoal out of his way with his tail and made his way to the mountain in the corner. He dug through the pile until he uncovered an old backpack. He had not used it in many days, but it was still there and it still held exactly what he had thought it would.

Flint and Steel, eatery, a reasonable amount of rations, and plenty of grooming supplies were all included. Calters added in what he had purchased, meeting resistance only when he tried to stuff the tiny tent in. It was a struggle and may have involved an assortment of abrasions, but he finally overpowered the tent and backpack both, leaving only the map in his hands. He peered curiously at the map, squinting and turning it as he tried to make out where he was. The confused Akvatari held the map up to the window so he could see the light come through it as though that would make things clear. He placed it on the ground in front of him and leaned in as close as he dared. At last, he found a small blue-ish dot in the upper right corner that proclaimed "Riverfall" in upside-down lettering.

Why is it upside-down?

It only occurred to him after he had thought this that the map itself was upside down and not the words. Sheepishly, he flipped it right side up and began again.

This time, he located Riverfall quickly. In the lower left corner he found the circle that was supposed to represent where he stood. There was also an orange dot labeled "Kenash" and a squiggly red line announcing the path of "Endrykas". A string of nearly unintelligible text at the bottom of the map warned the user that Endrykas' path was little better than a guess and should not be relied on. All things considered, Calters had little choice of where to go at this time.

So, backpack thrown over his shoulder and map stuffed into his sash, Calters rose and took a deep breath.

"I am going to Kenash."

The words felt strange in his mouth. They didn't belong but it was exhilarating to feel them there. In his rush to get out the door, he nearly forgot his most important possession. He had left his ocarina! As soon as he turned to get the beloved instrument, he began to doubt himself.

Should I really take it? It could get broken or lost or stolen or... The list went on and on. In the end, Calters stuffed his clappers into his pack and comforted himself with the fact that he would still have his voice. It would have to suffice. With that, he made his way out the door with a deliberate inhale and a strained smile.

Here we go.

by **Calters** on August 2nd, 2014, 9:26 pm

The entire flight to the gates felt surreal. Calters took it slowly, absorbing the sight of the round Riverfall buildings growing smaller as he backed away from them.

After crashing into a citizen, Calters had to quit looking back.

He faced forward then, looking towards the intimidating gates and the Akalak lining either side. One of the Akalak nodded respectfully as he passed while the other gave a fleeting smile and a quick wink. Both had seen Cal around Riverfall as a boy and knew that he would not cause a problem in the city or out. Calters returned their niceties and waved as he passed by. It was not until he reached the other side of the Bluevein and touched down on the grass that the full gravity of the situation hit him.

He brushed his tail against the grass in wonder. Looking out, he could understand why it had been called the Sea of Grass. The rippling waves of lengthy grass in the wind did resemble the wild waters of the sea. He wondered which was more dangerous. He had been in the ocean before, he was a child of the sea after all, but he had never been hurt seriously. Now here he was, facing a span of grass and he was suddenly afraid of injury?

Disregarding the thought as nonsense, Calters took one last peek at his map and set his course for Kenash. The wind favored him, and it carried his wings easily. He did not need to rush, but something about the open space made him crave the speed. He flew fast and high, chuckling softly to himself with inexplicable joy. The Akvatari outright laughed when he tried to perform a corkscrew in the air. This turned out to be a bad idea however, because his backpack nearly jumped off his back.

Content, Calters flew in a straight line from then on. He entertained himself by watching the Sea of Grass wave at him from the ground and by singing loudly to himself. He enjoyed the way his voice disappeared in the distance without echoing or reaching a single pair of ears. This was one of the few times he had been able to make music purely for himself and it felt wonderful.

The lone traveler belted out the lyrics, singing at a volume that Calters knew would soon damage his voice. He didn't mind; he wouldn't have any performances for days at least. He chose a song of travel. Although it spoke of traveling by caravan and finding love hidden there, Calters enjoyed it all the same. It gave him hope that he would find whatever it was he was looking for outside of Riverfall.

"Night and stars above that shine so bright
The myst'ry of their fading light
That shines upon our caravan

Sleep upon my shoulder as we creep
Across the sand so I may keep
The mem'ry of our caravan

This is so exciting
You are so inviting
Resting in my arms
As I thrill to the magic charms
Of you beside me here beneath the blue
My dream of love is coming true
Within our desert caravan"

Solo [Bazaar] Up and Away