Flashback For Now and Always

Becoming an Endal requires a Wind Eagle

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The westernmost tip of Kalea, Wind Reach is home to an amazing group of people and their giant eagle mounts. [Lore]

For Now and Always

Postby Phlox on May 22nd, 2015, 6:13 am

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23rd of Fall, 503

It was different in the fledgling warrens. Unlike the aeries where it felt normal, this place was warm and homey. Young fledglings had a harder time coping with the wind chill, while the adults were more at home in cooler caves. Besides, these warm caves made it easier for the fledglings to relax and focus on the real matter at hand: being bribed by young Inartas in hopes of creating a sacred bond. Today, there seemed to be more hopefuls running around than normal. It may have been from a few recent bondings that had occurred, or a few new eggs that were supposed to be hatching soon. Even though they would not allowed to be touched until they were a bit older, baby eagles always stirred up emotions in hopeful Endals. Especially gooey girls that had nothing better to do but fantasize about a romantic, happily ever after with another Endal rider as his male eagle.

Blegh. Boring.

Phlox sat on the edge of a ledge, watching some eagles below her be fawned over by by a few females with sparkly glass decorating their hair. Probably higher born than she had been, considering the trinkets they wore and the shape the feathers were in. Idly she rolled the tip of one of the swept feathers of her hairpiece, narrowing her eyes. Entitled little chuhn kariil. ”Maybe you should all go preen elsewh-“ Phlox started to grumble, until to be cut off by a shriek of joy.

Figures that the gods would spite her and bind one of these precious chicks to a rather beautiful and strong eagle. Swinging her leg up, Phlox hoisted herself onto the edge. Guess the pretty girls got the eggs in this case.

Stepping lightly along the thin edge, Phlox was always observant of others. Her hands caressed the fissures that lined the wall next to her, always looking for a safe purchase in case she were to slip. If that were to happen, only air would be there for support. Everyone in Skyinarta knew only air supported the wings of eagles, not careless Yasi. Soon she found herself on a wider ledge, where she knelt to watch again, this time as hidden in the shadows as possible.

Her target was a nest not more than five lengths from her. An eagle lay, its eyes half lidded and heavy with the fog of sleep. Of course, her nap was about to be rudely interrupted as a boy pulled himself up onto the ledge. He was dirty and scrawny, not a normal candidate for a rider. He stood, shaking in a sandals before pulling an unsavory bit of meat from the makeshift pack he had on his back. The rustling caused the eagle to stir, raising its head. The scent that permeated the air from the offering almost made Phlox want to vomit.

Apparently, the eagle agreed with Phlox’ distaste of the offering. It stood up and fanned out her wings. She was bigger, most likely older, to be an unbonded fledgling. Phlox had heard rumor of this beast. A raptor unlike many that did not take kindly to being bribed and fawned over. From what she had heard, this one was relatively independent, enjoying long flights over Thunder Bay to bring herself a snack. Not that the eagle hadn’t accepted gifts before. Her nest was littered with painted feathers and bits of glass hopefuls had brought her.

A screech shattered Phlox’ thoughts and nearly made her jump out of her skin. Apparently the boy had the same idea as he dropped the bit of meat and took a dangerous step back. He must have realized too late how close to the edge he was when he looked over his shoulder and noted he was only half his own tiny foot away. He turned back, begging with his wide eyes toward the eagle.

“Mercy…” Came a soft plea, his lips barely able to part for further words before the eagle was jumping out of her nest.

It was magnificent to watch. The way the eagle hauled herself towards the boy was incredible and made Phlox’ skin crawl. The talons raised up and fell with an eerie sharpness. The way she hiked her legs up to run was somewhat hilarious, only to be counter balanced by the magnificent size of her wings. Not yet fully grown, and already a beast of nightmares to all but the Inarta. Soon, she had closed the distance between her and the boy. If she had been of a humanoid body, Phlox imagined her kicking the boy across the chest in the abyss. Very warrior-esque. Instead, she dipped her head, clipped her beak into the collar of his Bryda, pulled him up to give the boy a proper wedgie, and then unceremoniously dropped him over the edge.

His screams were heard all the way to the bottom of the caves until a THUD ended his pitiful life.
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For Now and Always

Postby Phlox on May 22nd, 2015, 6:53 pm

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Shock could only describe a portion of what Phlox was feeling right at that moment. The eagle was standing there, her chest markedly rising and falling with anger. She had not relaxed even a moment, her wings still slightly raised, her eyes narrowed, and her beak partially open. Her talons gripped the edge of the ledge, black and pointed weapons of little mercy. Clearly she owned this ledge, and Phlox was beginning to worry about her own life.

Yet, there were other emotions swirling with shock and worry. A burning sensation of absolute joy nestled in her chest, warming her entire body. It was this feeling that drove her feet to take steps towards the edge and the warden that guarded it. Soon she found herself looking over the edge, a finger fingers away from touching the feathers of the murderess. Phlox looked into the abyss, unable to see the body of the young hopeful. She only assumed that the eagle was taking great pride in her work, having far better eyesight than any Inarta would have.

The smell of the rancid meat drew her eyes away from the abyss for a moment to stare at the forsaken gift. Drawing it towards the edge with the toe of her boot, she was quick to add the gift to the boys body, flinging it into the air with a light kick. Then she tucked her arms behind her back and continued to look down. Only silence answered them back, with the background of preening hopefuls and squawking fledglings.

“So, are you gonna eat him? Seems like a waste of flesh to let him rot down there,” Phlox questioned absentmindedly. Had she been thoughtful and choosy of her words, she probably would have kept her mouth shut. Not that she expected a reply.

’He is an unacceptable excuse for a meal. Stringy and smelly. I would not eat such a foul excuse for an Inarta. He is even a pitiful excuse for a Dek.’

Phlox turned her gaze towards the eagle, surprised to find the creature boring into her soul with great golden eyes. A shiver crawled up her spine, making the hair on her neck stand on end. It had spoken to her, sort of. More like melded with her mind and invaded all sorts of personal spaces. She had no idea what to do, except awkwardly stare at the magnificent beast.

’Now you, on the other hand…’


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For Now and Always

Postby Phlox on May 25th, 2015, 8:37 pm

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Well that thought was going to have a mark on her for eternity. The thought of being eaten by an eagle was mortifying, and somehow, satisfying. Was there really a more honorable way to die in her position? Not really. Phlox did not move, holding her gaze with the beast.

’What is your name?’

”Phlox.”

’What is your purpose?’

Minutes ago, Phlox would have had an answer to that. She was here to raise her caste, to bond with an eagle, to become an Endal. Now those answers seemed entirely inadequate for this particular eagle. It was almost like saying ‘bow before me so I may ride you.’ That just seemed mean and demeaning, and this eagle was far more impressive than being used as a stepping-stone for a greater life. The eagle twisted her head back and forth, gauging what was going on in the Yasi’s mind. Thankfully they were telepathic, not mind readers. Phlox let the breath she was holding out, opening her mouth to say something.

”I don-“ Before she could even really start her explanation, she was cut off by a wizzing rock. It zoomed just past her nose and over the edge. Turning, she realized it had done exactly what the thrower had wanted it to do.

Three Inartan Yasi stared back at her. One male and two females, all with a look of sheer anger draped upon their faces. The girls looked like they were twins, while the boy was younger with strawberry blond hair. Both girls were tossing rocks back and forth between their hands. It was scary, how robotic they were.

“We saw you murder that dek-licker boy. Pushed him right off ledge. That is not very sporting of you.”

“Avery and I have been working with this particular fledgling for some time now. You can’t just come and kill for her. You have to spend time getting to know her.”

”I did not murder that boy. If you know this eagle so well, you would know that she did it.”

“Addy and I have never seen her so much as get out of her nest. She would never hurt a fly. That is why she belongs with one of us. We can protect her.”

“Unlike you. Murderer.” The one she presumed was Avery sneered, throwing the rock at Phlox’s head. With difficulty, Phlox swayed to one side, allowing the rock to zip over the side. This girl must have had a significant amount of practice with projectiles to risk hitting the eagle.

Another rock zipped right into Phlox’s right cheek, the sharp edge causing a small split of skin before the rock thumped to the ground. Phlox’s eyes narrowed as the ball of rage practically exploded in her chest. Like most Inarta, she was rash and quick to act. With a snarl, she leapt towards the center of the ledge so she might meet her attackers.

The girls decided to meet her, but the boy hung back. Clearly the girls thought they could handle it without him, or were protecting him in some way. They moved fluidly, mirroring one another. Clearly some sort of fighting style they had been perfecting. They split, going after Phlox from both sides. Clearly, this was not going to end well.

The moment that they jumped, the scuffle began. It was a writhing ball of female Yasi, screeching and clawing at one another. Avery was holding Phlox’s legs down while Addy went for the face. Phlox found herself trying to protect her face, shuffling and kicking her feet in attempts to get her captor off. A blow to the crippled her defense. Another blow got her head spinning. Phlox screeched and did something rather unlady-like, and very Inarta like. She pulled a very sticky glob of spit into her cheek before launching it into Addy’s face.

“Why you self-centered-“

Now it was on.


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For Now and Always

Postby Phlox on May 26th, 2015, 8:53 pm

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It was rapidly becoming a one-sided struggle, the twins on top having an upper hand in the situation. Phlox was back to blocking blows with her wrists and lower arms. She had stopped kicking her legs, giving way to a few extra blows and scratches to her lower limbs from the other attacker. Addy grinned from ear to ear, raising a hand to signal her sister to stop. Both sister sat, panting, pinning Phlox from above.

“I believe justice is in order for this lying murderess.”

“I-I’m not l-lying…”

“Yes you are. Zulrav would be disappointed in your efforts to steal one of his beloved eagles through murder and injustice!”

“Over the cliff for judgment Addy. Let Zulrav’s winds decide if she lives or dies.”

Phlox’s heart rate sped up and she began kicking and fighting again, reaching out to scratch whatever bit of flesh she could. Yet, two on one was not favorable in her case and she was immediately over powered and wrestled into a position where they could pick her up safely. Hoisted into the girls arms, Phlox squirmed and fought, all the while expressing through various terms how she was not a liar. Yet, slowly, they inched her closer to the edge, jeering at her lies. As the edge came closer, Phlox began to look around for help. The boy sat idly by, grinning from ear to ear that his big sisters were winning. Then, there was the eagle.

All the eagle had been doing while this had been going on was watch. She had sat back, talons clicking from time to time as accusations were slung. What piqued her interest was how adamant Phlox was at her innocence. Yet, not once did the ginger ever point at the eagle for being the murderess. Honest and loyal. Those were some interesting characteristics she had not yet seen from hopefuls that graced her ledge. She had seen the twins before, full of pride and need for an eagle. Yet, they did not even consider young Phlox’s pleas of possible innocence. They acted brashly, much like many Inarta before them. Yet, Phlox has a bit of a brain to understand right versus wrong.

The girls dragged Phlox to the edge, Addy gripping her red hair in one fist, pushing her head over so that she may see the dark abyss. Phlox’s heart pounded, but there seemed to be an understanding. Zulrav show mercy, but she imagined that she would die this day.

“Zulrav have mercy on you. Of course, liars don’t get mercy.”

The twins then proceeded to shove Phlox over the edge. Her body went tumbling down into the abyss. She slid, falling faster and faster. With the previous blows, her head was already spinning, making it difficult to find any method to grasp the ledge. That, and she was falling headfirst. The wall began to fall farther and farther away, out of arms reach. There was no saving her now.


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Last edited by Phlox on May 26th, 2015, 11:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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For Now and Always

Postby Phlox on May 26th, 2015, 11:57 pm

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As Phlox seemed to float, not fall, into the darkness of the fledgling aeries, she pondered what she had done wrong in this scenario. She was innocent and good. This wasn’t supposed to happen to good people. Then again, wasn’t the young boy who she was joining a good person? Most likely, but she had not known him and these girls had not known her. They had just decided to be judge and jury without so much as a second thought.

“I guess it is only fair.”

What happened next she did not expect. A blur of black and brown, hedged in white streamed past her. It was large, and somewhat fluffy by what her blurry vision could sense. It separated her body and the wall and seemed to get closer. Soon, her body was wrapped in a bed of feathers, cushioned against the warmth of a body. It arched, catching her. Great wings expanded, catching the breath of Zulrav. Apparently the god had decided to forgive her for any transgressions she had done before in her life. Now, she was on the back of an eagle, her first ride on such a magnificent beast. Once the wind caught, they floated to the ground, the beast’s talons dropping down onto the rocky ground. The bird clicked her beak, rotating her head as best as she could to look over her shoulder at her catch.

’You alright Phlox?’

It was a gentle touch in her mind, a comforting feeling she had not felt before. Phlox opened her eyes, the swelling taking hold of her face. This was not going to make her very pretty for the rest of the week.

’Well?

Now the voice was getting impatient, but she recognized it. It was the eagle from the ledge she had been pushed from. The female that had murdered the boy. Here it was, supporting her on its back.

”Wh-why save me?”

’You are honest and noble. You have a different approach to this process. I like it. I like you. So you are now mine.’

”Yours?”

’My rider. You are now Endal. Phlox, Rider of Ithuriel.’

Endal Phlox Ithuriel. That had a lovely ring to it. Weakened and on cloud nine with happiness, she gripped some of the feathers with in her fingers. Before long, Ithuriel was rising once again into the aeries, with intent on leaving and moving to their new home where the adult birds and their riders lived.

The beginning of a new life.


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For Now and Always

Postby Dravite on June 18th, 2015, 9:05 pm

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Phlox

XP Award:

  • Socialisation: 2
  • Stealth: 1
  • Observation: 2
  • Philosophy: 1
  • Unarmed Combat: 2
  • Riding, Wind Eagle: 1
  • Intelligence: 1


Lore:

  • Phlox: Doesn’t fantasise like other girls
  • The Gods can be spiteful
  • Observation: Always look ahead
  • Eagles fly, careless girls don’t
  • The air carries bad smells
  • Not all Eagles can be bribed
  • The screech of an Eagle
  • Eagles can be deadly
  • Talons, nature’s weapon
  • Eagles have keen eyes
  • The smell of rancid meat
  • Children can be so cruel
  • Unarmed Combat: Using your arms to block
  • Zulrav: God of Storms
  • Zulrav: The Merciful God
  • The warmth of an Eagle's feathers
  • The Bond: First time flying
  • Endal: The Eagle Riders



Penalties:
Phlox will bruise and heal within the next three days.
Phlox may develop a fear of falling.

Loot:
1 x Wind Eagle

Notes: What an interesting twist! I find stories a lot more enjoyable when the character has to fight to get what they want or believe in. I like that you touched on a lot here that related to the situation well, including Zulrav and a little history surrounding the Wind Eagle (the bribes and decorated gifts, etc). Let me know if you think I have missed anything here and be sure to edit your grading request!

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