Closed The Bond Of Fire (Harrier)

[Alori Sai]

Alori stared up at the giant bird, a creature so tall that she could already feel her neck cramping from holding her head up so high. But she wasn't about to turned away, not even blink. Her history with their kind wasn't very cozy, and although she admitted it was partly her fought, she also felt the blame lied with them as well. Hazel eyes stared up at the eagle, her chest rising and falling slightly as her heart slowed it's pace, only to revive the throng of beats from before. The teen tightly gripped the neck of her guitar with one hand while the base of the instrument rested on the ground by her foot.

The was something seriously unsettling about the way the bird cackled at her, and for the moment, Alori feared the worse. Slowly one of her feet moved backwards and the other remained lightly placed on the ground. Something was happening and the Avora wasn't sure if it was good or not, but she wanted to be prepared. However, just as she started to take another step back, the eagle spoke in Nari. The rarity in such an act wasn't lost on the huntress, and was enough to cause her to freeze once again.

"Durveth? Alright..so what do you want?"

Alori listened while the bird spoke more, and she couldn't help but to notice that there was something very different with this animal. Something..odd. It was so off-putting that she almost missed what the bird was trying to ask her. It was a strange bird to be sure, but it's words were easy to understand. But for the tiny Avora it was hard to understand because she couldn't believe what was happening. Suddenly she felt a hard thump in her chest and briefly thought that she had been hit with something until she realized that it was her heart skipping a beat.

"She wants me to bring her chimes? No, no that's not it. But it couldn't that she wants..?"

When the eagle stretched it's neck closer to the girl, Alori stepped back on instinct. Her eyes grew wider, dancing about the massive creature in front of her. The moment was so intense she had to remind her body to breathe in and out. Was it possible, that all she had ever wanted, all that she had worked her life for was finally within her grasp? And Durveth, was she the right one? The eagle's story about dropping another person surely didn't ease her feelings.

"I'll sing for you, but ..maybe I should do it from the ground if you're just gonna get mad and drop me. I admit, I've wanted this my whole life, and maybe you can tell and maybe you can't, but...I won't die for it."

x

[Harrier]

The eagle gave that clucking sound again, something remniscent of laughter, one might imagine, or as close to verbalized one that the bird could produce. ~What fun is that? Besides, if you can't hang on without a harness, how can you possibly last with one.~

Durveth made a good point, but the bald-faced bird did not yet make a move. She just sat there, staring with those predatory eyes for what would feel like chimes and chimes. When she finally did speak again, her tone had grown serious, less hostile and overconfident. ~You'll only die if you don't hang on. Leave your guitar here, we will return for it in a bit if you manage to hang on long enough. I want to hear you sing again. But not from here-~

The eagle reached her slightly open beak for the girls face, a frightening visage as that curved tip touched her lips (assuming Alori did not recede too far). ~You must sing here.~ Her head canted down just slightly, aligning her beak with the slight Inartans chest, just over her heart. She had to know if Alori was truly worthy. If she was, Alori would feel it...Like the tug of a hook in her mind, the pull of a rope on a bell; a weight waiting to be dropped. Would she feel it? ~Get on, and show me.~

x

[Alori Sai]

The little huntress' features wrinkled slightly as she frowned, bold, hazel eyes glaring up at the Wind eagle. The bird continued to taunt her, as if it knew what exactly to do to set off her fiery temper. She squeezed the neck of the guitar tighter, doing so without realizing that she was. Her entire body was tease now, but the fear that she had felt before was slowly falling away and what replaced it was the fire that she felt whenever she was challenged.

"That's not fair, you know it's not. You picked me up with your feet and then dropped me like I was a turtle or something. That's not the same as riding on your back. I can ride just find...I've done it plenty of times before."

She stretched the truth as she spoke, but she wasn't lying when she said that she had flown with the eagles before. The length of time however, was a different story. But the teen stood her ground and didn't backtrack on her story. If the eagle wanted to challenge her then she would take the challenge. But then the Eagle's tone changed, becoming more serious and confident. There was something about this bird that just knew how to get to her every time, but whether this was good or bad was yet to be seen.

Alori didn't like the idea of leaving her favorite instrument outside where anyone could just grab it, but the teen understood what was happening and why the bird made such a request. Still, that didn't mean that she liked it. The Avora was ready to do as she was asked, and started to move just before she noticed the eagle do so first. It's head came towards her, beak open and the teen was met with a sight not unlike that which she saw on that fateful summer. She froze in place, eyes widening again and her lips parted just before the tip of the eagle's beak brushed against them.

Her heart continued to thump wildly and as the eagle's beak pressed just above the throbbing muscle, the pulse inside quickened. Something was changing still, the fear was continuing to fate away and the fire inside her warmed away the chill that she had felt before. A single hand lifted, as if to touch the eagle's face, but stopped short and the Avora turned away to find a place to hide her guitar. There was little time, and she knew the eagle wouldn't' wait for her long. Alori found the first bush close by and slipped the guitar inside, hoping no one would find it.

"Alright, let's go." she added and grabbed the feathered flesh close to the bird's shoulder and pulled herself up. Alori asked no questions and set her self to finding her balance and two fist full of feathers to keep her up.

x

[Harrier]

The eagle chose not to reply to the counter that Alori attempted, simply waiting for her to mount up, and once she had, the bird took off like an arrow. Booted legs thrust from the mountainside and her wings angled to support her as she launched through the air and down the mountains face, her tail fanning and half-closed wings constantly adjusting for stability. The ferocity of the wind in the dive was intense and it did not stop as the eagle neared the valley far below with enough force to kill them on impact. And at the speed they were flying, the thought of crashing into the ground was sure to enter the girls mind. But Durveth was an acrobatic expert and with the precision needed, she swept her wings out and let the air carry her upwards again in a sharp climb that was complimented by the hard thrust of her wings.

The climb was hard, Durveth's beak wide and her breast puffing with the effort for the climb. The air began to thin before long, more than the already thinner air of the mountains the Inarta, Lhavitians, Alvadas, and Isurs were probably used to. So high that the curve of the world could almost be seen and the violet velvet of space seemed to embrace them. The world looked different this high up, the mountain peaks kissing a sky that seemed to go far beyond the realms of flight. A vast land of ice could be glimpsed just barely glinting on the far northern horizon across the great Storm Sea. The mountains of Kalea held the majority of the view, however, for they were so high and stretched what seemed forever.

And it was here that Durveth seemed to hang, suspended, for an eternity, her bright eyes staring at the world around them.

~Absolutely beautiful, isn't it?~

The thought was brief and there would be but a moment to answer before gravity kicked in and they fell into a shallow dive to keep the friction burn to a minimum. It allowed them to literally coast back down to the world below, lazy circling keeping them over the Northern Kalea peninsula. What would have happened during this time? What would Alori sing? And would it be the right Song?

x

[Alori Sai]

Alori sucked in a breath bracing herself as her fingers gripped the bird's back tighter. It was another test, she knew it, and after her last comment, the Wind eagle was about to give her all that she could handle. As expected, the bird leap off the mountain and dropped into the winds. The little huntress turned her head away from the winds as best as she could, however impossible that was. The winds came at them from all sides and turned the girl's hair into a mess of fiery locks batting against her head and face.

The dive was intense and although she was mostly sure the bird wouldn't be so reckless, it still looked as if they were about to crash, and the teen winced and turned her head as she waited for the violent slam. But the eagle was talented at flying, and showed it clearly, making Alori realize what it was doing...showing off. The eagle was showing her it's world and in return she was supposed to show the giant raptor her heart through song. But the only problem was, she didn't have anything else prepared. But she didn't have time to think, the hard climb and air pressure of going up placed a strain in her back and the tiny Avora was almost bent, head back to her heels.

Finally the bird paused, the hard climb complete, and for the first time in her second flight, Alori could take a clear look around. It was a beautiful sight, and the thought of being able to see it as often as she liked, made her envy the Wind eagles. Her bright eyes darted back to the head of the eagle when it spoke to her through her mind and she nodded her head. "It really is.." The teen started to say more, but they fell into another dive, and she held on tightly once again. Many thoughts raced through her mind as they coasted downward.What would she sing? What kind of music did the eagle like? She wasn't sure what to do but she had to try something as her time was running out.

Alori thought for a moment about what it had said about the dek breaking it's chimes. There were a few sounds that came with chimes, different whistles to create the sometimes random melodies they were so popular for. She didn't have a song, nor a guitar to buy her more time with a musical tone. But it was now or never, and she would sing and she would ask to be something more. Alori took another deep breath, calming her mind and feeling the bird's warmth with her fingers. She tried to imagine that she was Durveth, that she was a mighty Wind eagle, and what she would want...what she would feel and the words came.

"All my life, I've always waited for the day"

"I always wondered if I had what it takes"

"I wonder if they will laugh and point if they saw me fail"

"But I can't stop now that I know what I want"

"and I won't stop until I make you understand"

Alori loosened her fingers, spreading them as she gently rubbed them through the back of the eagle. She closed her eyes again, head tilted upward as she sang. She didn't scream, the girl had learned her lesson from that, but she poured her heart out as she had with Aidara and Sira, as she had at the competition, and now to the bird beneath her. Leaning forward, the teen placed her head on the back of the eagle's, snuggling against it as if it were a comfy bed. Alori poured her heart and soul into the song, not even a pause if her voice squeaked or slipped off pitch....she was far beyond that worry now.

"Now I'm your chimes, I'll be your flame"

"And all my life, I've waited for this day"

"And if you're lonely, I'll chase it away"

"And our new life starts together"

The Avora didn't know how much time she had left, if the eagle would want more of the song, or if she even liked what she heard so far. But one thing she did know, that was Durveth had stolen her heart.

x

[Harrier]

There was the impression of contentment as the eagle soared, her wings occasionally giving a flap to maintain altitude and keep from plummeting on the unpredictable winds of the season. She was waiting...hoping...that this girl, this stupid girl who'd had the misfortune of being at the Crack when a tremor erupted and subsequently be swept off the ground by the foot of an Eagle...Durveth blinked against the wind, the solid lens that shielded her eyes during sleep flashing over and then back while crimson face turned towards the girl now relaxing on her back.

Irritation flared in the eagle for a moment when she saw this and the bird had half a nerve to fling her off her back that she should abuse this privilege by lounging on her, Durveth! The audacity! But then, the woman began to sing and it was precisely what the bird had sought. The chaos of the chimes in their simple but no less beautiful sonnet held a kind of reflection to the discordant nature of Durveth. She was a mature bird, once beautiful, like her broodmate was, but had taken the full exposure from the Djed Storm the previous year, leaving her forever discolored. Durveth the Discordant.

And here was an Inartan who pleased her for once. Made her...made her happy. Durveth soared lower, passing over the Sanikas Road now as she made her way back towards the ledge that the girl had been dumped on and forced to leave her guitar at. But as they soared and Alori sang, the teen would be able to sense a great weight, tentative, a little too chaotic. Full of fire and heart, reaching for that which was this tiny thing clinging to her feathers and had the wisdom and awareness to sing what both of their hearts wanted.

A word drifted into the others mind as the weight increased, waiting to see if the other would press back, seek the Bond.

~Together.~

x

[Alori Sai]

Alori's voice faded into the winds and she laid quietly on the back of the Wind eagle. All other thoughts were abandoned and she simply lived in the moment. She listened to the heart beat of the eagle, felt the warmth of it's body against hers, fingers still brushing through it's feathers. The teen didn't have the ideas or the thoughts to believe that this was anything normal, not like Lavira and Mohya had, but it didn't matter. This was her story, hers and Durveth's for as long as they wished it to be.

She started to sing again, her voice starting out a bit stronger than a whisper and growing with the tone she tried to project. Alori tried to steady her breathing between versus to keep herself from getting winded and ruining the tone that she had set.

"They chased me down, but they can't take away what I love"

"From all the tears I shead, is another fight that they lost"

"I can't stop now that I know what I want"

"and I won't stop until I make you understand"

Slowly she sat up, lifting her chest and arching her back to keep herself planted, but giving her the room she needed to allow the breeze to caress her cheeks and toss about her hair once more. It was rare or not at all that people asked her to sing, and it was never before that it was demanded of her and for that she had to thank Durveth.

"Now I'm your chimes, I'll be your flame"

"And all my life, I've waited for this day"

"And if you're lonely, I'll chase it away"

"And our new life starts.."

Sitting up further, Alori continued to sing, loosening her fingers and closing her eyes, as she went on in song. There was a huge weight baring down upon her, but nothing physical. It was emotional, powerful and brought to mind the wild serges she felt when Ivak touched her. The pressure was in her mind and yet pushing against her heart as well. It wanted in, wanted to complete their union and become one. A shiver in her shoulders, fingers kneading at the bird's back, but the teen didn't fight it, and soon the weight was eased just as she finished the last breaths of her song.

"Together"

x

[Harrier]

It was done.

The process had been strange, but then, Durveth was a strange bird. She felt the girls sincerity, the rush of a union the djed-altered avian had longed for. She felt her tumultuous heart, the quiver of her fear that she might be dropped from the eagles back, the worry over her guitar (but mostly her life).

She felt the joy of singing with your heart and not with your mouth and knew she had made the right choice in this tiny little ginger. Durveth screeched her delight and eased her flight, flying low and slow towards the landing point once more until her feet touched down, wings beating to support her enormous form.

~Together. You will sing for me often?~ She asked, hoped, letting the girl off her back with a wing to aid her and waiting for Alori to fetch her guitar. ~I would like it if you sang for me more often. When we hunt and fly. Maybe you can find me new chimes too, ones the Dek won't be able to break?~ The eagle chirped more gently this time, leaning forward to lightly nudge the human from the side.

Durveth had not anticipated bonding with this spunky little red-head. It had truly thrown the eagle for a loop! But the prevalent irritation that had been observed before no longer seemed to apply. Durveth was finally happy. So to hell with her sister and her weird choice of a Rider.

~Mohya's going to be jealous when she finds out I got a musician.~

x

[Alori Sai]

Something had happened and all the fear that she had felt before was gone. The uncertainty of what was to come had fallen away, and a comfortable smothering wrapped around her heart. She could feel it now, the eagle had excepted her and she had excepted the giant raptor as well. It was a strong feeling unknown to her and she lived in the moment, forgetting all else.

With the approach back to land, and the slowed descend by the eagle allowed her to sit up more. The ease of the wind blew her hair around less now, and she was able to see more clearly. They were landing back at the place where she had left her guitar, and she found herself surprised at the fact that she had forgotten about it so easily. Durveth clouded her mind now, and as the bird ushered her off with it's wing, the teen hesitated to get off.

"Yea, I can do that. Sure." Alori stared up at the giant bird beside her and reached out a hand to touch it's warmed feathered body. It was really happening, no more dreams, no illusions or sinister tricks. She was bonded now, the little huntress had become Endal and she had finally found her purpose. "If you liked anything I sang already. Just..just let me know and I'll sing that more." She smiled weakly and nodded, already thinking of where she could find chimes that the dek couldn't break, or find a way to keep them from breaking them. But it wasn't impossible, if after all that she'd been through, she could still find a bond...it was possible.

"Wait...Mohya?" Alori added with a widen look as she returned with her guitar. "Mohya is your sister? Holy petch..."

x

[Harrier]

Skills	Amount
Riding (Wind Eagle)	xxx
Observation	5
Singing	5
Guitar	2
Music Composition	5

Lore

Song: Oh the Fire

Mountain Tremor: Saved by an Eagle

Singing for your life

The eagles name is Durveth

Durveth: Easily offended

Durveth: Loves songs

Belting is not singing; you have to sing from your heart

Bonding with Durveth

Former Exile, now bonded: Nothing's impossible

Durveth: Mohya's Sister?!

Bonus: Congratulations, you have been promoted! Alori is now an Endal, and with it bares all the responsibilities of the rank. Your Eagle is Durveth and she is a Djed-altered Wind Eagle. She does not have any special abilities, only unusual colors and a strange personality.

Injuries: Getting tossed around by a wind eagle isn't easy. You have received a number of bruises unfortunately because of Durveth's rough handling. The bruises will last 10 days and vary across her arms and legs.

Additional Comments: She will need to speak with the Valintar to arrange housing and speak with the Tavina and Tavinar to arrange for a Mentor (You do not need a moderated thread if you choose to develop your own location and mentor). Your pay has increased to 1000 pinions per season and you will be required to do 2 caste threads per season. This can be any one of the following: Hunting, 1 session at the Lookout, 1 trade route (which counts as a bonus work thread which you can receive extra pay from if you do your other two), training with your mentor, attending Flight Leader Academy, other*speak with me privately for details; we can discuss this if you do not want one of hte above threads

(c) abstract