Go North! [Amord]

[Imperfect_M]

They could have taken a boat downriver. They could have. However, why take such a slow method of travel when they can simply leap and bound across the countryside? The broadleaves of the Draconi Forest danced underneath like an ocean of trees, the waves of the canopy rising and falling with the wind.

Lancers cannot fly. But they can leap quite high and very far.

For Cynbel and Adallandis, very far was quickly turning into extremely far.

"Come now, my liege; surely you can go farther than this!" Cynbel jokingly called to Adallandis over the rushing wind.

The young woman had reached the apex of her arc and began descending. Cynbel, on the other hand, continued to climb. It definitely helps to have dominion over air when one is trying to make a jump. The Half-Elf reached down and grabbed the back of his master's armor.

"Up you go, ma'am!"

He rolled backwards and heaved her up, tossing her skyward with a bit of Gravuun Qo Gram's wind magic to keep her airborne. Unfortunately for Cynbel, the action had interfered with his own jump, and sent him tumbling downwards. He laughed as Adallandis shot him an irritated look while he fell.

"I'll catch up!" he shouted.

The Lancer rolled over and adjusted his fall to match direction with Adallandis. Better to at least be going the same direction.

"Turn speed into energy..." echoed the Dragon's wisdom.

Channeling his magic, Cynbel focused on his fall. Air picked up around him and continued shifting his direction forward, forward, and forward still. He went into a glide, his downward angle only increasing his speed... And then, he turned himself upward in a shallow arc; all of that energy committed itself to launching him back up into a climb. Even Cynbel couldn't fly, but the skies were still his domain.

[Amord]

(Music)

It wasn't too long ago that they had set out from House Graza in order to begin an adventure -- Of which there was no particular goal or destination. Adallindis was merely supposed to strike it out in the world and gain knowledge that would be beneficial to her as the rightful ruler of her home. There were a few good things to note about this journey, in any case. She wouldn't be going out alone. Cynbel would accompany her. As an additional benefit, neither of them would require horses or other such mounts. They could cover far more ground at a faster pace through their own efforts.

After Adallindis said her farewells to everyone back home, they were off. Quite literally so, as they began to leap into the distance. Now, the young lady was certainly skilled as a Lancer, and she was already capable of controlling her jumps well. But if there was one person that could truly call the skies his domain, it would be Cynbel. The nature of the Dragon's Soul that he bonded with afforded him greater options when soaring through the air. Adallindis hadn't yet tapped into such potential with Nonvul'Kendov'Jun. So, as her arc begins a steady descent... She can hear that familiar voice through the roaring winds. It was Cynbel, of course. Jokingly remarking that she should be able to go farther than this.

"Ever the type to show off.", Nonvul'Kendov'Jun would remark to the girl, a comment only understood through their telepathic link.

"Cynbel, or your Vassal?", Adallindis queried of the Dragon Soul residing within her.

"Yes.", her partner would then reply.

That prompted a slight smirk out of Adallindis, right up until Cynbel grabbed onto the back of her armor and hoisted her up, then tossing her a bit further with his wind magic. Such an action would no doubt interfere with Cynbel's own leap, and as she looks back to verify...

Exactly as she thought, he was already falling. She couldn't help but be a little irritated with that, she was practically being treated as a child. At least the expression on her face amused Cynbel. He wasn't the type to engage or small talk or laugh that much, so it resulted in her cooling off as well, now rolling her eyes lightly.

"You better!", the Heiress would shout back to her comrade, and then returned her attention to her front.

Best to keep an eye on where she was going to be landing in all of this, and make note of any obstacles in her path. Thankfully Cynbel's earlier actions did mean that she wouldn't be sinking into the treeline for just a bit longer, and they were making even better time on their exploration now. Although, there was another reason why she was keeping a focused gaze on her surroundings and potential landing points...

Visibility through the branches and leaves might have been low, but there was still necessary caution; Adallindis had heard the stories of many dangerous wild beasts roaming the Draconi Forest. The patrols around her land reached a fair length, but it would not be long before they were beyond that reach.

And that meant they could run into any number of dangers... "Now... As long as we don't run into any Basilisks....", she'd mutter to herself.

[Imperfect_M]

Lancers in-transit could cover miles within hours if they were skilled enough. Fewer still could cover that distance in a single, well-executed leap. Cynbel was most definitely not one of those Lancers both skilled and well-attuned to their Dragon, but what the young son of Rhiannon did have was a cheat: He had Gravuun Qo Gram, an ancient Dragon of the storm. While Cynbel didn't have Gravuun Qo Gram's power of true flight, the innate power of the ancient creature gave him superior maneuverability and control over his leaps; not just that, but the instinct on how to use them, too. Gliding and maneuvering felt so... Natural to the Half-Elf. In fact, he felt more comfortable in the air than he did with his feet on the ground. Perhaps that, too, was something shared with him from Gravuun Qo Gram.

"I enjoy this," mused the Dragon. Cynbel felt the creature's presence and words as if they were his own thoughts, "In a way, this makes me feel young again. To feel the rush of wind across my scales, to see the earth moving beneath... I did not realize how much I missed it."

Cynbel smirked as he rolled belly-up to make sure Adallandis was still in-sight. "Do I make you nostalgic, Lord Gravuun Qo Gram?"

The Dragon chuckled. "Something like that," he answered.

The Lancer looked down and noticed he was getting a bit too close to the treeline. Time to make another jump and catch up to his master. He dove down into the canopy; there was a spot that was at least a little less dense with trees. Cynbel slowed his fall by forcing wind in front of him, disturbing the tree branches and forest floor as he lowered himself down to land upon one of the Draconi Forest's broadleaf trees.

Without skipping a beat, he began channeling Gravuun Qo Gram's power. He felt a gentle, but noticeable rush of vigor as wind kicked up and swirled around him. His legs tensed and he poised himself amidst the tree's heavy branches. It wasn't an ideal launch platform, but it would have to do.

With a sharp exhale, Cynbel sprang forward and up, launching himself from the treeline with the force of a cannon blast. There was an undeniable feeling of freedom to the climb. To see the ground become so distant, to feel the wind across one's flesh... Cynbel found it liberating.

He kept his body narrow, his form rigid to maximize the efficiency of his climb. And climb he did! Adallindis' distant form quickly came into view, and within only a minute the Lancer had returned to his master's side.

"If the Lady wishes," Cynbel said as he slowed himself to match speed with Adallindis, "I can keep you aloft until we reach Serendipity's riverlands."

[Amord]

Adallindis didn't feel quite as natural in the air as Cynbel did, to say the very least. Even with Nonvul'Kendov'Jun residing within her. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that she wasn't as relaxed. The young lady's eyes kept scanning their surroundings, though to say that she would see anything below the treeline was admittedly a stretch. There was a reason that bandits chose to reside in this forest as well... Natural camouflage from the Adelan Dragonriders. Of course, running into vagabonds in the woods wasn't the only thing you had to be concerned about.

For Graza Lancers, it was less of an issue, at least. Being able to jump over vast chunks of land and stay out of unfavorable situations was quite the advantage. Though there ever was the concern of not being able to see what was below them for the sake of a proper landing... The Rite of Inheritance made them more resilient, true, but you could still plant yourself into a very bad spot if you weren't careful.

"You consider more than the present, I see. A good quality for one who wishes to rule.", Nonvul'Kendov'Jun would remark.

"It would be most unwise to lower my guard. I can trust Cynbel to cover my back, but I should prove that I am just as capable of covering his.", the silver-haired lady answers.

It wasn't much longer after this brief exchange that Cynbel would finally catch up to Adallindis, and he offered to keep her in the skies until they reached the riverlands at Serendipity. "Hmm. That may be for the best, Cynbel. Landing anywhere in the forest when we can't see the ground may prove dangerous, especially as we will be unaware of any threats around us.", she would begin her response.

"For the time being, our destination is the riverlands, as you suggest. I hold no objections to being sure that we reach it without landing in the forest.", Adallindis then adds. Though she had spent most of her life within the castle, she knew that the Draconi Forest was not something easily trifled with.

Getting lost wouldn't have been too much of a hassle, admittedly. But it was more what they could run into if they decided to traverse it... Especially now that they were more than likely well away from any settlements given their pace. They were both trained and powerful warriors, but they were not invincible. It was best to minimize risks until action became necessary.

[Imperfect_M]

"Hmm. That may be for the best, Cynbel. Landing anywhere in the forest when we can't see the ground may prove dangerous, especially as we will be unaware of any threats around us," Adallindis replied, "For the time being, our destination is the riverlands, as you suggest. I hold no objections to being sure that we reach it without landing in the forest."

"By your orders, ma'am," Cynbel acknowledged.

Cynbel maneuvered himself above Adallindis. Not that it was difficult; she was beginning to begin her descent anyway. Once more he grabbed onto her armor, and once again did the loyal Lancer send his master skyward at the expense of his own speed an altitude.

But of course, for one that felt more at home in the skies than he did with feet on the ground... It was only a minor inconvenience.