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Clear Skies (open)

Started by Jiaolong, January 03, 2018, 10:09:20 PM

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Jiaolong

Aleki stood at the edge of an elevated piece of land above the surf. He unfurled his enormous wings and jumped, allowing the updraft to carry him high into the air. A few wing beats later had him flying out over the crystal blue water.

It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in sight; the warm wind felt good in Aleki's feathers. He wasn't supposed to be all the way out here--he was supposed to be helping his mother prepare dinner. But he wanted to bring back something even better than the vegetables they usually had.

Aleki scanned the waves for any fish or birds he might catch. Maybe he would impress the others with something even bigger, like a seal! Well, that was probably out of the question. He knew he couldn't drag it back to shore by himself.

A dark shadow beneath the waves alerted the boy to a shoal of fish. "Perfect!" he thought. The boy gripped the spear in his hand tightly before flying closer to the water. He trained his eye on a particularly large fish and threw, the spear making a satisfying 'thunk' as it hit its target. The end of the spear was attached to Aleki's wrist by a long rope. This way, he wouldn't lose it in the water.

Aleki caught two more fish in this way before having too much in his net. He'd spent long enough in the air, and even he was starting to get tired. He flew back to shore in a much less graceful way than he'd come, bogged down by the heavy load he was carrying.

A nasty gust of wind suddenly knocked the boy aside just as he was about to reach shore. With his heavy net, Aleki couldn't right himself in time.

It looked like this was going to be another crash landing.

In a spray of sand, he landed face down, wings thrashing and fish flying. Aleki lay there for a second and then sat up, rubbing his nose. "Well, that was...mostly successful. Now where are all my fish?"

Kalak8538

A stream of salt water krept up the sandy terrain. This water moved unnaturally, seemingly in defiance of the cyclical ebb and flow of the surf. It moved with calm purpose towards the now earthbound creature.

It continued its slow movement, until it was within a short distance of the boy in the sand. It rose into the shape of a pillar only five feet in height. In width, it was just wide enough to keep certain items stored safely. Inside the watery form was held the boy's net, as well as the three dead fish kept formerly within.

"Umm... D-Did you drop these...? If not, I can take it back..."

The voice was timid in nature. It's source was not yet present.

Jiaolong

Aleki stared at the column of water for a good 5 seconds before he screamed and shuffled backwards. His giant wings didn't help with his escape efforts, and he ended up falling backwards into the sand once more.

The boy shot back up, eyes wide until he finally realized he might be overreacting. This was magic, wasn't it? He quickly recovered, standing up and clearing his throat. He eyed the strange column of water suspiciously.

"Er, sorry for screaming. I just don't see magic too often. I never have actually. That's what you're doing, right? Magic?" Aleki finally noticed his three missing fish within the column of water. "Oh! You got my fish for me! Thank you..." he said, taking a step forward. He hesitated, though. Should he just reach in and take it? Would that be rude? His mother was always nagging him about being polite.

Kalak8538

"Oh! I am sorry." the voice said softly as the startled boy retreated.

It, too, moved away from him some feet over the sand. Everything remained suspended within. The column remained motionless as the boy recovered. It was completely harmless in nature, shrinking somewhat, seemingly cautiously, in response to any sudden movement towards it.

"No... It is my fault. Really..."

The water began to retreat once more towards the safety of the ocean behind it, keeping a small distance between it and the boy. It paused before making contact with the surf.

"Magic? I... do not know... Uhm, these are yours."

As the column moved once more away, the net and fish were deposited on the dry sand in its path. They were also dry, as the water that had coated them joined the mass of seawater.

"I should go now..." said the voice as the surf crept up the beach towards mobile and watery pillar.

Jiaolong

"Wait! It's not your fault!"

Aleki moved forward, scooping up the net and hastily placing his fish inside. He looked back up towards the column of water, who seemed to be ready to return to the sea at any moment.

"What's your name?" The boy asked. "Oh, I'm Aleki," he paused, "but most people around here just call me a troublemaker," he muttered, a small smile on his lips.

Kalak8538

The flowing pillar stopped as the boy spoke up. However, a wave came before a response was returned. The strange moving water collapsed into the surf as it surged forward. The wave retreated, seemingly taking the anomaly along with it. Moments of silence passed before two soft words could be heard.

"T-Trouble... maker?"

Water rose once again from the soaked sand. It gently moved forward, leaving a patch of dry sand behind. This renewed column twisted and bent, taking a quasi-humanoid appearance. A single orb rose above the new form. A face formed on it, with small gaps making one eye and a mouth. Water surged and bubbled over where the other eye was supposed to be, forming pseudo-hair. Two arms met at the hands in front of the main pillar's "chest".

"I have been called... Fluvial..." it said timidly as it halted its slow glide up the beach.


Jiaolong

Aleki realized he'd held his breath to see if the strange column of water would leave or not. It seemed to return, though, and he relaxed. The boy looked in wonder as the pillar took a humanoid shape and announced its name.

"Fluvial...that's a nice name. I've never heard of anything like it around here. Where do you come from?"

Kalak8538

"Please, I do not deserve such kindness..." the figure replied.

One of Fluvial's hands detached itself from his body. Despite its consciousnesses, this one was still a being of water. Such was it that its shapes and parts did not follow the same structure of a being of flesh.

The orb floated up and hovered before the face of the elemental being. It made a look of confusion, changing only slightly from the nervous expression it had styled before. With a soft and timid voice, Fluvial continued.

"I am sorry, but I do not understand. Come from?"

Jiaolong

Aleki sat in the sand, letting his enormous wings stretch out on either side of him. "Where you come from...like where you were born, or where you were before you were here," he explained, watching Fluvial's movements with interest.

"Uh, for example, I'm from here, the Yoreiqi isles." Aleki picked up a handful of sand, watching it drizzle from his fingertips into a cone-shaped pile on the ground. "I've always been here, and I probably always will be." He said the last part with a hint of sadness. "Do you get to travel around a lot?"

Kalak8538

"I... uhm... I do not..."

Fluvial was utterly confused by the questions. He did not understand such concepts as birth, or know the names of worldly locations.

"I came from the water... It carries me around..."

The bashful elemental shrunk away somewhat. He was not used to so much attention, and it made him visually uncomfortable.

"I am sorry. I cannot answer your questions..."

Jiaolong

Aleki hid his disappointment in Fluvial's answer. He had hoped the being would tell him stories about other places.

"Well, that's understandable. I wouldn't know the name of places if no one told me." Aleki cocked his head at Fluvial's timid movements but remained unaware of the elemental's shyness. "I hear there's a huge landmass far away from here. Merchants call it a continent. They travel the ocean currents on huge ships, much bigger than I could've ever imagined. Maybe you came from the place they did..." he stopped, realizing he was rambling.

Kalak8538

"Yes..." the elemental replied calmly, refusing to make eye contact.

"There is a big dry place... uhm... That way..."

With one of his floating "hands", Fluvial pointed out to sea. That was the direction of the main continent. Only a second or two passed before he drew it back in towards himself. He looked down to the sandy earth before speaking once again.

"I have been there... There are rivers I... uhm... like to visit..."

Jiaolong

Aleki looked off in the direction where Fluvial had pointed, a wistful look in his eyes.

"How long do you think it takes to get there...? I hope to one day fly there, but everyone says that's impossible, even for me." He squinted in the golden light of sunset until his eyes widened.

"Oh no!" He exclaimed, standing quickly. Sand rained down from his wings. He was supposed to have gotten back home before sunset... "Well, I have to go. My mother will give me a lecture if I'm late again."

He was reluctant to leave Fluvial, who was probably the most interesting creature he'd ever met. Aleki scooped up his net, shaking some more sand from it.

Kalak8538

Fluvial recoiled with shock from the quickly moving boy. He was already awkwardly on edge before any sudden movements. The news that Aleki had to go home was somewhat worrying. Fluvial usually did not mind being left alone. He was quite used to it. However, sometimes it felt nicer to the elemental to be around someone who was not fearful.

"Should... Should I leave?" he asked nervously.

Jiaolong

Fluvial sounded a bit sad. Aleki turned back to the elemental, flinging his net over his shoulder. "Would you like to...join me and my family for our evening meal? As thanks for getting my fish for me," he added. The boy wondered if Fluvial even ate anything, but perhaps he would enjoy the company.

Kalak8538

"I... uhm! Well...!"

In a somewhat terrified manner, Fluvial stuttered on. Talking to one person was hard enough for him to do. Now there were more?

"Uhm... W-Will they... Will they be afraid? Sometimes... humans are afraid..."

Jiaolong

"Oh! My mother wouldn't be afraid. She practices water magic, actually."

Aleki tilted his head, and as if sensing the elemental's hesitation, he added, "it'll just be me and her." He tucked his wings closely to his back and pointed to a narrow trail through the lush vegetation. "Come on, it's this way. We should get going before any...scary things come out," he said with a shudder.

Kalak8538

Fluvial had his own reservations about traveling inland. Regardless of the location or what he was going to face, moving away from water always made him naturally uncomfortable.

The elemental wanted to retreat, to go back to the ocean where he could hide and move freely. Yet, he could not seem to do it. Something was stopping the timid water being. Perhaps it was the presence of someone so kind, so unafraid as others had been. The offer to travel to a dwelling of such creatures that would welcome him was tempting to Fluvial. Even if Aleki had misjudged the others of his kind, it was worth a try, and that was what kept the elemental standing there.

He replied after moments of contemplation, with his own answer surprising himself. "Alright..."

Jiaolong

Aleki brightened at that, beckoning the elemental to follow him. He normally would have flown, but he wasn't too keen on making another crash landing back home. The boy squinted in the growing darkness, wishing he had brought a light. Oh well, he knew the path like the back of his hand anyways.

The jungle was always alive, even at twilight; various animals and insects were making quiet noises, camouflaged by the thick foliage. "We'll be there soon," Aleki said, seeing torchlight up ahead. "Oh, if you remember this path, then you can visit anytime you want."

Kalak8538

Fluvial followed closely and silently. He did not walk as this being did, with foot moving over the other. Instead, he simply glided along the ground.

The watery elemental heard the boy's words, but was too timid to conjure an adequate response. Instead he moved on anxiously. He hoped that Aleki was not mistaken when he said the others would not be afraid. It would be nice if others were as welcoming as the boy had been.

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