City of Stone

[MadEmperor]

Vander grunted happily.

Ein thought for a brief moment before nodding. "That might be best."

After getting much nearer to the pillar, the trio took some time to rest and eat. The half-breed said less than usual, opting for a short nap instead of conversation. When she woke him later, he sat up with a stretch. "Alright. We should get going if we want to avoid flying in the dark."

[DragonSong]

Nani nodded, glancing up from their current vantage point to try to judge their distance. "The currents will be rising from the northwest." She pointed to a jut of rock not too far from their resting place, which overhung a sharp drop down the mountain "That's probably our best bet to catch a rise--once we're airborne, we should be able to navigate from current to current."

She traced a path through the air up toward the tip of the spire with her finger. "Wind is moving counter-lee--ah, I mean, counterclockwise. As long as we don't try to fly against it, we should be alright."

[MadEmperor]

Ein felt fortunate to have her there to teach him these things that his father's people undoubtedly took for granted. It would have been in his nature to foolishly fight the wind itself.

"Then there's no time like the present," he responded with a nod. He fished out a pouch from their pack and tossed it to her. "The featherweight treats for Vander."

[DragonSong]

"Thanks." She whistled for the hound and tossed him a treat when he perked his ears up, clearly knowing that he was about to get food.

"C'mere, you," she chuckled, giving the treat a few moments to begin working before she bent to heft him in her arms. "Woof." She staggered a bit. "Well. He's lighter, but he's still big," she half-laughed as she tried to finagle them into a position where she could at least somewhat comfortably keep a good grip on Vander.

[MadEmperor]

Ein smiled and chuckled. "He may be bigger after his mutation, but he hasn't been small since he was a pup."

He took a few steps towards the drop and glanced back with a smirk. "Last chance to weasel out of carrying him. I'm sure I could manage."

[DragonSong]

"We'll be fine," Nani huffed. Vander was letting his tongue lull happily as she awkwardly hefted him around so his front paws dangled over her shoulders. At least he wasn't fidgeting.

She jerked her chin toward Ein. "Go on then, we're right behind you."

[MadEmperor]

Ein nodded back to her before taking a running leap over the drop. Spreading his wings, he managed to catch a thermal and soar upward with minimal effort.

A while later, they had nearly drifted around the pillar and were beginning to get an idea of the time it was going to take to reach one of the floating islands. They ran the risk of Vander's featherweight treat wearing off before then if they didn't come across a ledge of some kind. But so far, the pillar was without anything they would be able to land on.

[DragonSong]

It was strangely reminiscent of island-hopping, this sort of gliding upward with the spiraling thermals. It took a few minutes for Nani to fully trust that the wind would carry their weight, but once she did she began to enjoy the feeling of being buoyed along.

Of course, that relaxed, happy feeling slowly started to erode the longer it took them to rise around the Spire. "Do you think they do this in one burst?" she called to Ein across the rush of air between them. "They must have landing points, if they don't..."

[MadEmperor]

"Then I compliment them on their stamina," Ein commented with a grunt, wings beginning to tire slightly. "I expect we'll find something soon. They can't possibly be tireless."

Surely enough, Nani's eyes soon spotted a darker spot on the pillar's surface, a clear indication of a ledge of some kind. With any luck, it was large enough for all three of them. 

Ein, spotting the same thing, nodded in that direction, communicating his intent to investigate before banking towards the pillar.