Flames. Warm, birth flames, caressing me. Sunlight. Nourishment. A mother's breast. Ahh. Breathe. You are born again. Flæm. Step free of your ashes. You have work to do. You must...
Flæm paused. She looked down. She was in her human form. Why was that? Oh, yes: Phonix had been hunted for their magical feathers since the dawn of time. It took her a while to remember that. Now what was it? Something she must do...her memory. It was flawed. Flæm scrunched up her fine-boned face. That was not right. Her memory should not be flawed. Her past lives's memories should be there. But they were not there. She sniffed the air. Yes, even the air smelled wrong. Something like this had happened before, she knew. It had to do with Fell's curse... was there a new outbreak? But, no. That had a different smell. Something was wrong with the worlds magic. Something she might have known of, once. Not anymore. Now, there was nothing but bits and pieces. Wisps of memories.
Shaking her head, long red hair flying, Flæm set off. I can't just sit here. I have a new life to start. And maybe I can find out what is going on while I am at it. she wondered through the trees, leaving the smouldering nest of spices behind. About an hour of this, she suddenly found a beach. It was a well hidden bay and in it lay a well hidden ship. Flæm approached cautiously. It seemed to be abandoned. Hm. It needed some work, but it was still seaworthy, as long as its condition was bettered soon.Or, skyworthy, Flæm thought, a seed of an idea growing in her mind like a spark grows into an intense, destructive blaze. She climbed up some netting and explored the ship. Yes, this might do. This might do nicely. Eagerly, she climbed back on the deck and leapt into the air. Her bones sang sweet melodies as she morphed into a bird whose feathers shone with a red light.I need a gnome!
She flew to the nearest village, searching with hawk-like eyes. No. She flew on to the next. Yes. Thhere seemed to be a gnome community there. They seemed to be having a gnomes' guild meeting or something, in the courtyard of their largest shop. Flæm flew down to meet them.
" Helo," she trilled, changing into her human form, aged 32 years. "I am looking for some skilled gnomes who think they can adjust a ship's rudders and steering for airbourne sailing." The gnomes all stared at her, wide -eyed and open jawed. "Yes, I know it might be a difficult request, but—" She was inturrupted by a gnome.
"Oh, no. That's easy. We've come up with the idea a long time ago, and perfected it. If you have the magic to fly it, we can do it. The thing is... you are naked, ma'am." Flæm looked down. Features that didn't show much were very prominent and noticeable in the ligh of the early afternoon sun.How could I forget clothing? Of all things for me to forget... A female gnome ran into the shop, and came out a few embarrassing moments later with a scarlet shirt and skirt that were much too short, and showed a copious amount of abdomen and leg. Flæm thanked her.
Reaching an agreement with the gnomes, she promised three of her feathers, (which could make 1 adult or two small children fly, among other things) in exchange for the modification of her ship. Using her "wing-giving" ability, as she inaccurately named it, she gave them the temporary ability to fly. It took them only a month to modify her ship, and they gave her some convuluted instructions for fixing it ( an explaination with a startling amount of "I thinks" and "maybe's" During that month, Flæm kept busy fixing the ship u, and giving it a good paint. She named it "Lightning", splashed in blue paint on an expensive scarlet backround. The gnomes didn't ask where she got the paint from, and she didn't tell them. She gave each of them one of the last phonix feathers in the world, and waved goodbye as they flew home.
She never told them her name. They already knew too much, but she might need them again. She stood at the helm, scarlet captain hat she had aquired strapped on her head, short skirt and shirt blowing in the wind, she brought up her power, sucking in massive amounts of sunlight. It was heavy at first. But as she exersized her power, the ship grew lighter as it lifted up in the air. She ran back and forth, adjusting the sails and such, and steering, heading inland. First order of business: Captain Flæm needed a crew.
