14th of Vhalar.
Vabina didn't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'slow'. She'd shown off her speed plenty of times in the past, but that was more often at a time that required it direly, or at the very least, only caused harm to the people who deserved it. The leather handhold at the head of her saddle offered no control, and barely any support to keep him from toppling off as she barreled down the roads through the Glass Quarter at harrowing speed. Some yelled, even a few shrieked as Vabina thundered through the street like a charging bull. Thankfully, despite speeds that turned the shop windows into little more than a blur, the Zephyrus still held complete control, coming to a dead halt a moment's notice to change direction or nimbly hop to the side to avoid someone, before accelerating like a loosed arrow once more into a full-on charge.
Greyhide, Cold and Myrth brought up the rear, by now some substantial distance away, dancing through the narrower and less-crowded streets to keep a near-enough pace despite the breakneck speed of the Zephyrus. For some reason he'd thought that going for a more casual ride with Vabina would be a good bonding experience for the two of them. A chance to take it slow, to spend time simply enjoying the beauty that Rharne offered in abundance. Of course, as usual, he'd been utterly, dead wrong. But he couldn't deny how much fun it was. Riding on the back of the Zephyrus was something absolutely unique to anything else he'd ever felt before. The beating of her heart felt stronger, he could feel her paws thundering across the cobblestones as if they belonged to him. She had a self-assurance that inspired safety - she'd never falter, she'd never slip, just let go and let her take over. He did, and she burst forward again, leaping into the air as the ground dipped beneath them. For a moment, it was like being on Traveller again, only better. Soaring. Then gravity regained its iron grip on them both and she came down with a thunderous crash somehow controlled. The tiniest pause. He could feel her back legs tensing, tightening... and then, an explosion, as they tore down the road once more.
He hadn't wanted this. But she'd needed it. To be free to run again, to stretch and show off her full strength. He let her, and Rharne itself became a blur, the Glass and Earth and Dust Quarters merging together as they sped through them all and charged out across the Stormlands.
Outside the city itself, roads were more often ignored than obeyed. Vabina streaked across miles of open land to avoid the constant curving of the main path, as true as an arrow in flight. Nir'weis grip shifted from the leather handhold to wrap around her neck... and the rest felt like a strangely vibrant dream. The Stormlands themselves seemed to hurry them both along. To the very edge of Rharne's territory itself... a fortress in its own right looking out over the wasteland beyond. Storm's Edge. Xithyria had said much about it - that this was the first and the last line that stood between what was out there and what they held here. Not the enemies of the world, but the beasts and the monsters from beyond. Every city had its demons, he'd replied. "Not like these," Xithyria had confirmed with a tone of voice that didn't broker argument.
Here, Vabina slowed at last, and he could see why. Knights seemed to swarm every inch of the bastion, always hurrying in groups, giving the pair barely more than a meaningful look before rushing off somewhere else, weapons always close at hand. It was odd. Despite having never been there before, there was something distinctly... off, about everything. Enough that he tugged down a passing squire to ask just what was happening, before he overheard hushed whispers from two knights under the shade and secrecy of the stables. "... the boy..." "... fire..." "... in the wastes..." "... up on the second floor..." Then, just like that, they were rushing away too, buckling shields onto their forearms and resting hands on the handles of their swords as they jogged back to the main gate in formation. Nir'wei patted Vabina's side to catch her attention, and together they started moving in the opposite direction. To the point where they were all coming from. The boy on the second floor.
Vabina didn't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'slow'. She'd shown off her speed plenty of times in the past, but that was more often at a time that required it direly, or at the very least, only caused harm to the people who deserved it. The leather handhold at the head of her saddle offered no control, and barely any support to keep him from toppling off as she barreled down the roads through the Glass Quarter at harrowing speed. Some yelled, even a few shrieked as Vabina thundered through the street like a charging bull. Thankfully, despite speeds that turned the shop windows into little more than a blur, the Zephyrus still held complete control, coming to a dead halt a moment's notice to change direction or nimbly hop to the side to avoid someone, before accelerating like a loosed arrow once more into a full-on charge.
Greyhide, Cold and Myrth brought up the rear, by now some substantial distance away, dancing through the narrower and less-crowded streets to keep a near-enough pace despite the breakneck speed of the Zephyrus. For some reason he'd thought that going for a more casual ride with Vabina would be a good bonding experience for the two of them. A chance to take it slow, to spend time simply enjoying the beauty that Rharne offered in abundance. Of course, as usual, he'd been utterly, dead wrong. But he couldn't deny how much fun it was. Riding on the back of the Zephyrus was something absolutely unique to anything else he'd ever felt before. The beating of her heart felt stronger, he could feel her paws thundering across the cobblestones as if they belonged to him. She had a self-assurance that inspired safety - she'd never falter, she'd never slip, just let go and let her take over. He did, and she burst forward again, leaping into the air as the ground dipped beneath them. For a moment, it was like being on Traveller again, only better. Soaring. Then gravity regained its iron grip on them both and she came down with a thunderous crash somehow controlled. The tiniest pause. He could feel her back legs tensing, tightening... and then, an explosion, as they tore down the road once more.
He hadn't wanted this. But she'd needed it. To be free to run again, to stretch and show off her full strength. He let her, and Rharne itself became a blur, the Glass and Earth and Dust Quarters merging together as they sped through them all and charged out across the Stormlands.
Outside the city itself, roads were more often ignored than obeyed. Vabina streaked across miles of open land to avoid the constant curving of the main path, as true as an arrow in flight. Nir'weis grip shifted from the leather handhold to wrap around her neck... and the rest felt like a strangely vibrant dream. The Stormlands themselves seemed to hurry them both along. To the very edge of Rharne's territory itself... a fortress in its own right looking out over the wasteland beyond. Storm's Edge. Xithyria had said much about it - that this was the first and the last line that stood between what was out there and what they held here. Not the enemies of the world, but the beasts and the monsters from beyond. Every city had its demons, he'd replied. "Not like these," Xithyria had confirmed with a tone of voice that didn't broker argument.
Here, Vabina slowed at last, and he could see why. Knights seemed to swarm every inch of the bastion, always hurrying in groups, giving the pair barely more than a meaningful look before rushing off somewhere else, weapons always close at hand. It was odd. Despite having never been there before, there was something distinctly... off, about everything. Enough that he tugged down a passing squire to ask just what was happening, before he overheard hushed whispers from two knights under the shade and secrecy of the stables. "... the boy..." "... fire..." "... in the wastes..." "... up on the second floor..." Then, just like that, they were rushing away too, buckling shields onto their forearms and resting hands on the handles of their swords as they jogged back to the main gate in formation. Nir'wei patted Vabina's side to catch her attention, and together they started moving in the opposite direction. To the point where they were all coming from. The boy on the second floor.
