Fledging

Chapter 35

AN: Guess who's back!!! So sorry about how long it's been.  I've been having computer troubles as well as ending the summer and now I'm back in class. BUT this one is almost double length and a lot of stuff happens and is revealed! So Hope you enjoy it.  Please comment to let me know what you think (also, bear in mind this is still a rough draft) and please hit that vote button if you enjoyed it!! Hope to see you in comments section! :D - Allons-y!

Chapter 35

Wind whipped around my body ferociously as I tumbled towards the crashing waves below. I had no sense of which way was up or down. The flurry of activity jumbled my brain, but with adrenaline pumping through my system, time seemed to pass by drudgingly slow. I tried to angle my body in the way that I remembered when I learned how to fly. With a lot of thrashing about, I managed to somewhat turn myself around in the air. I tried to spread my wings, but the air pressing down on them made moving them at all besides to awkward positions, near impossible.

A sudden feeling of anger flared through my body as I could begin to feel the mist of the foaming waves below, I would not fall to my death. I would not let Arkell win that easily, and I would certainly not let him hurt anyone I cared about.

The wind began to change. It started slowly, and then with a sudden gust, gave me a cushion of air that I almost floated on. I took the moment of respite to flare open my wings and began to beat them quickly, my first flight instructor's words coming back to me through the years and over the miles.

Strong, downward strokes, make sure your wings are kept at the right angle to direct where you want to go. Not too drastic, a light touch is key. Remember, Araceli, thermals can be our greatest allies, look for the air currents that can best aid you and what you want. The air is our friend, it wants to help us, we must only listen and learn from it.

I had only been falling for about eight seconds, but my mind was working so quickly, it felt as though an hour had passed. With memories flooding back, I felt a strength in my wings and with a hard thrust, I propelled myself upwards, just out of reach of the foamy water that was crashing around the base of the pillar. The moment of exhilaration lasted only that. As I shot up, I could hear the sound of two battles going on above me. I looked up and over to my right to see a weak Kirym clawing savagely at the green skaal who was trying all they could to stay up in the air as well. I gritted my teeth and kept myself moving upwards towards the cave that was situated part way up the pillar. Thankfully, there seemed to be a large thermal that was exactly where I needed to go which helped me up with incredible speed.

I flared my wings wide when I reached the lip of the cave to slow down. Kenneth and Arkell were still battling but as I got there, Arkell was advancing on a weakened Kenneth who knelt panting near the edge of the cliff. His back was drenched with sweat that had mixed with some blood to make a sort of red striped pattern on his skin.

Arkell stumbled back, eyes wide with fear as he saw me flying up. Seeing his chance, Kenneth stood up and lunged at the stricken pavox, his blade bared. Unfortunately, Arkell snapped out of his shock all too fast, and with a movement faster than my eyes could follow, swiped his own blade at his attacker. Kenneth jerked to a stop and looked down at his side where he had just received a large gash. Blood began gushing out at a rapid pace and Kenneth began to waver on his feet.

I called out to him frantically, I was about to land and walk over to him when a large shape darted over from my right, sweeping Arkell off of the tiny ledge.

As he did, the wind shifted along with the gryphon's direction and I was blown away from the cave opening. I flew with it for a ways to keep aloft and tried to turn around when I heard a deep voice in my head.