People of the Sky (Irriari)

by **Alenias** on June 18th, 2011, 6:03 pm

Season of Summer, Day 16, 511 AV

It was getting darker out in the forest, but for once Alenias wasn't with the others trying to find a place to camp. Instead she was off on her own, in her blue jay form, flitting through the trees as she searched. Earlier that day she'd heard the birds chirping about a person with wings. At first Alenias had thought they meant someone like her, but the birds told her it was different. This person actually had wings while they were human!

Curious to find this person Alenias continued to flutter from tree to tree, chirping to the birds she found along the way to see if they had seen the winged person, or knew where they might be. She knew she was getting closer, more and more birds had seen the person recently. Growing more excited she continued her search as darkness started to creep into the forest.

by **Irriari** on June 19th, 2011, 7:50 pm

OOCWe've been given permission to use slavers in this thread by Verilian.

Irriari was glad to finally be out of the city, even if it was only for a night. The sounds of Ravok were often more than she could take, and the annoyances of the city had been bombarding her for two weeks straight. It had finally occurred to her the night before that if she didn't get out and go somewhere, the next human who looked at her wrong could die. So she found herself in the forest outside of the city, standing amid the trees and plants with her wings outstretched to their full length. She quietly observed the birds, mushrooms and animals as the forest came alive around her. This environment was so different from the grasslands, but it still felt like home. Her leathery wings flapped gently in the open air as a slight breeze made its way through the dense foliage. It felt so wonderful to spread her wings to their full length, but such things were impossible in Ravok, even in the privacy of her own room at Tarsin's Boarding House. The room was simply too small to allow for such luxury.

Irriari bent down to the ground and picked up a mushroom. The plant was clustered with another four surrounding it on all sides. Its cap was a dark yellow, while the base was a lighter color of the same shade. The spore development was good, she noted. Irriari rolled the mushroom between her clawed fingers while she tried to take in all the attributes of the fungus. She carefully placed the mushroom into the top of her miza pouch secured the bag to the inside of her quiver. Maybe while she was here, she could look for more mushrooms as poison reagents. First and foremost, however, she wanted to fly. She began walking deeper into the forest, hoping that she would soon be far enough from the eyes of Ravok to be able to soar in the skies once again.

by **Alenias** on June 22nd, 2011, 3:32 am

Just as Alenias was starting to think about heading back to find Aello and Nex she heard the chirping of birds talking about the person with wings. Joining in on the energetic chirping she asked where the person was, and soon she was on her way through the trees towards her target.

It wasn't much longer until she spotted the oddest, largest, pair of wings she had ever seen. There were no feathers on these dark wings, and they looked large enough that Alenias could probably use them as a blanket even in her human form. The person the wings were attached to was even stranger. Covered in hair like an animal, but they walked like a person. So many new things all gathered in one person made Alenias' curiosity overwhelming.

Maybe the wings meant the person could understand birds too? Flying down from the trees to land on a bush in the strange person's path Alenias looked at her for a moment, and then chirped out, "Hello! Who are you?"

by **Irriari** on June 24th, 2011, 2:09 am

Irriari continued walking, but her pace slowed until she eventually came to a stop. The birds around her were lively, chirping, singing and calling to one another in varied tones. Some were loud and persistent, while others made softer, gentler noises. The various noises of the winged animals held her attention as she paused and took in the sight of the canopy above her. While it was nearly impossible to pinpoint the locations of the birds, she tried anyways. One particular call, a shrill noise that almost sounded human, echoed in her head. She faced to the south and looked up, examining every branch above her until they all blurred together into a mass of green and brown. The elusive bird was not to be found, so she scanned the air directly in her line of sight.

A bush, lush with leaves and red berries was nestled against a tall tree. She didn't know how the plant got any sunlight at all, beneath the thickest branches, but it seemed to be thriving. A small bird was perched on edge of the bush and it chirped happily at her. She smiled at that, as Irriari loved birds, like many of her race. As far as she could tell, they did not judge her, or if they did they kept it to themselves.

“Hey you. You know, all the other birds are up there, right? I swear, they're trying to make a musical.”

Her tone was jovial and she admired the birds light blue coloration as she spoke to it. She had never seen a bird like it in the Sea of Grass. Irriari knew if she walked any closer she would scare the bird away, so she simply waited, content to watch it.

by **Alenias** on June 26th, 2011, 5:00 pm

Alenias tilted her head slightly as the winged woman spoke to her. So she couldn't understand birds then, or maybe a musical was something where a lot of people talked at once? But she hadn't answered Alenias' question, so she probably couldn't understand birds. She did seem very nice though.

Flitting down to the ground off of the bush Alenias transformed to her human form in a swirl of color and light. Standing up she brushed some hair out of her face and smiled at the woman, "I know they're up there, but I came here cause I wanted to see you. I've never heard of anyone like you before," she stared at the woman's wings for a moment, "How do you have wings?"

Even as she waited for the woman to answer Alenias slowly walked towards her, reaching her hand out to try and touch one of the woman's wings. If they were in Ravok then Alenias wouldn't have done this, but out in the wilderness people seemed much nicer.

by **Irriari** on June 27th, 2011, 8:21 am

Irriari watched the bird, and was disappointed that it didn't make any more sounds after she spoke to it. Maybe she had spooked it? The small blue creature tilted its head and continued staring. All in all, she had no idea what to make of the behavior. She considered conversing with the bird again but she doubted it would make much of a difference.

Suddenly, Irriari looked up and there was a quick burst of light, followed by more streams of color and prisms of light coming from where the bird had been. Irriari crouched to the ground, and reached behind her back for her short bow. This couldn't be another Sahova. They wouldn't take her again. Her body shook as she reached for the short bow but when she looked up, she saw no Nuit, only a young girl with long tousled blonde hair looking up at her. She examined the girl slowly as she stood up, though her she still held onto her bow loosely. What was she? Irriari knew that her eyes weren't deceiving her. This girl was both somehow a bird and a human all at once.

Irriari chuckled at the girl who seemed to be amazed by her wings. Irriari found the bird-girl more interesting by far.

“How did I get wings? I was born with them. They are a part of me, as much as anything else. I am surprised you have no heard of the zith. Few are as bold around my people as you are.”

Irriari still smiled and though her arm and legs muscles tensed, she let the girl touch and examine her wings. Her touch was light, and the zith wondered what the girl thought about her leathery wings.

“So what are you? I've never seen anyone with such a gift. It's quite amazing.”

by **Alenias** on June 28th, 2011, 6:58 pm

"Zith?" Alenias asked as she tilted her head at the woman's words, "People are scared of the Zith?"

As she reached up to lightly brush her fingers against the woman's wings, which almost felt like skin, Alenias' eyes fell on the woman's bow, and then realization dawned on her. Aello was really good with her bow, and she was shorter than anyone Alenias had seen use a bow. This woman was even shorter than Aello, and so that must mean she was really good with a bow too! Smiling proudly at having figured it out she asked the woman, "It's because of your bow, right?"

"Me?" Alenias paused and tilted her head as she thought for a moment, "Ah... A Kelvic, that's what Aello said I am," she nodded, "Like Nex, but Nex is a Wolf, and I'm a bird, but we're both Kelvics," she smiled at the woman, and reached out to touch her wings again, "Your wings feel different. They're not like my wings. Can you fly on them?"

by **Irriari** on July 11th, 2011, 11:22 pm

OOCI'm terribly sorry that this was so late- hope you're not too mad at me. I'm back to my normal posting speed now! Thanks for being patient!
Irriari laughed at the question, and allowed the girl to touch her leathery wings. Here, in the forest, she was less annoyed and angry than she had been in weeks. This girl seemed simply curious, and nice. It was a relief to find such things.

“I doubt it's because of my bow- I'm hardly that good with it anyways. It's because of what my race has done, and things that I've done too. My race is vicious. Killers. Rapists. Kidnappers. But it's how we are.”

She refused to sugar coat the truth- if the girl was to leave, then she would leave. The forest, in all of its green splendor would still surround her and comfort her regardless.

A kelvic. How odd. It seemed they could shift forms, but Irriari had no idea the extent of their abilities. Did they have multiple forms? Could they do other things? It must be nice to be able to change forms, she thought. But the thought quickly left her head, as such things were hardly possible for her race.

“Yes, I can fly with them, like any bird.”

The girl was certainly inquisitive, but Irriari wanted to ask a few questions of her own.

“What about you? What does it mean to be a kelvic? Can you become any bird?”

Suddenly, it occurred to her that the birds she had flown with in the sky could have very well been one of these kelvic types. Maybe that's why some of the birds were so skittish and angry.

by **Alenias** on July 14th, 2011, 2:06 pm

OOCNo worries, stuff happens. I'm not the least bit upset.

Confusion was plain on Alenias' face at the winged woman's explanation for why people didn't like the Zith. A little because she had been wrong with her guess, but mostly her confusion was due to the strange words the woman used. She knew what a Killer was, someone who killed people, but rapist and kidnappers were beyond her knowledge. Even knowing what a killer was Alenias didn't understand what was wrong about that. Aello had killed that big mean man after all.

The woman's questions caused Alenias' face to scrunch up in intense concentration as she tried to come up with an answer, "I guess being a Kelvic means you're both an animal and a person, and you can change between the two. I can't become any other birds, because the other birds aren't me," she smiled proudly at her answers, and then added, "But I can talk to any bird, and understand them. Even Yune!"

As she finished talking Alenias turned her dark eyes again to the woman's strange wings, and after a few moments of contemplation asked, "Do you like flying?"

by **Irriari** on July 14th, 2011, 11:47 pm

The small girl was of the happy sort, and though her hair was wild, Irriari saw the cheer in her face as she spoke. It was a pleasant sign, when so many of the faces she saw were filled with disdain, hatred and fear. The colony had hardly ever been that friendly- only Sevrai, her treasured slave had smiled no matter the circumstance. A deep pain filled her gut and spread outward as she thought of Sevrai's murder, and the girls blood on the floor of the cave. She hadn't been smiling at all, not when that bastard ripped her apart out of jealously. Irriari grimaced and clutched her stomach as the pain passed. It always did, but it was hard to bear and remember week after week. Irriari spoke truthfully, as the topic Alenias had broached was one she thought about often.

“I can't understand birds, myself. I wish I could though... they seem quite talkative.”

It was true. She had never met a bird in the sky or the grasses that hadn't chirped or sang as she drifted through the plains. They, more than any other animal in the plains and forests were social, or so it seemed.

There would be a lot to learn about the kelvic race. In some ways, she was jealous of the wonderful ability, but there would have to be drawbacks, as there were with nearly all the races she had seen so far.

“I love flying... without my wings, I would be nothing. My race would be nothing.”

Irriari launched off the ground a few feet and closed her eyes as her leathery wings supported her whole body with a few powerful movements. The flapping of her wings disturbed the smaller plants around Alenias' feet, but it wouldn't inconvenience the girl much. Irriari breathed in, her eyes still firmly shut and allowed herself to simply be in the air, with no other worries. Her clawed toes wiggled in the air below her as she opened her eyes. Life in the air was simply perfect.

“Do you want to fly with me? I don't know where we could go... but I'm sure it would be great.”

Her question was lighthearted, but in the air, she had little to worry about from the girl or anything else.