For many around the world, the idea of an ocean- a vast expanse of water that heaved and crashed against the land they lived on, that was the progenitor of magnificent clouds and awe-inspiring storms, and which hid a multitude of creatures; beautiful, majestic and terrifying- was something that might only exist in their legends. For the Pae’il of Telrunya Isle, that spectacular ocean was a reality, and for some, the only home they had ever known.Soaring over the beaches and cliffs of Southern Telrunya, a lone, red figure hovered in the sky. Its broad wingspan wobbled left and right as it balanced itself on what she called ridge updrafts; sea breeze that had been deflected upwards by the steep sides of the island. Every once in a while the wind would shift, or become turbulent, and the figure would dip, before catching itself with a few flaps of its wings and rising back to its original height. That individual was no bird; she was in fact a demon- one of many winged Pae breeds that lived on the land of, and in the air around Telrunya Isle. But particularly the air, for this one; the young squire named Katya.
With a natural athleticism that seemed custom made for spectacular aerial acrobatics, the little demon had taken wing at a relatively early age and spent much of her time learning more and more about flight. Often times this involved strenuous and sometimes dangerous maneuvers- pushing her limits in the sky- but other times, such as this occasion, it simply meant exploring the way the air moved, and how she moved through the air. For Katya, the air that now flowed over her wings was as familiar as the clothes she wore, or the bed she slept in. The sensation of flight was as comforting and relaxing as it was exhilarating.
Hovering over the same cliff, however, could only be exhilarating for so long. By spreading her wings wider, the demon caught more wind and began to rise away from the rocks, before she rolled over to the right, plunging toward the earth. About ten feet off the ground she completed her roll back upright and pulled up just enough to arrest her fall and land softly at the cliff’s rocky edge. The salty spray from below lent the wind a briny quality that the demon had begun to grow rather fond of. She inhaled deeply and stretched her arms and wings out, standing on her tiptoes as she relieved the mild soreness that had built up from holding that soaring posture for so long. It felt like she was able to maintain flight for longer and longer as she got older, and each practice session that she made for herself she found herself staying airborne for hours at a time.
Now, though, it seemed time for a well-deserved rest. She perched on one of the smoother rocks at the cliff’s edge, enjoying the sound of the surf and the tropical weather around her- a welcome relief from the recent and inexplicable cold snap. She wasn’t wearing her full-body flight suit this time, just a form-fitting pair of white shorts and a black crop top, her bow slung across her back, with her ubiquitous flight bag that she began to unstrap from her waist. She undid the buckle and drew out a gourd of water, holding it to her lips and taking long gulps before exhaling and putting it back away.
From her vantage point Katya could gaze upon the brilliant, unbroken vista of the ocean before her, as well as the curving arc of a beach far below to her left. The sands were white, beautiful, but Katya wouldn’t have paid them much heed had a bright reflection of the afternoon sun not caught her sight. There was something lying on the otherwise pristine beach. Even from this distance, Katya’s keen eye made out that it would likely be something small and round in nature, reflective, perhaps a large shell or piece of coral, and that was enough to get her curiosity up.
The teenage girl didn’t indulge her curiosity for some minutes, just long enough to get her energy back up. It was a quick enough flight down to the white sands, which had no problem finding their way past her sandals onto her feet, not that she minded. The object was easy to identify up close- a small cup, organic looking, with decorations that were simple but elegant and unpretentious. It lay on top of the beach, completely exposed, which suggested it had been dropped recently. Katya looked around for possible owners, but saw nothing except footprints in the sand that trailed from the ocean’s edge onto nearby rocky outcrops and subsequently vanished. The young demon was no tracker, but she wasn’t so dense that she didn’t recognize the trail of one of the waterfolk when she saw it.
That meant that this was likely a Nai’ad’s protective charm.
Katya blinked in confusion as she looked down at the cup, around at the beach, and down at the cup again. Would the owner of such a thing be so careless as to drop it on the beach and simply forget about it? Was this sudden find, in concurrence with her present mission, simply too convenient?
Was it a trap?
For a moment, she considered nocking an arrow to her bow and waiting for a Nai’ad ambush. But that was foolishness coming from a hit-and-run flying fighter like her. Perhaps she had been training alongside Lailah a little too often. Cup firmly in her grasp, she spread her wings and took to the sky, ascending so quickly she doubted a flying arrow could catch her.