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Johan found he kept bumping into things with the newly-earned wings on his back. He probably should take them off, but... they were wings. Bright, billowy white wings, and he could fly with them! Sort of. He'd been rationalizing the constant wearing of them by reasoning that if he should happen to fall off a rampart walking around Camelot, why, the wings would save him! They were absolutely necessary.

Naturally, Johan had taken a sudden shine to spending a portion of each day walking the ramparts, inspecting the damage from the Sidhe attack, and enjoying how there were relatively few things he could accidentally knock over. So, he was on the ramparts overlooking the gate when he looked down and noticed Estel below him. Judging by the satchel of food, she was embarking on another quest to the mountains.

Johan had sworn off questing after that last time. Just thinking about it gave him flashbacks of that fire demon chasing him through the Labyrinth. And Estel was going to have to pass through there to get to the mountain...

"Estel!" he called down to her, hoping she might be on some other business outside of Camelot's walls. "Where are you going?"

Augh! That was exactly what he didn't want to hear! Shooting a look of 'Why me?' skyward, Johan checked to make sure his wings were secure, then vaulted over the ramparts. The wings opened at his back, and he glided down to land beside Estel.

With both feet on solid ground, Johan placed his hands on Estel's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.

"No."

Then he experienced a moment of flustered thought.

"Well, er, yes to the cape, you need a good one for protection from the elements, but no, as in there's a giant fiery demon lurking in the tunnels of the labyrinth, and there simply isn't any way I could let myself let you go alone!" he explained. Halfway through his ramble, he'd realized that he was still holding her, and hastily let her go after brushing some imaginary dust off her shoulder. Folding his arms in a no-buts-accepted pose, he glowered at Estel. "I would sooner fly you to the mountain top in my arms than let you go through there!"

"Trust me, it is there." Johan said emphatically, "Even if you could move an entire regiment of Knights past the bees, wild animals, giant spiders and Dysentery, I don't think they'd be able to defeat that thing. If we'd managed to find even a single clue suggesting the Great King is out there, it might be worth it, but, as you said, it looks like he won't be found out there. So, it is certainly not worth the risk of going on foot!"

Satisfied with his reasoning, it took Johan a second to realize he'd committed himself to actually fly Estel to the mountain. Which meant he'd have to carry her without grabbing anything inappropriate, while at the same time having a firm enough hold so he didn't drop her.

"Yes! Well then..." he stalled, trying to think of a solution. "Perhaps... would you be comfortable with being carried... piggyback?"

"I don't believe so. They've worked just fine with Tempest slung across my back. Speaking of which..."

Johan released the buckle that secured Tempest's sheathe, and reversed it so it would hang in front of him. Now there wouldn't be a risk of Estel being cut. With that out of the way, Johan looked around, and located a mounting block meant for Knights to use when mounting their horse. It would do. Walking over to it, Johan positioned his back towards it, and cleared his throat. He was determined to see this through. Estel would not enter that labyrinth!

"If you are ready?" he prompted her.

Johan wedged Estel's knees between his body and his arms, and took a few experimental steps from the block. Yes, he could carry her. It was the next part that worried him. He really, really didn't want to drop her.

"Not at all. The wings will be carrying both of us." he assured her, sizing up the nearby landscape for a likely spot. "Now, I'm going to have to jump off a cliff. Don't be frightened, but do hold tight."

Double-checking his own grip, Johan approached the edge of the cliff, and looked over it. A nice clean drop with no jagged bits in sight. Perfect! Now he just needed to get a running sta-

The cliff crumbled beneath his feet, pitching them both headlong into empty air. Johan had just enough time to kick them out away from the edge.

And then they plummeted.

For several terrifying heartbeats, Johan thought the wings wouldn't open.

But the wings did open, and the momentum of their fall was turned into a long, swift upward glide. As Johan felt his heart return to his chest, he called over his shoulder.

"Estel! Are you okay?"

Letting out a relieved sigh, Johan focused on where the glide was taking them. The ground was a patchwork below, and it looked like they were still ascending. Studying the horizon, Johan located the mountain, and leaned the wings into a turn. Once they were headed towards it, there was little to do except make small adjustments, and let the wings carry them.

"I hope I haven't put you off flying." Johan called back to Estel over the sound of the wind. "It's actually quite a lot of fun when you have your own pair."

Johan looked down to where the forest was passing beneath their feet. Whatever monsters lurked within couldn't reach them at this height! And from this distance, things took on a softer edge. Though he knew the monsters were there, he could almost pretend it was a perfectly normal forest, and that the mountain ahead was simply a mountain.

When his feet finally touched down on the crest of the mountain, Johan had to run several steps to lose the momentum of the glide, struggling not to send both he and Estel right back down the side of it. He finally regained his equilibrium, and slowly lowered Estel to the ground.

"And here we are."

"Think nothing of it." Johan replied, stretching to work out the stiffness in his limbs from holding his upper body in one position for so long. He watched Estel search the mountain for a few minutes before deciding to examine likely places to launch from. Neither of them needed a repeat of the last take-off!

When he found a stable cliffs edge, Johan took his ease on a rock, keeping an eye on Estel in case any Eagles decided to attack. It was quiet, and almost... pleasant up here when you didn't have to ride or walk through miles of monster infested territory.

When Estel returned with a black cape about her shoulders, Johan stood and took a closer look at the flowers embroidered on it.

"It looks quite durable, and quite suits you." he complimented her. "But I don't recognize these flowers. Do you?"