((Humm... I was going to wait for a few more posts, but I guess I'll just start now. I'll plunk Ada and Zah in right with Sanaii and the others so we can just keep going. Oh and I'll work on some art for them when I can.))
Characters Entering:
Mawiyah Adawiyah aka Ada
Female • Age 19 • Avaris, BirdMaster • Islands of Avaris
Physical Description
Ada is a tall woman at 5'10" with mid-back length jet black hair and deep sea-green eyes, both of which contrast starkly with her light complexion. She has a long thin face with high cheek bones and a sharp nose, giving her a rather gaunt appearance or that of fragility. She is also a very thin woman, with long legs and arms and fine boned hands with long fingers. Despite her lean looks, she is actually quite strong and athletic up to a point. She tends to wear dark blue and purple robes with a black gi beneath and soft black leather boots that come up to her knees. When traveling, she always wears a long black scarf that can be used as a veil to obscure her face if she anticipates having to deal with locals.
Mount: Zahraa
Female • Age 10 • Sagittari, Grey Kyte • Islands of Avaris
Physical Description
Looking something like an enormous secretary bird, Zahraa sports the plumage of a white gyrfalcon. She has long legs and is agile on land as she is in the sky. Her long legs make her very tall, standing at nearly 12', she has broad wings with a wingspan of 28'. Though she sports a crest of black striped white feathers, Sagittari share a common heritage with the more common dragon mounts, meaning she also has small articulate ears, tipped with black feathers as well. Her large eyes are a silvery-grey and hold an innocent, yet expressive quality. Though she has an imposing looking hooked beak, her feet are her main weapons as she can break the neck of a dragon with one well placed blow.
Ada was so far out of her element now, that any reasonable person in her place would be terrified. However, fortunately for Ada, she was neither reasonable nor terrified. She and Zahraa had passed earlier that day out of the desolate rocks of Barrensscar and into the rolling grasses of Parou Field. So different it was from the sunny island to the north were she grew up, where the sea dashed itself stony cliffs, that the land passing beneath her might as well be a different planet. Well dressed for the cool evening at altitude, there was little visible to distinguish the young women from the darkening sky. She wore a heavy traveling robe over her black gi, a black scarf tied over her head to keep the wind from her hair and face, as well as brass goggles to shield her eyes. She looked down at the point where her gloved hands disappeared into Zahraa's snowy feathers, her wings working in a comfortable and familiar rhythm as they flew ever-further south over the constantly changing terrain. "Keep going, Zah, I know you're tired. But I promise, we'll rest for the night as soon as we can find some cover." The great bird's black-tipped ears tilt back as she listens to her rider, but then something else catches her attention and she turns her head. Heavy beak now pointed behind her, the wind flips her black-tipped feathers into her large silver eyes as she scans the horizon to the north-west. Ada glances back over her shoulder, but the dimming light impairs even her keen eyes. So she signals her mount to turn and together they wheel in the sky, banking sharply to circle in place and get a better look. It only takes one full rotation for Ada to spot what has so unnerved Zahraa: A dark cloud has gathered behind them, and contrary to the wind, has begun to follow them.
Oh Avis-Allah, they've found us! Quickly correcting their course, Ada urges Zahraa to redouble her efforts, eyes scanning the distance for any sort of cover.
Ada had left home a mere two weeks ago, and have made quick progress to the south as Zahraa was swift, and well adapted for life in the air as opposed to the more easily tired dragons. Thus, it was just two days ago that she was deep over the Barrensscar and had sought shelter in a cave high up on the wall of a canyon. It was a foolish mistake, brought on by youth and inexperience, as anyone familiar with the Barrensscar would know that the canyons are full of Gorma. On their own, the little creatures seem rather charming, with their bat-like wings only a foot across and furry hog-like faces, but it would be rare indeed to see one alone. They travel in huge colonies, roosting during the day in the dark recesses of the canyons, they emerge at night to hunt, devouring anything they happen to come across. Gorma have a truly sour disposition and that coupled with a hatred of anything with feathers, have made this flock a living nightmare for poor Ada and Zahraa. Upon entering the cave, they flew up in an enormous ruckus of wings and squeals, enraged at the invasion on their home. Ada had barely escaped then, diving out of the cave and into a dense thicket of yew just above the canyon's rim. It seems as though the Gorma have a severe dislike of any sort of vegetation, and few were brave enough to work their way into the trees and continue the attack. Those that did, were easily taken out by a very flustered Zahraa or Ada's boot knife, and as the tide ebbed, she was able to build a fire and that seemed to keep them away completely.
Having arisen the next day and seeing no trace of the Gorma, Ada was secure enough to continue her journey, and when the passed out of the Barrensscar and into the grasses of Parou, she assumed they would not follow. Unfortunately though, it seems as though this particular colony of Gorma have more hatred than fear and have chosen to give chase to the Kyte and her rider out into the sky over the field. The cursed creatures are unbelievably fast on the wing, and it is not long before they are on top of them, diving and chittering as they attach themselves to Zahraa's feathers with their hooked teeth. Ada turns, drawing her knife to fend them off as best she can. The curved blade whips through the air with a hum, sending several Gorma back out into their fellows where the wounded are quickly devoured. She urges Zahraa closer to the ground, like an owl fleeing a flock of crows, the enormous bird dips down until she is skimming just over the long grass, preventing the Gorma from diving at them, lest they risk crashing into the dirt.
Looking desperately for anything that may offer a bit of cover, Ada finds that the air nearer the ground is foggy compared to the crisp, clear sky above. Small scrub and sage brush stick out over the swirling mist that hovers just above the grass that makes the task of finding a place to hide all the more difficult. Rider distracted, Zahraa is left to fend for herself and snaps at any Gorma that pass close enough for her to get her beak on, crushing several as they come too close. Seconds pass, and seem to stretch on for days as Ada continues her search, time seeming to pass painfully slow. It is then that she spots a dark shape looming in the distance just off to her left: a small copse of cottonwood trees pushing their way up though the fog. She immediately urges Zahraa in that direction, and the bird lifts up into the sky, gaining enough altitude to accommodate her wingspan and make a sharp, banking turn towards the trees. It seems the instant they lift up they are immersed in a cloud of Gorma, and the beasts immediately attack, drawing an angry squawk from Zahraa. She rolls, very nearly dumping Ada off as she kicks at them with her taloned feet, before diving for the trees. "Zah! No!" Ada yells, but it is too late, and she crashes open-winged into the thickest part of the copse. Her left wingtip catches a tree and immediately flips, sending both mount and rider cartwheeling into the undergrowth.
There is an old Avaris saying that:
'If you're going to fly, you should learn first how to fall.' Luckily enough, Ada had actually taken that bit of advice to heart and this was not the first crash landing she and Zahraa had had. She tucks in her arms and legs and comes to a rolling stop with a thud against the trunk of a tree. Not taking time to gasp for breath, she is immediately on her feet with knife in hand as she waits for the Gorma. The seething cloud swarms overhead, chittering and squealing in anger, but it seems as though they have had just about enough of this green place, as not a one ventures to force it's way in through the canopy. The enraged cacophony continues for a few long moments, then slowly begins to wain as the creatures give up and move off. As the last of the Goma's voices fade into the distance, Ada lets out a shaky sigh that ends in a fit of coughing.
"Zah? Zah are you alright?" Ada calls softly, not wanting her voice to carry too far into the darkened plain as she is unsure of what else may be out there. Fear grips her when there is no answer, but then she hears a snapping of twigs and branches overhead and the massive bird kicks herself free of the tree limbs and lands nimbly before her on her long, spindly legs. Shaking out her feathers, she cranes her head down on her long neck to look at Ada with wide eyes, and Ada immediately throws her arms around her neck. "Oh Zah! You silly beast! Don't ever do that again!" Zahraa gives a happy sounding little chirrup and settles down on the ground beside her rider.
Inspecting Zahraa for injury, and ignoring her own aching ribs, Ada soon finds that her left wing has several broken feathers hanging from it. "Hut hut, hold out your left wing." Zahraa swivels her head to look at Ada for a moment before reluctantly spreading out her wing as asked. At full extension, one wing alone is nearly twelve feet long and it takes up most of the space between the trees and Ada can walk under it to inspect the feathers. Six out of the ten long primaries on her left wing are either broken or damaged, which means flying is now pretty much out of the question.
Dammit... Now what? Ada pulls out her knife and begins sawing through the heavy quills to remove the broken parts so that they will not become entangled and cause further injury.
It will take six weeks for new feathers to grow in and we are nowhere near the ports yet... Zahraa looks over her back curiously at Ada as she works, giving her a gentle nudge with her beak. Ada looks back at her, shaking her head, and grabs her beak and gives it a gentle shake. "Ah Zah, you silly bird. Looks like we're walking from here." The bird just looks at her with a bemused expression, her head tilted slightly to the side, and Ada goes back to work removing damaged pinions.