literature

Redesign

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August 2011: "Redesign"

The storm winds buffeted us from all sides as salty raindrops splashed into my face as the tides below us raged and churned around the stone spikes above the water. I gripped my partner's pelt tightly not because I was nervous, okay maybe a little bit but that isn't the point! It was just because the wind felt like it wanted to rip me away from Astor's back. I swear it was almost as strong as the giants back in my home and that's saying something. Suddenly, lightning and thunder fell from the clouds attempting to strike us down but Astor banged to the left dodging just it in time, casting dark and ominous shadows around us. But there was something odd with the strikes, only, what?

[Ya ready Rham?] Astor asked breaking my growing curiosity. [I can feel a good current coming on and you know I don't like missing a chance on a good one.]

{I know Astor,} I grinned at him through the rain and wind. {Ready when you are pal.}

[Hold tight,] he thought back folding his large gryphon wings (I learned how to pronounce it now!) and we fell, of course with Astor barrel-rolling as we did. I leaned closer to his spine and clutched his fur and feathers tighter.

He let himself spin gracefully and calmly into the ocean while I felt my muscles tense up as we spiraled down the dark and wet abyss. Oh joy…

With the surface of the sea only a few feet away Astor snapped his wings open and with the help of the strong up drafts, helped us to lose enough speed that Astor barely touched the top of the ocean. I felt a shooting pain run up my back. Recovering from the drastic deceleration Astor flapped into an icy cold wind current that thrust us forward the jagged rocks. Here we go again…

We rocketed towards the first spikes as per normal, practicing evasion maneuvers as we weaved to and fro the spikes, using the currents and drafts. Nothing like a good and strong storm to practice aerial techniques.

All of the sudden, as we approached our next batch of spikes, the gusts changed and blew against us. Astor tried to fight against it only to be pushed back into the stones behind us.

Regaining composure, he decided to turn behind us to the group of tall sharp stones we passed before to see if he could go back from where we came. He tried to move to the right but a strong gust kept us in place. He tried to move to the left but again we were shoved back into our dangerous course to the craggy spears. He gave a go upwards, nope. Downwards, no siree.

[Rhami…] he thought.

{On it Astor,} I thought and plucked an arrow out of my quiver. "Explode," I yelled through the storm using my rapid shot and sent a volley towards our grim destination.

I didn't really need to aim really. It was already clear that the behind us wind would carry it to my targets. I smile blossomed on my face, that was until a cold wind blew my arrows off course and into the ocean which created tall pillars of water as it hit its surface. Oh, just great!

Fear started to creep up my throat as we were only meters away but suddenly a thought hit me. Scrambling for my quiver, I took another arrow.

[Something that would stop us from being slammed into the rocks like pancakes would be nice right about now,] Astor thought to me with a hint of nervousness transferred into my mind, [just puttin' it out there.]

I mentally rolled my eyes

'Intangible,' I said closing my eyes before we hit the rocks.

Suddenly I lost feeling of everything except for Astor's soaking wet fur between my legs. The numbness overtook my body for a few moments as we phased through the stones. It wasn't long before the feelings of the hurricane came back into my senses and the familiar cold and salty droplets of the rain and the icy ocean wind battered my skin. I felt Astor tilt to his left and we glided to the side. A bright light invaded my tightly shut eyelids and a booming roar echoed in my ears loudly followed by the somewhat muffled sound of falling stones. I opened my eyes and glanced behind me. I saw a small mound of rocks just visible above the tossing waves. Did a lightning strike do that?

[That was too close,] Astor thought also gave a fleeting look behind us before another strike fell from the sky. Automatically he tried to evade it but the strong winds came back again and pushed us right under the zigzagging light. Instinctively I grabbed another arrow and tapped on my bow.

'Absorb,' I muttered and held it high above my head. Just in time too.

The lightning bolt hit the arrow's head and sent it shining like a light bulb. I felt the strike's power radiating in my grip and sent a weird tingling sensation up and down my arm. It was soooo cool feeling the strength of a lightning strike in your hands. I felt like Zeus which reminds me; I wonder how the big guy's doing anyway.

Suddenly the sensation subsided and the shining arrow dimmed back. I stored it back into my quiver and I grabbed a tuft of Astor's hide before he spiraled to the side to dodge another incoming spike.

[Nice save partner,] he thought happily swaying to the right to evade the tall sharp stone. [Hey Rham, do you have the strangest feeling that someone's tryin' to kill us?]

{That or Mother Nature wants us dead, but yeah I noticed,} I thought before something hard but cold smacked me square on my forehead. "OW!!!" I exclaimed followed by Astor's screech of sudden pain. I rubbed my brow gingerly.

[You alright?] Astor asked shaking his head.

{I think so,} I replied slightly dazed, noticing a rock as big a marble sitting miraculously on my leg. I manage to grab it before it was blown away by the wind and felt its cold exterior in my hand. It was a hailstone. {Oh cra—}

I was quickly cut off as more hailstones rained down on us. Okay that settles it! Mother Nature is peeved at us. Astor tried his best at dodging the raining ice but you can't really dodge that many small ice stones all at once especially with a passenger on your back. I felt sharp pains all over my body as the hailstones fell into us.

We kept weaving around the spikes, trying to ignore the pinch-like pain radiating all over our skin, with the wind in our favor this time but I could feel my partner's strength seeping away at each wing beat and dodge of lightning. We have been flying for a while now. It was only a matter of time before he gets too tired to lift his wings and lets us plummet downwards. Not a very pretty picture when you think about it.

Then something weird happened. I saw a red thread appear all of a sudden, glowing brightly in the dark and damp atmosphere and pulled me lightly towards somewhere. Is that an energy thread? And where is it connecting me to? Well one way to find out…

{Astor, turn left,} I thought to him as soon as I caught sight of the energy thread.

[What? Why?] Astor asked confused.

{Trust me,} I pleaded feeling it tugging harder to the point that I thought it might pull me overboard if we didn't comply.

[Whatever you say Rham,] he replied nonchalantly.

And with that he turned sharply to the left dodging a thunder strike just in the nick of time. HOW MANY BOLTS OF LIGHTNING DO WE HAVE TO DODGE TODAY ANYWAY?!

As we followed the thread of red light, the airstreams around us became more violent… and somewhat playful. It was like a cat playing with a toy. Unfortunately we were the toy. But we kept fighting forward until we saw an opening in the sky allowing light seep into the storm. Was that the eye?

Under the eye of the storm there was something tall. I mean really, really, really tall… It looked similar to the ocean spikes but it was different. A tower? Why is there a tower in the middle of the ocean?! Suddenly my keen eyesight caught a dark figure of a man standing on the top of the tower with an immaculate white staff that had a dark crystal levitating on its top. Was he the one responsible for our close calls to death? All of a sudden, his staff flashed deep purple and at least five bolts of lightning zigzagged towards us, each taking a side and cornering us. I'd take that as a "yes" then.

{Astor, want to test out your new form?} I mused grinning as an idea—no, a plan sprouted in my head. If that man on the tower was responsible for all of this then we have to take him out. And quick.

[Got a plan?]

{You know it, pal. Reylalutica.}

[Oh, you want me to use that maneuver? Oh, this is going to be good. Hang on!]

And with that he let out a loud screech, folded his wings and we plunged into the raging waves with the five bolts tailing behind us. I thought the speed of light was the fastest you could go?

I took a deep breath and we crashed into the icy cold surface of the deep. Shocks rippled up and down my body as I felt Astor's form shift and change and we continued to fall into darkness. His fur and feathers disappeared replaced by a black, silky mane and a spotted coat. I felt his bones move, minimize and change form as I held tightly around his neck. His head changed into that of a horse and so did the forepart of his body except for his hindquarters which morphed into a fishtail which was covered with white and black scales. What was this form called again? Oh right, a hippocampus.

[Ready?] He thought to me turning to me with his bright and curious eyes.

I only nodded which made him grin, or what looked like it. He flicked his fishtail thrusting us towards the bright light ahead but like flying we had to dodge large, thick bases of the sharp, craggy stones rising from the dark abyss. I squeezed his neck tightly, trying not to slip away in the speed. On the bright side there was no lightning that unexpectedly flashed in front of our faces or the rain of hail. Yay!

Before long, nervousness started to creep up as my lungs burned for oxygen above us. My grip on him started to loosen and I felt my heart about to burst. No! I need to hold on a little longer. The base of the tower is only a few meters away.

[RHAMI, HOLD ON!] Astor pleaded concern clear in his voice that bounced around my head.

Before I passed out we broke the water surface, which was oddly calm. I gasped for air and leaned on Astor. Light beamed around us and reflected on the soft ripples of the water. Suddenly my ears heard weird words above us but my mind decrypted them easily. If I'm not wrong, they were spell incantations. The man on the tower was a wizard. Figures.

Motioning for Astor to stay, I swam towards the tower with ease. Astor watched me intently as if he was waiting for something wrong to happen. I shook my head and looked for an opening or something I could use to get in. There were large arch windows the spiraled upwards until the top. None of them were close enough to grab onto. I pouted, clearly annoyed. I wonder…

I glanced down. Just as I thought; there were others windows that spiraled down towards the base of the tower, which I guess was WAY deep down. Holding my breath, I dove down towards the nearest one and slipped inside, hopefully the wizard hasn't sensed me yet or I'm screwed. I've had my share of fighting wizards and magic users and I know too well that they could feel anyone that enters their aura range.

I rose slowly out of the water and scanned around. The walls were made of rough rock that was covered with moss and stairs twisted to the ceilings. Silently, I pushed towards the nearest step. Droplets of water dripped back into the ocean softly. Faraway, I could hear the rumble of the storm and ominous howling of the wind.  I pulled out an arrow out of my quiver and aimed it in the high above me.

'Explode,' I whispered and let it soar.

BOOOOOM!!!!

Rubble fell from the explosion and into the water. I shot a teleportation arrow through the new hole in the ceiling. My surroundings changed drastically to open sky and bright lights as I stood at the roof of the tower. The wizard lay on the floor unconscious with his staff lying right next to me. The black crystal on the top released an evil and cold aura that made me shiver even in the warm light of the Sun. Shadows and darkness twisted and warped around the gemstone. It kind of reminded me of something but I didn't know what.

Somewhat sick, I placed my foot on top of the crystal and destroyed it, scattering shards everywhere that suddenly turned into smoke. Odd.

I casted a glance to the unconscious wizard, slinging back my bow onto my shoulder. That was an easy win. Too easy. The wizard had a cowl over his head that covered most of his face. Curious, I reached towards it.

[Done Rham?] Astor asked as he landed behind me all of the sudden and made me jump at least fifteen feet in the air. Not really, but you get the point!

'Don't do that!' I exclaimed thinking that the wizard set up a trap for me and faced Astor, who was back in his gryphon form.

[Sorry Rhami, but I couldn't help myself. Anyway, who's the magic user?]

'That's what I was doing before you scared the bejeebus out of me,' I said rolling my eyes and kneeled next to the wizard again.

I pulled back the cowl and revealed the wizard's face.

[Wait isn't that—] Astor thought.

'Igaegis?' I finished, 'the high wizard of the Praetorians from our home dimension? Yes. Yes, he is.'

[But how?] Astor asked padding next to him curiously.

'Don't know,' I muttered unsurely. 'But maybe he can tell us when he wakes up.'

I carefully plucked him up from the cold rocky floor and slung him over Astor's back. Feeling cold, wet and tired, I hopped onto my partner's back and he ran out of the roof flapping wildly into the sky. Fortunately, the storm's dark and menacing clouds disappeared replaced by clear blue skies that were reflected by the calm ocean below. It was as if Igaegis' quick defeat redesigned our surroundings as we headed back to my clan.
A old friends resurfaces...someone from Rhami and Astor's past...
This will be interesting
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