In the morning, I rushed to the living area before the first light, stopping short when I saw Zenon sitting there on the floor, so still I almost missed him. His legs were stretched out and his hands placed on top of them with his eyes shut. He looked the calmest I had ever seen him. I contemplated going back to my room, but his eyes fluttered open and his piercing gaze immediately landed on me, like he already knew I was there. I hesitated for a moment, then shrugged and kept going. Since his eyes were already open, he should be done with whatever he was doing, right? "What were you doing," I asked, dropping into the nearest sofa, not expecting him to answer, but wanting to bother him anyway. 

He seemed to contemplate for a moment. "Connecting with my magic," he said, reluctance heavy in his tone. Was he tasked with being civil to me? I could definitely milk this.

"How does that feel?" I asked, curious, and trying to hide my envy.

"How does what feel?" He asked, sounding preoccupied.

"Connectimg to magic," I said, leaning my head on my clenched fist.

"Different for every race, and still probably different for individuals of the same race."

I barely avoided rolling my eyes. Getting information from Zenon is what I imagine helping a verigriff birth a young to be like. "Tell me what it feels like for you."

"Personal." He said, like that closed the matter.

"But if you could-" I began, but he stood in one fluid motion, not reminiscent of someone who's been unnaturally still for a while, his shirt molding to his form for a moment showing just how hard he works and I immediately removed my gaze. He walked past me without any further explanation and I frowned after him. "Definitely easier to birth a verigriff," I muttered. A skipped step of his fluid movement was the only indication he had heard.

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I sat in the living room, waiting with my measly two change of clothes, waiting for the first person to come out when Baltha walked into the room and I sighed in relief. I would hate to bother Rossi woth her unpredictable attitude and Zenon would probably just ignore me. I stood and met him halfway, now too impatient to keep siting. "Can I get a notebook, and a scribing quill?"

His feet froze misstep. "What for?" He asked with furrowed brow like he was trying to figure me out. 

I twisted my fingers. "Well, I've never been anywhere, and I've always taken a journal with me when I went into my forest to document new things I find, and well... I'm going on this big journey and I'd like to document the trees and shrubs I find on the way."

He looked skeptical. "Trees and shrubs?"

I shrugged trying to look extra innocent. "And the occasional animal too, but only if it catches my eye."

He regarded me for a few more moments before turning around and walking back out. He came back a short while later with a leather bound notebook and a small quill slightly bigger than normal. "Made from verigriff leather, so it should survive the wears of travel," he said handing me the items with a preoccupied look.

I looked at the quill critically like I could actually tell the difference. "Are you sure this quill will last?"

"Ofcourse, Zenon cast it himself."

My brow raised. "Interesting."

Rossi walked in before I could say anything else with a mid sized leather bag that looked large in her hands but she carried with apparent ease. Baltha eyed her. "Hope you remembered to pack clothes this time."

She rolled her eyes. "That happened only once."

He raised one of his bushy brows with a small tilt of his lips. "Once?"

"Well, maybe more than once but, not for a long time," she said, folding her arms in indignation and I couldn't tell if it was feigned. 

Baltha laughed. "That was just last week."

My head pinged from one to the other, feeling left out. I have no idea what they were talking about, and I suddenly felt the full weight of how lonely my childhood was. My father and books for company didn't seem like enough anymore. "If she didn't pack clothes, what did she take?" I asked, trying to dispel the dark turn my feelings were taking. 

"Even knowing her a short time, can you guess?" He said, still laughing.

I began chuckling, already suspecting. She huffed. "Let's not forget, one of those knives saved your life that day."

I raised a brow, facing Baltha. "Seems your life is in danger a lot." He shrugged, refusing to meet my eyes anymore and losing the smile. I hated to be the cause, but Zenon came in before I could dwell on it for too long.

"Hurry up," Zenon said as he strode past us, out the front door and we all followed, albeit reluctantly on my end.

I looked around as we got outside, realizing we were the only ones there. "Where's Rowund?" I asked.

"We'll meet him there," Rossi said, leaning against the side of the house. 

"How are we getting there?" I asked, eyeing Zenon who was standing there with his eyes shut, dread churning in my stomach as I remembered my last transportation. 

"You'll see," Baltha said in an almost quiet tone amusement coloring his voice. 

After a short while, Zenon let out a series of loud piercing whistles in a sequence that could only be a deliberate pattern. I glanced around, wondering what was happening, then a rustle towards the woods Rossi warned me about drew my eyes there.

An animal was stepping through tentatively. The horns came out first, dark as a moonless night, but I didn't pay much attention until they sparkled. Those were moonlight prongs. That could only mean... the rest of the animal stepped out of the forest and my breathing spiked in excitement. "Dear gods," I breathed. "Glimmerwings?" How on Galderon did they get a Glimmerwing? They're creatures of myths and legend, said to have once served as companion animals of the goddess Esperence before they fell out of favour losing their glimmering wings that gave them their name. How true the stories are, is anyone's guess. I might not have read much about Galderon's races and culture, but its animals and plants were another case entirely. 

I fought the urge to step any closer to the majestic beast knowing I needed to let it come to me. My eyes ran over the animal frozen in awe.

The glimmerwing had a regal stature, standing tall and lithe, evoking a sense of natural grace and strength. Its coat, in shades of earthy browns and deep siennas, blended harmoniously with the surrounding landscape. The glimmerwing's fur was adorned with intricate patterns reminiscent of ancient tribal markings, lending an air of mysticism and wisdom.

Its eyes, sharp and intelligent, seemed to hold the secrets of ages past. Two magnificently curved horns, the focal point of its splendor, emerge from its forehead. These horns, known as moonlight prongs, shimmer with an ethereal glow, said to resemble polished moonstones. They capture and reflect the light, casting a gentle luminescence upon the world around them.

It moved towards me, its steps swift and nimble on strong and sturdy hooves designed to withstand demanding journeys. As it moved, a soft thud echoed leaving an imprint like an artist's brushstroke upon the earth.

The glimmerwing's size allows it to bear the weight of multiple riders or carry substantial loads upon its broad back. Its powerful muscles ripple beneath the sleek coat, as it came to a stop right in front of me.

"Emris, this is Ismene, she is new and would be coming with us today," Zenon said talking to the glimmerwing like he understood. The way Emris pinned me with a sharp gaze made me think, maybe he did. He regarded me for a short while more, then turned its back on me and I breathed my relief. A glimmerwing would never turn its back to a foe.

"How did you people get one?" I asked towards Baltha, still staring at the majestic beast as Zenon put some kind of contraptions on him.

His chuckle drew my eyes to him. "Zenon found him as a foal, he was so weak his family abandoned him. Zenon brought him home and Rowund helped him nurse him to health. They've been inseparable since."

My brow furrowed and I looked sharply to the man in question as he gently ran a hand over Emris's fur with a small uptilt to his lips as the beast snorted and pawed the ground lightly.

"We are ready Emris," Zenon said patting the glimmerwing lightly, before turning to give Baltha a meaningful look I couldn't interpret and barely caught the tail end of Baltha's eye roll.

I ignored their exchange and turned to Rossi. "I haven't seen much of Amrit. Where is he?"

She shrugged. "Amrit comes and goes as he pleases."

I frowned, but Blatha touched my elbow gently before I could question her further. "I'll get on first, then, pull you on," he said, gesturing towards Emris who was stooped for us to get on, tail flicking impatiently. Baltha nimbly got on, then pulled me onto the section of the riding strap I'm front of him by my waist, throwing a small smile over my head. Rossi got on next to the section in front of me and Zenon go on closer to Emris's head, and we took off with a soft cluck from Zenon.

Although wingless, the glimmerwing possessed an innate ability to navigate through the wilds swiftly. Each step seemed calculated, each movement deliberate. As it picked up speed, dust and foliage swirled in its wake.

I shut my eyes and threw my head back, enjoying the wind whipping past my face. The ride felt like a connection with the nature and what I imagined flying would feel like without wings. 

We stopped a few times for Zenon to consult the map and confirm we were still going the right way, and I itched to get my hand on one of those. I loathe to put all my trust and let my fate rest on a bunch of people I don't know well, but they didn't seem to trust me much either, so for now, we wait. We drove for a few more kilometers when Baltha suddenly stiffened behind me. "Zee," he called quietly in a tone I didn't quite understand but Zenon apparently did because we immediately stopped. The noise of the wind died down and I heard what they had both probably heard. Voices. 

A male voice, tone cold enough to chill me to my bones said, "and y'all be coming with us."

"We didn't do nothing," said a young voice with a slight quiver. 

I turned to ask my companions if we were going to do anything and saw that they had all quietly jumped off while I was straining to listen, so I scrambled to join them, stumbling a little but managing to remain on my feet. Zenon frowned at me, but I lifted my chin and met his gaze. "I'm coming. No one is leaving me here to meet whatever comes around."

He gave Baltha another look over my head and I heard him sigh. "I'll look after her, it's better than leaving her alone" Baltha said.

"Great, so, let's go see," I said, both excited and dreading my first contact with more people. No one had tried to kill me yet, but maybe my luck was about to run out.