"Make me cayre..."

[Jennalyn]

Race suddenly interrupted by the call of another, Zephyr twisted her body mid-swoop and turned to look for the source of the voice. Another... male? His voice sounded like that of a stallion, what she could hear over the gusts of the impending storm.

Company rarely troubled her in the air, high above the land and out of sight from the groundbound dwellers. The predominantly red stallion and this feathery newcomer both seemed to be Elementals, however, and their kind were quite rare to catch glimpses of under normal circumstances. Three in one place? She had never heard its like, save members of the same Song as her parents had been. Two Air Elementals and a winged Fire Elemental had been mares in her sire's Song.

"This is unusual, yes. I am called Zephyr. This stallion is yRend. We ayre all styrangeyrs to one anotheyr, it seems. The two of us weyre pyrepayring to yrace thyrough the stoyrm. What ayre youyr intentions?" Was he an Air Elemental? But... so many feathers. One of his parents had to be an Air, surely?

Both of them there unsettled her and she flew uneasily, whiskers twitching of their own accord as well as whipping in the wind.

[Echos]

((Sorr for the lame post, I'm still moving in to college and am crazy busy))

"Oh, I am meyrely up heyre enjoying the stoyrm and its winds," he replied easily, raising his voice to carry over noise of the clouds. His winds were growing ever more excited as they gathered and rolled in the sky, jostling the samanayrs in there haste and excitement. Plume shared their eagerness, the two he had jut encountered intrigued him. They were different from other smanayar-kin he had met, not just in their appearance but their actions as well. Both the mare and stallion seemed as comfortable in the turbulent sky as he did himself. "I was as supyrised as I beleive you ayre to find otheyr samanayr-kin up dayring the skies tonight. Many would choose not to yrisk flight in such weatheyr."

[Orasteele]

Rend flicked his tail in irritation as the other stallion approached. His nostrils flared as he caught the other stallion's scent every nerve in him wanted to fly to attack, but that would win him no favors with the mare he was sure. "Yes, well theyre are a few who are not so fyragile as to back down to a challenge," Rend snapped. The appearance of a second stallion was a threat to Rends intentions as far as he was concerned. Red eyes focused back on the pale mare as he tried to find the charm he had used earlier to no avail. "Shall we yrace or not? The stoyrm will not yrest for long and soon it will be upon us."

He refused to acknowledge the other stallion as competition, surely the many feathers would keep the stranger form darting into the fray after the pair of them.

[Jennalyn]

((Lame Jenn is lame. My sincerest apologies on the wait. I would love to have this lady settled into a Song, or at least as 'settled' as she'll ever be able to manage. Such attractive suitors, both...

I would love to add a random element to this race. All three are Elementals, all three are winged, and all three are most likely quite competent in the air. I'll be rolling three dice at the beginning of each of my posts, with your kind permissions, to help randomly determine if they are able to speed along or if they encounter obstacles in their flight such as sudden gusts, dangerous lightning, blinding sheets of rain, and other fun stormy things. If you agree, the race is on!))

Zephyr glanced from one stallion to the other, her smooth eyes gleaming in a flicker of lightning not far off. The storm approached with howling winds and unforgiving weather. It was time to begin this race, or to leave them both entirely and flee to safety. If she had not already agreed to Rend's conditions, she would have bolted with little hesitation.

Now, though, things weren't so simple. She made up her mind quickly. The storm beckoned.

"Plume, we fly now to ouyr yrace. Leave this place if you ayre unwilling to face the coming stoyrm. It comes quickly and looks to be byrutal. If you join us, I make you the same agyreement that I made yRend. If I win, you will both shayre with me infoyrmation on ouyr kind. I have met few Elementals in my time. If I do not win, I will consideyr joining the winneyr in Song. No one, save my siyre, has eveyr bested me in flight. Theyre ayre no guayrantees and I keep my fyreedom at all costs. If you undeyrstand this and you agyree, I will see you in the skies. The opposite edge of this stoyrm fyront will be ouyr finish. If not, fayrewell."

That was probably the most that she had spoken in... years. Possibly a decade or more. She was a woman of few words, short sentences, and sparse company. She became easily distracted. This race, it seemed, could be significant in determining the course of her future.

[Orasteele]

((Oooo... sounds like fun! I'm totally for the randomness!))

[Echos]

((Sorry for not responding quickly, I got a job offer I couldn't turn down and its kept me away from a computer. I'll be finished on Sunday so should be around more then. In the meantime I'll try to post in the mornings and when I get back from work. As for the race, it sounds like fun. Plume and I are in.))

Plume paused for only a second to consider Zephyr's words. He'd never given much thought to starting a Song before now, being more concerned with learning about the shape he now held. Thinking about it now he found the idea a pleasing one, so much so that he wondered if it wasn't some instinct that came with being a samanayr. And he couldn't deny that he found Zephyr appealing, she was not only beautiful but she seemed to share his love for flying and the freedom it granted him. Plus the others stallion's challenge still hung in the air and Plume wasn't about to let it stand unanswered.

"Alyright, I will join in youyr yrace and pyromise to shayre my knowledge should you be the winneyr. Theyre is something I would ask in yreturn of both of you, but whetheyr you shayre the infoyrmation I wish to know is up to you. I will tell you moyre once the stoyrm is flown and will answeyr what questions I can," he told Zephyr examining the storm he had just agreed to race through. Despite its strength he was fairly confident of his abilities to make it through unscathed, mayb even as the winner. His winds would help guide him and the other two might under estimate him due to his fluffy appearance, particularly that aloof stallion Rend. It wouldn't be the first time such a thing had happened.

[Jennalyn]

((I'm rolling 3d10 each time I post. I'll be doing three sets of these, so this is the first set of three. Each number basically counts as a minute or two. The one with the most 'points' at the end of the third set is the one that exits the storm first.

1 counts as a period of skillful flying assisted by a stream of wind in the right direction (4 points)
2-6 count as normal, capable flight through the stormy skies (3 points)
7 counts as labored flight through stubborn winds (2 points)
8 counts as being disrupted by a sudden gust of wind and blown to the side (1 point)
9 counts as being blinded by a sheet of rain temporarily (1 point)
10 counts as being hit by a bolt of lightning and pausing to collect yourself (0 points)

Set 1
Zephyr: 10, 2, 3 (6 points total)
Rend: 2, 7, 10 (5 points total)
Plume: 3, 2, 8 (7 points total)

The cryptic words of the feathery stallion gave Zephyr a moment's curious pause, but those were thoughts for another time. For now, they had a challenge to meet. She secured both of their agreement and took to the skies.

This storm would be a difficult one, to be sure. She hadn't raced the winds this eagerly in months, and the weather wouldn't give them any help. It was filled with dangerous gusts and bolts of lightning - which she found out first hand as she raced through the clouds! The sudden jolt sent her careening to the side and, had she not possessed the magical flight of an Air Elemental, she would have found herself in far more peril plummeting towards the ground. As it was, she righted herself with a pained grimace and an angry flick of her tail before resuming.

To be caught so early and so unaware! That wouldn't do at all. She sped along through the clouds, losing sight of her fellow racers. They didn't matter right now. Nothing mattered besides her... and the storm. She would see them on the other side.

[Echos]

Excitement rushing through his veins Plume darted off into the sky after the silvery mare listening to his winds as they filled his wings and whispered vague warnings in his ears. He had not had this much fun since his creation had robbed him of the freedom to flow over the land and dance endlessly through the skies. Powerful wings beating rhythmically against the eddies that tried to toss and turn him he pushed forward spotting the bright form of Rend struggling against the storms power as he pulled ahead by a few lengths, exhilaration and delight distracting him for a moment. A flash of blinding light and white heat behind him- close enough to raise the feathers that covered him and send an unpleasant tingle through his body- quickly reminded him that he was no longer immune to the searing heat of a bolt should it strike him.

With the guidance of his winds he swerved out of the way as another bolt crackled past, casting the clouds into high relief for a brief second. A strong gust tore the air from beneath his wings and sent him careening through the clouds as his struggled to right himself. As the wind once again ballooned under him rushed forward, no longer able to see the other two racers, not knowing if they were ahead or behind him.

[Orasteele]

The storm fed Rend's anticipation, fed his need for reckless abandonment. Quickly the stallion darted off into the storm's cover taking the lead for a brief moment before the winds buffeted him back. His wings catching the crosswinds awkwardly as he attempted to push through their strength. He watched as he was quickly surpassed by both of the other elementals as they drove through the winds. They had the advantage of their element. His blood was searing and red covered his gaze as the pair disappeared into the darkness. He would not loose! Not to the mare nor the other stallion! Diving forward into the thickness of the clouds he heard the crack as electricity struck him down.

Rend was falling. His wings would not work, his magic felt as if it were failing him. And as the ground began to rush to meet him his body remembered that hitting the surface would be the end of it all. Shaking the shock free was difficult as he moved back up toward the race, somehow he had to get himself together. Otherwise there was no point to it. With flicks of static the garish stallion made his way back to the storm.

[Jennalyn]

Set 2
Zephyr: 6, 10, 6 (12 points total)
Rend: 1, 5, 2 (15 points total)
Plume: 8, 7, 6 (13 points total)

Apparently fueled by the water over which they now soared, the storm continued to gain in intensity. The lightning flashed, the wind howled, and the Elementals raced the elements in a very literal sense. It was exhilarating and left Zephyr feeling more alive than she had in months. Years! Had she ever felt so full of vitality?

The crack of lightning brought her back to her sense - or rather, temporarily took her away from them. She spun downward as her magic took hold, keeping her aloft where she would have fallen. Her feathers were worse for the wear and she would have to rely on her abilities more heavily from here on out. One strike of lightning was enough to numb, but two was enough to teach the wing muscles a thing or two about seizing. The rest of this race would be painful.

But it wasn't over. Oh no.

[Echos]

Another gust of wind struck Plume buffeting him roughly for a moment before sending him tumbling through the air, throw sideways through a water laden cloud that left his feathers wet and heavy. The storm was building in strength and as he struggled against its powerful winds he couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't mocking him somehow, showing him how pathetic and insignificant his corporeal form was to the power he used to posses. Up, up, up! a wind sang as it raced past to join the rest of the storm, tugging at his feathers and wings. With a down stroke that left his shoulders aching Plume tore free of the rough current that had fought to hold him and darted forward following the helpful wind until he found a smoother patch of air and raced to make up the time he had lost.

[Orasteele]

Rend felt himself gaining speed. He was coming back into himself as he rose into the thickness of the storm. Even with the temporary setback he still had a chance to win! Ignoring the competition he maneuvered through the clouds, avoiding lightning as it attempted to strike him down again. The demon elemental would not be stopped by a simple storm! A laugh escaped him as he gained the lead.

[Jennalyn]

Set 3
Zephyr: 1, 1, 10 (20 points)
Rend: 2, 6, 2 (24 points)
Plume: 9, 3, 10 (17 points)



And finally Zephyr found the true rhythm of the race. She sensed a strong current nearby, the right current, and dove for it as the storm howled around them. There was an end in sight, but they weren't there yet. The aching of her muscles and condition of her feathers lent truth to the thought.

Flashes of lightning illuminated the sleek, brightly-colored stallion ahead of her and gave her a start. Had he taken advantage of her temporary lulls due to lightning? Most likely. And he looked as though he might best her. She couldn't see feather nor hide of the other stallion, but he was out there somewhere. She greatly doubted that a Samanayr-kin with so many feathers to him would be felled from the sky by anything short of a disaster.

She rode the wind and, mere moments from the finish, a third bolt of lightning cracked the sky and caught her in its wake. Her voice rang out in a scream, louder than it had sounded in years, and she had to fight the painful spasms of her muscles just to remember where she was and what she was about.

There were others. A race. The race. It was very important, for some reason... very important that she not finish last. That she come back to herself.

Gasping for air in her sudden weakness, she let the current of air she'd found earlier push her to the edge of the storm and gratefully flung herself out of its clutches with magic. If she hadn't been concentrating on speed throughout this little 'adventure', she wouldn't have fallen prey to so many of the sky's natural dangers... but speed had been important. It was a race. The little speed games held by the Sharians were one thing, a laughable trial to best easily, but this had been something else. And it appeared as though the one called Rend had won.

Magic alone was keeping her in the air at this point. Her wings were not beating and her tail hung listless behind her.

She hurt.

[Echos]

Laboring againt his sodden wings Plume followed the helpful wind towards the edge of the storm leaving it only when he felt its desire to turn back and join the rest of its friends in their game. With a quick cry of thanks he hurried on, just able to see the far edge of the dark clouds in front of him through the rain that poured down. Out this close to the edge the winds were less helpful, to excited and impatient to give decent advice or guide him.

A sheet of rain, like a grey curtain, caught him unawares and he back-flapped hastily to avoid getting drenched, loosing sight of the storms edge for a minute while he reoriented himself. Spotting an exit in the clouds he flew towards just as the brightly colored stallion zipped through into the relatively clear sky beyond. The race might be won but he hadn't seen the mare finish yet and perhaps he still had a chance at coming second. Darting toward the opening he barely noticed he whisperings of the winds around him until one raced past his head in an excited frenzy of gusts. BOOM! it screamed in delight spiraling up into a passing cloud. Heat roared through every pore of Plume's body as white hot light enveloped him, sparking along his many feathers till he resembled a firework. The bolt passed through him in an instant and he groaned, trying to blink away the spots that clouded his vision and remember which of his tingling muscles moved his wings. "Boom," he muttered as he bust through the last of the clouds, "of course." At least the lightning had done him the favor of drying his feathers even if it felt like he'd just crashed from the sky.

Rend and the mare had cleared the storm before he had though the mare looked as if she could scarcely stay in the air. A few wing beats took him to were she hovered, "Zephyr! Do you need help? Ayre you huyrt?" The concern was evident in his voice but he didn't want to risk hurting her more if she was injured.

[Orasteele]

After his early issue with lightning it seemed that nothing could stop him now. The flight became easier if nothing else! He didn't feel the labor of the winds against him, in fact it seemed as if they were pushing him forward. Already he could see the edges of the white clouds beyond the storm. Red eyes gleamed as he spotted the mare gaining on him, her silverfish form moving like the lightning that flashed toward the same exit as he had chosen, and then with a bolt of bright light the mare fell behind. Her cry reached his ears as he burst through the clouds into the light. He'd won! Haha!

As quickly as the elation ran through him it died. He turned, and spotted the mare, his mare half dead in the air. Spinning on end he flew down to support her form. He had energy enough for them both and there was no reason for her to fall from the sky. Already the other stallion was approaching her as if he had a right! He would not strike out, now was not the time for it. "Zephyr, no need to fight anymore. I'll care for you, just lean on me."