The three were out of breath by the time they landed on the cliffs overlooking the Sea of a Thousand Currents. The sun shone high above them, though its warmth could scarcely be felt against the wind the blew over their heads and out to the expansive waters beyond.
With a sigh, Luster pulled out a shiny grey stone from his pouch and began fixing it to to his filigree with glue. Rori stared at him expectantly.
"So, you won our bet, what's my dare?" She asked, kneading the ground in anticipation.
"Rumor has is some creepy hermit witch has made a home in the cliffside caves." Luster said with a wide grin.
"Oh yes!" Rori exclaimed.
"No!" Kipling shouted at the same time. He had heard these rumors too, but rather than excitement, the thought filled him with unease.
"What's the matter, Kip?" Luster taunted. "Scared?"
"Me? Never." Kipling responded, knowing full well his frills portrayed otherwise.
"You don't have to do anything if you don't want to, it's my dare." Rori reassured him, but Kipling was hardly listening. He had a strong feeling this so-called witch was related to the message he had received almost a year ago at Trickmurk Circus, a message he had been ignoring.
"Really? You're going to let him get away with the boring option?" Luster sighed. "Fine then. Your loss."
"What do I have to do?" Rori asked.
"It's simple. You just need to go into the caves and find the witch. We can be the ones to prove that she exists, and if she does, we'll find out what she's doing here." Luster explained.
"I like it." Rori's eyes gleamed. "I assume you're coming?"
"To make sure you can't chicken out like Kipling here? Of course." Luster said, an impish expression on his face.
"Are you sure you're fine staying here?" Rori asked Kipling.
"Yeah, I'll keep watch!" Kipling offered, trying to appear joyful.
"Alright then, let's go!" And with that, Rori and Luster disappeared down the cliff face, leaving Kipling alone with the wind.
Kipling settled on the top of the cliff and looked out over the sea, trying to calm his nerves. Sullene wasn't dangerous, just creepy. He had no reason to be afraid. Her whole message had just been a Trickmurk gimmick.
Kipling tried to focus on other things, like the dragons and ships he saw passing the in the distance, or the birds soaring through the skies. Rori and Luster were sure taking a long time. Were they okay? The sun had began to sink lower in the sky and was nearing the horizon. How long should he wait before going in after them.
By the time the bright colours of the sunset painted the sky, Kipling was beyond anxious. Just as he vowed to go in after them and see what was taking them so long, he heard the sound of something large shuffling behind him. A wave of relief washed over him. Rori was sneaking up on him. He spun around, only to be faced with the very dragon he had wanted to avoid.
"Hey, how are you doing?" Kipling asked, trying to relieve any awkwardness.
"Have you remembered your destiny, little one?" Sullene asked.
"Oh, we're cutting right to the chase then." Kipling said.
"It appears you have forgotten." Sullene shook her head. "Every time, it is always the same. No one heeds my warning, no one believes me until destruction comes."
"Maybe you should try being a little less creepy?" Kipling suggested.
"This is not a time for jokes, little one." Sullene snapped. "You have a destiny and you cannot avoid it. Already you have tarried enough. Get the help your clan needs, or you will all perish."
"Alright, no pressure or anything." Kipling muttered. "I don't know where to start, or where to look." He admitted.
"You will find a way." Sullene promised.
"You can't just leave me like that! Help me out a little here!" Kipling was growing exasperated. "If you really care, if you really want to succeed, you'll help me!"
"You already have all the help you need." Sullene promised. "I see you have friends. Such company is valuable in times like these. You must not keep this from them. As for the rest, you have the resources already, you only need to look."
"Just give me a hint, at least!" Kipling begged.
Sullene closed her eyes and Kipling was sure she was going to refuse. After what seemed like ages, she opened them again. "The signs are not clear, my gift specializes in disaster not salvation. All I can say is that your strand of destiny is linked to events elsewhere. You will have to be creative to find the help that you seek, but in the process you may be able to prevent another disaster from taking place."
And with that, Sullene spread her wings, leaving Kipling in shadow, and flew over his head. When he turned around to see her go, she was already out of sight. He stared out at the vibrant sky, trying to piece together everything he had been told. It appeared this was not something he could run from.
"Who was that you were talking to? Did you see the witch?" Rori's voice sounded behind him. Kipling turned to see his friends running up to him. Seeing their bright faces, his encounter faded to the back of his mind. Everything was fine, the clan was safe. This could wait.
"No, it was just a dragon asking for directions." Kipling lied. "Did you find anything?"
"No..." Rori sighed, wings drooping. "The caves are empty."
"It appears my sources are not as reliable as I thought." Luster said sheepishly.
"When are they ever?" Kipling teased.
"Hey!" Luster swatted at Kipling jokingly. "You take that back!"
"Never!" Kipling said taking off. Luster followed in pursuit.
"Oh my goodness, what time is it? I'm supposed to be singing tonight! I've got to get back to the Copper Lotus!" Rori exclaimed, taking off and overtaking her friends. Her wingbeats overhead tossed Kipling and Luster to the ground.
"Hey, wait for us!" Luster grumbled, trying to get to his feet again.
"Yeah, we want to hear you sing!" Kipling shouted, trying to crawl out from under the weight of Luster's tail. But Rori was too far gone.
"Bet I can beat you there!" Luster shouted, springing into the air.
"No fair!" Kipling shouted as he fluttered after his friend. "You were on top of me!"
"You snooze, you lose!"
Guess who is on track with her homework again and will very soon be posting regularly as soon as my classes are done in a couple weeks!