Twilight followed Tempest as the Wind sprite led the way deep into Wind territory, gliding expertly through the spontaneously shifting breezes. Twilight flew hard to keep up, lacking Tempest's powerful wings.
After a few minutes of flying, (it would have been quiet save for how Tempest kept yelling greetings to passing dragons or whooping when her wings caught an updraft) a strange hum began to fill the air. The wind began to pick up, buffeting Twilight even harder than before. She kept her fins pressed in close to her body in an attempt to keep them free of the wind's grasp.
Tempest grinned over her shoulder at Twilight, her face beaming. "Well, Twilight. Have you guessed where we're going yet?"
The Shadow sprite's mouth dipped at the corners and she glanced down with a grimace, unused to being so high up for so long. She was beginning to feel slightly light-headed. "Judging by the roaring sound that has been growing steadily louder and the growing turbulence, yes. It is not hard to guess that we are approaching the Twisting Crescendo."
Twilight scanned the horizon ahead, but she could see no sign of the fabled whirlwind. A steep ridge of mountains rose ahead of them, covered in shivering stands of bamboo, but beyond that she could see nothing.
Tempest caught notice of the Shadow sprite's confusion and laughed. "Ha ha, correct! It's obvious you've never seen it before. This will be a surprise, then!" She caught a thermal and powered forward, leaving Twilight to ponder where on Sornieth the Wind flight could hide a giant, eternally-blowing twister.
Her questions were soon answered when, flying at high speed, the two Sprites passed the cold peaks of the bamboo-fledged mountains. Far below them, a gigantic storm churned the foggy mountain air in an eternal whirlpool of cloud and wind. A strong breeze whistled through the rocky crags and reeds, filling the air with an eerily beautiful song.
"All right Twilight! I challenge you to fly to the bottom of the Crescendo before I do! Whoever wins is obviously the best!" Tempest yelled over the roar of the wind, gesturing wildly at the howling tornado beneath them.
Twilight glared back, the competitive fire lit. "Very well. Let us end this once and for all, shall we?" she called back, rolling her shoulders and preparing to plunge into the mass of swirling air.
"All right! On your mark...get set..." Tempest paused for dramatic effect, turning her eyes to the storm. With a jolt, Twilight realized the expression on her face was not just determined...but absolutely fearless. "
Go!" Tempest dove head-first into the twister, her wings folded tightly to her back and her excited yell scattered by the wind. Twilight dropped as well, letting gravity take hold.
For a moment Twilight felt nothing but the exhilarating rush of blood and adrenaline, and heard nothing but the howl of wind rushing past her face. A bit farther ahead, Tempest sliced almost effortlessly through the Crescendo, weaving in and out of air currents like a fish through water. At this pace...there was no way she would win. To beat Tempest in her element, Twilight would have to go far out of her comfort zone.
The Shadow sprite unfurled her fins slightly, enough to catch the edge of the wind and steer herself downward. Instead the treacherous gale tore away what little control she had and sent her spiraling to the side, tumbling at a terrifying pace toward the ground below. Twilight curled in on herself, helpless in the onslaught of the Crescendo. The ground loomed up to meet her, bamboo bristling like spines.
A blunt force crashed into her side, completely redirecting her up and away from the ground. Tempest wrapped her arms around Twilight, knocking her out of the grip of the storm.
The sprites hit the ground hard, Tempest unable to completely drop the momentum she had picked up to reach Twilight in time. Fortunately the area below the Crescendo was covered in low-to-ground bushes and mosses, making the landing far less painful than it could have been.
"Are...are you okay?" Tempest wheezed, pushing herself upright and crawling over to where Twilight had landed a short distance away.
The Shadow sprite lay still on her back, relishing the feeling of solid ground beneath her again. "Y-yes. I am fine. Thank you for catching me, I would not have been able to recover." Twilight glanced at Tempest and sighed, knotting her fingers into the grasses around her. "We will try something else for the challenge. Something far less dangerous."
Tempest nodded, staring at the ground, her hands clenched in her lap. "Yeah. Good idea. That was too close."
Twilight hummed in agreement. "I will pick this time. It will take some flying to get there, so...let's rest here for a few minutes." There had been quite enough flying for one day already.
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