Zephyr

Oakheart Clan had seen a couple of new arrivals recently, neither of whom seemed completely happy. Bard sighed as he considered it: Raziya’s despondence was easy enough to understand. The Snapper had been very close to his sisters, but they had left to serve the Gladekeeper. As for Zephyr of the Windswept Plateau, could she be merely homesick?

In an effort to cheer them up, the clan leader introduced them to each other. There was Raziya, wrestling with his loneliness, and Zephyr, longing for home — or something else....Despite their initial gloom, the two of them hit it off right away. They were soon laughing easily with each other, and Bard, smiling to himself, quietly withdrew.

His introduction of Zephyr had been rather grand: She was the daughter of two respected dragons, Windsong and Skysong. Their bloodline was blessed by the Windsinger, and when Raziya (“Ray” for short) heard that, his emerald eyes widened. “I’ve never met anyone who’s been blessed by a god before. What does that mean?”

~ ~ ~
Wind is the most intangible of Sornieth’s eleven Elements. There is evidence of its passing, but it is itself invisible, unseen. How, then, to tell that a dragon has been blessed by the Wind God? A deity whose element is invisible...Are their blessings intangible as well?

Zephyr explained, “Powerful Wind magic manifests in the members of my family as we grow older, in various ways: enhanced flight, for example, or being able to create storms.”

It sounded absolutely amazing to Ray. But when he asked what abilities Zephyr had, a frown flitted over her face. “I don’t know,” she sighed; they hadn’t yet appeared. Ray realized it was a sore point for her, and so he tactfully changed the topic: “Maybe you just need more time. I have two sisters who are the most graceful dancers you’ll ever see — but when they were younger, it was all they could do to keep from getting tangled into knots!”

“You have sisters?” Zephyr’s eyes came alight again. So Ray shared stories of his happy childhood, when he’d been a clumsy hatchling trailing after his sisters, dreaming of the day he could fly just like them. And traveling, seeing the world together... “Maybe that’s what you need: Travel more, get inspired enough so that your magic will appear!”

It sounded like a great idea. Zephyr was eager to know more about the ways and wonders of the Labyrinth, which was a completely different world from her homeland, the Windswept Plateau. It was an aptly named forest, for it was a series of confounding walls, all of them sheathed in bark and greenery, flowers and fruits studding the trees like living jewels.

And so Zephyr decided to tag along with Ray on his delivery runs — Oakheart Clan at the time had no established postal service, and he was determined to fill the niche. In this manner, she became more familiar with the Labyrinth and the clans dwelling within. She was especially fond of hatchlings — they recognized the jolly Snapper and, after he introduced Zephyr to them, they quickly befriended her as well. It was a lot of fun to watch them bouncing and flapping after Ray, eagerly trying to keep up with the courier.

Ray had quite an interesting secret: He was developing a pair of mechanical wings. “Nothing”, he vowed to Zephyr, “should stop the postal service.”

Zephyr laughed at his solemn tone. “Mechanical wings — absolutely brilliant! With those, you’ll be able to simply leap over many of the Labyrinth’s obstacles. And of course I’ll help you refine them. Surely it can’t be that difficult!”

Her assistance was invaluable. Her nimble Pearlcatcher paws were more suited for grasping and manipulating tools, and they soon had the wings in working order. It was a happy day when they were perfected and Ray was able to complete his deliveries in record time.

Things were looking up for Raziya again, but Zephyr couldn’t help feeling a little sad. By then, she had been at Oakheart for several months, studying alongside the clan’s mages. She had yet to manifest abilities that could rightly be called “a blessing of the Windsinger”.

When she confided her unease to Ray, he seemed genuinely surprised. He blinked slowly at her. “You know, I’ve been thinking about that....Do you think somebody misheard? Maybe, instead of being ‘blessed by the Windsinger’, you’re ‘blessings of the Windsinger’?”

Zephyr stared at him. The words settled somewhere deep inside her, settling comfortably, like a key fitting into a lock....Ray continued, “We can’t all be incredible. What with me having the most talented sisters in the world, I should know — and it doesn’t mean you’re not great, either. Zephyr, I think that’s your magic: You help other dragons fly.” He grinned encouragingly at her. “I’m living proof of that fact. If you can help this Snapper fly...Well, if that isn’t magic, then what is?”

~ ~ ~
Zephyr still resides at Oakheart Clan. Raziya, the courier, is a bridge linking the clan to the outside world, but Zephyr herself is a cornerstone...or more accurately, a launching pad for many of the clan’s dreamers.

“Zephy, help me fly!” a hatchling chirrups. The Pearlcatcher is always happy to assist. She bends down, whispers the secrets of flight to him, and watches as his eyes shine with the understanding of it....

Will her abilities change with time? Perhaps, perhaps not. She decides she won’t mind if they don’t. There are many dragons blessed by the Windsinger with bewitching voices and control over storms, but Zephyr is aptly named, because for many dragons, she has become the Wind itself. She spreads their wings, helps them beat and grow strong — and she sends them on their merry way to look for their own great inspirations.

~ written by Disillusionist (254672)
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