EliteCommander

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

"Oh, right, that is tomorrow. If being a prophet is what is meant for you, then I'm sure whatever skill they will be testing for is one you possess. Who knows, maybe it will be swimming? Wouldn't that be just great?" Tarentek joked.

Tarentek shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, I wish I could be more help, but I know less about it than you do. Unless you need a partner for something, it might be best for me to stay here. I would slow you down, otherwise. If you have enough ingredients left in your den, I can go ahead and make dinner while you're away, at least. I do wish you luck in your ritual tomorrow, though. I doubt it would be appropriate for me to be there, being an outsider and everything."

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek let out a few deep breaths as Onyx finally set him down. He leaned forward slightly and rested his hands on his thighs as if he were resting after some physical exercise, though it was really that he was coming down from the high of adrenaline that the flight had given him. "I feel like I've done something that no Karisskan has ever done before, and for some reason, am not too thrilled about it. Still...the flight back wasn't as bad as the flight there. I just...I think I just need time. I need practice, if you can call it that. I'll get used to it; I'll have to. Even in flight, it might take a day or so to get there."

Standing back up straight, Tarentek looked back at Onyx. "So, what now? Are we just relaxing for the rest of the day?"

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek gave a small laugh. "Honestly, it doesn't matter to me if I glide or fall, as long as it's slow enough that I don't die on impact." He commented before taking his gaze off of the ground and putting it on the horizon. Logically, he knew that he was high enough that, if he fell, it would kill him. IF she took him higher, nothing would change except how quickly they could reach the village, so from a purely reasonable perspective, the choice was clear.

"Go ahead and fly higher. Falling from down here and falling from up there would produce the same result, anyway." He answered.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

"Well, getting the design right is probably the hard part. I really don't know how to make the cloth release from the pack, and the texts we translated never described it. But as far as testing it goes, I know it would be mine but...wouldn't it make more sense to give it to someone with wings, someone who can fly on their own if needed? I can do it, but...I don't know, we would just have to make sure to start from a pretty good height." Tarentek answered.

Tarentek took a few deep breaths as he stared at the ground far beneath him. "So...how long do you think it will take to get back?" He asked. The thoughts of how to make a parachute currently occupied his mind, but he was still eager to get back on solid ground.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek chuckled as he tried to imagine what Onyx was describing. "That does sound funny, actually. Making something like that might be a possibility but...well I don't know. I'm creative, right? You think I could design something like that? I've worked a lot with guns and machines, but never cloth. Certainly, I wouldn't want to be the one to test it." He commented. Against his better judgment, he allowed his gaze to shift down to the ground beneath them. As expected, the sight caused his anxiety to spike, but it was a sight he had to get used to. He just tried to focus on the grip that Onyx had on him, and the fact that she had flown the entire distance between the sea and her home with him in her grasp twice.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

"Oh, the way they did it was to create these massive machines called airplanes, and helicopters. They could fly higher and faster than any bird, and some were designed to carry weapons. In order to get to the moon, they used these things called rockets, though I don't know as much about those. Obviously, all of those things are far more complicated than anything I could hope to build. I doubt even the Empire we are facing could hope to get those machines working again, so there is really no way that..." Tarentek began, but he stopped himself as another thought came to mind.

"Actually, wait, there is another thing I remember. They called them...parachutes. I remember them from a translation of a text on a war the humans fought amongst themselves. They were made of cloth and caught the air, much like your wings, to slow their fall. They used them so their soldiers could jump out of the airplanes safely. But...I would have no idea how to make one, at least not one I could carry safely. The humans carried them in backpacks, and I have no idea how to make it so that it will release from the pack only when you are falling." He explained.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek took in another deep breath before Onyx grabbed a hold of him and took off into the air. His heart wasn't beating quite as fast as before, but he still had an accelerated heart rate, and was still noticeably nervous. Since conversation seemed to help before, he was glad to distract himself by answering Onyx's question. "Well...I guess I'm afraid of falling from a great height to my death. I can't fly on my own, so I'm relying completely on you. I trust you, of course. You've shown time and again that you are great in the skies. It's just...I don't like not having a backup plan. I wish there was something that could keep me safe if I fell." Tarentek explained, keeping his gaze firmly on the horizon instead of the ground.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek took in a deep breath once Onyx returned and asked if he was ready to leave. "Yeah, sure, I should be dry enough now. Let me get dressed." He said as he stood to his feet, then put back on his robe and collected his other belongings. He picked up Onyx's shawl, which she had left near his belongings, and handed it to her.

"Here you go. I'm...I'm ready when you are. Did your flight help you clear your head?" Tarentek asked, trying to start a conversation to keep him occupied while they were in the sky.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

"Thank you, Onyx. I look forward to it. I'll wait here. Don't go too far through; I don't think I know my way back on my own." Tarentek answered with a chuckle. He stepped out of the water in a good mood, glad to have done something positive for Onyx. He laid himself down on his back next to his belongings and let out a relaxed sigh as he looked up at the sky. Already, he was going through his memories trying to think of good places to bring Onyx. He did not have a map on him, but as a scout, sources of water were something he particularly had to be familiar with in the area. Often, their patrols were designed to take them between fresh water sources. He was still not too thrilled for the flight back, but he supposed it wouldn't be as bad as the flight to the sea.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek stood back up and approached Onyx. "We can leave if you like, though I would like to have a few minutes to dry off. I'd rather not get my robes wet. I think you've had more than enough progress for today. You've seen that the water isn't quite the monster that you thought. What do you think, though, might you want to try this again some time in the future, perhaps when we have more time? I would still like to teach you how to swim properly, probably in a different body of water without so much salt." The expression on Tarentek's face was one of genuine hopefulness, as he believed that teaching her to overcome her fear of water would be good for her in the long run. She had made progress for today, so all he needed now was for her to agree to do it again.