Sarah
The following morning Steven rapped upon the door of Kensu's fishing hut, immediately Pip started barking. Over the night the people of the island prepared Master Kensu's body, and this morning they had begun work on his funeral pyre. They'd be finished by the evening, and would begin their 7 days of mourning, as was taught to them by the Masters.
She's not aware at what time she fell asleep, only that it was shortly after dinner. She must have been really tired, she thinks, as she gets up, still a bit stiff from yesterday. It's been... a rather hectic first day. Even if she'd been in the pod for heaven knows how long, yesterday was the first day she genuinely experienced life outside the pod. The loss of Master Thunderfist was still a sore blow to her, and judging by the villagers' reaction, they sorely missed him as well. She wants to attend his funeral, and those who had been killed by the stranger's attack yesterday. Every one of them weighed heavily upon her; she had saved them from the spiderlings only to see them get killed by something else, and it makes her feel helpless.
It doesn't help that while the people here are grieving, they seem to have accepted sorrow and loss. Is this normal in this world? Would she have to accept losing people and seeing them die? She doesn't know if she's strong enough for that.
There's a knock on the door, and she answers, Pip following her.
"Oh, I'm glad to see you're awake," Steven said reverentially as the door opened and he saw Sarah. "We've prepared transport for you miss, err... madam, uh, m'lady." He stumbled over his words as he bowed slightly, the way he thoughts knights of the kingdom might. "Please, come this way." He blushed as he led her to where the Manta Rays were waiting.
"Please, just call me Sarah," she says with a smile.
"And thank you for your generous hospitality. I'd stay, but Master Thunderfist's records show I have a long ways to go."
"The flying Mantas are our friends," Steven said to the bewildered Oracle, "Master Kensu was the first to communicate with them, he gave them fish," he smiled warmly, "ever since they've stopped here every time they're close by for more." He chuckled, "they said they will take you and Pip and all your belongings to the Castle."
Sarah blinks in surprise as she watches the mantas fly overhead. She assumed she'd be taking a boat to the mainland, but this seems like a more interesting way to travel. She's actually curious as to how the mantas manage to fly - and wonders how it feels like to fly on one of their backs.
"I'm sorry, I haven't told you about the castle," Steven stopped and looking down took her hands in his. He then looked intently into her eyes, "Master Kensu was the only one here who knew anything about you, your kind that is. He was part of a great Brotherhood of Wizards who work to protect the world from the evils of, well, evils like the ones you have already seen." He looked down apologetically, "I'm sorry that you woke to such a world as this one, I... I hope you find us acceptable, to help, I mean. We are... simple, but we are noble, at least we think we are, we try to be." Steven looked back up at her, "the only other of the Brotherhood that any of us know is Master Tornel, the Fire Wizard. He chooses to be the public representative of the Brotherhood while the others all remain hidden. He lives at the Castle of Solace, a beautiful castle across the great sea and far from the reach of Draygon and his monsters."
"It's alright, Steven," Sarah says with a soft smile.
"Yesterday's been... rather hectic, to be honest. I woke up in the morning, went to retrieve a sword from a cave full of monsters, then had to fight... that man. And Master Thunderfist died before he could tell me much. I... I just regret not being able to help him. Or your friends. Some Oracle I am; saving people from one thing only for them to perish in another..."She looks away in sadness. Pip whines sympathetically as he nuzzles her ankle.
"The Mantas will take you there, to meet Tornel where you can... well.. and go about your holy work." Steven smiled weakly but zealously, he dropped her hands and turned, "come on, you need to meet them!" He hurried to the beach.
Sarah follows along, keeping up with the young man, with Pip scurrying along as fast as his short, stubby legs can carry him, tongue lolling out as he pants in excitement.
Along the beach were a row of six, giant Manta Rays. Attached to the Manta's back were large leather saddlebags filled with a variety of fruits, clothes, and gifts from the islanders. It looked like the island people weren't just sending Sarah but were sending a whole shipment of goods to the Castle. "We've packed some special items for you, Oracle.. er, Sarah. Clothes and food of course, we want to make sure you never lack what you need when you are at the castle, but we also included the canisters Master Kensu brought from the Spider's Den. I, don't know what they're for but I'm sure you'll find use for them, it seemed important to the Master that you have them."
Steven turned to her, "Our people owe a debt of gratitude to you that we can never repay," Steven spoke gleefully, "you are welcome here, forever and always, as a member of our Island and our family. Come to us whenever you are in need, and I hope you are successful on your quest. I'm sorry to say it but, I think this is.... goodbye."
Sarah looks at the gifts with surprise, but appreciates the gesture. She makes sure to separate the gifts meant for her from those the villagers meant for the Castle. The cannisters, however, she looks at with a mixture of unease and disgust. She still remembers the miasma from the cave, and wants nothing more to do with that. Kensu had meant to dispose of them. However, with the Wizard dead, nobody on the island knew what to do with them; maybe this Tornel would help.
Sarah turns to bow to the villagers.
"Thank you all for your generosity, kind people," she says.
"I won't forget your kindness, and I only wish I could have done more to help. Perhaps I'll return someday. Untill then, farewell. Please take care of the village for me, Steven...
"Come on, Pip," she says, picking up the dog and carrying him with her onto the Manta. She gets on, and nods to Steven, signifying she's ready. She waves to the villagers as the mantas lift off and take for the skies.
Flight is... rather exhilarating, Sarah discovers. She put on a cloak to protect her from the wind, but while she leaves it buttoned, she opens it enough to let it flap behind her in the wind as hair danced in the gust. Looking down from the sides of the sky-manta was vertigo-inducing, making her realize this is probably the farthest from the ground she's ever been in her life, and that a fall would most definitely be lethal, but once she gets past the vertigo, the sights are incredible. Everything looks so small, so insignificant, and the world spreads before her like a massive canvas, painted with brilliant shades of blue, green, and gold, with strokes of white clouds marking the sky and the occasional flock of birds squawking as she flies past them. The small fishing village, never really that big even on the ground, quickly became a small speck on the ground, and Sarah found herself flying past towns and cities bigger than the village she left, even though from her perspective they might as well have been model towns filled with ants. She finds herself wondering if anyone down there is looking up to see her on the sky-manta, and that causes her to wave at a couple of towns she flies over.
Even though the sun is bright and merciless up here, it feels so beautiful and warm she can't help but smile and soak it in, managing to feel the warmth of its rays despite the coldness of rushing air. She spreads her arms to feel the rush of air all around, and closes her eyes against the elements of air and light all around. The wind roars in her ears as it rushes past, giving a nipping sensation of mild coolness even as the sun warms her arms and face. It feels... wonderful.
Pip is also enjoying the strange ride, tongue lolling as he pants eagerly, ears flapping in the wind, and occasionally barking at the nearby flock of birds. Sarah is too busy enjoying the ride to notice he's sliding slightly due to his light weight, only coming to when the poor dog gives a surprised yelp after a particularly strong gust nearly tosses him overboard. It takes Sarah's heightened reflexes to grab Pip before he falls off the Manta.
"I think you should stay somewhere safer for now," Sarah chuckles, embarrassed at her lack of attention. This time, she wraps herself in her cloak, hood off, with Pip grasped securely in her arms and in the cloak. His head is still poking out of the cloak, allowing him to enjoy the view as the two fly to the Castle of Solace in style. It's a long trip from what she remembers from one of the maps in Kensu's study, but for a while, she forgets her woes as she soars above the clouds.
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