The warmth of the sun peaked out beyond the trees. Its rays filtered heavily through the atmosphere. Despite the cool morning air, a few more seconds of sunrise would sufficiently lift spring’s lingering talons.

Saoirse glided low to the meadow as soon as its plain face broke out from the forest walls. His wing no longer ached as it once did. In fact he felt a need to expel his energy – and every muscle and feather screamed to move, move, move! And the boy was reluctant to escape the Throat, for fear of Kaos’ presence in Helovia. Despite the renewed vigor that coiled and undulated with each feathered stroke, a darkness pulled at his eyes, with an unease that kept him up most nights.

He’d frequent the temple to settle his body in a corner. Reassured that the candlelight, and the Sun God’s ferocious presence in the antechamber would ward away the nightmares, and the worries that coagulated at the edges of his mind.

What then, had brought him out?

The Throat was only so big as an island. And while he breathed and lived for the ocean air, and the deserts warm tendrils, it had become confining in the early stretches of Tallsun.

So here he was, avoiding the East and seeking easy pastures to work on his flying. Which – wasn’t really that great now that he thought about it. Gliding and moving in a straight line was all fine and dandy. Elevation was easier than descending; whether it came about in the air or towards the earth for a landing. So what better place was there, than the rolling, relatively flat lands and the safety of a wide berth to spot predators?

A moment or two past as Saoirse found ‘his spot’. In the middle of the Thistle meadows, and clear of any trees. Giving the surrounding area a good scan, he went about landing. Subject to the tingles he felt in his hooves, and the tensing of his muscles. Which, at once, made the landing choppy and difficult. The boy stumbled forward with too much speed behind him, propelling several unmeasured steps ahead. “Woah!”

With a large inhale, he hummed out the air and lifted a wing to glare at it. “Now how are we going to make this work?” When there was no reply he stuck out his tongue at the wing, and flailed his wings momentarily. Releasing a lame laugh into the open.