01-06 - The shamonista

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(Published 17-Oct-2020 23:04:32)

 Taking leave of the ornithopter, St'phan traveled towards another island.


From the air, it had an intense visual bifurcation.


On one side, a dozen volcanoes within easy visual range seemed to slowly take turns erupting. Some would spew out blasts of heat, hazy air, and different colors of intensely heated rock. Rivers of lava actively flowed around the base of each volcano, never seeming to cool. The happy screeches of two dozen small, red and gold dragons soared in joy above the heat, dancing in mid-air ten feet above the flowing lava. The lava flowed freely and evenly everywhere except over the transition between its side and the other.


On the other side, powerful ice floes crashed into one another, indifferent to the intense heat mere feet away. Several lackadaisical blue and silver dragons swam through the air, seeming to revel in the slow decay of the loud crunching sound of ice on ice. Blue and white trees littered the icescape, and as the largest blue dragon danced her way around the smaller silver dragons, a tiny figure shot out of the water - song in tow.


When the partially airborne woman hit the apex of her arc, a sound of longing, joy, and passion filled the air. Every visible dragon continued in their movements through the air - but turned their heads towards her; and her song seemed to hold her level in the air. Sliding through the air, she dropped slowly, thoughtfully, intentionally, into the lava. The moment she dipped beneath their molten waves her song immediately died.


As St'phan approached the airspace of the island, the closest dragons each turned their heads toward him - the closer he came to it, the more of the dragons followed his movements. When he had flown close enough for every dragon to respond, a figure popped out of the lava and continued through the air toward him.


* Be gone from this place *


St'phan raised an eyebrow.


The figure (a man in a completely dry kilt, a large broad sword strapped to his back, and a look of death in his eyes) drew the base of his palms together and closed his hands. Twin multi-colored sheets of liquid air seemed to solidify near his wrist and hurtled toward St'phan. Barely able to react to the ferocity, St'phan was shocked when the solidified air curved around him, danced around one another, aimed for his head, and dissipated.


* That's your warning. *


St'phan bowed in mid-air as best he could, pulled out a small flower he had picked near the fountain, placed a levitation charm on it, and slowly flew in reverse - away from the island.


As St'phan left the airspace of the region, he saw the man approach the flower and touch it. Two small, perfect copies, one red and one blue, of the flower appeared - and the flower began to sink toward the island. As the man flew back to the island, the red and blue flowers followed him.

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