You Are What I Taught You (Closed)

[Philomel]

A soft wind rippled across the vast void of space. There was nothing beneath her hooves - nothing but thousands of miles of empty, blue air. A swirling vortex of gentle clouds, the dipping sun that seemed to be endlessly lost in this pit of ... sky. How could it be that this place, with naught but a huge, mighty branch to suspend it in the air, existed? Indeed, even the branch spread far across the sky also, disappearing from both root and end into the light but plenty clouds. They were like a mist, but one that meant no harm, only gave an idea of just what was beyond this world. Mist below, mist to the sides, and the bright glowing orb above.

Nestled into this branch was the town she had strode from. A town of many tall towers and a single, huge dome which housed nothing but a sandy arena that whispered of horse trials long ago. Nay, not horses, but rather pegasi, for who else lived amongst the clouds like this? Thousands of large windows in the buildings gave clue to the common comings and goings of the warriors on their winged steeds, who would have travelled very far across the horizon. One of these led from the sandy dome, where she had originally stepped, onto the long promenade, and it was here where she was now - gazing at the paradise beneath, above and around her.

Quite, quite, perfect for a man coming for the first time to the Citadel.

The Matriarch stretched, a flicker of a smile coming to her face. Grey eyes, as hard as slate but as shimmering as silver, took in the city itself, white and bold against the backdrop of blue. Suddenly, her mind filled it with a thousand pegasi warriors, their kin and friends, all living here under the branch of the largest tree she had ever seen. SHe imagined what life would be like here, imagined going on quests to find the trunk of the tree, and the source of the materials that gave substance to this place. Shaking bakc her plait to drop it back over her shoulder, she breathed the fresh air - and let the image go.

But there it was still, fixed in her mind's eye. Nodding once she drew out her long mythril sword and turned her back to the endless sky, as bottomless as a god's hunger to he worshipped. Experimentally she swung it through the air and it made sharp 'swishes' as it diced in clean slices. She kept up this practise as she began the walk back to the huge domed arena, circular, and ringed with ten rows of seats. Joining eye contact back with the being who waited for her in the doorway, she grinned.

"Looks like it will be an endless fall there," she commented.

The golden-eyed, sharp-toothed fox grinned.

How about I greet our friend? he asked. Seeing them confused gives me delight.

"Better to give them Delath, darling," Philomel commented. And she reached into herself, into the earth at her feet, expecting to find Delath the earth dragon swirling about her feet. Instead ... well instead he was in the tree branch itself, or so he himself thought, when given her information. For a moment she frowned, wondering about the stability of this whole place, then a secondary alert to her earth sense spoke of yet another ...

Another ...

Their combatant.

"Ah!" she said, delighted, and marching into the vast sandy field, ducking underneath the white dome. She rested her sword, Nameless as it was called, over her shoulder and searched until she found the familiar ripples beginning to twist in the air, signalling an opening portal.

I guess I am not welcoming him by myself then, Veridian the fox grunted, pattering up to be beside her.

Philomel shrugged.

"No," she answered.