548 Living Life
i was lost in a deep sleep when a bright light shining on her face stirred her. The first thing that she did was to block her eyes, and let them slowly adjust as she stared at the edges of the light on her bedsheets. As her groggy mind cleared, i realized that it was a babbling, energetic Skye that had awoken her..
“Why...are you here so late? Or is it early?”
“Tis ridiculously early, but I swear it’ll be worth it.. I’ve co ta bust ya out!” Skye whispered loudly.
i’s voice was barely audible as she mumbled; “I wasn’t locked away, I just.. I do not want cause problems for Hang anymore..”
Skye sighed; “If ya have ta cut yer loved ones outta yer life ta keep him happy, then he doesna love ya, i.. He sees ya as a possession ta control. Is it really worth it ta close yer self off fer the rest of yer life?”
i’s expression fell as as Skye added; “Is that how ya want Rukia ta live?”
“No, I don’t want her to turn out like ,” i’s eyes welled up as she answered.
Skye placed a warm hand on her shoulder; “That’s all I needed ta hear-but Ima not gonna let ya throw yer self outta the ga, either.. Now, move yer arse! I already got Rukia up, dressed, and waitin’ outside in that field ya call a courtyard fer us. So move it!”
“Alone?!” i had shot up in bed as she’d exclaid with a fearful expression.
.....
Skye smirked as she walked over to where i’s maidservants had laid out her clothes for the day; “Na! She’s wit soone I’d trust wit life, so dinna worry. Just hurry! We need ta leave before the sun rises!”
“Leave? -What are you talking about?! I can’t leave!” i nearly yelled as she crawled to the end of her bed.
“Shhh!” Skye’s finger covered her lips a mont before she spoke again; “The guards are on shift change, but they’ll still co runnin’ if they hear ya yellin’! Now, do ya need help getting dressed, or can ya manage?”
i stood staring at her in a daze for a solid minute before sighing; “Fine, I will dress. But you will tell where we’re going, and when we’ll be back. I need to send a ssage to Hang, in case he cos looking-”
“Nope! No ti! And we’ll be back so quick that he may not even ken we left. As long as you can dress with proper speed..”
i huffed, slightly annoyed to be cut off again, but she had dressed quickly all the sa. She assud that Rukia was with Tidas or Kari, but sothing in the pit of her stomach told her that she needed to rush. The sky was starting to transition from pitch black to a deep blue color by the ti they had actually left her quarters.
As i’s eyes adjusted to the faint light in the sky, she saw who had been watching her daughter..
“You left Rukia with ZAZZY?!”
“By the gods, yer loud in the mornin’! Aye, I left her wit the dragon,” Skye extended her arms towards Zazzy; “Who’s gonna be dumb enough ta ss wit’em?”
With no rebuttal to her question, Skye added in Saianese; “Rukia has wanted to go for a ride on Zazzy since they t, and Zazzy understands how careful she’ll need to be.”
“Please, Momma! Go for ride?! Please?! I’m good! I’m good girl!” Rukia bellowed as she clung to the dragon’s tail.
Her daughter’s cutesy mispronunciation only made it harder for i, who knew that they shouldn’t..
“Why are you holding back, i?” Skye’s voice was gentle as she asked; “Life is ant to be lived! Spending it stuck in this castle isn’t living: it’s barely surviving. Let show you what you’re missing, then think on it, okay?”
“Please Momma?” Rukia pleaded with budding tears in her eyes.
Zazzy stretched her long neck towards i, and nuzzled at her hand just as the light blue of the sky was starting to give way to colors. i stroked Zazzy’s rough scales with a soft smile.. ‘What am I afraid of?’
The thought reverberated within her mind as she looked into her daughter’s shimring eyes. With a small sigh, i smiled widely at her daughter as she replied; “I suppose a quick ride wouldn’t do any harm..”
“YAY!” Rukia scread joyously, accompanied by a loud happy trill from the young dragon.
Skye grinned cheekily, happy that i was ready, but it was a short-lived victory...
Jerking herself straight, Skye went silent a mont before hurriedly rushing them onto the modified saddle. Her eyes darted back to the doorway every other second as she said; “Damn it, ti’s up-okay! Let’s get a move on! Up! Up! Up! Let’s go!”
Why the rush?!” i exclaid as she and Rukia took their seats behind where Skye would sit.
“N-No reason! I just dinna want ya two ta miss the sunrise!” Skye half-muttered, half-yelled as she hopped up Zazzy’s wing, and took her seat.
Right as she gave Zazzy the order to take off, Hana ca running out of i’s quarters with three guards in tow behind her.
“Hana?!” i exclaid as she looked back, but Zazzy was already flapping her wings.
“My lady?! What are you Doing?!” the gusts were strong enough to knock over two of the three guards as Hana and the last one struggled to stay on their feet.
“Dinna worry! We’ll be back in about an hour or so! We’ll take good care of ’em, Hanna! I promise!” Skye yelled as Zazzy lifted off of the ground, and started to move away from the courtyard.
Hana trailed after them, fearful of the terror-filled screams i was making as they climbed higher into the early morning sky. The sun was just about to peek over the horizon as Zazzy made her way up into a random patch of clouds. Rukia laughed and exclaid with joy as the cold fluff of the clouds made contact with her skin.
i had pressed her eyelids together like her life had depended upon it as soon as they had left the ground, and Zazzy had roared so loud that her entire body shook. i hadn’t known that she had a fear of heights until that mont, never having had the opportunity to learn beforehand. The damp, coolness of the cloud made her flinch right as Skye was looking back at her..
“This whole ride is pointless unless ya open yer eyes!”
Right as they cleared the cloud, i opened her eyes...
The sun was coming up over the oceanside of the capital, casting a light glow across the entire city. The pinks, blues, oranges, and reds spread out across the skies like a spilled paint bucket. Painting i’s dull world with a myriad of colors. Lost in the beauty of it all, i barely heard her daughter muttering her sa sentints.
The red dragon bones cast a rustic tint across the city, giving it a beautifully antiquated quality. As i’s eyes road over the masterpiece before her, she couldn’t help but whisper; “Is this really the capital?”
“Aye, sis! Tis monts like this that make ya feel Alive!” Skye replied with a cheeky grin plastered to her face.
i couldn’t help but smile back as Zazzy started to head out of the capital. It made i a bit nervous at first, but there was too much to take in as they coasted along, heading northwest. With the sun shining on their backs, the crisp fall air didn’t feel as biting, even though they were flying several hundreds of feet off of the ground.
Around forty minutes had passed by the ti Zazzy had flown them to where she wanted them. They had gone all the way back to where Genie had tested Skye and Zazzy’s teamwork capabilities while flying. The crumbled mountainsides had collapsed even further after being exposed to the elents. Thankfully, where Zazzy was taking them was about a mile away.
“What do ya an, ‘Get ready fer a dip?’ Dip as in the air, or as in we’re about ta get wet?!” Skye bellowed out of nowhere, surprising Rukia and i.
“What’s wrong?!” i called out.
Skye glanced back, her annoyance clear as she replied; “I dunno! Zazzy says ta hold on! Apparently, we’re dipping!”
“Dipping? What do you-AHHHHH!”
Before i could finish her sentence, Zazzy suddenly plunged once she cleared the top of a mountain. As she held onto the saddle’s extra grip for dear life, i heard her daughter laughing hysterically. Looking to her right side, i saw that they were flying next to a massive waterfall.
Rukia laughed hard as she watched a large fish falling alongside them in the water, seemingly unnerved by the sudden appearance of humans next to it. Reaching out with one hand, the child let the cold water droplets that looked suspended in the air hit, and gently spread out across her hand.
Right as i reached out for her daughter, Zazzy jerked her body to straighten out, so as not to crash. The force nearly flung i off of the saddle, but she kept her butt planted by squeezing her thighs together. As they followed the river back towards the capital, i grinned broadly as they passed a small tiger family along the bank.
Birds, monkeys, deer, and other varieties of wildlife fled the riverside as Zazzy stretched her wings to nearly the width of the river. As they neared the port town, Zazzy veered upwards, and headed straight for the capital. They’d been gone nearly an hour and a half by the ti they crossed over the red dragon bones.
Instead of heading straight back to Genie’s castle, Skye had Zazzy fly low and slow over the now-bustling streets. People cheered and exclaid as the legendary creature waved her overgrown paw at those she passed. Skye, Rukia, and i also smiled and waved as the people’s faces shifted from amazed, to shocked at seeing multiple people riding Zazzy.
It was known that Skye and Tidas rode her, but no one else had before. The few that recognized i and Rukia began to spread the word of who was accompanying the Alconian Princess, and the opinions once again seed to favor Bai Lei’s choice to make his daughter his successor.
Few knew it, but Skye had purposely shown off i and Rukia to the public. Seeing the two of them riding on Zazzy made the rumors about the night of the banquet factually supported in the public’s eyes. And it helped to support i’s nomination as the next head of her family, despite being a woman..
‘If i can take over her da’s position, that’ll help ta open up the discussions of equality fer other won of Sai. How anyone can think gender affects a person’s ability ta do a job is beyond .. Should only be about the candidates’ suitability of the job, not the gender of the candidates.. i would make an excellent head from her family..’
“Skye?! Did you hear ?!” i scread with a panicked tone, snapping her back to reality.
“Ack! Sorry! What’s up?!”
“Hana looks Mad!” Rukia yelled as she pointed to i’s courtyard.
After circling the city twice, Zazzy had headed back towards Genie’s castle. Hana and about a dozen guards were waiting for them when they’d returned, and Hana looked ready to kill. Skye sallowed nervously, then called out to i; “I think tis best if we land in another courtyard, ya?!”
“I think that would heighten our chances of survival, yes,” i replied as Rukia nodded her head in agreent.
As Zazzy went to turn, a massive gust of wind made her maintain her original path, and continue to fly towards i’s courtyard.
“What the fu-”
“I think you three have had enough for today,” Genie said as he suddenly appeared next to them; “It’s ti to head ho. And Zazzy? I think I speak for the entire city when I say that we did Not appreciate that roar at the crack of dawn..”
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