The Skies of Flamerush (and blatant advertising for my site)

[Iesu]

Well, it's been a while but I think I have my muses back in order and am ready to get back on the writing and the stories and everything else in between.

This is also in my site which has my other two fics that are edited, from here and posted there, those are final versions so give them a read through if you're interested as well... This is also unfinished and I will edit it tomorrow with the ending so keep a watch out.

www.freewebs.com/thecheckpoint

The Skies of Flamerush

The sun settled silently high upon the mountain ranges of the eastern plainslands, slow cascade of dim light settling over a further portion of the tall grasses that swayed with the whisper of the winds, the song of the morning of words that seemed to calm the soul coupled with the dance of a thousand foliage, playing with the sunlight upon their joyful sway. Silence encompassed the land, similar to the light that now embraced the plains, the early morning crow ringing a cry across the sky followed by another from across the plains, its echoes rushing across the ranges of the massive mountains, wild fowl rushing off to the skies forming a semblance of a vanguard formation just as the sun?s round form created the background to this display.

One silent figure stared upon the horizon, dark and almost-new coat lifted slightly with the rush of winds and the new morning?s smile mimicked by his own and for a moment paralyzed by the formation of flight. He stood upon the head of a small vessel that lifted slightly from the ground, held down by four strands on its front and hide, bobbing slowly similar to a ship upon the seas, though the proverbial seas would by the vast sky and heavens before him. It was almost surreal, the first crow that signaled the season of final harvest, though it was not truly a harvest in the fields but more of harvest in the markets for these were the final days of sale before winters came and that meant people had the karat to spend, which meant that this was the perfect time for his trade.

He took in the deep breath with the rushing winds, his hair playing upon the air, almost a bridge with the chorus of the tall grasses, leaning down with a dagger quick in hand, his wrist flicked to release the fore of the windcatcher, their vessel to which their profession is attributed to as well, bobbing with the slight freedom, almost trying to reach for the skies, a caged bird that will know once again freedom. His step was quick, his coat fluttering in his fleeting movements, a cape that shadowed him with a playful wave. Upon the aft, the dagger rushed with a single movement of his arm, releasing the hind as well, the once tilted windcatcher now moving like a see-saw with its fulcrum the remaining strands upon starboard and port.

Another man, one partly covered in grease moved to be revealed upon the deck, the light rushing over him with the squint of his eyes, his voice moving above the winds, ?Great timing, ?Captain? Malek..!? The mocking tone of the position was only one of a friend teasing and where the names of such are not truly a necessity, perhaps to stir the laughter of childhood friends, though afraid to admit, the grease covered man would follow that very ?captain? to Chaos itself.

?You awake, ?First Mate? Kib!? Malek voiced the reply with the flit of his coat, the same mocking expression of long friends, inseparable in a sense regardless of their words, ?Wake Solan up! Today is the day!? His voice contained a second level of energy, his fist rising to the skies with the dagger, reflecting the sun upon the blade that, even with the shine of maintenance, it was obvious of its age and worn nature.

?Shit..!? The greased man voiced back, brushing his hands as he stepped across the deck with dagger upon his side held quickly, leaning down slowly to the hold of the ropes upon the port, ?You know the fat-ass won?t wake up except for food..!?

?The fat-ass is the only once who can fix up the rigging just right!? The voice moved with the start of the sails that lifted slightly with the movement of the windcatcher, the vessel itself supporting its own flight, his movements led him to the starboard side, his booted step tapping all the more upon the wooden deck, eyes filled with a plan and a mission, a smile fixing up to whole package and the first wrap opened by the strike to the final rope, falling to a sit with the quick rise of the whole vessel, though very much accustomed to that very moment, part of the hazard of the job, as Kib also knows with his hands quick upon the main mast.

?That woke him up!? he voiced almost to himself, followed by a laugh from the captain with the chunking and heavy steps that rang and rumbled the main deck.

A husky figure rocked the boat with his movements, his final jump to the deck causing the whole ship to bob down slightly, a heavy and evil grin moved his teeth to grit, holding back a yawn with the furrow of his brow, ?I?m gonna eat you two if that ever happens again!!!?

Kib leaned back upon the mast, holding his belly with the heavy laughter, voicing in between breaths, ?Little? Princess? Fell..!?

?Sleep on the floor!? Malek echoed the laugh, turning across the wooden deck, banging upon the floors as he held his laughter back, brushing a tear and sitting straight.

Solan grumbled under his breath, taking the high rigging and pulling it down with the weight of his body, the windcatcher bobbing with each of his falls, his brow furrowing upon the innocent stares of the other two, his eyes burning with flames from within, ?Shut-up!!!?

A short laugh followed where the stout figure as well followed, taking in deep breaths, the three moved across the decks with the greased man upon the head, the captain by the wheel and the husky man holding the rigging, all three pairs of eyes staring off at the distance.



Windcatchers. The skies are their seas and their cargo could be anything from food to weaponry, but our particular vessel has a more important task, catching flamerushes. They fall upon the skies filled with material never to be found on the lands below and rarely do they land upon the soil, so stated by the one god and so taught to everyone that they were shielded from them and yet these very spheres of flame powered the magicks of the mages and towns, as well as the very grav-gravel that lifted the windcatchers. They were rare upon the lands but plentiful upon the skies and it was them that were those who braved the heavens for the most lucrative, non-combat trade.



?I thought ?today is the day?..!? The voice of Kib almost mimicking their captain?s with a flare of tease, his breath taking his words once again, ?Nothing but clear skies??

?I?m hungry?? Solan voiced, tapping his britches with a gloved hand, making a clapping noise as it moved upon his shirt, tapping the heavy belly with a bellow of his voice.

?That?s new...? Both of them spoke out with a sigh towards him, his form quickly moving straight, almost in protest before another rouse of laughter and a heavy swear rocked the boat.

?But really?? the stout man voiced, rubbing his fingers, ?We only have bread and water on board. Not that I?m complaining but what gives??

?Yeah, some meat would?ve been good?? Kib voiced with his motion of flapping his shirt evident with a heavy stain of black, letting the scent air out for a moment, ?and cheese??

?Yeah, some mead would be good also?? Malek whispered to himself, contemplating with the turn of the wheel if whether today was to be their best run.

The pause that moved between them was louder than the rushing gust, a silent contemplation of their situation, almost at the same time breaking the noise of silence with a shout that could shake a cloud, ?I thought you were buying the supplements!?

?You mean to tell me we have a cargo hold filled with basics?!? Malek shouted, scratching his head with an irritated grumble and mumble.

?I told you I?D handle the basics!? Kib shouted back, slamming his fist upon the railings, a furrow moving upon his forehead, with a heavy stare direct to the captain, which he returned in kind.

Silence once again, though more from the stout figure as he rubbed both his thumbs together with a silent hum. Slowly though, the other two?s eyes fell upon Solan as he made out a stupid grin, scratching the back of his head.

?I was lazy?? he laughed weakly, trying to voice back the two as both rushed towards him, quick booted steps tapping in the background of winds and the creak of wood, their pace taking them just before him, both hands taking a collar and lifting the huge man surprisingly off the ground, his laugh voicing back, ?Food is food? hehe??

Kib moved his eyes towards Malek, one eye closed in irritation as he whispered, ?Let?s eat him??

Malek simply nodded with an almost silent, ?Yeah??

They paused with the joke as the evident scream of the skies echoed across the almost empty heavens, the huge ball of flames rushing down through clouds, leaving their marks with feathery tendrils reaching out towards the flames. All their eyes widened upon the massive size of the flamerush, their jaws dropping and their forms held in paralysis at the immensity.

Rushing feet with one especially accented bounce moved upon the wood of the windcatcher, voices of Malek shouting out to the rigging and the engines, sails taking all the more are with the low pressure created by the rushing flame. He gritted his teeth with the heavy turn of the wheel, centering the ship towards their catch, his eyes filled with both anticipation and question as the ship creaked with one heavy turn.

?It?s too big, Malek!!!? the husky figure voiced just as he pulled down another rigging, the sail catching more of the wind, pushing them back down to the floors with the quick speed, ?It?s too heavy!!!?

?Shit!? The captain whispered under his breath, turning the wheel once again to straighten the ship, shouting out to the skies, ?We have to lighten our load!?

?The bread and water..!? the greased figure rushed as he lifted himself off towards the lower deck, his steps taking a lot of air and space in between, sliding slightly with the hand of Solan, pulling him back.

?No!!!? he shouted, rocking Kib and shaking him with his fist on the collar, gritting his teeth, ?Not The Food!!!?

?Solan, Shit!? Malek voiced to the two as he tried to hold the wheel in balance, rocking his feet with the rock of the ship, shifting his form with the heavy coat around him almost all the way up behind him, ?I?ll buy you three roasts when we get back!?

?Damn it!!!? Solan pushed Kib back, the greased man wobbling to a stand as the stouter rushed to the lower forms with only a second that passed before six barrels wrapped around him with straps upon his shoulders and waist, shouting out with regret in anger upon flinging the rations down the starboard side, ?Friggin? Hell!!!?

The windcatcher centered with a clamp held in place, a click pushed it to stand still and remain straight towards the flamerush, Malek striding towards the fore-port of the ship, shouting back for his two in crew, his movements followed by the opening of the ships fore, fluttering out wood chips and stray strands of rope as once massive cage like structure sprang up to the front, forming a bowl-like shape. Kib held the other side, holding back against the winds and the force of pressure created by the speed of the flamerush, Solan in the middle, gloved hands holding back to cage in place, each of the three men gritting their teeth, and shouting altogether.

?Friggin Hell!!!?



The sun covered the whole sky as it settled high above the heavens, shadows non-existent in this clear motion of the winds and blue, only feathers and outlines of skies littered the canvas with the song of the winds of a return. Laughter rang across the skies, with the slow movement of the ship, heavy now with its cargo as it slowly made its way back to the harbor it had left, to the plains it had set-up as a base.

?Ten thousand karat?? Malek voiced, leaning upon the wheel, shifting here and there with the tide of the wind, basking in the heat of the light, ?Even more??

?Ten thousand?? Kib rocked upon the rigging where he laid to rest, staring directly at the sun with squinted eyes, breathing in the warmth of the surroundings, voicing with the winds, ?We?re set for winter? no? for a year...!?

?Two years!!!? Solan slammed fists upon the deck, laughing even louder, with his voice echoing to shatter the sky itself, ?That?s four thousand roasts?? He licked his lips and rubbed his hands, dust from the friction of the cage blowing up, ?Or maybe a new pair of gloves??

?New clothes, Solan..!? Kib jumped off from the ropes, his tapping the dust of off his britches, ?You stink like high hell..!?

Laughter once again rocked ship, with one heavy swear followed by three freed laughs.