Don't Look Down

The girl’s concerns went in one ear and out the other- Azoula was too prideful to let Delaeni dwell on her miscalculation. And so, she’d move onto their next course of action, herding the girl towards the thinner, more treacherous path up the rock face. They’d have to navigate it with extreme caution- testing each step before they took another, looking for indications of black ice. They’d also have to lean into the hillside- the gusts were stronger now that they were closer to the top, and Laney was so tiny she might be blown away. “Push your weight against the mountainside- keep yourself upright.” She’d remind her, but Laney was already doing a decent job at walking along the path. Azoula? It took more effort on her end, because she was larger and heavier than Laney.

And finally, they would reach the peak of the dome, having successfully navigated across the treacherous domain without any injuries. Grasses started sprouting at their paws, the terrain leveling out into a lush, flourishing pine forest- an untapped reserve teeming with wildlife, the reward of their difficult travels. “Come, Laney. Let’s explore the forest.” She’d say, smirking at the girl. They were both a little worn out by the point, but from here, their journey would be easier.

Prowling through the forest, Azoula was quite impressed with the abundance of prey and foliage- there were even herds of deer and ox here, flourishing in this haven lacking in apex predators. Now she understood why Sephiran wanted the island. Weaving through the forest for what felt like miles, it suddenly dropped off in front of them- a massive creator forming on the other side of the cliff, a massive dome filled with what looked like a freshwater lake. Interesting. Peering down, she was in awe at the sheer size of it. It looked like a miniature ocean.  She'd never seen anything like it.


”Speech”