Afternoon Delight

I had timed it nearly perfectly. The sun was beginning to rise across the water as I made my daily flight down to Terra. My speed had begun to increase since I made these trips more frequently than I had intended. As per usual of late, my body would twist through clouds before dipping straight towards the water. Pulling up at the last possible moment every day was bringing me closer and closer to the water each time. Just like yesterday, my direction would be north, towards that coastal region. The land walker with the silver hair had been rather interesting, and I hoped to find more people like him to learn from. The cultures and lifestyle of these people were stranger than what I had found, and left me wanting more knowledge.

A light tilt would occur before my arm moved into the side of my cloak to grab a piece of the bread that had been crafted by this morning’s artisans. Tossing it up into the air, I would flip around, allowing it to free fall for a moment before catching it in my mouth. The soft breeze was rather cooling, and I loved the view of the sun across the water as my body neared the coast line. To those who only saw things up close, I would probably look like some sort of flying creature instead of a humanoid figure. Then again, the white and blue that I wore probably wouldn’t really help seeing me much. Speaking of that, I should probably invest in the attire of this realm to better fit in while I am down here. When I had first met that silver haired void user, he told me that I looked like a priest. If they were highly religious, the last thing I wanted to do was appear to be one of their priestly figured. A confrontation of religious beliefs was not on my to-do list for today, or any day for that matter. Shaking the thought off, I would dip down to allow my arms to casually glide through the surface water while my body headed directly towards the sandy beaches. It was a beautiful day to go exploring, and exploring I shall be going!

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The water wasn’t that cold, a note that I had to remember. It seemed like the closer to shore I would get, the warmer the water would be. I guess the shallower it was, the easier it was to heat up or something like that. Twirling around, I would do what seemed ike a halfway barrel roll to bring my back to the water while looking up at the bright blue sky. It really was a beautiful day, regardless of what your personal outlook on life was. Getting closer to the shores, I would complete the roll to bring my face towards the sandy surface that seemed to slide out of the blue water. I had been looking forward to today’s work, and could feel the little notepad bouncing against my body as it was held onto my belt. Thankfully, the twine that had been used was pretty strong, allowing me to not worry about the midflight maneuvering that I had become accustomed to doing. The air down here was perfect to fly in, and the spiritual pressure was alleviated, unlike in the spirit realm. To be honest, I was comfortable down here while I was doing my research. Nearing the beach, I would not slow down, but instead end up flipping forward to plant my feet a few inches deep in the sand. I hadn’t really paid attention to see if anyone was there or not, I just wanted to get these boots off and play in the sand for a bit before getting to work.

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My boots would slide, and for a moment I would stay completely still while listening to the sounds of the waves behind me. My feet would feel like they were standing on some sort of ice, in the way that they didn’t really stand still but lightly slid around. Standing up, I would stretch and let out a light yawn. I had slept rather harshly last night, and my muscles were a little tense from the flightdown, but I wouldn’t let that ruin my great mood. The sun was out, it was a clear day, and the water was warm. Taking a look out across the area, I would scan for life, when my eyes would stop. A single being caught my attention. I had never seen anyone dressed like that before. Was it a female? I had never seen a female from this plane of existence. I would stand there while our two awkward gazes met. I didn’t hear anything from her, and I wasn’t about to say anything back. Had she seen me flying? She might think I was some sort of demon. Great.. nice first impression there Ace.

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It was strange standing here and staring at what appeared to be a lightly dressed woman. Was she in normal attire for this region, or was it some form or beach ritual that I had interrupted. I was unsure of how to completely proceed with this. First contact with many of them usually came with me on foot and blending in, not right after I dropped in for the day. It would be more difficult to keep my secrets hidden now that she had seen me come in through these means. From the look of it, I figured she had never seen anyone fly before. That gave me a bit of caution even though I wasn’t all too worried. A few moments were sent flying by before she said something to me. Was it a greeting? She said hi. I was sure she said that. She could at least speak, that was a good sign. So far so good, and there was no hostility at all. She didn’t smell like a demon, and that gave me a little bit of hope.
“Hiya!”
I would be bright and cheerful about it. May as well not worry about something so trivial as a greeting. The best way to go forward was with an open mind, and that was something I could do. After all, she may be really smart or something, or have an expertise in artifacts that can be helpful in my research. Both of my arms would fly back and cross behind my head while I stood there with my feet in the sand.

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I would relax and bring my feet upwards. The motion would be made rather casually now that she had confirmed seeing me fly. No reason why I couldn’t relax as well now. My legs would cross in front of me, leaving me sitting in a floating position a few feet off the ground. I pulled my hands down and rested them in my lap rather casually. The flight down here had been rather relaxing, and from the moment I entered this physical realm, quite enjoyable. I wondered if she could fly since she was rather casual about asking of it.
“The air this fine morning is clean and crisp, and the water is warm. Every time I come down here is a good time. You do have quite a beautiful beach here. Do you come here often? I bet you have a great view of the sunrise”

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“Ashurei. I guess you could say I’m not really from around here.. “ Then again, I wasn’t actually from this entire plane of existence. The physical realm was separated by a long distance of spacial void that kept our realms apart. I wondered if their physical bodies could survive in ours, where there wasn’t really a physical realm. Maybe I would have to bring one of them back with me one day. That may get me killed though, figuring this was the forbidden land.
“I’m glad you get to enjoy the sunrise every day. That must be nice. I’ve missed it a few times, but moving with it is always enjoyable. It must be nice to live in such a nice place. Why do you study? Is it hard? What do you learn?”
I felt bad for asking all of these questions, but I was a naturally curious being and it was hard for me to not want to learn as much as possible when given the chance. She seemed nice, and if she wasn’t going to be hostile towards me, there would be no reason for me to really be hostile or defensive towards her.

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I would watch her spread out a bit, giving me go that her guard had lowered. Relaxing a bit, I would listen to her explanation of studying ancient relics. That gave had answered one of my most important questions: the same thing happened down here. Their entire civilization, for the most part, had been destroyed, and their memories were lost before the dawn. A few of us had come to call it the second age, since that made more sense than the dawn. I was an explorer myself, and had come down here to try and find an explanation for what had happened so that I may be able to learn about the past. This could help us discover what happened to my own realm, and the massive amount of destruction that had occurred there.
“That is a fantastic profession to desire. I, myself am a research explorer. That’s why I came down to this realm in the first place. Both of our realms show signs of massive destruction, and relics from a lost time. I am hoping to find answers about our destruction down here.”

201 / 1,695

Had she not heard me the first time? I could fly, I had come from the sky, and I was pretty sure my clothes obviously didn’t fit in. what other realm could there be besides the three of ours. I had to think about how to explain it for a moment, but I figured it would be better to just show her. Dropping my legs, I would stride over to her before extending a hand down. I had no intention of taking her into the spirit realm, but allowing her a new view of her realm may assist her in research and aid her in some of her questions.
“Something happened that adversely effected all of our realms. I am trying to figure out what, since there are no traces of it there. While the middle of our realm is destroyed, the outskirts of it are nearly untouched, leaving me to believe that there was something there that was fought over. Once I came down here, I discovered that your realm, in many places, had been pieced together on top of the old one. So, let me show you a side of your realm that you’ve never seen…”

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Taking her hand, I would help her stand to her feet as best she could in the sand. My free hand would reach up to the clasp that was hooked to my jacket, freeing the cloak from it. The white and blue cloak would fall behind me, landing gently in the sand as I kept my eyes on her. I had not thought ahead about it, but I wanted to make sure I was in peak condition before carrying her. The last thing I wanted to do was drop her middle of the intended flight, so it may be in her best interest for me to make sure I was ready for it. With both arms slightly out, my muscles would quickly harden before me. The sand around us for a few yards would imprint from the pressure given off by the quick transformation before it subsided a moment later. I hoped it didn’t affect her that much. Turning to face the water, my arms would move out a little bit.
“hop on.”

173

I didn’t have to wait long. When I felt her on my back, my arms would clamp down, holding her into place. Turning my head to the left, I would ask if she were “ready?”. Not waiting for an answer, or wanting her to reconsider, my body would move directly vertical, leaving the ground and her home behind. The air was cool and crisp, with a light breeze to my front. Blonde hair would be sent flying in all directions before I spun around, floating about three hundred feet above the ground. Stopping there, I would let her gaze out across her home and the land surround it as far as she could see. It was a nice sight, but one that I had become accustomed to. I hoped that her trust in a complete stranger would allow her the enjoyment of seeing things, all things, from a different point of view. She was a researcher like me, just trying to figure things out. It may be in my best interest to have someone down here who can work when I am unable to be around. I can share my research, and teach her about my realm while learning about this realms past.
“so, do you like to defy gravity?”

218

From what I understood, their people could not naturally fly. It was a shame, since flight was really the only way most of my kind ever traveled. We were always flying around even to do remedial tasks like move across a room. I had many questions for her, but this was only the first taste. “hold on.” My muscles would tighten around her to make sure she was secure before I moved upwards at full speed, taking her up to another level, close to five hundred feet above the ground. The lowest clouds would be within view on the horizon, and I turned to allow her a solid view of the sun over the water. Up here, there wasn’t really anything to hide behind. It was pure serenity, something that I often took for granted. I would watch the sun rise itself upward off the horizon, and enjoy every bit of it.
“Up here you can really see the past, and what effect it had on the entire realm as a whole. This kind of perspective can’t be gained by standing on top of a house or tower, you really have to see the whole picture. To do that you have to defy gravity..”

212

Satisfied that she probably had enough to keep her busy for a few weeks, my hold on gravity would loosen. Staying straight vertical, our two bodies would drop at full speed. In mid air, my arms and grip would release, allowing my body to twist swiftly around and cradle my arms directly under her(without actually touching) while we fell towards the ground. Nearing about a fifty foot stomp, I would stop, allowing her to land in my arms while I casually and gently set her back on the ground, right where we had started. The air down here was much warmer than up there, and I bet she was probably a bit chilly since she really wasn’t wearing much of anything. I had hoped that she wouldn’t catch a cold because of my lack of forethought.
“so, do you still only believe in your realm?”
160

I was glad that she had been convinced. While I was perfectly prepared to send a wall of lightning across the water in front of her, I found it in my best interest to not bring attention to myself in this realm. I was happy that she had come to believe me. Now, the difficult part would begin. Would others believe her, or call her a fanatic? I guess for her own sake, it would be best to let her decide her own course of action. She may chose differently from what I think.
“You know I am from way up there, so let me warn you. Others may find what you have done hard to believe, so it may be in your best interest to keep such things to yourself. I come through these parts on my way to the northern part of this watery country so that I can explore and research where people don’t like to travel. If you keep this our little secret, I can take you with me to new parts, and share my research with you as I find new things..”
I had never thought I would resort to bribery for something like this, but it might be better to keep this one safe from any possible harm that could come. After all, if she continued to come to this beach, I could swing by every week or so and say hi. She was now the second person in this realm that I have directly spoken to and made full contact with.

257

I was rather satisfied with how thingsh ad gone. I met someone new, took her for a flight, and learned that there are people down here that can be trusted. this would highly contradict the viewpoint of the silver one, who's outlook on life was that you could trust no one. He worked in an horably dishonorable way to get what he needed, and while I understood that, it would not ever be tolerated in my realm. We had no reason to do anything like that. Even up there, we rebuilt our civilization, and in my places are still rebuilding, ontop of the old one. For us to look at it, and not really care what happened really bothered me. I found it strange that not a single person in either realm really cared about figuring out what happened back then. There were a few issues that needed to be taken care of, and if I could figure out what happened, or who caused it, I may be able to unite my people under one banner. We were united, but we had no true leaders or method of orgainzation. By doing research down here, I was getting the base knowledge that I would need to approach that entire issue. Thankfully, the two people I had met, the void walker and this lady, had been rather helpful.

"There are ruins down the beach, have you been there? They look like they could be easily cleared."

260

I didn’t know what the time was, but I did know that I shouldn’t really be worried about any of that. Exploring some ruins did sound quite enjoyable at this point of time and I wanted to see what kind of techniques they used for uncovering relics and any item of historical value. It was a difficult process from what she had said, and if I could somehow assist in that I would. After all, it would be much more enjoyable to do this on a day like today than on one with less favorable weather. Accepting the invitation to explore with her, I joined her in getting clothes back on. The two sides of the cloak would clip to the collar on my jacket, allowing it to hang freely behind me.
“Did you want to take the easy way?”
Of course, I meant flying. I didn’t really walk much when I was down here, save for when I was with Dravec in the northern parts of this area. He had some interesting places to go to, and I enjoyed his company. He even noticed that I could fly without really paying too much attention to me. I guess I had been careless during that day, but it was all in the past now.

220

I would watch her saunter off towards a building past the edge of the beach. Was that her home? Like everything else, it donned a different architecture than its foundation. They had really rebuilt a home in a place like that. I wondered what it would be like were we to have that issue. I mean, all of our homes were and structures inside the city were essentially built on top of the old ones, but we mimicked the style of them to integrate a smooth, fluid architectural style. They didn’t seem to do that here. Oh well, one more thing to add to my notes. With the young lady returning a few minutes later, I would hold my arms out for her to grab onto. “that was quick.” Taking note of the bucket, I figured it wouldn’t be a problem to fly with it as long as she held onto it. If she decided on that, I would pick her up and lift off, staying a few yards above the beach while we moved off toward the ruins.
“So, how long have you been exploring these ruins? I am curious to see what structural foundations they used to construct a building this close to the water.”

214 /

Her answer was simple and to the point. A single family home that was like hers was what she was digging up. Was it completely submerged? Did it have stone or was it wood? I had many questions but I figured I would keep most of them to myself for later when I could observe the structure on my own. There had been little in the field of opportunity for me to look at their ancient architecture and compare it to our own. There was a religious center that I saw in the north that held a few familiar icons from the heavens. Was there a day when these people worshipped those from above? I wondered how they came into their faith and on what foundation they used to survive with it. So much work, and so little time to figure out the answers to my questions.
“at least you are getting some time to work.”
Approaching what looked to be the ruins, I would straighten my body out and lower to the ground, setting her lightly onto the sand about twenty feet from the edge of what appeared to be ruins. It was amazing that a structure could be built so close to the water and still survive all this time.

221

I would follow her to the edge of it before floating up and moving to where it would look like I was standing on one of the weak walls. I didn’t actually touch them, since they were probably not meant to hold any weight right now. The sand had moved in and pretty much taken over what had been a house. I watched her move and line out what seemed to be a wall. My gaze would shift across the sides of the ruins, wondering if there was anything I could help her with. Then again, she probably had a process that she followed and I didn’t want to risk ruining any of that. My hand would slide to the inside of my cloak before pulling out a small notebook. the leather binding would be flipped open, allowing me to scribble a few notes about the kind of materials used in the side walls, and the designs that encompassed them. It wasn't anything impressive to see, especially after time had taken its toll on them. Did this beautiful human girl really live in one of these? It was difficult for me to understand that someone could actually survive in this environment.

"I hope its inhabitants made it out before this place got wrecked.."

228

I was happy to know that she had yet to find human remains. It was a shame that I was unable to assist her with clearing the sand in an easier way. Then again, my method would probably involve a wall or two getting torn down as well. I wasn’t really one to be light and delicate about cleaning out an area. This young girl fascinated me. She was studying something that didn’t really have any impact on the future of their people. Regardless of what findings she had with the previous era, the future would move on casually, based on the political ideology of those who are in charge. On the other hand, in my realm things were different. We moved forward as a whole, progressing as we needed for the good of all of our kind. We had no formal leader and nothing to really drive us into progress of any nature. If I could figure out what caused the destruction of the previous era, then I may be able to discover a way to unite all of my realm under one banner. That, was my true goal for being down here.
“It is amazing that someone like you is able to make discoveries. I am sure some of those things are rather heavy, and the danger in dealing with decayed structures probably has its own separate risks. You fascinate me Meloli. “

250

I would continue to take notes while watching her curiously. For some reason, she had said something that I did not know existed. A facility where they studied ancient culture and stuff? That type of organization may have extra knowledge on the pre-dawn era that I seek. Making a note in my book about it, I would save that type of inquiry for a later date. While it was something that had my attention, it was best left for a time when she would be more comfortable speaking about such things. That kind fo facility would potentially hold a great wealth of knowledge that the other side may wish to take advantage of. I had to keep this knowledge secret at all costs. Thankfully, that wouldn't be difficult. I wondered if this girl had any idea the potential danger that a place like that could hold.

"So, others help you. Are there teams of people who do research like this? I apologize for asking so many questions, but I am ratehr fascinated by the work you do. I may have to come visit down here more often.."

203

thankfully for me, there was nothing like that in the heavens. Down here, there were people who had put in lots of time and did research. If they were really good, then they had to have notes on all of it. if i were to get my hands on that, there was a huge chance that I might be able to figure things out without having to do half of the work. Hmm.. that would come later though. I would have more questions, and have to come back here more oftne.

"So how long does it take to get to that level? Do you know how to get into contact with these higher people?"

so, they wouldnt have time for someone like her? I wondered if I could fix that for her. What if I could get her something from my realm, which could be considered an even rarer commoditydown here since there wouldn't really be anything like it at all. I pondered the thought for a few moments before finally coming to a reasonable deduction and course of action. I wasn't willing to put my people at risk, so I would have to playm y cards right and act rather strategically on this if it were to go over the way I had intended it to.

"So.. Meloli.. you can get up there by discovering a rare artifact.. what if I brought you something from my realm that predates our current time? It would be unlike anything seen down here, and could help you in gaining ranks within the researching fields organization. I don't know what you call it exactly, but this might be beneficial for you."

It would alsb be beneficial for me to know someone who was deep in their upper ranks. I could easily get access to the artifacts and study them that way without much difficulty. Yep, this was the right way to go.