New Friends, Old Places (For Chiron-Survivor)

[lionofthelight]

Guests! His first, in fact, from the Nexus. Adia and Caspar are on their way today, and Zandros has everything planned and plotted.

Despite the cold Zandros stands waiting on the spacious front lawn of his manor situated in the hills just east of Stormwind City. The manor itself is a sprawling, two-story affair painted immaculately white and decorated sparsely with dark wooden beams. Tudor-style, a person from Earth might call it. The hedges that grow around the property are still lively despite the cold, but the ivy on the garden trellises has faded with the season. Here and there well-bundled servants make their way across the grounds, leisurely keeping up with their chores.

The trees of the hillsides and valleys of Elwynn to the southeast are bare from the winter winds, granting long views across the countryside. Vineyards far below lie fruitless in the winter but there's something unmistakeable about the rows of vines. In the distance, visible more for its smoke than its buildings, sits a tiny hamlet of rustic homes, their roofs all shingled blue and gold.

Zandros waits with his gloved hands tucked into his underarms, a knitted hat on his head, and a smile on his red cheeks. His navy blue coat is made of thick wool and stretches down to his leather riding boots. A bulky scarf bulges out from the top of his coat.

When Adia and Caspar arrive he greets them with a smile and hurries toward them. "I'm so terribly excited!" he says with a delicate laugh. "To see the city, and moreover to see it with friends. I trust neither of you are afraid of heights? We'll be flying in, of course."

(( Backdated pre-Nexus Winter 2019 event. ))

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[chiron_survivor]

It takes a moment for Adia to orient herself when she arrives. The style of manor and surrounding grounds are unfamiliar to her, except for the vineyards, which catch her eye immediately. She and Caspar are dressed appropriately for the weather, although Caspar has forgone a hat. Perhaps his wool coat is enough to keep him warm.

"Hi, Zandros." Adia returns his smile easily. "I'm excited, too. Thanks again for showing us around."

Caspar gives him a polite nod, but otherwise doesn't say anything. He doesn't even smirk! He must be in a good mood, either that or Adia had a talk with him about minding his manners. Either way, he's curious about their little field trip, too.

At the mention of heights, the couple exchange a look with one another. "Oh, no, we're fine with heights," Adia replies. It comes with the territory of living on a spaceship. "When you say flying in, how do you mean?"

[lionofthelight]

Adia doesn't know? Oh, what a surprise this shall be! Zandros holds himself a little taller and his cheeks get a little redder from his excitement. "Just one moment and you shall know," he says, and a quick little bow strides off in the direction of the stables.

It's a few moments before he returns, and when he does he's not alone. Behind him follow two servants leading three broad-chested, sturdy-limbed gryphons. Two of the birds have the shrewd head of an eagle with creamy-colored feathers, golden-scaled talons, and chestnut wings tucked away at their sides. Their leonine rears are wheat-yellow, ending in long, swishing tails. The third gryphon, the one Zandros leads, is white all over, thinly-built, and has the petite beak and wide eyes of a falcon.

The gryphons pad silently across the yard, patiently following their guides, saddles jostling on their backs. The servants lead their birds beside Caspar and Adia, while Zandros stands in front of his guests with his own.

"This is how we fly on Azeroth! My mother and father enjoy breeding and training gryphons. We've had all of these since their hatching. I assure you, they will be good companions to first-time riders. Unless I am incorrect in my assumption and you have flown on a beast before?"

[chiron_survivor]

It's all Adia can do to keep from squealing in sheer delight once she catches sight of the winged animals being led across the yard. She clasps a gloved hand over her mouth, her wide eyes flicking to Caspar for a moment, as if she can't believe what she's seeing. "Caspar, look. Gryphons."

Caspar nods in response, his dark gaze watching the three gryphons in equal measure. Their bird heads remind him a little too much of Zelus for his liking, but it clearly makes Adia happy. "They're really something else," he says in quiet agreement to her enthusiasm. At Zandros' question, he shakes his head and replies, "No, I haven't. That's a fair assumption to make." For once.

It takes Adia a little longer to answer, distracted as she is by the gryphon closest to her. She wants to ask the servant what its name is, what it likes to eat, if it likes to be petted at the juncture where its feathers meet fur. If it'd like to be petted right now, and her hand is already unconsciously inching in that direction before she realizes what she's doing and sheepishly drops it to her side. "Oh, um... me, neither. Although I used to ride horses. I don't know if that would be useful up in the air..."

"Is someone riding with us?" Caspar asks, not nearly as enchanted by the idea of animal-powered flight.

[lionofthelight]

The innocent joy in Adia's face is obvious to Zandros, who, beaming at her, takes his place on the other side of her gryphon. The gryphon leans heavily against him and he laughs as he leans right back.

"Riding a horse is the perfect practice for riding a gryphon, my dear. You know how to hold tight with your legs. There won't be any reins to grasp, but rather you lean left and right with your body. Lean forward to go faster or sit up straight to create a bit of drag and slow down. To dive, simply press down on the saddle, and pull up to rise."

With a nod to Caspar he says, "Knowing all that, you won't need someone to fly with you. Two people is a burdensome weight, and besides, the birds are quite intelligent. They know exactly what they're doing, where they're going, and how to keep their riders safe."

He pats the back of the nearest gryphon and says to Adia, "You'll be riding with Charming. He's a patient gentleman and a perfect companion for a first-time rider."

"Mister Millen, you'll be heading out with Veracity. He's strong and dependable, and a very good guide. His sense of balance is impeccable."

[chiron_survivor]

Caspar isn't the only one who is reminded of Zelus, especially when the gryphon leans so affectionately into his master's side. "Charming," she says with a soft laugh, when she is introduced. "That's a great name. It's nice to meet you." She bows her head a little at the bird, hoping it's the polite thing to do. She has no idea how intelligent he is, but she always talked to the horses she rode. This situation isn't much different.

Emboldened by the fact that her equestrian knowledge will be put to good use, she thinks over the riding instructions and then nods, already looking at the saddle eagerly. She is definitely ready for her first gryphon flight.

Her Cylon boyfriend? Perhaps not so much. He's never been airborne without several layers of reinforced metal surrounding him. He's tempted to ask about safety equipment, but the last thing he wants is to look like a wimp in front of Zandros. Besides, what good would a helmet do if he fell from a great height? It'd be wearing him for protection. He looks over Veracity with a quiet nod of approval. "Nice bird," he says finally. He hopes, anyway.

"What's your gryphon's name?" Adia asks curiously, before they get started.

[lionofthelight]

Nice bird? Yes, Caspar, he is! The compliment brings the gryphon a little closer to Caspar, and the handler allows it with a smile.

Adia's question draws the white gryphon's attention, and Zandros keeps on grinning. "That's Humility! She and I are thick as thieves, as they say. I love her dearly. Don't I, sweetheart?"

The blank-eyed bird shoves her head against Zandros and he gladly buries his gloved hands in her head feathers to give her some satisfying scratches. When he's through he pulls his hands out, now covered in dust. He then steps aside with her to demonstrate the proper mounting technique. Simply tap the shoulders and the gryphon lowers its front half and extends a wing, allowing a rider to mount it more easily than a horse.

Once he's on Humility's back she stands, and Zandros demonstrates putting his hands into grooves in the front of the saddle. Inside there are bars, easily gripped. There aren't any seatbelts to speak of. Holding tight for dear life is a valid substitute, right?

"We'll head toward one of the nearby hills and let the birds gain a bit of speed before we glide off. Humility and I will guide us all to the gryphon roost in the city. Now, follow along!"

He waits a moment for the two to mount their birds and for the servants to release them before he and Humility saunter off around the manor toward the hills in the back of the property. When he sees that Adia and Caspar have followed to the edge of the nearest hill he casts each of them a confident smile and then leans forward on the saddle.

Humility takes her rider's hint and surges forward, wings half-spread, tail gyroscoping behind as she gallops down, gaining speed by the second. She runs faster, faster, faster until! A perfect gust of wind catches her wings and she lifts upward with a screech. She flaps to gain momentum and circles around to glide above Caspar and Adia.

Their gryphons both look up to Humility, then back to their riders. Each of them is shifting with barely-restrained energy. They want to fly... So let them!

[chiron_survivor]

Caspar is not immune to friendly overtures made by animals, so he does smile more genuinely at Veracity scooting closer to him. There's a moment where he's definitely holding back a laugh when Zandros announces that he and Humility are thick as thieves, but a quick glance from Adia and he stifles it more successfully.

Mmm, gryphon scratches. Adia watches closely, hoping she'll get a chance to do the same for her bird. In the meanwhile, she mounts Charming without any hesitation. The saddle setup is different, but not so different that she loses any of her newfound confidence. Feet go here, hands go there, she's ready! She watches Caspar out of the corner of her eye, but he also gets atop his gryphon with little difficulty. This isn't the part that he's worried perfectly rationally concerned about, anyway.

Their gryphons follow Zandros without hesitation, perhaps more out of habit than any significant direction from their riders. But once Humility takes flight, it isn't long before Adia is leaning forward in her saddle, urging Charming to run downhill until he, too, catches the wind and soars upward, careful not to cross paths with Humility. Adia lets out a startled laugh, the wind nearly whipping off her hat. She tugs it down awkwardly with one hand, letting her mount turn a lazy circle in the sky. It is nothing like riding a horse, and yet feels so natural that she can't help but laugh again from the sheer thrill of it.

From below, Caspar watches her with a small smile on his face until his mount chirps and does an impatient shuffling in place. Come on, it's time to fly! Caspar sighs and leans forward in the saddle, gripping the saddle white-knuckled as Veracity eagerly gathers speed. Effortlessly, the gryphon takes to the sky, for a moment simply shooting upwards until Caspar remembers the steering instructions and guides him onto a more level path.

"Nice bird," he mutters, trying hard not to think of how high he's already off the ground. "Nice, nice bird who is going to listen to me and not drop me."

[lionofthelight]

She is a nice bird, Caspar! And you know what? She appreciates the compliments and proudly chirrups, contented as a gryphon can be. And why not? She's in her element! Caspar might not be, but the humans (and human-things) never are their first time.

Veracity gains on the other birds and comes to a comfortable glide such that the three have formed the beginnings of a V. Humility takes the lead, and the others coast on the air she catches.

Zandros looks behind and to his left, then right. He's absolutely beaming. "Wonderful, isn't it?" he shouts over the gales. "Too bad it's such a short flight to the city!"

He leans and Humility rises. The other gryphons take that as their cue to follow, but Veracity only does it after giving a triumphant SCREAM. They lift into the air together, leaving behind the shrinking fields and vineyards, leafless forests, and far-off hamlets. From this high up the hilly landscape can really be seen, criss-crossed and checkered by cart paths and fenced pastures. Off in the distance the city of Stormwind literally glows, its pristine white stone so bright in the winter sun. Shining canals flow through the city, breaking the area into six distinct parts, and at the center? The towering spire of a cathedral, its peak coated in gleaming gold.

From this height one rushing dive could bring them within the city limits, but Zandros chooses to keep them in the air a few minutes longer. After all, it would be a shame to deprive the pair of the full experience!

[chiron_survivor]

"It is!" Adia calls back as loudly as she can, her reply punctuated by another joyous laugh. She's really having the time of her life on Charming's back, gliding over the beautiful landscape below. When Charming rises, she adjusts her grip, getting more comfortable in her saddle. Thank goodness she doesn't have a fear of heights, so she can truly enjoy the view.

"Yeah, too bad," Caspar mutters to himself. There's a part of him that admits this experience is quite extraordinary, but that might partly be why he's not enjoying himself nearly as much. He could seriously do without the gryphon scream. C'mon, what's the point of that? Is there traffic up here? But as he sighs and tries not to think about how high up they are, he does take some pleasure in the approaching city. Stormwind has the look of some of the older cities on Virgon, his home colony in his false memories.

"It's beautiful!" Adia calls out to Zandros. "Where do we land? Is there a roost?" Are there baby gryphons there? When is she going to get to pet Charming? These are important questions!

[lionofthelight]

Rather than shout back to Adia, Zandros points with a whole arm to a structure built above the reservoir near the main gates of the city. Far below them another gryphon and rider are swooping in under an archway there, and a moment later two more gryphons leave from the archway next to that.

Zandros tilts, and Humility closes up her white wings. Together they drop at an alarming speed only for her to spread her wings at the last second and glide them safely into the roost. Charming and Veracity watch this, but they know their riders aren't Zandros. Their descent is slower, circling, not a downward drop but a gradual, swooping decline that eventually swings them both into the roost.

Under the stone arches is a long hallway absolutely filled with gryphons of various colors. Most are golden like Veracity and Charming, while some are black and tan, and fewer still are white like Humility. A few broad-chested beasts are protected by armor, and one or two, guided by lavishly-dressed individuals, wear ornate outfits not unlike costumed show-horses.

Humility is being led away by a roost-hand when Adia and Caspar land, and Zandros is waiting for them with red cheeks, gleaming eyes, and a smile as bright as his Light. "Good show, all of you! Now, leave Charming and Veracity with the minders and tell me: Knowing nothing of this city, would you prefer to see the historical districts first, or the mage district?"

[chiron_survivor]

There is the teeniest bit of disappointment on Adia's part that she does not get to do a similar dive with Charming, but she accepts the fact that it might be too advanced a move for her first flight. She dismounts gracefully, all starry-eyed from her ride and the sight of so many grphyons in one roost. Oh, they're all so beautiful!

Caspar, on the other hand, whole-heartedly appreciates the slow descent. He needs a couple of seconds to recover, the motion of flight lingering even as he stands on solid ground. "Thanks," he says to Veracity. Someone get this bird some extra birdseed for not dropping him mid-flight.

As someone comes over to lead Charming and Veracity away, Adia sneaks in a quick pet goodbye before looking up at Zandros. "Oh, can we visit the mage district first?" She'd like to see the historical district, too, but a lot of the city's history would be lost on her without explanation, and she's not about to pass up the opportunity to see some magic. "Is it mostly humans who live in Stormwind, or are there other races? Are there elves here? Do they live in the mage district?"

Maybe she does want to run off and join the Night Elves after all! But probably not, or at least she intends to take Caspar with her, as she quickly grabs the Cylon's hand, eager to drag him along to whatever adventure awaits.