Skyfall

POV: You wake up after laying in a meadow of some unique flowers you’ve never seen or heard of before. You see the sun shining in your eyes and the clouds look like they’re floating as you then feel a light but swiftly cooling breeze. Your vision is very hazy in time but when it starts to kick in you see an Aarakocra just like you, a humanoid birdlike creature. Except with red-colored feather’s that looked like fire and eyes as green as an emerald. He’s wearing a green shirt and white pants.

“Anyways, hello, good morning, you’re pretty lucky that one of the patrols found you out there flying all alone. Who knows what would’ve happened to you! Uh, so yeah so I’m guessing this is your first time visiting Skyfall? Well come on! You have a big day ahead of you! But before I give you the grand tour let’s go visit some of my friends first.”

You just nodded along to what the fiery Aarakocra said. You then look around and realize you lost something valuable to you it was-

Oh, here you go. The patrol found it and wanted to see what was in it. They said it was a bunch of journal logs.. Anyways sorry they had to do that to you, it’s mandatory protocol to any outsiders. Anyway it’s like I was saying here’s your journal. 

“No It’s fine, I understand.” You reply as you take the journal from him. 

He then proceeds to smile at you as you give a tiny smile back. There was some aura of true friendliness in him at that moment. 

“Alright let’s fly. And by the way, the name’s Finlay!” He said.

You then proceed to fly after him at the same speed. (10 mph) You’re also reluctant to find that your journal still has your leftover pen. You then made sure to write some stuff down and skip over to the next new page.

Journal Log Entry #73:

Today, I met a guy named Finlay. He’s another Aarakocra just like me. I’ve never seen another one of my kind before. He seems very quick-paced and friendly. Not much else to say about him on that note. 

As you stop writing you then see Finlay’s just there doing wheelies in the sky and such. You start doing them too. 

 You then start to smile as you feel the breeze hit up against your neck feathers. The wind here feels too surreal. It feels good and more comfortable here. 

So, what’s your name? 

My name? Well, my name is Lark/Gale.” You replied.

“Ah, nice, nice.” Finlay replied. 

“Well we’re almost there, prepare to tighten your tail feathers or whatever you have to do.” Finlay said. 

Suddenly you both went quiet, It was a little awkward you thought to yourself.

Aye, I was just kidding.” Finlay said. 

“I understand, sorry I’m just-”

“Taking it all in. I know, I know it must feel like a lot right now. But you’ll see how cool it is.” Finlay said reassuringly. 

It honestly made you feel a little bit better after you heard that.  

“Yeah, perhaps.” You replied.

You then see this barren, floating island. It has grass and a river and some trees. It looked pretty secluded from what you could tell, a good place to hangout you suppose.

“Alright time to dive!” Finlay says. 

You both then straighten your tail feathers and then dive down to the little island. As you dive you narrow your wings closer together. You both then land on the island on your talons.

“Well, meet the gang!” Finlay said. 

You saw two other Aarakocras just sitting there. Two girls. One had light green feathers with deep gray eyes wearing a green tank top with a pink long skirt. The other had dark purple feathers and piercing yellow eyes. Wearing tiny thick hooped earrings and a gray and white crop top with gray wide pants. 

“I’m Wren, nice to meet you.” The green one said shyly. 

“I’m Storm.” The purple one said sternly. 

“And this is Lark/Gale.” Finlay said. 

“…”

“So why are you here?” Storm asked unsuringly.

“Storm! That’s not how you introduce yourself to people! You don’t put them right on spot-” 

“It’s fine. I really don’t care. I came here because some patrol guards found me as I was just flying. That’s all, nothing special.” You replied.

“Wait, you’ve never been here before? Not even born here?” Wren asked.

“Not here no.” You replied.

“Then where did you live?” Wren asked. 

“I was born on some mountain.” You said. 

“Some mountain?” Storm asked.

“Yeah, somewhere. I’m not really sure where I am now that I’m up in the sky-” You replied.

Storm then unfolds a map for you to see. 

“I have a map, now point to what looks like where you came from.” Storm said. 

You look around at the map showing many places, even some castles, towers, water coves, forests and such. You then see some mountains halfway across the map. Some healthier, lush and green ones. 

“It’s one of those, the Wispian Mountains.” You said. 

“Really? Wow, that’s not good. I wonder why you were there.. Aarakocras aren’t supposed to be that close to ground- It’s one of the rules unless exiled… But even then that is a very rare chance.” Wren said. 

“You don’t know which mountain you came from? Let me ask you this. Did you see anything unusual? Some Giants perhaps?” Storm asked enticingly. 

Your head starts to migraine a little. You start to hear this little buzzing noise and everything you see around you starts to turn white. 

*Flashback Sequence*

“Alright dear, come along we have to go with the other Giants.” 

“But why? I don’t want to go with the other Giants! The other Giants are mean to me. I don’t want to come!” 

“Well because deep down they love you there just… messing with you.”

“Messing with me? It seems more like bullying to me, mom.”

“Aw, Basilah you just need to toughen up a little. Just show them the little warrior I know you are deep inside.” Basilah’s mom said. 

“But everyone treats me like I’m different-” Basilah said. 

“Then be different! If you’re like everyone else, what’s the point? Don’t let others stop you from expressing your passions and feelings!” Basilah’s mom said. 

“Listen I know you were meant to do great things! You aren’t meant to be like everyone else here, you’re meant to be something special! You are loved by many…You just haven’t seen that part yet, but you will in time.”

You then saw the mother giant give a big hug to the daughter giant. You started tearing up in the trees above them wishing you had a family to call your own like that… You then flew away immediately. 

“Huh, who’s there?” As Basilah says, then turns her head towards up the trees above her.

“It’s just me… It’s mommy baby.” Her mom replied. 

*Flashback Sequence Ends*

You then start to focus back into the real-world you are currently in. You see this Aarakocra dude just sitting there, right next to you, holding your face. 

“Are you okay dude?!” He asks.

You then start to focus in. He then immediately backs up as you start to become more conscious and you see. That he has dark blue feathers with one black and one white eye. He’s wearing this fancy looking gold and dark blue patterned shirt with blue bells that are that dark blue color. He is grinning widely at you. 

“Who are you?” You ask. 

“This is Marcellus.” Finlay said. 

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you now that you’re actually awake.”

“Yeah, you too.” You respond.

You both then grab and then shake wings with each other.

“Well, I think It’s time for us to go, I still have to show you around this place.” Finlay said. 

“Aw come on! Right when I was just meeting the guy?” Marcellus said. 

“Yeah, I gotta go I suppose… see you around guys!” You said. 

Bye! Finlay. 

“Fly away, little birdies.” Marcellus said. 

“Bye guys!” Wren said.

“Bye.” Storm said. 

They all then proceeded to wave at us as we left the island as I was flying. While multi-tasking I was adding detail to my entry in my journal. 

Journal Log Entry #73:

Today, I met a guy named Finlay. He’s another Aarakocra just like me. I’ve never seen another one of my kind before. He seems very quick-paced and friendly. Not much else to say about him on that note. 

I also then met Wren, Storm, and Marcellus. Wren seemed nice and peaceful but also very shy. Storm seemed very iron-willed and serious. And Marcellus? Well from what I can tell he’s kind of a clown. 

As you closed your journal you saw that Finlay was elevating and that you needed to elevate as well. You then could see the sun and the sky even more clearly. You saw a huge floating town. It looked.. Extraordinary. It was something that you couldn’t compare it to anything you’ve ever seen before. 

“Welcome to Skyfall!” Finlay exclaimed.

We then kept flying till we reached this big building at the end of the floating island town. It was the biggest one labeled “Skyfall Historics.” You both then went onto the cloudy yet earthy grounded surface.

“Come on, we’re heading to the museum first! Finlay said

Uh, why?” You asked.

“Because how do you think you’re going to do anything here in this town if you don’t even know the basics! The traditions, legends, or history at all.” Finlay said. 

“Ok, ok, I see your point.” You replied. 

You then walked inside together in the museum. You see an average height Aarakocra just standing there, you look at her badge on the right of her bosom and it says her name is Clio. She is reading some sort of pamphlet or book. She then looked up at you as you both stood there and she started to walk towards both of you. 

“Hello, is there anything I can help you two young gentlemen with?” Clio asked. 

Yes, you see my friend here is new and they need to get a grip of how things go around here history wise.” Finlay said.

So could you possibly help us with that?” Finlay asked. 

There was a sudden pause, then a response. 

“Alright, so how much do you know about Skyfall?” Clio asked.

“Well, not really anything… I just need to know what this place is..I wasn’t even born here! And I’m an Aarakocra! It’s a big deal.” You replied. 

“Yeah well, not being born here isn’t that big of a deal… you can learn…” Clio stated. 

“Well c’mon you two what are you standing around for?” Clio said impatiently.

You and Finlay both then looked at each other. 

Finlay then whispers next to “Bird brain.” And you express a look of confusion in response. You both then proceeded to walk.

You both stopped as Clio was just standing there waiting for you two.

“Well the beginning of Skyfall started with the two founders named Skylow and Fallon. They were on an expedition throughout the sky looking for a place to stay.. The Aarakocras home got burned down. In a forest fire.. It was started by humans… part of the reason why we don’t really associate with them anymore… So anyways, these two explorers were selected by Alcibiades. The current leader at the time.” Clio said.

“After 3 months of flying searching throughout the skies they found a floating island. A place where they could possibly build some structure. Fallow went out to check out the island. And Swallow made a call to alert the other Aarakocra. He then got a call in response from Alcibiades and the rest of the Aarakocra repeated it back.” Clio said.

Alcibiades then led his fellow tribe down to the island. It then took them a little while to fully build our civilization. Around half a decade. After it was done though it had the city that’s called today. The two of these founders are still celebrated till this day for their successes in helping find our home and starting to rebuild our civilization. That’s why our home is called Skyfall as a mix of both founders’ names.” Clio continued.

“Wow, that’s so cool!” You said.

I know right? It’s freaking amazing dude!”

“And that’s not all, I’m going to teach you about. There was also a well-known warrior around here. A one that has been depicted in many legends, we now know since of recent research that he actually was a real warrior back in the “Reconstruction Era” as I like to call it, his name was Alexo, but he was mainly called Alexo the Astonishing notoriously.” Clio said.

“Alexo the Astonishing to keep the story short was a warrior who worked his way up from ranks, his father was a general and since he was his life was treated very hard as his father put this huge pressure of responsibility on his shoulders. He then started to climb up the ranks and enter the war that was going on at the time. It was a dispute between Gargoyles… He was the right hand man of the general at the time.”

After they won the war he became a well known war hero. He also then started to become Captain of the “Sky Sentry” which is basically the guards of skyfall. His portrait is right here.” Clio said.

She then points towards the portrait on her right with her one feather/finger.

There is also a statue of Swallow and Fallon in the middle of the village right here as well.

“What happened to Alexo?” You asked.

“Well, he simply died of a heart attack.”

“Oh.” You replied.

“Well I hoped you enjoyed that really long history lesson but you still have a lot to learn newbie… but I don’t doubt that you will be able to pick up how things work around here soon… Sharing a few of the same feathers doesn’t make you automatically apart of the flock.” Clio said.

You then give a simple nod as a thank you gesture towards her, Finlay then grabs you by the wings and tugs you out of the museum. As you both then step out you look at each-other. You both just sit there in immediate silence for a second.

“Soooooo~” Finlay said.

“So?” You asked.

“You staying?” Finlay asked.

“I mean, I don’t really have a choice anymore do I?” You asked.

“I guess.” Finlay replied

“Besides there’s a lot of catching up needing to happen.” You said.

Finlay then turns to look at you.

“Do you want to stay with me? It’ll be fun.”

“Yeah, sure I guess.” You reply.

“Race you back, but before we go to our home have you ever seen a sky waterfall?” Finlay asked.

“No, I haven’t but I’m kind of tired to stop by-” You tried to say.

“Were not going to stop there! Were going to fly through it!” Finlay exclaimed.

“… If that’s okay with you.” Finlay said.

“It’s okay.” You reply.

You then for once you put the journal down as if it didn’t matter what you wrote inside it anymore. You both then smile at each and then fly off into the fresh, cold, midnight filled with stars up above. You then start to feel this feeling you have never felt before, this warm, cozy, peaceful feeling; you finally felt at home. And I hope you fellow readers do feel at home as well.