lonesome I came

'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take

The salt flats lie dormant in the warm night air, the glare from the sun long since erased by the stars. Rain has fallen all day, leaving a thin sheen of water atop the white minerals; now that the clouds have scattered, the flats are lit by the night sky. The plains stretch on and on, the stars reflected in the water, and it's almost impossible to tell where the earth ends and the heavens begin.

Lyra sits on the edge of the flats, cross-legged atop a quilt she's spread out on the ground. Her little spot is slightly raised (and therefore slightly drier) than the surrounding land. She takes advantage of what she can out here, so far removed from civilization and, therefore, from anything resembling a warm, dry inn. Still, it's not the first time she's roughed it in the wilderness, and it certainly won't be the last. She's come prepared, a pack full of supplies sitting at the edge of her blanket; a meager meal of dried jerky sits in a bag beside her, a canteen of fresh water just as close on her other side.

Now that night is well and truly underway, Lyra can fully admire just how beautiful it is out here, far beyond the confines of any city. Where Haulani and the other cities across Caido make it difficult to see the stars, in Hak Etme, entire galaxies stretch across the sky overhead.

It's breathtaking.

And, coincidentally, it's the perfect place for Lyra to let her ring soak up the light of the full moon. Slipping the simple band from her finger, Lyra places it reverently on the edge of the blanket, admiring the way the moon and stars reflect from the metal.

It's quiet. A gentle breeze periodically stirs, caressing Lyra's cheeks and tousling her dark waves. She turns her face into the wind, closing her eyes and sighing softly. She's perfectly content, and it shows in the gentle smile that crosses her face as she tips her head back, bathing in the starlight like one might in the sun.

So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it
You've got no reason to be afraid

Lyra

Table inspired by the lovely Brit

Noah flew with slow, powerful beats of griffin wings, a great span of feather and muscle. The salt flats stretched endlessly, white even in darkness, pale as bone beneath the stars. Where the moon struck them directly, the ground glimmered with a cold, treacherous sheen. Wind whirled at the surface below, lifting faint veils of white dust that drifted like ghosts across the flats. From this height, he narrowed his focus, fixing his gaze on the flats below.

Rain had passed through recently. He could see the evidence of it now: a thin, perfect sheet of water stretched across parts of the flats, reflecting the sky so precisely that it was hard to tell where earth ended and heaven began. Below him, constellations trembled in the mirrored surfaces of pudles. For a moment, it looked as though he were flying through the heavens twice over.


From that higher vantage, something broke the reflection symmetry below. At first Noah thought it was another trick of reflection, thought it was salt and starlight conspiring to shape meaning out of nothing. But the shape held as he banked, a small, dark figure seated amid the endless white. A woman. Even from this distance he could make out the deliberate scatter of gear beside her: pack laid close, cloth or bedroll unfurled, the posture of someone who was not simply passing through.

A spark of concern flared sharp and immediate, cutting through the Sea’s quiet. No one stayed on the flats without reason, and reasons here were rarely benign.

He widened his arc, circling high above her, wings adjusting to catch the colder currents. Griffin eyes sharpened. He scanned the horizon first. Then closer, tracing the ground in widening spirals, searching for shadows that moved when they shouldn’t, or the subtle distortion that marked something waiting just out of sight.

The Sea lay deceptively still.

noah

you touched my heavy heart and made it light

'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take

Beautiful, yes, but perhaps the flats are deceptively so. There's always danger in the wilds of Caido - something that Lyra is more aware of than she might be were her job not so intricately entwined with the world's dark side. She's seen myriad ways that Caido can hurt and harm. She knows exactly how fatal it can be. It's not just the many creatures that roam the land and seas, but the very earth itself. Indeed, these salt flats are capable of draining the life from someone if they're not careful.

But it's also an excellent place to let her ring soak in the moonlight, so here she is anyway.

Head still tilted back, Lyra feels a prickle on the back of her neck, as though she's being watched - and when her eyes open, they hone in on a shadow that blots out sections of stars above. She's on her feet in an instant, wary gaze tracing the circling shade. She's not sure what it is or why it's circling her, but in her experience, such movements only mean one thing: a hunter is hunting, and given that she's the only thing out here... that makes her its prey.

If it were daylight, she'd shout, attempt to make herself bigger and louder to scare off whatever animal stalks her from above. But in the darkness, she can't quite muster the courage to draw more attention to herself. Instead, she waits, silently tracking the shadow in the sky, fingers lighting on the two hatchets at her belt. They aren't much - just basic axes that she carries with her to help with environmental challenges - but they're better than nothing.

So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it
You've got no reason to be afraid

Lyra

Table inspired by the lovely Brit

The Sea of Dreams lay open and exposed beneath the stars. Dangerous, yes, but quietly dangerous in the way a blade was quiet before it was drawn. Softly threatening. Like much of Caido. Whatever threat lingered here was patient and environmental, not immediate, not moving toward her. So Noah's keen griffin eyes mved back to her frame.

She had changed. He watched her rise, saw the way her attention tracked him with practiced wariness. The tension in her stance read clearly even at altitude. She was not a wanderer lost to illusion. She was alert. Ready. Whatever threat she thought he was, she was ready to take him on in full force.

It was that that made him decide to stop. Noah angled his wings and began a controlled descent. At a careful distance here he was far enough not to crowd, but close enough to be unmistakably present, he folded inward. The massive griffin form breaking and reforming in a rush of sensation. Feathers receded, talons shortened, wings collapsing into shoulders and arms as his boots met salt with a muted crunch.

Standing, Noah raised his hands up, palms towards her. He did not advance. "I saw your camp and wanted to make sure you weren’t about to be surprised by something worse than the salt." or worse than me, he left out.

Noah

I am no longer a stone
I can't walk into the shadows alone

code by sky

'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take

The shadow moves, but it makes no effort to attack, and though Lyra remains wary, she begins to relax her hold on her weapons. She watches as it comes closer, a silent shade blotting out the stars. When it is near enough to make out its shape, Lyra's eyes widen: it's a griffin, massive and beautiful - and thoroughly deadly, if it wants to be. But then its shape morphs and changes until a man stands before her. His features are lit only by the moon and stars overhead, but it's enough to make out the way he holds his hands up, doing his best to be non-threatening.

Lyra is torn. She doesn't want to be overly suspicious, especially when - if the man meant her harm - he could have ended her easily as a griffin, hatchets or no. But she's also done enough search and rescue work to know that things aren't always what they seem and that kindness can be sparing in the wilds of Caido. Still, she hesitates for only a moment before replying. "That's very kind of you," she says smoothly, smiling despite her wariness. "Do you often guard lone travelers, or is this the exception to the rule?"

So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it
You've got no reason to be afraid

Lyra

Table inspired by the lovely Brit

He lowered his hands only a fraction, enough to ease the tension without breaking the fragile truce of distance between them. Moonlight caught along the salt at their feet, whitening the edges of his boots, dusting him in the same pale hush that blanketed the flats. He remained half-shifted in subtle ways—eyes too bright, posture too balanced, every line of him attuned to movement even as he stilled himself deliberately.

Noah glanced past her briefly. He was careful in taking in the placement of her gear, the way it was arranged for staying rather than passing through. But not for too long. And still he noticed, only the equipment for one person. She didn't have a second member to her party.

“It has been my duty for longer than I can remember to protect people.” The words were simple. There was no oath spoken aloud, no god named, but the truth of it hummed quietly beneath his skin. This was what he did when he saw someone alone where the world was sharp. This was what he had done across forests, tundra, coastlines, and skies long enough that the line between choice and obligation had blurred.

Noah

I am no longer a stone
I can't walk into the shadows alone

code by sky

'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take

There is something about the stranger, a sort of quiet protectiveness that goes deeper than simple altruism. Lyra studies him as best she can under the scant light of the moon and stars, considering his words and the way he phrases himself for a beat before replying, softening in spite of herself at the strange - but seemingly truthful - statement. "I see," she says, relaxing her posture and tilting her head to one side thoughtfully. "That is commendable."

A gentle breeze stirs along the sands, rippling the shallow water surrounding them and blurring out the stars overhead for a moment. Lyra gestures towards her makeshift camp. "Would you like to take a break from your duty for a while?" she offers. "I wouldn't mind the company, unless you've more travelers to see to." There's a faintly teasing lilt to her voice as she invites him to stay, a subtle dare to set duty aside and engage with something less heavy. Lyra is familiar enough with what duty has called her to do to know that sometimes it can be a burden. And if the stranger is going to offer her any kind of protection, the least she can do is provide a brief respite for him among the sand and stars.

"I'm Lyra, by the way."

So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it
You've got no reason to be afraid

Lyra

Table inspired by the lovely Brit

Up close, Lyra resolved into something different than the wary silhouette he had first seen. Her eyes were striking, an intense, vivid blue that caught what little light there was and held it. “My name is Noah,” he extended his hand, but followed her gaze briefly to the flats around them, to the mirrored sky trembling under the breeze. The Sea of Dreams stretched on in all directions, pale and patient. “I can sit for a while,” he added. “There’s nothing else calling me just now.” He smiled, gently, and nodded as if agreeing with himself and making the final decision to stay for a bit with the stranger, the motion small but sincere.

He shifted his weight and moved toward the edge of her makeshift camp, careful where he stepped, before lowering himself to sit on a stretch of dry salt just beyond the thin water’s reach. As he did he noticed that it looked more like a stake out spot rather than a proper camp. His eyes turned to her, curious rather than suspicious. “Why are you out here alone?” he asked. He settled his hands loosely against his knees, sentinel instincts still humming quietly beneath the surface.

Noah

I am no longer a stone
I can't walk into the shadows alone

code by sky

'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take

Recognition lights in the back of Lyra's mind, piecing together the strong sense of duty and the name Noah into the one-time demigod of Vi. Even without that title, though, he has a reputation as the Sentinel of the North - a name that has traveled all the way south to Torchline. But whatever guesses she has about his identity remain silent; everyone deserves a break from the world every once in a while, and since that is what Lyra has decided this is, she's not going to spoil it by pressing him for more than he is willing to give.

"Nice to meet you, Noah," she says instead, meeting his hand with her own in a firm grip. The breeze settles, and the water around them stills as they each find a comfortable spot to sit. Lyra checks that her ring is still firmly in place in the sight of the moon, then turns her attention back to Noah. "I have a quest from Safrin," she explains. "To make a healing ring I have stronger. I'm supposed to leave it out under the light of the full moon, and this was the first place I found that wasn't cloudy." She smiles, lighting up her eyes even in the dim light of the night. "As for why I'm doing it alone, I suppose I hadn't really thought about it. How about you?" she asks, turning the query around. "What brings you out here, aside from protecting the odd lone traveler?"

So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it
You've got no reason to be afraid

Lyra

Table inspired by the lovely Brit

Her explanation settled something in him, easing the quiet tension that never fully left his shoulders. A quest from Safrin made sense of the stillness, the patience with which she occupied the flats, the way she watched the moon as much as the horizon. Noah’s gaze flicked briefly to the ring she checked, noting how she positioned it deliberately beneath the open sky. “That’s a good reason,” he said softly. ”I once had to do the same on a quest from Safrin.”

When she turned the question back on him, Noah leaned back slightly, bracing one hand behind him against the salt. His eyes lifted to the stars, reflected and refracted in the thin water until it felt as though he sat between two skies. For a moment, he watched them in silence, as if weighing which truth to offer. ”Since getting winged shifts I feel this tug. Sometimes I just feel it’s time to fly.”

The instinct to protect came when he saw her silhouette out here, alone. He did not dress it up as fate, nor dismiss it as coincidence. He simply let it be what it was. “If Safrin asked you to leave that ring under the full moon,” Noah added, nodding toward her camp, “then you chose the right night. And the right sky. How far from home is the desert for you?”

Noah

I am no longer a stone
I can't walk into the shadows alone

code by sky

'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take

They each relax in their own way, settling into one another's presence. Lyra watches him through her lashes for a moment before her gaze skitters out over the water. She has often thought about attuning, but hasn't been able to bring herself to ask. It feels selfish, somehow, especially when she's already been given so much by the gods. "That sounds... incredibly freeing," she comments, a certain wistfulness in her voice that she doesn't try to hide. "I've often wondered what it must be like, to be able to shift. To see the world through another perspective." Just as she's imagined, often, how useful it must be, to have access to stronger senses, to a different body, to a bond that she can only begin to imagine.

Talk turns to her quest. "I got lucky," she says with a light laugh. "I've been traveling around, looking for somewhere clear, and I finally thought, why not try a desert?" It's a ways from home, it's true, but she's been traveling for the better part of a season, hoping to expand her skillset and get used to different environments. "Torchline is home," she says. "Born and raised. It's only been recently that I've had the urge to travel. I work search and rescue, and I guess I thought... why not learn how to do the same work all across Caido? If I could help more people, then..." It would all be worth it.

So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it
You've got no reason to be afraid

Lyra

Table inspired by the lovely Brit

The wistfulness in her voice did not go unnoticed. He understood it well enough—the longing for other skies, other ways of moving through the world, the quiet curiosity about what else one might become if given the chance. “It’s like having another set of instincts and senses you can step into, another body that lets you move and perceive the world differently.”

Her mention of Torchline drew a faint smile from him. Warm coasts, salt wind, and color so different from the pale austerity of the flats around them. A place of tides and storms rather than silence. "That’s a long way from here.” he said, eyebrows lifting slightly. But it was her next statement that really caught his attention. He turned to fully look at her, glacier eyes captivated.

Search and rescue. It explained the readiness in her, the way she had tracked his shadow without panic, the way her camp was arranged for function over comfort. “Learning the land is one way of learning how to save the people in it. That’s not a small goal, Lyra." The wind brushed the flats again, soft and dry, carrying the faint sting of salt.

Noah

I am no longer a stone
I can't walk into the shadows alone

code by sky

'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take

Somehow, Noah understands her in a way that she hadn't anticipated, reading the wistfulness in her words and giving voice to her desires. "What's your favorite shift?" she asks, curious now. "Or do you only have the one? Not that there's anything wrong with the griffin," she hurries to add. "I just meant - well, if you have more, then... I imagine they all have their strengths, but I think I'd have a favorite, if it were me."

The wind grazes her cheeks once more, tugging at her hair. The smell of salt and the sting of sand, lifted by the breeze to flick against her skin, are so similar to and yet so different from home. "No," she agrees, "But I think it's a worthy one." Intense blue eyes glanced towards Noah. "I've always wanted to make a difference," she explains. "For a while, it was taking care of my kids - but they're grown now, and they don't need me as much. And Torchline has no shortage of people who can do search and rescue. But other places in Caido? Out here, in the Wilds? There's no one to protect people out here." Except for her, maybe - if she could get strong enough.

So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it
You've got no reason to be afraid

Lyra

Table inspired by the lovely Brit

The question made him pause, eyes lifting once more to the stars as if the answer might be written there, but he was really looking for the faintest light of Safrin, of Vi. Each of his skins carried its own language of muscle and instinct, its own way of reading the world. The polar bear had endurance and crushing strength. The lynx had silence. The wolverine had relentless will. The gyrfalcon speed, the longma a half-divine grace, and the griffin was the balance of sky and earth, predator and guardian.

But his life now was not always about power.

“There was one I don’t have anymore,” Noah said quietly. “Reindeer.” The word carried the hush of Halo's snowfields and the sense of belonging to something vast and moving. He let out a breath, a fond exhale of memories burried deep within him. “I miss that sense of patience, of knowing the land would change, and trusting your body to carry you through it.” The Sentinel's eyes shifted back to Lyra, glacier-bright but warm. “The elk is the closest I have to it now. Different, but similar." 

Noah took in what she said, the mention of her kids, of a life that had been centered on keeping others safe and then slowly letting them go. He nodded once, understanding in the simple, grounded way of someone who had seen that pattern before. His brows knit together with each word, his eyes not leaving her as she caught him captivated with such deesire and purpose.

“Places like this don’t have regular patrols. No guards, no healers close by. If something goes wrong, help can be days away.” A faint, approving curve touched his mouth. “You don’t need to be the strongest person in Caido to make a difference. You just need to be the one who shows up."

Noah

I am no longer a stone
I can't walk into the shadows alone

code by sky