Tag

The wind over the island was good today. Leaves waved slowly back and forth in the wind, making a gentle sound as they brushed together. Flowers danced and bobbed on the ground, making their bright colors all the more attention grabbing. In the valley many creatures moved- herbivores with their loud, booming calls, gently guiding their young hatchlings and teaching them the way of the world. Carnivores, with their sharp teeth and claws, so gentle when it came to their own eggs and delicate offspring.

And above it all, in the cloudless sky, Keeker flew. Her bright white feathers shone like a beacon in the endless blue sky, anyone on the ground below able to look up and spot her instantly. But they were of the ground, and she was of the sky. The tropeognathus felt untouchable, invincible. The largest flying creature on the islands (disregarding those twins), she was the apex. Even the mighty acrocathosaurus could touch her up here. No one could.

The gentle sound of wingbeats broke Keeker from her thoughts, and she flapped her wings and squawked in fear- which was quickly calmed when she saw a flash of green feathers. “Oh.” Keeper clacked her beat in an embarrassed manner, quickly calming her flight path and falling back in line with the other. “It’s only you.” 

The vibrant tropeognathus next to her let out an unflattering laugh (through no fault of her own, horrible cackles were just a trademark of their kind). “Keeper, were your heads in the clouds again?” The others' eyes sparkled as she made a show of looking around. “Or I suppose in this case, you are the cloud!” 

Keeper hissed, clacking her beak at the other sharply. “Oh shush. You know I’m right- we’re untouchable up here! There is no reason not to nod off a little.” 

Sasha clacked her beak in response. “Oh? Are you sure? What if a mean, vicious tropeognathus showed up? One that loves to feed upon the bones of other flyers!” With a mischievous look in her eyes, Sasha nipped at the wing of Keeper lightly before letting out a shriek.

The game was on. Keeper shrieked back, playing her part as she suddenly folded her wings and dove down towards the ground. Air whistled by her, wind that normally would snag and catch her fall now parted like water around her. Even without turning her head, Keeper could hear a second whistle- Sasha was following. And she was close. Expertly she flared her wings just as the sound grew closer, stopping her fall as Sasha failed to pull up and dove past with a loud curse. It was worth the burning in her wings from the quick stop.

Cackling, Keeper let out a loud whoop as she spun around in the opposite direction. “Looks like the big bad cannibal isnt able to keep up to the real ruler of the skys!” An enraged cackle filled the air as Sasha got back on the chase- but Keeper had already gotten a good head start thanks to that old trick.

Still. Keeper knew Sasha was faster in a flat race- and with what she pulled earlier, Sasha would be sure to have more stamina. Thinking fast, Keeper turned to head towards the cover of a nearby forest. Flying there would be tricky, but she knew she was capable of it. 

Diving into the forest felt like a whole new world. Instead of clear, windy skies the air was cluttered and still, forcing Keeper to weave in and out of branches and leaves as she flew. Several times she found she had too close of a call as she nearly clipped a wing or crashed right into a tree, but every time she was able to correct course. As she sped into a clearing, Keeper let out a loud call of victory. Sasha was so far behind, Keeper wasn't even able to hear her! Surely this meant she won, right?

Suddenly green and yellow feathers filled her world as another body crashed into hers, sending both of them hurdling to the ground. Keeper shrieked, but the other was gentle enough to use her wings to slow their descent, allowing them a gentle landing on the forest floor. A beak clamped close near Keeper’s ear, and she could almost hear the smug grin on it. “Looks like you're not the apex of the sky.” Sasha cooed, backing up to let Keeper up. Yep. There was that smug grin. Letting out a good-natured scoff, Keeper pushed herself to the ground with a sigh of defeat. 

“Fine, fine, you got me.” Keeper sighed dramatically, letting herself flop over onto her back dramatically. “I'm defeated, I am dead. Slain, by my own kind.” She mumbled dramatically, flopping a wing over her face. “Oh, have pity on me.”

Sasha snickered, nudging at Keeper with her blunt beak. “Lucky for you, I happen to not be cannibalistic. But… I am pretty hungry.” She tilted her head in thought for a moment. “Want to go get some fish?”

Keeker groaned. Her wings were already burning from the chance. “In a moment, give me a second.” Sasha took this with no complaint, sliding closer to Keeper and beginning to preen her feathers. Keeper chirped softly, leaning into the soft tugs of a rough beak on ruffled feathers. The grass beneath them was soft and warm from the sun, and Keeper couldn't help but stretch her wings out and enjoy it for a moment. However, while the air was a safe place for them, the land was not. The sudden cracking of a branch close by had them tensing, Sasha backing off and leaping into the air as Keeper quickly followed. A low growl followed the two of them, but they were gone.

“Glad we didn’t get too comfortable there.” Keeker quipped as she climbed the air, gently brushing against Sasha who seemed oddly quiet. “Hey, now that we’re here… fish?”

“Sounds good.” Sasha finally spoke, a small smile finally appearing on her beak. Keeper brushed the oddity to the back of the mind, before flashing a grin. “Race ya!” And like that, off they went.