Hail or High Water

There are different kinds of fliers all over the world and different kinds of teachers. Some fliers are fair weather, preferring to only take to the skies during times of clear weather, blue sky stretching out in front of them with the sun beating down at them, warming them. These fliers might only fish from calm waters, eat small critters, or scavenge kills from those more daring. At the sign of a dark cloud they turn in and ground themselves until conditions improve. These fliers are unlikely to stray far from their birthplace, and if they do, they tend to settle for good once they find a new place of residence.

Other fliers are different, however. Some don't mind risk, adventure, and variety in their lives. These fliers encounter many situations, people and places in their lives. Some fliers, no matter their preference, also can find themselves in a situation as such depending on the culture of their flock. Some flocks may have you prove yourself by flying to a far land and retrieving something which cannot be found near home. 

That's what Uzuragi, Nerodia and Electra were doing. 

The trio of fliers were making a cross-country trip from the northeast part of the island where they lived, a former airport by the Dead City to some islands located southwest of the main island. For the most part this trip was going to be over land. Uzuragi, Nerodia and Electra first had to navigate the area between the two highlands of Isla Kela, flying over and through the wetlands of the lower part of the island. That part went easily enough, the trio of fliers had the benefits of flight on their side, riding thermals when able and picking and chosing their landing spots so they didn't have to worry about creatures in the water. They snapped up fish like little herons and took shelter in whatever trees they could climb up. After the wetlands was some forest, followed by unfamiliar but not unwelcomed beach. They took a pause at the beach to grab up snacks and rest, while also talking about the next part of their flight. 

“That weather doesn't look good. “ Electra would observe from where he was resting in the sand, wings outstretched as he soaked in the sun. He was looking at some weather in the far distance, clouds rising up high into the sky while also sinking low above the water. 

“It shouldn't be too bad..” Nerodia would say positively. She would try to reason it out. “It is over open water, right? All we need to do is fly around it to get to the islands. Once there we can wait it out and let it pass. “ 

“We need to think of a backup plan in case we get stuck in it while trying to go around… “ Uzuragi would also try to reason. 

“I…don't think we need to worry about that. “ Nerodia would gently dismiss. “We either wait here for it to pass, then leave.. or we leave now and fly around it. “ 

“Waiting here would just delay us further, they do expect our return at a decent time… “ Electra would comment. He knew rushing things, especially the weather, wasn't good but they really had no choice thanks to the packmates above them. 

“Then we should probably get flying. “ Uzuragi would stretch out her wings. It prompted Electra to get up off of the ground and also stretch. Nerodia would give a bit of a shake, getting some stray sand off before she would take to the air first. 

The rest of the young Tropeonathus would take off after her, the trio climbing back up into the sky as they started their crossing for the islands. 

The further out to sea they got the worse visibility started to get. It was too late to turn back when they began to realize they would not be out flying the storm and getting around it, it was steadily overtaking them. It grew wider and wider, taller and lower. There was warm air ahead of it, cool air behind it, spinning it as lightning began to flash more and more frequently. The lightning cracking around the trio of fliers, them becoming more and more wary as they tried to fly under the storm. They knew they couldn't fly above it, it was far too tall. Unfortunately flying under the storm made things worse. The rain got heavier and heavier, the wind faster and faster. The trio found their flying was getting harder and harder as they were drenched and tossed around. Electra was having the easiest time, followed by Uzuragi and then Nerodia. They continued to press on as rain pelted them, stinging them as they pushed through. 

And then the worst came. 

It was unexpected, but most severe weather is. 

It began to hail. 

Stones of ice fell, growing in size as it began to pelt the young Tropeos. Hail was a lot more painful than rain, it could bruise and it could break. Over open water they had nowhere to go, there was no shelter. All they could do was tuck their heads and try to keep going. 

Nerodia was the first one to fall, letting out a pained noise as hail pelted her on the arm and then on the face. She tried to tuck in, trying to dodge the hail and protect herself but it cost her altitude as she fell towards the waves below. She would flutter out, spread her wings to try to get altitude back, then be reminded of the painful stones, quickly folding back up. Uzuragi and Electra shouted things she didn't hear as she fell into the water below. They backtracked, trying to fly down and circle where she fell. It only exposed them longer to the rain of ice and as Nerodia gasped and tried to stay on the surface of the water Electra would be the next one to take a plunge. 

The last one flying in the storm, Uzuragi let out a scared, frustrated and sore noise and she dove down and darted into the water to join her friends. If anything, maybe they could use the surface of the ocean as a barrier against the hail? 

 That was going to be a challenge, though, the ocean was angry and it tossed them around. The young fliers were almost completely at its mercy as they would be tossed up then dunked under. Even if they tried to stay under the waves to try to stay under the hail, they couldn't hold their breath forever and that was if they weren't tossed back up to the air above. Gambling with the bad weather had been a mistake , it'd lead to this accident, and now they were all in trouble. Their lives were legitimately in danger, they were all so young that dealing with bad weather was quite a chore on a good day. If they couldn't figure something out they might all drown now, or be beat to death by hailstones. The only saving grace here was that the water was deep, which meant the young Tropeonathus would not be slammed against rock or coral. Nerodia was having a terrible time if it however, having taken quite the beating from the hail and rain. She couldn't even really think straight to try to figure a way out of this mess, and Uzuragi and Electra were both busy themselves just trying to not be drowned. 

Thankfully for the young, inexperienced fliers, they wouldn't have to figure something out. An orange topped shape ascended from below Nerodia, the closer it got the more defined it's shape until it broke water and had her collected on its back. “Don't worry young one, I've got you, hold on. “ It was an orange and grey Aristonectes, it's body patterned with black and white bands with black cell patterns and stripes. The lower half of it covered in a dusting of freckles. In the moment she was probably the most beautiful creature the young fliers had seen. Soon she was scooping up Electra and then Uzuragi as well and was getting them situated. “Hold your breaths young ones. “ The Aristo dove into the water and started her way for the far islands, thanks to her size and massive flippers she was a far quicker swimmer than the trio. She was far more stable in rough seas and would get them free of the hail core, and then the storm alltogether, rescuing them from their accident and near drowning. By they time she dropped them off on the nearest beach of the first island, they decided they won't be going anywhere that night as they recovered from their wounds and they thanked her and bid her farewell.