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The morning breeze complemented the golden sun that warmed my damp skin. The rays of the sun gave the Skyden's a recharge of energy each new day. Except for today. Today I didn't feel the new light. I was still shaken by the trauma I had suffered just what seemed like a few minutes ago. I watched the last few drops of cold painful water drip off my skin and down into the sinister waters lurking below. The weakness finally came to an end. I cast my wings to fly up to my home. It was home in which I had once looked forward to returning to. Before the war, when I was young, I always looked up at the abundance of clouds that shaped it. Cloud upon cloud, layer upon layer. I would picture in my mind of when I would become a Queen.. ruling the Kingdom that was one with the Damaris. Nothing would be able to stop me from reaching this reality, this realm in my mind. Now I know that it was just a figment.. a spark of my imagination that lingered there whenever I remembered how things should've been. Many moons have passed since I was a young princess, yet my dream of peace and unity still abides within my shaken walls.

I closed my eyes. A spirited breeze ran through my hair and sent a chill down my spine. Pushing off the cloud, I found myself floating in the sky. Every piece of the world came together again. My mind was one with my soul. My purpose became clear again as I recentered my focus on the world we... I needed to change. At this moment I feel like I don't want to return home. I want to keep flying. No Kal, Father will become worried. I watch the clouds fly by. I'm becoming tired, but regain energy as my emotions build. I wish everyone could be free in the moment. I want that for all people. Whether they swim or fly. I look down below and spot my cloud. Plopping down on the cloud, my weight bounces me up and down, until I regain stability. Silence. Peace. The sun had never felt so welcoming... so gracious... so warm.

Though my eyes were closed, I sensed a Skyden near. I ignore the instinct and just be in the presence of my space. My cloud is my own, and it's where I can just feel and think and wonder. Warmth suddenly filled my cloud as a person sits next to me. I want to open my eyes but know who is near. "Troubled again?", he whispers. It's my best friend... well.. my other best friend. His warm hand cleaves around mine. We are as close as Skydens can be.. without being more and without being less. My heart skips a beat. I slowly opened my eyes. Piercing golden brown eyes stare back at me."Ray?!" I loudly whisper. All my feelings suddenly bundle up inside. I throw myself into a hug. Slightly surprised, Ray pauses for a moment, then holds me tight in our embrace of trust for one another. "What are you doing here?!", I ask. He lets go of me, and the warmth is gone. "I... I just wanted to make sure you were okay.", he replies with a worried tone. He hinted a shy smile, then acted seriously again. That's the thing about Ray. One moment you catch a glimpse of how he feels, but in a blink of an eye, he puts a mask on his emotions. I watch his eyes travel down to the sea, then up back to me again. He tries to hold his face still, but can't. His mouth quivers for a moment. His brows droop down, and a frown follows. "Kalani..." he says with sudden fear. "We need to leave."

"Now."

The Sky and the Sea, the Sea and the SkyWhere stories live. Discover now