~Chapter 4- Cielo~

Most Sky Land children took flying classes around the time they were ten. So when Corri joined the flying classes, she was the oldest. Several other kids attended the class with her under the tutelage of an old man named Cielo.

Cielo gathered the class in an open courtyard and whistled. Both of his birds descended around him. One was a young swallow, and the other was a calm old pelican. Each of them was significantly larger than Cielo. This made some of the kids nervous, but not Corri.

"These are my birds, Azul," Cielo rubbed the back of the swallow as he said his name, "And this old guy is Will," Cielo placed a hand on the beak of the old pelican.

Cielo patted Azul, and the young bird bolted into the sky.

"Now, how many of you have ridden a bird before? Perhaps, your parents' birds?" Cielo asked the class. A few of the kids raised their hands. Cielo's eyes drifted past Corri. Her clothes were rougher than the others, a clear sign of a land dweller.

Cielo smiled at her, "The red-headed girl out front, you're from down below, aren't you?"

Corri looked around to make sure he was speaking to her. "How did you know?"

"I've got eyes for those sorts of things," Cielo motioned to the class, "Everyone, come say hi to Will. He's friendly and has helped me teach for years."

The other kids were nervous to approach, but Corri didn't hesitate to go up to the big bird, and the others followed. Cielo took Corri's hand and placed it along Will's feathery back, and had her run her hand across it.

"Pet him just like that. Gently. You've got to treat these creatures with care and respect if you ever plan to ride them."

The other kids took turns petting Will. One of the young boys was a little too rough, and Cielo chewed him out for daring to disrespect his bird.

"When do we get to start flying?" Corri asked.

Cielo gave a hearty laugh, "That'll come, young one. There's much you'll have to learn before-"

As Cielo spoke, Corri gripped the saddle on Will's back and climbed on. She had been watching the other sky riders closely and mounted the bird just as they had.

Cielo looked like he was about to tell her to get off, but stopped himself. "I thought you hadn't ridden a bird before."

Corri smiled, "Now I have."

Cielo kept a keen eye on Corri as the class continued. Usually, he would wait a few weeks before having any of the kids go flying, but she was progressing very quickly. One day, he walked her through the basics of controlling a bird, using a saddle contraption to emulate the swaying of flight. Corri caught on quickly.

He took Corri to one of the sky docks and had her mount Will while he climbed onto Azul. A tether kept the rider bound to their bird.

"Now, Will is a very learned bird, so he will help you if you're not quite getting it. If you ever feel uncomfortable, return to your neutral position, and Will will level out. Understand?"

Corri nodded, nervous but excited to finally fly.

Cielo flourished the reins on his bird, and Azul dived down from the sky dock. They disappeared from Corri's sight before rising into the air with great speed.

Corri took a deep breath and flourished the reins, signaling Will to take off. Will charged forward and leapt off the sky dock. The two dived down, piercing through several clouds until Corri pulled up lightly. Will's descent began to slow until his wings leveled out in the air and they glided forward.

Cielo flew next to Corri and shouted, "How're you feeling?"

"Good!"

"Alright, feel free to take your time, maybe start with subtle movements and turns. After you get comfortable, a good way to build up speed is to dive and use the momentum to carry you through other-"

Corri flourished Will's reins to dive down, and he did, gaining speed at a remarkable rate. The red-haired girl whooped as she felt the air flow past her. She signaled the pelican to turn upwards; the speed they had gathered in the dive helped them ride the turn and ascend back up to Cielo.

Corri headed towards a set of Sky Islands. She had Will weave between them, flying just over the heads of the residents there. She commanded Will with the expertise of a seasoned Sky Rider. Cielo had a difficult time keeping up.

The two landed on an abandoned piece of Sky Land to give the birds rest before continuing onward. The small island was flush with trees and fruits for the birds to feast on. Cielo plucked an orange from one of the trees and passed it to Corri.

"You're a real natural."

"Thanks!" Corri said, as she began to peel the orange, "So, how would I go about getting my own bird?"

"Anxious, aren'tcha?" Cielo quipped, "If you have the coin, you could pick one up at one of the many vendors back in the city. But if you want a true companion, I would tame one from the wild. That's where I got Will and Azul from. There's nothing quite as gratifying as that."

Corri looked out at the sky. Sky Riders were going to and fro, but other wild birds populated the sky as well. Corri could see in the distance a peculiar-looking Sky Island, with dark black trees that bore no leaves.

"What's that place?" Corri asked.

"The Crow's Nest. A place we're going to steer far away from. If you're looking for a bird to tame, I'd avoid a crow. They can be very difficult," Cielo said. He shivered as he looked upon the place.

The two explored the nearby sky for a little longer before deciding to head back to the city. When they did, Corri felt an ominous chill in the air. The clouds turned from a bright orange to a dark black, and the sky suddenly turned grey. In the distance, she could see lightning emerging from the clouds.

"That's unusual," Cielo remarked, "We need to land!"

The two headed for the nearest piece of land they could find, passing by one of the blackened clouds. Out of the cloud emerged several masses of black. Corri heard a shrill caw and recognized them as crows - black-winged birds much larger and more menacing than Azul or Will.

Several crows snapped their beaks and swung their talons at them. Corri dived down with Will, and the crows followed her, paying no mind to Cielo. Their attention was firmly on the red-haired girl.

Corri looked back as the crows started to catch up. She saw a figure riding one of the crows. It was not a Ralosian like her. It wasn't a Phantine, Densius, or Mecarne either. It was a being unlike anything she had ever seen.

A figure with ebon black arms, a pale spotted chest, and luminescent orange eyes. It wore a cloak around its body that flapped with the gusts of wind surrounding him.

One of the crows caught up and lunged forward with its talons, cutting through the tether that kept her tied to Will. The pelican took a hard turn to avoid the pursuing crows. Corri's grip on the reins loosened, and she fell off. She began to fall through the air, away from Will, until he was out of reach.

Corri saw a large sky island as she continued to plummet down, passing through black clouds. She had an idea. She turned herself away from the island and kicked at the air. A faint yellow light emerged from her foot, propelling her through the air until she was just above a Sky Island.

If she landed without slowing down, she would die. Corri knew what she had to do and prepared herself, angling her feet downwards. She kicked down, and another yellow light burst from her, and her falling speed decreased greatly.

She landed on the ground, feet first into the dirt, and fell over. Her legs shook, but she would be alright. Using a Focus burst, she slowed herself down just enough.

She was out of breath from using Focus twice in a row. Her brother and cousin used the ability much more frequently and had become accustomed to it, but when she did, it drained her stamina greatly.

Corri caught her breath. The sudden storm that surrounded her dissipated, and the weather returned to its tranquil state. She thought it strange that such a terrible storm had appeared and disappeared so quickly.

And who was riding and commanding the crows?

Corri looked around the sizable Sky Island. There was a wellspring of never- ending water and plenty of trees brimming with fruits. There was even a small cave on the island. But when she looked up at the sky surrounding her, there was nothing. No sign of sky riders or birds. She found herself in a rarely traversed portion of the sky.

Corri waited near the edge of the island for someone to show up, hopefully, Cielo. But as the sun began to set, she began to lose hope that anyone was coming for her. She took shelter in the cave for the night.