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Post by Noa on May 27, 2021 17:38:15 GMT -6
{You don’t know that!} Rhys protested. {Besides, not being able to see isn’t very pleasant, you know!}
“I know,” Noa said. Then he smiled blithely. “That’s why you have to learn. Now you don’t have to worry about not being able to see, even when it’s dark. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Rhys narrowed his eyes, before subsiding with a mutter.
The little feathered creature was also in a cheerful mood, having been let down to run around. Now, however, Noa collected it by scooping it up. It had the gall to protest this now, having grown used to being allowed to roam somewhat over the course of this training. It was no longer quite so content, so Noa was finding, to be confined in the pocket that it had once ridden in so cheerfully before.
All good things have to come to an end, Noa supposed. At least he no longer had to worry about whether the little creature’s muscles were in danger of atrophying. It was getting plenty of exercise now, so maybe... Maybe that would finally prompt it to actually grow some, instead of just eating like it was in one end and out the other.
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Post by Noa on May 27, 2021 17:41:12 GMT -6
Noa wasn't holding his breath, of course, but it would be nice. Even if, now that he thought about it, the matter of transportation would get somewhat more inconvenient. Small creatures were easy to take from place to place, and he didn't really have to consider whether there would be enough space for them. Rhys could go with Noa practically anywhere, something that he took for granted, but if he wanted to bring Avander, or heavens forbid, Azalea...
Ah well, those were considerations for if the creature actually ever grew to any considerable size. For now, it was still of just a size to tuck into a pocket, even against its wishes.
"It's time for us to head home," Noa said. They'd dug around enough on this trip that he was tired, and didn't want to do any more digging. It was a hassle to come all the way out here, but there was no sense in working himself to a destructive level of exhaustion just to make the most out of one trip.
They would come back here again sooner or later. For now, Noa collected everything he had found on the trip with Rhys, and headed for home.
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Post by Nadia on May 30, 2021 12:56:35 GMT -6
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 17:51:26 GMT -6
Once again, Noa found himself making yet another trip to the mines. This time he had the gargoyle with him, along with Rhys and the little feathered creature from before, who were fast becoming regulars of these trips anyway. The weather had cleared up somewhat from the last time Noa had had occasion to come here, which was good, considering it had rained for approximately a week, and that never did his spirits any favors. It didn't adversely affect his health or anything, but the lack of sunlight did impact his mood somewhat. One would think that someone whose mood was dependent on sunlight wouldn't be terribly fond of being underground either. And you would be right, of course, but the trouble was that Noa needed to get his hands on magic crystals and gemstones. And there was only so much room in him for humoring even his own idiosyncrasies in the face of necessity, so here he was. Over the years he had slowly acclimated to it, to the point where it was merely a mild unpleasantness. Unless it was damp, of course. Noa hated a damp cavern very much. It wasn't the pinnacle of things that he loathed, but he certainly made it a point to avoid such circumstances where he could. Fortunately, it was easier to communicate this to the gargoyle, so he hadn't had to visit a damp cave since he had begun working with the gargoyle rather than his old cherry quartz gem drake mining companion. 1
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 17:58:31 GMT -6
The gargoyle was here this time, but it was Noa who picked the cavern, not because he had a strong opinion on where they should go, but because he suggested one and the gargoyle seemed to be on board with it. Neither of them, as it turned out, had a strong idea as to where to go, so this worked out. It was just one cave among dozens, and so long as there weren't any urgent and obvious dangers inside, it hardly made a difference as to which they went to, at this point.
The prizes were almost always deeper in, anyway.
As of late, he had taken to doing some training while he was down here, so Noa considered what, if anything, he might want to teach to one of his companions on this trip. Most likely it would be the little feathered creature, since it had the least in the way of anything that it had learned... Though he hadn't really worked with the gargoyle either, on that front. But then, he also didn't know if the gargoyle would take offense to the idea of being taught by him, as if the gargoyle were some common beast.
But as the thought occurred to him, he looked at the gargoyle and said, "Come to think of it... Do you know how to fly?"
The gargoyle turned to look at him in turn, the sockets where his eyes ought to be wide in an expression that could only have been surprise.
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 17:58:45 GMT -6
He stayed like that for several long moments, then turned to stare off into space instead. Noa could practically hear the gears turning in his head. Maybe he was questioning his life choices up until this point, or having some kind of crisis.
I was actually kind of funny to watch.
As funny as it was though, the fact that nothing was happening did grate on him a little after a while. "I'll take that as a no," Noa said, though privately he thought it a bit absurd. If he had been born with wings, he felt that he would have done what he could to take advantage of that fact before this point. Flying, even now, in whatever form it was available to him, was one of life's joys - not that he indulged in it excessively, but it was also a very efficient way to get from place to place.
{Oh, I can help!} said Rhys, happy to have a reason to chime in. {My wings aren't exactly like your wings, but there must be some overlap, right?} As he said this, Rhys fluttered took off from his perch on Noa's shoulder to do a quick circuit in the air. The gargoyle watched, and if Noa wasn't mistaken, there was a hint of jealousy in his expression as he did so.
The little feathered creature had popped out to watch too, though with less comprehension. It had seen Rhys fly plenty of times before, and didn't seem to understand what all the fuss was about.
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 18:15:59 GMT -6
But no matter; it wasn't the focus of what they were doing right now anyway. So long as it didn't cause any trouble, Noa didn't care if it watched what they were doing, or even what it thought of those proceedings, really.
As for the gargoyle, however, Noa observed him and then issued a few instructions. "Try flapping your wings for me," he said. "I just want to see how they move." Not all flyers were made the same way, and he had to admit, he had never seen wings in quite the style that the gargoyles had before. In theory he suspected they were probably more similar to Avander's wings than anything else; they certainly didn't resemble the feathered wings of the bird species around these parts. And they weren't insectile in shape either, so there may not have been as much overlap with Rhys's flying patterns as the Faeron hoped.
The gargoyle still looked a little flabbergasted, but by now he was on board and complying with what Noa had asked him to do. He gave his wings a couple of experimental flaps, and Noa watched the movement with a pensive look on his face.
It did really resemble the way that Avander moved, more than anything else - or at least, as Noa suspected, it was closer to that than to what Rhys did. It wasn't exactly a one to one with Avander's style of movement though, due to the difference in their proportions. Still, this gave Noa an idea of where to start.
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 18:16:26 GMT -6
Though, on the other hand, when one was starting out, the advice he could give to any flyer with any configuration was pretty similar. "To get to takeoff, you'll have to flap your wings as hard as you can," he said. "Ah, but before you try it, you have to make sure you're beating them in the right direction. Try to imagine your wings like hands... You're cupping the air, and pushing it down."
The nice thing about the gargoyle's level of intelligence was that Noa could give him these sorts of instructions, and have a reasonable expectation that it would be followed without issue. Indeed, the gargoyle reflected on what Noa had said for a moment, then began slowly moving his wings again. Noa didn't rush him; the gargoyle may have never made any serious attempt at flight before this point, and thus he certainly wouldn't know how to move his wings in the correct manner. Or perhaps he had tried, and tried badly, and now he was having to unlearn the habits that had done him no good in his attempts. Noa was pretty vague on the history of the gargoyle, and he couldn't say that he had made a serious attempt to find out more, but it wasn't his business or even his hobby to pry into other people's affairs. If he didn't need to know it for some purpose, he simply didn't ask.
The gargoyle flapped his wings a few times before he seemed to gain enough confidence.
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 18:18:25 GMT -6
Then all at once, he began beating them like crazy. Nothing really happened at first, because of course it wouldn't. Apparently the gargoyle grew frustrated, however, and took a few leaps upward to try and kickstart the flight.
Noa didn't actually think it would work, but on the third attempt the gargoyle managed to take off like that, fluttering in the air for a few incredulous moments before the surprise got the best of him and he faltered, falling back down to the ground in an ungainly heap.
Well, at least he hadn't managed to fly very high, so he didn't have a long way to fall either.
"Not bad," Noa said, even as Rhys winced. Even the little feathered creature, who had peeked its head out to look, seemed to be staring down at the gargoyle with a look of pity. Noa hoped it wasn't taking this as an example of what to do when it learned how to fly; he had hopes that it would mature into something that would at least be capable of flight, though it was impossible to know for sure just yet.
Back to the issue at hand though, which was the matter of the gargoyle's journey to flight. The road to that goal looked like it was going to be a rocky one. The only good thing that could be said of the situation was that the gargoyle didn't take the fall to heart, getting to his feet and dusting the worst of the debris from himself.
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 18:19:12 GMT -6
A little dust and dirt didn't seem to bother the gargoyle too much, especially considering that his job was to dig around anyway, but the fall had wedged some small pebbles against his skin, which had to have been much more uncomfortable.
Noa hadn't been lying when he said it wasn't bad though. Or at least it wasn't a bad first attempt, anyway. The fact that the gargoyle managed to take off at all after such an attempt was a pleasant surprise. "Try flying again. Now that you know what to expect, maybe you'll be able to stay in the air longer."
The gargoyle had a determined look on his face. He took a moment to prepare himself, then began beating his wings madly again. It only took him two jumps this time to get aloft, though unfortunately he didn't stay in the air much longer than last time. It seemed a single attempt was not enough to prepare him for the prospect of actually staying in the air.
But even so, he was practicing, and it would surely come to him sooner or later. He didn't even wait for Noa to give him a signal before immediately trying again... and again... and again.
He fell a lot. It was to be expected, but also kind of hard to watch.
After a certain point though, it became clear that the issue wasn't really one of technique so much as endurance. "Stop," Noa said, when the gargoyle geared up for yet another attempt.
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 18:19:47 GMT -6
The gargoyle was already breathing hard, but even so, he looked surprised at what Noa was saying to him for a moment. "Stop, stop, stop. You're not going to make any progress like that. You need to build up more strength in your muscles first, or... whatever it is that gargoyles have." Were they actually made of flesh, or was it some sort of rocky or metallic material like the gem drakes had? Well, either way, there was something powering the flight that needed the strength to be built up first.
The gargoyle did stop, which meant that he was listening to what Noa had to say on the matter. Which was good, because while Noa had no wings himself, he'd raised several different creatures into being able to fly. Compared to the gargoyle who had never even had any real success at it himself, Noa was willing to bet that he had the greater breadth of knowledge. "Just keep flapping your wings like that from time to time. That will help you build up the strength. Once you have that, you'll be able to sustain something more like a real flight."
The gargoyle sagged with disappointment, but reality was unfortunately what it was. And in the meantime, they had mining work to get on with, so Noa simply began walking deeper into the cavern. The gargoyle moped a bit, but recovered enough to start serving as Noa's guide, the way he normally would on a trip where he wasn't trying to learn a new life skill.
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 18:20:06 GMT -6
They explored the tunnels for a while, and found some stones of reasonable worth, though nothing that could have been considered a great windfall. Certainly no magical crystals, to the disappointment of both. The gargoyle had no use for the ones that weren't prismatic, but he had come to share some of Noa's excitement in finding the things. At intervals throughout the trip, the gargoyle exercised his wings, which Noa noted with some mild amusement. The little feathered creature alternately watched the proceedings and fell asleep, while Rhys kept up a smattering of conversation with Noa and the gargoyle both.
But eventually it was time to head home, and home they went.
They returned a few days later for another trip, all three of them still present for this new foray. The gargoyle chose the cavern this time, and from his choice, Noa could see his ambitions clearly. Only a short walk through the tunnels brought them to a cavern with a very high ceiling. "Room for flight practice, hmm?" Noa said.
The gargoyle held his hands out in a shrug-like gesture, as if to say that it was what it was. He wasn’t even trying to hide the fact - not that there would be much hiding of it anyway. Well, a little ambition wasn’t a bad thing, and it was true that he had been doing his wing exercises diligently in the time since their last trip. Maybe he would have some better luck of it this time around.
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 18:21:40 GMT -6
Now that they were in a chamber with room for him to do so, the gargoyle wasted no time in trying to launch himself into the air again. And it soon became clear that his work was paying off, as he went much further into the air than he had gone on the last trip. Which was to say he got more than a foot off the ground… Significantly more. The gargoyle went up and up and up.
It was all very exciting, Noa was sure. But it soon became apparent that the gargoyle had a different problem: he had no idea how to get down.
“Angle yourself forward,” Noa said, “and straighten out your wings.” But rather than doing that, the gargoyle stalled, and fell rapidly; Noa sighed, and willed a bit of wind magic into being to carry the gargoyle gently to the ground. It was a waste of magic, but better than letting the gargoyle break his own neck on impact or something.
Maybe too much ambition was an issue that ought to be corrected.
{Like this,} Rhys said. Noa didn’t know what exactly passed between the Faeron and the gargoyle, since Rhys’s landing flight pattern was different given his different style of wings. Most likely Rhys was simply relaying the mental image from Noa’s mind to the gargoyle’s.
“You should start out a little lower, until you get used to it,” Noa said. Ambition was only a virtue if it didn't get you killed.
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 18:21:57 GMT -6
“I won’t always be able to catch you when you fall, so let’s try not to have a fall that could kill you.”
The gargoyle looked thoroughly admonished, but Noa didn’t feel bad for saying all that to him. It was necessary, and Noa didn’t like to be on the hook for the safety of an individual who should frankly have better sense than that. A creature of lesser intelligence, who was doing their best to perform as Noa had asked of them, that much he could make allowances for. After all, he was the one directing their efforts, and they didn’t always have the sense to think things through on the same level. But the gargoyle? He was an adult of his species, wasn’t he?
Besides which, the gargoyle didn’t stay discouraged for long anyway. It didn’t take long for him to muster up the nerve to try again. Noa and Rhys were both watching him carefully - though the little feathered creature was currently taking a nap - as he made another takeoff. But this time the gargoyle seemed to have taken Noa’s advice, and didn’t go for so much height this time.
“Good,” Noa said. “Now to land, straighten your wings out, and lean forward. Try to look where you want to go.” The gargoyle wobbled precariously in the air, but managed it at the last second, for a smoother landing than he had been having, at least. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.
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Post by Noa on Jun 3, 2021 18:23:02 GMT -6
“See how much better it is when you don’t fall down?” Noa said. The gargoyle opened his wings again immediately, eager to try once more. Given that he was only taking short flights and practicing how to land at the moment, Noa didn’t see any reason to stop him. “Go on,” he said. “Fly.”
The gargoyle took off, once more sticking to a lower height this time. “And now land like before. Straighten your wings, and…” The gargoyle managed to do it more smoothly this time around, which was already a good sign of progress.
The gargoyle took off and landed a few times after that, under Noa’s careful eye and guidance. His landings weren’t perfect, but he seemed to be moving into them more easily as time went on. As he became more familiar with the movements, he also began to start flying a little higher at a time. Noa clocked this, but no longer discouraged him from it now that he could make a less terrible landing. So long as he didn’t go too high too soon, it wasn’t a bad thing to increase his height as he went. After all, eventually the goal was for him to be able to fly as high as he could stand, if he wanted to.
Eventually, however, Noa had to call a break. “Let’s do some real mining for a bit,” he said. It was for his own sake, but also for the gargoyle's sake.
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