Getting Away.
Havillah looked around her living room one last time and turned around to walk out. Her red Triban robes swished and swashed behind her with the golden thread that embroidered its edges glinting in the light that the crystals provided.
To walk or to fly? The thought weighed heavily on her mind even as she walked out of the house and sealed the door one last time. There was no ritual to it seeing that her ancestors before her had simplified everything and with every step that she took away from the inner circle, the energy that had settled within the crystals dissipated deactivating them until the next time she or one that was related to her found themselves there.
It was that simple. Too simple in fact, but not the science that was behind it. How her Virtue or rather the imprint of the Virtue of her ancestors flowing in her blood, for it was hereditary, was the key to every thing. How her will coupled with her presence in the circle could open it and subsequently how her will coupled with her abscence from the house could lock it. It was the perfect marriage of the first and second Virtue. How she was able to do it, not even Havillah herself could explain it. For despite it being as easy as breathing it was not as straightforward written on paper.
"Flying it is."she mumbled even as looked up to stare at the darkening sky devoid of any clouds that could cover her. It served as a deterrence but her mind was made up. Despite the option of going back,Havillah knew that there was no telling if the weather would change and also other things could crop up, breaking the plans that she had so well thought up and delaying the journey that she knew she had to make. No, she needed to do this and for that, would have to improvise. Who knew what necessity would brew up? All she needed were the right conditions and a new use for her Virtue would pop up. Had not the scrolls said the same? That the gift would improve with practice? As long as she remained diligent there was always a million ways in which she could push the gifting had been so graciously given to her.
Havillah slinged the knapsack on one shoulder and moved to take in the view outside. Shadows had began crawling in even as the night continued to quickly approach. The wind was quite still and the air silent as if anticipating the next move that she had to make. A heavy sigh left her even as she looked back one more time. She needed to leave right away. That is, if she ever intended on leaving unnoticed while keeping suspicious eyes at bay.
With the still orange sky as her guide, the Triban robes flattered as the winds beneath the girl's feet stirred and propelled her body upwards. In no time, the sanctuary and the entire area under the inner circle was beneath her feet and quickly shrinking as she sped away towards the cover of a small cloud that had just drifted in from the ocean.
Stage one was complete and even as Havillah continued to hide within the depths of the effervescent mists that was the cloud, she continued to ruminate on the stages that were also to come.
With the sun already sinking on the western horizon, Havillah followed it, thankful that the air currents were on her side and were seemingly driving the small cloud in the direction she wished to go. As the light continued to fade, the little cloud slowly disintegrated and Havillah was forced to fly down and land on a grassy knoll.
The people in this place were paranoid and Havillah knew that well enough. If she did not wish to get shot down out of the sky, it would only be wise to quit flying especially in the cover of the darkness that continued to slowly waft in. These people had technology and she had seen it. How they could spot flying bodies miles off especially in the gloom of the night. Their magnified infrared heat sensors making sure that they could do so with most of them becoming active with the very setting of the sun.
They would be looking up, she was sure of that. Scouting the skies for the ophidian intruders, the terrors that they had come to expect despite it being a while since the terrors had been spotted within the confines of the seaside town of Bethesda. For the soldiers underneath Killion's command would remain vigilant, unwilling to let down their guard and be taken unawares by what for a long time had been their only mortal enemy. No, they were not the type to back down easily and for that reason Havillah would do well to abandon her flight, on air that is and until the sun came back up.
"Walk it is then." she spoke to herself even as she adjusted the knapsack on her other shoulder, before moving on to wade through the tall grass that was moving down into a small plain. On the farthest side she spotted a dark line. As she moved closer she realised that it was a forest, a woodland if she was lucky and she continued in that direction, to the west where the sky was aflame with the remnants of that same orangish glow that the sun had left behind.
"You know, I could use your company right now."
"Yes I know, but I chose to remain silent with good reason. It is getting dark and you need to remain vigilant, something that our conversation would greatly undermine." The voice told her.
"Fine then." she grumbled back at it, him, her? She still did not know what gender to refer the voice as.
"Why are you even complaining? It was not my decision to go at night now, was it?"
"You know why I did so." The voice did not respond and Havillah continued to fume silently even as she trudged on, wading through the field of grass and in the direction of the wooded area that still seemed a far off. Until now, she had not allowed herself to think of what she had left behind and the Voice's accusations were not something that she took lightly. Why did she even feel the need to be so secretive? She huffed. Was it possible that she felt something more than a growing friendship for the young man that she insisted on calling her brother? No, she shook her head in denial even as the mental barrage continued. A brother, if he was just that, she would have at least tried and told him goodbye but no, she had to act dramatic. But then again, the man would have tried and stopped her and that was not something she was willing to risk considering the connection that had existed between him and Calla.
She would let him go and truly hope that he would forgive her actions. She told herself. Hadn't she brought him enough trouble lately? Since the day she had landed there Havillah dragged herself from one mess into another. He would have peace now that she was gone. That was the only payment that she could give him. Peace of mind that is. A thing that she found so priceless now that she had a voice who was constantly invading her thoughts.