Whirlwind missed the city air already. She longed for the peculiar human aromas wafting up to her. She sometimes took guesses at where each one came from. The stuffy clouds of warm breath mingling from the cars below her, that stench was easy. She could see the smoke from their noses when they coughed. The bitter scent that seemed to soar into the skies with the morning as the humans awoke was a lot harder to place. Maybe the smell of their meals? The flavor grew on her every time she caught a whiff.
Humans ate all the time. The remnants of the chicken lay heavy in her stomach. It had been days, and still the thought of eating again made her sick. Their foods were so complex that Whirlwind couldn't even begin to describe them sometimes. Just the thought of it gave her a surge of excitement. Maybe she could eat more if it was made by human hands! That's it, she decided, smiling mischievously to herself. I will have some of their strange food even if I have to steal it myself!
The stratus clouds below her blanketed the sky in a soft embrace. She dragged her claws through the fabric, cool mist rippling out of her way and splitting the thin cloud behind her. Whirlwind lowered herself through the beautiful covering. Chill rippled around her, and she rejoiced in the gentle touch of the hazy sky. Above the sun reflected bright, but as she dove within the lean cloud, it parted to reveal the darkened land below her.
Carefully tended fields stretched on as far as she could see in patches of different shades. From this altitude, it all looked pretty silly to Whirlwind. Darker trees dotted the landscape, some all alone and others in small swaths. She wondered where all the animals went, with so little places left for them to explore and call home.
Human houses sat like rocks on the floor, all of the land meticulously kept around them.
She skimmed the bottom of the clouds, frowning. There didn't seem to be any humans just leaving food around.
Maybe she needed to find a bigger nest of humans? The wind caught in a swift current under her wings, and she beat them with a fervor. The world shifted beneath her as she picked up speed, searching for a community just populated enough there would be meals left unattended, and just barren enough she wouldn't be detected.
Whirlwind raced against the wind, flying through patches of sunlight that lit her wings like molten gold. The summer was giving in to early fall, and the clouds above her grew heavier. This land was pockmarked with small pools of water. Her frown grew deeper, the satisfaction of her pace evaporating into lost wisps.
Acu lived in bodies of water, and despite a few tensions with the river folk, the water-gifted creatures were her kind's greatest allies. Since ancient times, they collaborated to wreak havoc on humans. Vengeance was an unending battle for the Avi, and the Acu, well, they had some stake in it, probably.
The water beasts were generally crafty beings, with a knack for transformation. Their shape shifting Whirlwind found a little disturbing. How can you know who you are if your body changes into something unrecognizable?
The family of Acu that the Avi paired with were great serpents. Tempest's companion was often hanging around her neck like a scarf. The few times Whirlwind had spoken to him, he was polite, but struck her as a bit simple. His needle-like teeth made his voice a bubbling hiss, but at the time Whirlwind wasn't very fluent in English. She still wasn't. Tempest had to translate for them, so maybe she had simplified.
Clusters of buildings appeared and vanished behind her. Too small. Too open, she ticked each one off. She couldn't wait to be out on the ocean with her sisters, weaving storms to make even her deity proud, but without an Acu to work with, she was just a carrier of wind and nothing more. Not that she wasn't already destructive as it was, she thought with muted pride. Sparking-poles tremble in fear.
Finally, Whirlwind slowed and circled a pond encircled on one side by human structures. Trees huddled close and leaned over the water in a thick canopy. Perfect. She dove towards the ground, wind screeching in her ears as she swooped lower. She flung her wings out to slow herself right at the last second, weaving through the upper branches until she could see the terrain below. Her talons met a sturdy branch, and her toes curled around the wet bark as it shook from the impact.
Manicured grass stood only a few inches tall, lush and dark with moisture. She kept her wings open and spread behind her as she leaned down. Careful with balance, she reminded herself sternly. She had a habit falling out of trees.
Outlandish objects sprouted from the ground like plants. Last Whirlwind knew, though, plants didn't grow out of metal. They grew into completely inaccurate representations of colorful animals. Drops of water collected on their surfaces. It had rained here recently.
Her gaze turned to the small pond. Wind rippled along its surface, but the water was murky and she couldn't see down into it. Maybe an Acu lived there? She shook the thought away. Wondering that would be silly, there were hundreds of thousands of other places far more appealing than this sad, murky shore.
Across the lake, the dwellings stirred with quiet life. A pathway bridged over the water at the edge of the water as it continued into a babbling creek. She carefully searched for any humans nearby, her eyes peeled and a breeze sweeping through the trees, knocking fat beads of water to the waiting ground.
Whirlwind jumped to the ground with a rustle and a squish between her toes. Ew. She definitely could have picked a better place to search. She tucked her wings in tight behind her, lifting them well off the muddy earth. She carefully approached the constructed animals, wrinkling her nose with distaste. No creature she had ever seen looked even remotely like that.
Only the trees stirred as her claws reached towards the contraption. As she disturbed it, it yielded to her touch, and she drew her hand back, afraid she had broken it. The hardened creature bounced right back, vibrating with joy, she thought. She pushed the striped animal again, and it returned with more fervor this time, jiggling as if it laughed at their play.
She spotted something beyond this field of beasts growing from the ground, something that made her hopes soar past the branches. A wooden table and seats gathered moss like a long forgotten dinner table. On top of it rested a crinkled brown bag like a gift from some god.
With a gentle pat between it's strange ears, she bid the creature farewell and skipped past it. She sniffed the air, but only recent rain tickled her nose. She peeked around her, nervous but so thrilled. She all but ran to the table, her feet barely touching the ground.
She tenderly touched the bag, opening it. Now novel scents rushed to meet her, and she peered inside. Something pale and flat was within, and little yellow slices that screamed salt. She tried to fish one out, only to have it crumble in her talons. Being really careful with the next one, Whirlwind examined the strange food in her palm.
It was really thin, and it was just hard enough to snap before it bent. She placed a half of it on her tongue, curious. She cringed. Yep, she thought, salty. She brought her teeth down on it with a delightful crunch, and though it tasted really different, she found herself reaching for another.
She found the end of the crispy treats too fast. Whirlwind carefully removed the flat thing, her body buzzing with warmth. It was soft, and squished a little bit in her hands. Her claws poked holes in it, and as she pulled one back, she saw brown and purple stuck to her. She gave it a good sniff.
It was kind of like a flower, and at the same time smelled like something.. Else, overpowering her senses. It wasn't a rank smell, but at the same time, it was really strong. Whirlwind lifted the soft food closer to her face. It was two pieces, with the weird sticky stuff in the middle. She took a big bite before she could chicken out.
The flavor was like nothing she had ever tasted before, and she chewed for a long time, her mind thoroughly blown. This was so much better than she could've imagined! She had taken a few more hefty chomps out of whatever it was, when a voice rang out beside her.
"Whoa! Awesome wings!"
Whirlwind froze, crumbs stuck to her lips and covered in brown and purple. She slowly turned her head, ice running through her veins. She had been caught.
A tiny human only as tall as her hip stared at her golden wings with awe.