The albatrosses fell from the pinkish sky like it had been hit with catapults, falling but with precision, like they knew what they were doing.
They fell beside Haicor who smiled and stood up, looking at Rhett and Ash with large, baby-like eyes.
Before any of them could speak, the birds stood up and spread open their massive wings, their eyes moving about in circles in a googly manner.
Ash jerked himself backwards and landed hardly on the ground, scared. Rhett moved back a bit but didn't fall like Ash had.
"Don't be scared", Haicor said, touching two of the birds with her hands. "I've kinda tamed them".
Ash scoffed. "Tame?, you call that taming?".
Haicor stylishly climbed on one of the albatrosses, one that could easily pass as the largest. She gently drummed her fingers on it's neck and let out a smile.
"Climb onto one of the others", she said to Rhett and Ash, pointing her index finger at the birds.
Ash sighed and felt like the earth should swallow him up, he had (if it was a real thing) a fear of flying on birds. He could easily fly a dragon but flying a bird, to him, was just too much of a stress. He just sort of hated their beaks and their feathers irritated him.
Rhett shrugged, a fearful smile on his lips, he feared that the birds shouldn't act weird and kick him or something. While at the same time, he was happy to ride a bird, perhaps soon, he would ride a dragon, who knows.
The albatrosses, nearer to Rhett, seemed gigantic and that scared him a bit. An albatross, seeing that Rhett was coming near it and was about to sit down, bent down very low, its face was on the ground, it was actually like a bow.
Rhett quickly swung himself on the bird and was seated comfortably, moving himself a bit to adjust. He waved to Ash to do the same.
"It's easy my good man, let go of your fears and get on one of these birds".
The albatross Rhett was on quickly stood up and adjusted, ready for flight.
Ash sighed and bent his head. "Honestly, I'd have preferred a trek to this. A trek might be long and boring but to me it's peaceful and less daunting".
Haicor giggled and made a mocking face at Ash.
"You ain't so brave anymore?".
Ash grumbled an inaudible word as he walked towards an albatross, the size alone gave it the creeps and when it shook it's body and twisted it's head sideways, Ash felt like fainting.
The albatross lowered its body and put its head on the ground. What was left of Ash was to climb on it and the mere thought made him sweat profusely and he almost peed on his trousers.
Finally, with a deep sigh, he said:
"When duty calls, one must obey with calmness".
Haicor broke out into a jeering laughter. "Brave words, I'd advise you to get on quickly, we're getting out of time".
Ash took another deep breath; it sounded like a snore and with his head bent down, he swung his legs like a child on the albatross and was then on it. It felt uncomfortable and it seemed like he was riding a porcupine.
Rhett suddenly looked at the other albatrosses. "What about them?", he asked.
"They'll come along", said Haicor. She now turned to Ash.
"Lead the way!".
Ash felt like puking. "I can't ride this. You control their movements while I give instructions on what to do".
Haicor shrugged. "Ok then".
She raised her right hands up and pointed to the skies. The albatross she was on suddenly leapt upwards and took to the skies, the other albatrosses followed suit and were into the skies, the pink clouds drifting past their faces like foggy things.
"Hold on to the birds tightly so you don't fall!", Haicor said out loud to Rhett and Ash.
Rhett quickly did so and Ash struggled with his. Haicor was up ahead at the front leading them, two birds were behind her then was Rhett, two birds followed and then was Ash, struggling at the back and muttering under his breath.
Haicor turned her head backwards. "We going the right way?", she asked.
"Yes", said Ash uneasily. "Could you please lower the birds, they are too up. I can only see clouds and not land so I can't say where next".
"Will adjust", Haicor said as she faced forward and pointed her hands downwards, making the albatrosses to lower a bit.
Now they could see the pinkish grasses well and some big rocks that looked like mere stones from where they were.
"You're quite an expert", Rhett praised Haicor. "I'm quite impressed".
Haicor threw a glance at Rhett's face and smiled.
"Your usage of 'quite' makes me smile. I'm already an expert if I'm not praising myself".
Rhett grinned. "I won't call you an expert but I'll say you're doing well".
Silence flattened the place as they continued flying. The albatrosses arranging themselves in an awkward manner. They were arranged in a peculiar sort of zig zags, one that other birds would envy. The speed of the birds were efficacious as they swept the skies like a torrent.
They soon saw a small hut and it intrigued them, not only because it stood alone, but because it was surrounded by tall bushes and they doubted if someone lived there because definitely, he or she would have cleared the bushes. Rhett noticed the bushes around the hut were pink but he made no comments, he was sort of used to it though, his eyes were adapting well to his pinkish surroundings. After all, it was called the pinkish lands for a reason.
Rhett noticed that Ash had been silent, no more mutterings under his breath and the rest of his attitudes or complaints. He decided to look back and his eyes quickly expanded, wide open. About two feathers drifted down.
Hell!, the bird was empty, carrying no one.
Ash had fallen!.