If this had been any moment before this one, Kartiel might have felt relatively safe being lifted by Matt. Now, however, all he could think about was how easily he could die if he slipped out of Matt's grasp and hit the ground - mortal bodies were so frail compared to how his body normally was, and it took all of his self-control not to start clinging to Matt.
Yells from down below were soon followed by clanging alarm bells coming to life beneath them. He gritted his teeth and turned his gaze upwards, pumping his wings with renewed vigor even as his muscles screamed in protest. It was rare that physical pursuits took such effort in this body, and he found himself struggling to gain altitude. Should there be ballistas, or longbowmen, or even crossbowmen on the walls, they were screwed. How could he possibly dodge when he could barely even climb?
He lifted Kartiel in his talons and wrapped his arms around the man's chest and underneath his arms to get a more secure hold. It was still obnoxiously un-aerodynamic, however, and he glanced down at the figure in his hands.
Well, this was going to be awkward, but it was necessary. If only he had the breath to apologize. He hooked a hind talon around Kart's boot and pulled him so that he was parallel with the draconian carrying him, then wrapped his legs around Kartiel's to keep it that way. It was terribly awkward, and too close for comfort, but at the moment survival was number one--and he needed to be able to actually fly.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
That hadn't been how he had expected Matt to carry him, but there was nothing he could do about. All he could do now was hope to whatever powers controlled the multiverse that they didn't get shot while Matt was in the middle of flying. The only way he could help was by making a pitiful shield of darkness behind Matt as they flew farther and farther away, but he wasn't sure how sturdy it was or even its true size - he couldn't see a thing behind them.
He rocked dangerously with the weight, but between the darkness, the shield of shadows, and the smoke rising from below, whatever archers got to their bows with sufficient speed couldn't see well enough to actually aim. One or two got too close for comfort, but he wasn't even grazed.
Soon enough, things went quiet behind them, and the flame became dimmer in the distance. The walls manned by oblivious archers passed under them and Matt began to drop, his battle with gravity finally beginning to take its toll. He finally alighted on the ground in the vast savannah, a light breeze tugging at his robes and wings as he slowly released Kartiel.
"That went...better than...I thought it would," he observed through his panting. "Now let's just hope gryphons aren't wildlife that'll eat us around here."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Kartiel let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, sinking to the ground in either exhaustion or relief - it was hard for even him to tell. He was just grateful that both of them had managed to get out alive. Matt, because he had spent so long searching for him, and him, because he was pretty sure he had lost all immortality he'd ever had.
His tail swayed behind him as he surveyed the savanna. There wasn't much to note, but he still paid attention for anything that stood out. He needed to get back to normal; that was his first priority. When he did, he could send Matt home and try to find a way to get himself home, too.
His eyes reflected the scarce starlight as he took in his surroundings. "What do we do now?" he asked, shuffling his wings and glancing nervously behind them. There didn't appear to be anyone in pursuit. He could only hope it stayed that way.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Kartiel had already been trying to come up with a plan, but he hadn't come that far. All he had was the basic idea of what needed to be done; he didn't even know where to begin looking for information.
"We need to find a way to get me back to normal," Kartiel said. "I can't access my powers right now. Until I can, I can't move your soul back to its original body."
Gender:
Points: 1234
Reviews: 590