Chapter 517

517 Test Parameters

It didn’t take long for everyone to pack up, and head to the bend in the river where Genie wanted the ship to anchor. If they had been traveling by any other means, then the view they saw now would’ve been missed due to the trees. But since they were on the river, they passengers could see over the trees..

Beautiful mountains that looked like jagged peaks rose up into the clouds, like the earth itself was trying to reach out towards the sky. The sunlight shining down onto the colorful trees and plants made the scene look and feel almost unreal. It was peace and beauty in physical form, and Skye wanted to see more.

She lept from the ship before the anchor had even dropped, shocking all of the crew members over the distance she’d jumped. As they all chattered away about it, they were shocked again when Tidas did the same thing. As he looked around the open area that turned into a field, Skye closed her eyes, and concentrated.

After she sent out a telepathic message to Zazzy, the happy dragon appeared above them; just as excited as her mother to go exploring. They asked Tidas if he wanted to join them, but she just looked at them like they were crazy for even asking. After giving him a quick kiss goodbye, Skye climbed onto Zazzy’s back..

“Does she always have that saddle on? Or can you ride her without it?” Genie asked as he waited and watched Skye climb onto her dragon from above.

“I can ride her without it, but I tend ta fall off a lot. Zazzy always catches me, but Tidas acts like he has a mini-stroke, so we got a saddle for her. This one is actually a gift,” Skye replied as she smiled, and ran her hand over the edge of her seat.

Genie nodded; “I just think that having nothing on her but yourself is the best way to enter the city. That way, the opposition can’t claim that you’re abusing her secretly.”

“How does that make any sense?” Tidas inquired, confused on how a saddle could be construed as something abusive.

Genie sighed; “They could claim that Skye had a weapon imbedded into the saddle, and that you pressed on it to get her to obey you. Things of that nature. I’m sure their lies would be far more creative, but that was what I could think of off of the top of my head. They may even try to say the same thing about the reins.”

.....

“That’s ridiculous! Who would even believe them?!” Kari chimed in as she, Klaus, and Ronnie joined them on the riverside.

“Our people,” Genie answered; “These are our elected officials, Ms. Kari. They expect them to be truthful, and to hold the people’s best interests above their own.. But that’s not the case with over have our politicians. Personally, I don’t care for most of them..”

“I’ve only met a few like my brother in my life, and that’s saying something,” Genie finished with a disappointed expression.

“What’s your brother like?” Tidas asked.

Genie smirked; “You will like him: he likes to stir the pot like you do.”

“Oh, so he recognizes that all humans have basic rights based upon societal constraints?” Tidas replied with a scrutinizing gaze.

While maintaining his smirk, Genie answered; “Exactly. That’s why many of the other Senators hate him. Sai is too developed for people to be able to just walk out into the woods, which are protected anyway, and make a living for themselves. We have abandoned building, but due to greed: they sit empty while Sai has a growing homeless problem..”

“Basic rights isn’t just about lifestyle choices, it’s about being able to have a life within society. A homeless person can’t walk in off of the street as they are, and get a job. They need to be able to groom themselves, have clean clothes, transportation-it costs money just to get a job. And my brother has been working for years to get the Senate to recognize the responsibilities it has to it’s people.”

Skye grinned warmly at Genie; “Mei must be bery proud of her Da.”

Flashing a partial smile, Genie replied; “Now that she’s older and understands. When she was a child, however: that’s a completely different story..”

Skye nodded; “I can relate ta that. I dinna understand a lot of the choices me parents made when I was a young one, but I ken their feelings now. Have they talked it out?”

Genie swallowed hard as his eyes darted around, signifying that it was an uncomfortable ‘no’. Shaking her head lightly, Skye decided that she would see if there was a way to repair Mei and her father’s relationship. As she made her determination a foundation in her heart, Genie told her that they needed to get moving.

He had a few basic tests that he wanted them to participate in, then there was a specific stretch of the mountains that would serve as an excellent obstacle course. The only village near it was on a ridge away from the area he needed, and out of harm’s way..

As Genie hovered above them lost in thought, Skye asked; “Do ya want me ta remove the saddle and reins? Yer testin’ us, ya? So doesn’t it make more sense ta do it how I’ll be goin’ into the city?”

Snapping back, Genie replied; “You’re as astute as always, Skye.. Yes, I would prefer the test be done organically. I can formulate a better plan if I know exactly what I’m working with.”

Skye sighed deeply, then climbed back down from Zazzy’s back. Klaus and Ronnie helped remove the heavy saddle after Skye undid the straps from below, and Kari helped Tidas remove her reins. He didn’t like his wife riding without it, but he trusted Zazzy to take care of Skye.

As he unfixed one side and Kari did the other, Tidas mentally told her; “Take it easy since there’s nothing but your spikes for your Ma to hold on to, alright? She can slip really easily if you’re looping around for too long.”

Zazzy blinked and snorted in the positive as Skye climbed out from underneath of her, and said; “And what exactly are ya two plottin’ together?”

Zazzy grunted as she shook her head in the negative, and Tidas replied; “Nothing..”

“...Um-hmm.. Suspicious,” Skye replied as she eyed them.

“We best get going if we want to be back on the ship by nightfall,” Genie called down to them.

Tidas grinned; “And the fact that you’re using up quite a bit of your magic staying up there waiting has nothing to do with the rush?!”

Genie shrugged with a cocky grin on his face; “Not really, no.”

As Skye carefully took her seat on top of Zazzy’s back, she looked up at Genie and yelled; “If ya want us ta get goin’, then everybody’s gotta move! Includin’ you!”

Klaus, Kari, and Ronnie were already back by the shoreline of the river, making Tidas the only one still hanging around. Ralph had watched the whole thing from the deck of the ship, it being his turn on guard duty. As Tidas slowly walked back, Ralph yelled to him; “Ya might wanna hurry up there, Commander! Your wife and dragon are about to blow you away!”

As Tidas turned to look, Zazzy flapped her wings with all the strength she had. Skye laughed hard as she watched her husband land flat on his ass, then have to scurry a few feet more just to be able to stand up. As they took off, Skye yelled back; “That’s fer yer plottin’!”

Ralph laughed so hard that he had to hold his gut as he leaned against the ship’s railing. Klaus and Kari stifled their laughter, but Ronnie was just like Ralph: loud and proud about it. As Skye and Genie flew away, he walked over to the group, and put Ronnie in a headlock as he said; “Is that how you treat your Commander?”

As Ronnie struggled against him, he quipped; “When that Commander is you: aye! Oi! Let go ya great big ogre!”

Tidas chuckled as he let him go; “Ogre? That’s a different one. Have you ever seen one?”

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Ronnie rubbed at his neck over-dramatically as he replied; “Na, but Nicolas has some good stories about’em. He knows all about all kinds of dark Fae. Old people always got the best stories.”

As the group started to name off creatures considered to be dark Fae, Peggy yelled for everyone to come aboard, and finish their chores for the day. The group whined and huffed like children, but everyone complied after Peggy gave them all her ‘look’. As soon as they all saw it, everyone fell in line, and got to work.

Before heading back to finish the dishes, Peggy looked up at the sky and said; “Ya better be bein’ careful, me bairn. Ya may be an extraordinary mage, but yer still a human. And I’ll kick Genie’s arse if ya come back hurt..”

************

“Ahh-Choo! Excuse me.. That was odd,” Genie commented as he rubbed at his nose.

Skye chuckled; “How is that odd? We’re flyin’ through the air! My nose gets tickled all the time if I dinna keep me head at the right angle!”

“It’s a bit more complicated for me,” Genie replied, then took out a handkerchief to blow his nose.

“How so? Air is air, right?” Skye stated more than asked.

Genie barked a sharp laugh; “Yes and no.. I have to circulate the air around me for elevation while simultaneously propelling myself forward through various jet streams that act as resistance, as well as maintain a pressure barrier around myself at all times so my eardrums don’t explode from the rapid changes in altitude my body goes through.”

Skye stared at him in awe; “I didna realize that it was so complicated fer ya.”

Genie stifled a laugh; “As I said.. I will have to explain it all in detail for you later. That way, when you gain your Air magic you won’t have as many failures and injuries as I did.”

The two talked about random things as they flew to the place that Genie had picked for Skye and Zazzy’s tests. Zazzy occasionally chimed in with a thought here or there, but she was more interested in the scenery below. She’d seen a group of elk, and a large type of bear that she’d never seen before.

As they continued on, Zazzy realized that the strange mountains were getting closer together. She had spotted a few villages on the cliff sides, but other than that; there were no people around for miles. Right as Zazzy was beginning to wonder how much further they had to go, Genie called out enthusiastically..

“There it is! That’s where we’ll see what you two are capable of! With a race!”