The winds blew softly and blades of grass danced gleefully in the breeze. The clouds spun in circles, lazily, casting images that painted the great blue canvas of the sky with amusing whites.

  A sparrow flew freely, dancing as it should, for it was a child of the sky. The sparrow soon landed on a strange nest of blue and white, as if its talons dropped onto a physical manifestation of the majestic and tranquil sky.

  It began to peck gently at soft strands as it shifted and adjusted its perch, carefully parting them with its tiny beak, until finally the pale soft surface beneath was revealed.

  The sparrow hopped forward gleefully, its small claws finding purchase on the smooth surface. There it perched, content, as if it had found the perfect nest, its beak beginning to move the manifested soft sky around it and cover itself in a blanket.

  Suddenly the surface under the sparrow shifted and rose as if a great earthquake had begun.

  The sparrow, however, did not move as it prepared to brave the changes around it.

  “Ugh. Sky Child, is that you messing with my hair again?” the moan from the surface came.

  The sparrow chirped in response and flew from its perch, circling over its once perfect nest.

  Laying on the grass was a young lad in his mid-teenage years. His sky blue eyes held a flicker of a white glow, appearing as much a manifestation as the lad's shoulder-length hair the sparrow known as Sky Child had been using a moment ago.

  The winds swirled around him, lifting him from the ground and helping him back to his feet. As the wind quieted, so too did the white glow in his eyes, leaving only the sky blue behind.

  “Haha, I love using Aeroquill! It’s so fun to use,” the lad laughed gleefully as he spun around. Sky Child above chirped pleasantly in response.

  “You like it too, right? The power to call the winds. Hmm, hey, I got a great idea! When I become a tribe elder, I'll take you with me to the sky mountain and you can try and learn quill too... I mean, I’m told you have to be born with it and animals can't really use it, only special beasts, but who cares!” The lad continued his spin, his light white robes flowing as he did so. Sky Child chirped and spun with him.

  “Speaking of the tribe, let’s get back. I’m probably super late. Come on, let’s go to the Sky Children Tribe. I’ll race you!” The lad ran, Sky Child flying past him.

  Soon the edge of the cliff appeared, revealing the large drop below.

  “Let’s do this!!!” The lad licked his lips before jumping off into a dive. The white flickering glow in his eyes appeared again as the wind subtly aided him, transforming his fall into a beautiful glide through the air.

  “Woohoo!” The lad yelled as the wind partially embraced him, his white tunic and loose-fitting pants rippling in the currents. The pale, cloud-soft satchel secured across his back bounced gently with each movement, its soft straps resting comfortably across his chest.

  He felt the wind slip beneath his feet and into his soft white boots, which were open along the sides from foot to calf.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  He looked down at the island around him. Below him, green trees and blue rivers created a wondrous map with a subtle glow from the sun. Rocky outcroppings added to the painting, giving it a flair of bumps jutting from the landscape.

  The calm waters between the islands stretched out like a large blanket.

  “It’s hard to believe that the waters surrounding the stormy isles are usually in such turmoil while the waters connecting our neighboring islands are so calm, right buddy?”

  “Chirp chirp chirp,” Sky Child responded.

  “...err... ok, fine, you’re right—usually calm. But hey, the occasional sea monster is good for exercise, you know?”

  “Chirp chirp.”

  “No, no... I’m good. I'm only fifteen. I still have a few months before I’m an adult, but even then I don't want to fight any sea monsters, thank you very much.”

  “Chirp chirp.”

  “Well, why don’t you fight one then!”

  Sky Child remained quiet as the lad laughed and continued enjoying the scene before him.

  From this height, he could clearly see three neighboring islands across the peaceful straits. Tiny boats dotted the waters between them, their white sails catching the afternoon light as they carried goods and travelers along the safe passages.

  To his left, Sky Child rode the wind leisurely, wings barely moving as the air carried them both effortlessly forward. The sparrow seemed to dance through invisible streams of wind, showing off with little barrel rolls and swooping dives before circling back to his side.

  “Show off. You know I'm not skilled enough in my control of the quill to do that yet,” the lad stuck his tongue out.

  “Chirp chirp.”

  The lad adjusted his path with tiny movements, riding the invisible highways of the sky. Ahead, the soft glow of the river came into view.

  The lad aimed for a large, flat rock in the middle of the river, its surface smooth and slick from the flowing water.

  “Perfect landing,”he declared with glee. It was unfortunate for him that the wet stone had other plans. His soft white boots slipped almost immediately on the slippery surface, and his arms windmilled frantically as he fell toward the water.

  “Whoa!” he cried as his face nearly touched the water. However, he reacted quickly, the white partial glow flickering back into his eyes as he called upon his Aeroquill, wind currents steadying him just enough to regain his balance. He let out a relieved sigh.

  “That was close, wasn’t it Sky—”

  SLAP!

  A silver fish burst from the river like a liquid arrow, its tail smacking him square across the face before disappearing back into the water with a splash. The surprise shattered his concentration completely, and down he went with an embarrassing yelp and a splash that one could hardly describe as... dignified.

  The water wasn’t deep. If he were standing, it would barely reach his knees. But the water was cold and thoroughly soaked through his clothes. He sat there for a moment, dripping and staring at the spot where the fish had vanished, while Sky Child circled overhead, chirping what sounded suspiciously like laughter.

  “How did that even…” he stayed staring into the water, utterly defeated and confused by the events that had just taken place.

  “Chirp chirp chirp!”

  “Very funny,” he sighed, pushing himself to his feet with a squelch. Water streamed from his tunic and pants as he waded to the shore, his boots making embarrassing sloshing sounds with each step.

  He reached into his now utterly wet cloud-soft satchel and pulled out a pale gray poncho that seemed, like the rest of him, made out of cloud itself, from its coloring, light fabric and design. Wrapping it around his shoulders, he closed his eyes. Gentle currents of warm air swirled around him, pushing out as much moisture as he could.

  “Man, I kinda wish I had Emberquill right now—then I could just heat up my clothes.” The lad sighed once more as he walked in partially damp cloth.

  “Chirp?”

  “You're right. This is much better than a moment ago,” he responded.

  “Ok, let's get to the village before we get into trouble.” The boy and his sparrow moved between the trees, heading home.