ERD
A cold wind blew.
It was a sudden, drastic turn from the hot summer day and the cloudless afternoon sky that shone upon the Susurro Fields. Dark, billowing clouds rolled in on the wind, gathering and clumping about within the sky, so thick and dark that they blotted out the sun. Gusts of cold air tousled dry grasses and brittle leaves, the limbs of trees swaying and groaning with the sudden shift of atmosphere.
A sense of unease grew, of uncertainty. Finally, rain began to fall in great sheets, pattering the still-hot earth and creating pockets of rising mist. The smell of rain was heady and pungent, the scent of dirt, ozone, and fear on the wind.
Suddenly, something in the air shifted. A loud ’snap!’ echoed across the land, before a rip in the world seemed to open. It was a tear, a void, a portal, opening feet above the grassy field. Two figures tumbled out and landed in a heap, breathless and terrified. The portal slowly knit itself shut before disappearing entirely, and with its departure the rain let up, the clouds parted to reveal the sun, and the summer heat once more returned.
It all happened in minutes. Maybe less.
One of the figures shifted where he lay in a wretched heap, stretching out as he tested his limbs, downy white wings splaying as he checked the appendages for damage. Nothing. No breaks or pains, other than from the side he had been unceremoniously dumped on. A groan left dark lips, eyes fluttering open to reveal the color of vivid turquoise. Immediately he winced against the bright sunlight, rolling to try and get lean legs tucked underneath him. All of his limbs felt like rubber, so he simply lay upon the earth for a while longer, attempting to get his bearings.
“Ard?” He croaked out, concern coating his words. “Ard?” A grunt of displeasure was his only response. Erd grinned, breathless and boyish. “Yeah, yeah.”
As the world began to stop spinning, Erd’s narrowed eyes regarded where they had been abandoned. This place… This was not the rebel camp. It didn’t look even remotely close to the rebel camp, or even Luminous in general. Where shouts and curses had been echoing through the air before as he and Ard had frantically focused their magic to create a portal, there was nothing but silence here. It was almost too loud, his ears ringing at the sheer nothingness of it all. They were no longer in a frozen mountain pass, but instead a wide, open field, full of brittle grasses and the smell of moisture on the wind. Had it been raining? But the sun was hot and burning in the sky. He didn’t understand.
Feeling a bit more confident in his strength, Erd slowly began to unfurl his legs. With a grunt, the warlock slowly pushed himself upright, swaying slightly, but was able to stand. He turned to the grey and taupe figure still laying in the damp grass at his side. "Are you okay?"
As peaceful as this place was, they had to ensure that they were safe. Escaping capture only to end up the slaves of whoever called this place home wasn’t an option.
