Chapter 12 - 11 Practice
Joni let out a soft sound, like the sigh of a bird tired of life, then bent down so that Sylphia could climb on. The girl hopped lightly onto his back, sitting while holding her breath—still unable to accept the blinding pink decorations covering the majestic mount.
Not long after, Gardon joined. With his large frame and fluttering gray cloak, he sat behind Sylphia and cleared his throat.
"Hold on tight, kid. Joni tends to get a little... overenthusiastic during takeoff."
Before Sylphia could ask, Joni had already flapped his wings once—and the entire world seemed to flip upside down.
SWOOSH!!
Wind slapped Sylphia’s face, her hair whipping wildly backward. Below them, the ground rapidly shrank. Sylphia almost screamed, but all she could do was clutch tightly at the fine but strong feathers on Joni’s nape.
"THIS IS ’A LITTLE’ TO YOU?!" Sylphia shouted, glancing back.
"He likes to show off at the start!" Gardon laughed, nearly thrown off by the excited tremor of the pink super-garuda.
Minutes later, they finally reached a stable altitude. Above the clouds, the world felt silent—only the soft sound of wind and the occasional twinkle of magical light crossing the blue sky.
Sylphia closed her eyes for a moment. Calm. Peaceful.
"...But why is it still pink..." she muttered, still in disbelief.