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Previous Challenge: [link]

My last "Adult" Challenge for . "The shamans feel that in order to decide what form you will take for the Final Stages you must spend time alone, meditating (a spirit journey of sorts). Show where your journey takes you. How does it affect your decision?"

A lot of time had passed since Cotuil had traveled to Skrekrill. Her experiences outside the Aerie had loosened her up a little. She was more outgoing than she had been, more apt to act friendly as opposed to timid. However, that didn’t stop Cotuil from being surprised when she was told that it was time for her to make a journey, to discover if she wanted the ability to become a Greater Gryphon, or a human. It seemed just last week, she was first getting airborn, and yesterday she was meeting her current friends… and now, she had this life-changing decision to make. To her knowledge, the Shamans had never devised a way of letting a Gryphon change her mind once the ceremony was done… and she had no idea which path was better to pick.

She… well, she admittedly knew very little of humans. But she’d heard a few things… like how they had magic that wasn’t magic, devices made from the simple levers and pulleys, using wind, running water, and sometimes fire to help them make wondrous things… She knew what they looked like, though the Gryphons who could become human in Twistoult always seemed to smell gryphony to her regardless of shape. They were… peculiar creatures, these humans. Cotuil had always wondered how the elder Gryphons had managed it, suddenly walking on their hind limbs, without wings, or even a tail to help them balance. They just seemed like they’d be too easy to knock over. But the more she thought about it, the more Cotuil realized that she didn’t really know anything about them from her own experience.

So… she decided to see them for herself. That very same day, she was off to Dail, the Human Settlement.

The first thing she noticed about the place was the smell… the place reeked of smoke, and something odd, a muddy, salty scent. Most of her time in the area around Dail was spent either soaring far above the village at night, or observing quietly from the ground during the day.

Everything they made was so… intricate. The humans seemed to put a lot of work into making things, like their stone rectangles with flimsy covers on top. They were little false caves, like the booths vendor Gryphons used. Some of these covers were wooden, others made from grasses… smoke poured out of holes in the roofs sometimes. There were also a lot of horses. Cotuil had always had a lot of fondness for horse meat, even though she revered the creatures for their beauty. It made sense to her to keep so many close by, to help feed the village… but, to her surprise, they didn’t seem to be for eating. Instead, the humans got the animals to work for them. Cotuil had to admit… it was clever, but… strange.

However, she saw that the humans cared much for their families… that the children played often, when not working with plants and animals. She was particularly surprised to learn that the humans could sing beautifully. She’d just never considered whether or not they could.

On the fifth day of observation, in her dreams, she saw herself, as a human. [link] It felt like her, and, aside from the unpleasant lack of wings or tail, it seemed comfortable. However, it didn’t seem to match what belonged in the village. Her look seemed to be a mix of the two genders, short hair here, long hair there, a short dress along with pants… it was a confused mess. She took this dream as a sign to move on, and consider her other options.

Cotuil journeyed along the sea… at first she was flying merely a mode of travel… However, as she flew into Grandesque territory, she began to feel more relaxed, and swooped down a little, taking some time to play… She swung upwards, looping in the air, before dropping low enough to drag her talons in the choppy waves. With the strong ocean breezes, it was almost effortless for her to glide along.

Then, as she neared Skrekrill, she noticed that the costal areas were unusually cloudy, lined with fluffy white clouds. She swung upwards, blinded for a few moments as she flew, the mist turning opaque from the sun’s light… and then suddenly, she was through the clouds, bursting into a gleaming landscape made of rolling hills and puffy mountains. The sun heated the sea below her, the warmed air rising up through the clouds, allowing her to rise just by keeping her wings open. She loved flying, and today, she found it was like breathing… easy, and refreshing.

Cotuil spent the rest of the next week just flying around Windsonde, never staying in the same place for long. She poked around Skrekrill, but only for a little while. She was no longer scared of the Aerie, merely respectful, understanding their military strength. Besides, maybe she’d learn something here… After all, their queen had chosen the path of the human… Though it didn’t entirely work for him, she’d heard. She then spent a while in Grandesque, who’s queen had become a Greater Gryphon.

She even braved a visit to Tookie island, carefully observing a few natives (she even lost a feather to one) before she headed back toward Twistoult. As she floated above the clouds, the sun warming her back, it was only then that she started really thinking about what it’d be like, not having wings… and she never wanted to give this up. The ability to fly whenever she wanted or needed. Not being able to fly at a moment’s notice… just seemed uncomfortable.

Cotuil didn’t know what she’d become if she was a Greater Gryphon, and that scared her. But not knowing had scared her often in the past… Like not knowing much about Grandesque before visiting, not knowing about Tookie Island’s fruits or not, not knowing about what was going on in Skrekrill… she’d been afraid, so many times. And yet, somehow, not only did she come out of these situations okay, but she’d learned things in the process. Sure, if she became a Greater Gryphon, she may not know what she’d look like in advance… but whatever it was, she knew she’d be more comfortable in that shape than in the human one she saw in her dream. Maybe, someday, they’d learn how to allow Gryphons to change their decision, but for now… she decided to go with the one that felt right. She’d keep her wings.

Description
Previous Challenge: [link]

My last "Adult" Challenge for . "The shamans feel that in order to decide what form you will take for the Final Stages you must spend time alone, meditating (a spirit journey of sorts). Show where your journey takes you. How does it affect your decision?"

A lot of time had passed since Cotuil had traveled to Skrekrill. Her experiences outside the Aerie had loosened her up a little. She was more outgoing than she had been, more apt to act friendly as opposed to timid. However, that didn’t stop Cotuil from being surprised when she was told that it was time for her to make a journey, to discover if she wanted the ability to become a Greater Gryphon, or a human. It seemed just last week, she was first getting airborn, and yesterday she was meeting her current friends… and now, she had this life-changing decision to make. To her knowledge, the Shamans had never devised a way of letting a Gryphon change her mind once the ceremony was done… and she had no idea which path was better to pick.

She… well, she admittedly knew very little of humans. But she’d heard a few things… like how they had magic that wasn’t magic, devices made from the simple levers and pulleys, using wind, running water, and sometimes fire to help them make wondrous things… She knew what they looked like, though the Gryphons who could become human in Twistoult always seemed to smell gryphony to her regardless of shape. They were… peculiar creatures, these humans. Cotuil had always wondered how the elder Gryphons had managed it, suddenly walking on their hind limbs, without wings, or even a tail to help them balance. They just seemed like they’d be too easy to knock over. But the more she thought about it, the more Cotuil realized that she didn’t really know anything about them from her own experience.

So… she decided to see them for herself. That very same day, she was off to Dail, the Human Settlement.

The first thing she noticed about the place was the smell… the place reeked of smoke, and something odd, a muddy, salty scent. Most of her time in the area around Dail was spent either soaring far above the village at night, or observing quietly from the ground during the day.

Everything they made was so… intricate. The humans seemed to put a lot of work into making things, like their stone rectangles with flimsy covers on top. They were little false caves, like the booths vendor Gryphons used. Some of these covers were wooden, others made from grasses… smoke poured out of holes in the roofs sometimes. There were also a lot of horses. Cotuil had always had a lot of fondness for horse meat, even though she revered the creatures for their beauty. It made sense to her to keep so many close by, to help feed the village… but, to her surprise, they didn’t seem to be for eating. Instead, the humans got the animals to work for them. Cotuil had to admit… it was clever, but… strange.

However, she saw that the humans cared much for their families… that the children played often, when not working with plants and animals. She was particularly surprised to learn that the humans could sing beautifully. She’d just never considered whether or not they could.

On the fifth day of observation, in her dreams, she saw herself, as a human. [link] It felt like her, and, aside from the unpleasant lack of wings or tail, it seemed comfortable. However, it didn’t seem to match what belonged in the village. Her look seemed to be a mix of the two genders, short hair here, long hair there, a short dress along with pants… it was a confused mess. She took this dream as a sign to move on, and consider her other options.

Cotuil journeyed along the sea… at first she was flying merely a mode of travel… However, as she flew into Grandesque territory, she began to feel more relaxed, and swooped down a little, taking some time to play… She swung upwards, looping in the air, before dropping low enough to drag her talons in the choppy waves. With the strong ocean breezes, it was almost effortless for her to glide along.

Then, as she neared Skrekrill, she noticed that the costal areas were unusually cloudy, lined with fluffy white clouds. She swung upwards, blinded for a few moments as she flew, the mist turning opaque from the sun’s light… and then suddenly, she was through the clouds, bursting into a gleaming landscape made of rolling hills and puffy mountains. The sun heated the sea below her, the warmed air rising up through the clouds, allowing her to rise just by keeping her wings open. She loved flying, and today, she found it was like breathing… easy, and refreshing.

Cotuil spent the rest of the next week just flying around Windsonde, never staying in the same place for long. She poked around Skrekrill, but only for a little while. She was no longer scared of the Aerie, merely respectful, understanding their military strength. Besides, maybe she’d learn something here… After all, their queen had chosen the path of the human… Though it didn’t entirely work for him, she’d heard. She then spent a while in Grandesque, who’s queen had become a Greater Gryphon.

She even braved a visit to Tookie island, carefully observing a few natives (she even lost a feather to one) before she headed back toward Twistoult. As she floated above the clouds, the sun warming her back, it was only then that she started really thinking about what it’d be like, not having wings… and she never wanted to give this up. The ability to fly whenever she wanted or needed. Not being able to fly at a moment’s notice… just seemed uncomfortable.

Cotuil didn’t know what she’d become if she was a Greater Gryphon, and that scared her. But not knowing had scared her often in the past… Like not knowing much about Grandesque before visiting, not knowing about Tookie Island’s fruits or not, not knowing about what was going on in Skrekrill… she’d been afraid, so many times. And yet, somehow, not only did she come out of these situations okay, but she’d learned things in the process. Sure, if she became a Greater Gryphon, she may not know what she’d look like in advance… but whatever it was, she knew she’d be more comfortable in that shape than in the human one she saw in her dream. Maybe, someday, they’d learn how to allow Gryphons to change their decision, but for now… she decided to go with the one that felt right. She’d keep her wings.