The warm sun on a cold winter day was always a welcome reprieve, for Ravyne far preferred the warmth to the cold, even as his growing connection to Gaia saw him attune to even the snow. The sky was near entirely clear, but a few patchy clouds in the far horizon, and the crisp air held almost still - though it remained fresh, not stale.
Alongside the dark purple former War Alpha flew the lighter purple, brilliantly shimmering Lyrid, jewelry of colourful rocks and stones catching the light in ways Ravyne’s floating moonstones did not. It was rare for the magic-trailing star child of the kijikaiaku to venture during the day, but Lyrid had made an exception when their curiosity had been piqued by tales of the contradictory winter sun.
The two flew almost lazily through the air, higher than the sparse trees that lay not far below them, and higher still than the golden Vyxréth below - who had opted to not join their flight and instead to more closely examine the bushes he now wandered amongst. Lyrid watched his fellow kiji’s movements with some curiosity, before beating his great, brilliant wings of feathers and leather, pulling out of the glide he had been in.
Ravyne breathed in the clean morning air, scents of snow and wood from the land below filling his nose and his lungs. The sky was a beautiful, pale sapphire, the few clouds adding to the imperfect beauty of nature, of Gaia’s majesty.
By his den mate’s side, Lyrid too took in the cool winter air, the frozen brilliance of the land below as life lay in hushed wait for spring. The kijikaiaku of the Core had not lied about the winter sun’s chilled warmth, the coolness of the air adding a strange duality to the heat gifted by light - a duality absent from the night, and the moon’s cool caress.
Far below them, Vyxréth continued to make his way between the bushes and scant few trees, looking under snow-covered boughs for useful materials, and enjoying the peace - safe with the knowledge that two of his den mates above would be able to assist him if he ever needed it. Some few leaves had managed to linger upon branches, now frozen in ice as icicles held wood and leaf alike prisoner in its frigid, fragile grasp.
Though one may ponder what two kijikaiaku would hope to find in the sky, in truth they felt the vantage point would offer them a better view of what the land below could offer. A frozen, untouched wonderland, one that Lyrid and Ravyne both enjoyed the sight of, the sun’s rays causing the snow to sparkle almost akin to glitter.
Indeed, the peace held suspended within that eternal moment in time felt as if it were unshatterable.
“Ravyne, Lyrid!” Vyxréth’s call soon put paid to that concept, and soon the two flying spirits alighted upon the snow-covered ground, barely-present bodies leaving no footprints - unlike Vyxréth’s heavier presence that added further imperfections to winter’s fragile kiss.
“Do you two think this might be sturdy enough?” Vyxréth asked them both, looking between his den mates as he gestured with a leathery wing at a long, solid branch. His fires were already at work melting off the snow and ice, to give a better look.
Lyrid tilted their head, not particularly one for words, but gave the branch a careful examination along with Ravyne.
“I think it will do fine,” Ravyne finally stated, after giving the branch some thought. “With luck, it won’t crack as it dries, and will make for a good support beam. Still, we should continue our search - our defences are sparse, and if we’re to give a good show to Veil Stalkers, it should take a bit more effort than a sneeze to get through our front door.”
The other two kijikaiaku chuckled at that, and Lyrid gave a nod before again taking wing, soon once more above the tops of the trees. Ravyne gave Vyxréth an encouraging smile, and then too took to the air, carried aloft solely by raw power alone.
The variegated golden kijikaiaku carefully marked where the branch was, and then continued upon his search - perhaps some different stone from the sort within the den would be in order, to lead invaders astray from the actual Kestramore door.
It would make for a decent first attempt.