May 27 (Part 2 of 8)

Irade

May 27, 10:40 am BT – 8:40 am UT, Somewhere In The Tian Shan Mountain Range, China

The wind tasted sweet today.

Despite being born on the outskirts of Kashgar, Irade had been raised in Beijing. And since she arrived, she had never left. She had read in books and fantasy novels that the air in the mountains were clean and fresh, that they tasted of free, untamed nature. She had thought it was just a literary technique to enhance the scene.

But no. It turned out that the air really did taste different up in the mountains. She hadn't noticed it before, because she had been slowly walking up, getting used to the taste as se ascended.

But here, as she sat cross-legged on the cliff, looking down at the lush, valley below, Irade couldn't help but breathe in the taste of the wildflower-tinged mountain air.

"Breathe," Black Wind growled. "Focus on your breath."