The Platforms

It didn't take a second. Like a blink, they stepped onto a rocky platform as a rush of wind blows against Rueben's face. She took a step back in surprise; it swirled around the witch's hair, pushing it into her face. Rueben summons hairbands and tieing her blunt bob while surveying the dimension. The world was made of rocky platforms, like islands in the sky. Some stood alone with no structure, while others had temples, homes, and castles.

Raye stepped to the end of the rock, looking down towards the endless abyss of blue skies and soft clouds. He took a strutted step back in towards the door. "You didn't tell us exactly how we are going to find the merchant," he heaved in a sauntering tone.

Lita smiled "it's simple" before reaching into her backpack and pulling out a sack. Rueben put stones and plants into a sack with frantic writings.

Lita securely tightened the sack around Rueben's wrist, her fingers lingered against the witch's forearm. And the bag begin to spin wildly, their eyes followed it with great intent as it spin and spin around before pointing to the east "amazing" Rueben gush as Lita moved to the edge of the platform "what is this bag, spell, magic, inscription incantation like grimoire?" Rueben Rambled as the bubbling excitement filled her stomach. But Raye grabbed Rueben's arm before she could step to the she-wolf, projecting his fears below on the witch. 

"Careful," he whispered with wide eyes.

Lita gave Rueben a pleasant smile. "I would love to explain it all to you, sweet, but our ride is about to come in." She moved aside to show a massive creature. 

It floated through the air like a fish swimming through water. It pushed its mighty fins, diving through the clouds, with a sort of elegance that breathes through its body. Ribbons flowed from its barbels through the sky while its face reminded Rueben of a grumpy koi fish, but its eyes stared into the atmosphere like it had seen it all. There was a sense of ancient wisdom feeling that arose from the being, like it had navigated its way to the end of world and back.

Raye grabbed Rueben's arm and pulled her away from the beast. "Are you crazy? That thing could eat us," he growled at Lita, who shook her head and waved it off.

She got herself into a ready position. "it is so massive, it doesn't even know we exist" she ran for the edge as the massive thing dived under the platform they stood on. 

Lita stepped off the edge, which made Rueben rush forward and looking over the edge to find her gone. There was silence as Rueben turned to Raye, who stared at the spot Lita left with tending jaw and burning eyes. He was frozen in time until his eyes found Rueben as if he noticed her for the first time.

 He took a step forward, only to hear the loud hooting of Lita as she rose with the flying beast, flipping over the platform before leading it to hover for Raye and Rueben to climb on board. Rueben smiled at Raye before climbing into the mighty beast. He regulated followed suit, and they were off, no turning back now.

Rueben fell into the softest feather she had ever felt, the wind raging above and clear skies, the perfect condition for a hearty nap. The creature smelled like water that calmed Rueben down along with its breathing sounded like crushing waves which nulling Rueben to sleep. 

But she rolled over to Raye, who sat with his legs crossed under him and as stiff as a board. Lita stood with a rope tied around the beast's neck as her hair flow through the wind. Rueben got close to the beast, seeing many creatures in the sky, some similar to eagles with koi bodies and others like a mix of hogs and stingrays..

Then a small beast caught Rueben's eye. It reminded her of a vermin with crooked wings which zoom against the sky like mosquitoes. It zoomed over before disappearing below, while Rueben absentmindedly followed it through the sky. 

She almost slipped off the edge only to be saved by Raye with his arms wrap tightly around my waist and his eyes creased with concern. With Rueben's mouth parted and his eyes lingering on her lips, he pulled the witch from the edge before turning to Lita. 

His anger blowing "gosh, Lita, can you even stir this thing" he growled, which Lita didn't take to mind before he looked back at Rueben. "You need to be more careful" his turning soft with a touch of tenderness.

Rueben walked to the other end of the fluffy body. "You need to chill, you were never this high-strung" Felita threw over her shoulder, which made Raye huffed. 

"How am I supposed to act?" He raised his arms in defence "we are in a world that you don't even have a grain of understanding, on a massive creature who could swallow us whole with our mate who almost walk off to her death in the first few minutes" he turned moved toward Lita as she just watched him with bored eyes "yea, I should 'definitely' chill" Rueben felt the tension and frustration from Raye and decided to lighten the mood. The witch couldn't have the two fighting on the such risky territory.

Rueben pointed to the sky. "What are those?" she asked as the eagle-like beast came into view. Lita look straight up and smiled while Raye decided to move to the further end of the beast, which was still very stable.

"I don't know their real names but I call that one an eagle" she smiled, impressed with herself as Rueben shook her head and moved to her side.

"Not very creative," Rueben hummed as Lita chuckled, "actually not at all creative" the she-wolf laughed, looking down at her feet.

Before staring at Rueben for a moment "what would you call it?" Rueben stared at the beast for a while but got nothing.

She turned to find Lita staring back at her, the she-wolf's eyes embedded on the witch's face, "not eagle" Rueben teased while Raye appeared next to her.

"Angulus" We both looked at him but he kept his eyes on the sky.

Rueben pointed to the hog-like beast "pig" Lita mentioned, then she turned to Raye, who glared at the beast for a while.

"Ericius" Raye glanced at Rueben, which made her smile. 

She lifted her finger. "whale, ha!" She pointed at Raye who gave her a bored look.

He huffed "Ceturtur" as Rueben clapped her hands in a chuckle when Raye pointed to the sky at the flying vermin that zoomed frantically. "your turn," he smirked as Rueben watched the creature with deep thought.

A smiled appeared on her face. "Greg" she nodded her head, the witch was proud of her contribution when Raye and Lita just burst out laughing "what? It looks like Greg" Lita just patted her back, as Raye kept his eyes on the sky.

Raye pointed to the sky as an eerie feeling moved up Rueben's back. "What about that?" They turned to face the beast that crept from below. 

Its face looked like rippled water but hard like stone and the colour of desert sand. Tentacles swarmed before its wings, which looked like a dusty moth's wings, while horns and spikes lined up down its back. It burst from the clouds as Lita began to curse under her breath before twisting a knob on the rope turning it stiff while discharging two other holsters. 

She turned toward them and handed two holster "put this on and hold on tight, we are in for a wild ride" Rueben strapped the holster on and held onto Lita's waist.

Raye's hands covered the witch's "what is happening?" Rueben's voice quivered softly as Raye squeezes Rueben's hand, she looked at him but he was forced into the sky.

Lita began to pull onto the now stiff rope as the beast growled and began its climb "predators, they are hunting, we need to get as high as possible" Rueben tightened her grip around Lita's waist while the wind picked up, and Raye held onto the witch's hand with a face so tense.

A sound buzzed behind them like a swarm of bees "Lita!!!" Raye yelled at the top of his lungs, Rueben turned her head to look behind and instantly regretted it. One of those predators was just on their tail. "Don't look" Raye squeezed her hand as she made eye contact with him.

Rueben felt Lita tense as she pushed the beast to climb even faster. Their legs began to lift off its back. "hold on" she grunted as Rueben held her breath.

Rueben's mind was racing on how to help in any way because that was catching up quite quickly. Suddenly an idea sprung into her head. She didn't know if it would work but she had to try. With wind whooshing past them, Rueben dug into her bag of tricks and pulled out a sack of pixie dust. A slingshot and pebble covered is a pixie goop. 

Rueben looked up at Lita. "I have a clear shot, a distraction, but I need both my hands. What do we do?" She shouted over the raging wind.

Lita was still for a moment, Rueben could hear her mind working "ok" she nodded to herself before turning to Raye "hold on to Rue's rope" she turned to the witch "Rue, shot when I say so" she nodded turning to look down at the beast, Raye grabbed Rue's rope as she let go of Lita's waist.

The witch had her eye set on the thing, and her aim squared up "Lita!" Raye roared through the wind. Rueben looked up to find Lita moving Beasty toward another massive beast.

Rueben shook her head, staying focused on the task at hand. "Now" the witch shot the pebble, watching it zoom through the air, hoping it gets stuck on that thing's head. She held her breath as the pebble disappeared into its fur. It glowed as Rueben let out a sigh of relief as she throw the sack towards it. Bursting on impacted covering the thing's face as swirled out of the way just in time to see the thing and another beast collision while Rueben fist the air in victory.

Raye huffed, pulling Rueben back up towards Lita who had to stabilize the beast, for above the others "don't ever do that again" he expressed while Lita smirked at his tone.

Lita threw over her shoulder, "it's better than being eaten or falling to the surface" Rueben moved to the side of Beasty and stared below.

"What is on the surface?" she asked as Lita's back tensed and an eerie atmosphere moved through the wind.

"A darkness filled with creatures so similar to mankind that it is frightening" her tone pulled through her throat like it hurt "vile creatures like humans but with the equipment to back their impulses" Rueben swallowed deeply with her eyes focused on the cloudy grave below "they tear whatever sorry thing that happens to fall onto surface while it is still alive" Lita must have sensed Rueben uneasiness because she changed the subject "well, what do I know, just hearsay from the locals" she let out a chuckle.

Rueben looked at her confused "the locals?" Lita smiled and pointed toward the little houses on little platform rocks, floating in an endless sky.

They weren't something imaginable, like the massive beast that roams the air. Their skin was a combination of beiges and creams but made of fabric, like little rag dolls with wings and antlers on their heads. And their hue was in the colour of pastels, which only made the scene much sweeter. Rueben unstrapped herself and moved to Beasty's wing. She laid against the wind while watching the little beings and their lives, markets and houses, all in perfect elegance. The witch felt a hand on her ankle when she looked down to see Raye with tense eyes. She rolled her eyes and held out her hand, which he took.

She helped him pull himself up to the joint between the body and the wing. "I never thought the alpha would be afraid of heights," the witch smirked as he grabbed her waist, which made her let out a soft gasp. 

Suddenly, his fear crept up Rueben's back. "If god or whoever wanted us to fly, they would have given us wings," he stuttered, then looked into her eyes. 

She patted Beasty's wing. "If whoever gave a massive creature like Beasty wings, I am sure we will be fine" she smiled at Raye and felt his fear dip a little.

He huffed, looking down at the beings below. "How are you ok with all this?" Rueben turned to lay on her back and stared at the clear blue sky.

She placed her arms under her head and sighed. "You will get used to it. I travel a lot" she closed her eyes, reliving the places in my her mind, the adventure she had.

Raye was silent next to her. Rueben felt the gears of his mind at work. "Who are you?" He suddenly said with such curiosity "what are you?" the witch's eyes flicked open "in the woods, against those things, the power you hold" Rueben moved to stand up, to run from this conversation when unexpectedly pulled back down by Raye's strong arms.

She gave him a death glare. "what I am or who I am has nothing to do with you. I told you before, we are on separate paths. Please take yours" Rueben removed his arm, which he let fall with no hesitation.

But he pulled me towards him again "no matter how high you build your walls, I will tear them down even if I have to do it brick by brick" the witch pushed him off as he lay on his back staring up at her while keeping his gaze hot and hard, the blue ring around his eyes moved around his Iris like a halo. Rueben had never seen the movement before. It was intriguing, but she pushed the thought away and move away from his captivating eyes.