For the past few days, Ilrid’s words to “Revolutionize the entire magical community” echoed through my head. I tried to shut it out, focusing on adventures that lay ahead. 'It's just a bunch of ramblings from an overly enthusiastic mage,' I reassured myself. Still, there was an uneasy feeling, a lingering thought that perhaps I should have given it a second thought. Afterall, I knew first hand from Earth the significance of technological innovation and the prosperity it could- no, would bring.

"What are you thinking about, Alythia?" Elara’s voice broke through my thoughts. It was a simple question, yet it was enough to bring me out of my reverie.

"Nothing important" I shrugged it off, giving her a small smile.

Continuing on, the series of low, rolling hills gradually gave way to a modest mountain range, the Kyngri Range. It was a low mountain range, famed for having been the home of a legendary flugel, Kyngri, one of the first followers of the goddess Arabella. Of course, it was only a legend. No one knew if it was actually true, but no one really cared to dispute the claim either. Nowadays, the mountain range is home to one of the last remaining flugel settlements in Concordia, with most others assimilating into towns and cities, or migrating to the grander Alsanar Peaks to the south.

From afar, the mountains hadn't seemed all too intimidating, merely a darker strip breaking up the horizon. However, as we approached its base, I realized how deceptive appearances could be.

"It didn't look so tall from afar, but up close…" Finn remarked, mirroring my thoughts. His gaze was locked onto the numerous peaks, a wary glint in his eyes.

"Yeah" I murmured in agreement. “Can we go around?”

Elara shook her head. “That would add at least two weeks to our journey. And I’ve heard there aren’t many settlements along the way” she pointed out.

I sighed, 'Great, this is gonna be rough.'

We began our trek through the mountains. The terrain was much steeper than it had looked, and the rocky ground made every step an effort. Climbing became harder as the incline grew steeper. With no preset flight of stairs or path up, we often stumbled over hidden roots or loose rocks. We had to pause frequently as we made our way, catching our breath as we adjusted to the altitude and the rocky landscape. I could see Elara and Finn's brows furrowing in concentration, their eyes scanning the path ahead carefully.

After a bit, my patience finally wore thin as I took to the skies. “I’ll be up here” I said, hovering above them, still bringing along most of our luggage. From my vantage point, I helped guide their climb.

“A bit to the right. Yeah that rock! Climb that"

"Your left, Finn! That rock on your left!" I called out, circling overhead. "Not that one, the other one!"

"Every rock is 'the other one' from up there, Alythia!" Finn grumbled.

Rolling my eyes, I floated down a bit to get closer to them. "Okay, two metres to your left, then use that big flat one as a foothold. No, no, the flat one! The crumbly one will give way!"

Elara nimbly jumped away as the rock beneath her foot came loose and fell.

"You should really tell us what a metre is before giving directions!" Elara cried helplessly.

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"You both are so slow" I grumbled, crossing my arms in impatience. "Why don't you pick up the pace?"

"If you think it's so easy, Alythia, come down here and walk!" Finn snapped, his face reddening with the effort of climbing.

"No" I retorted, floating around them in circles.

Suddenly, an idea struck me. Grinning, "I could try floating you guys up again. It would be a lot quicker. I promise I won’t drop you guys this time."

They exchanged a wide-eyed glance before vehemently shaking their heads.

"Absolutely not!" Finn protested. "I refuse to be tossed around like a sack of potatoes!"

"And I prefer to have my feet firmly on the ground, thank you" Elara chimed in, just as opposed to the idea.

"But it would be so much faster!" I argued, already imagining them bobbing along beside the luggage.

"No!" they said simultaneously, leaving no room for negotiation.

I sighed in resignation. "Alright, alright. Have it your way."

…

The next day, a perfect late summer day with the perfect temperature, was ruined when I spotted several incoming silhouettes in the distance. Taking a closer look, I could spot large feathery wings on their backs. ‘They’re fast’ I thought.

“10 or so flugels, coming right at us!” I shouted.

The silhouettes got bigger, their forms more distinguishable. They were flugels, their majestic wings spread wide as they descended rapidly, their features stern and their hands on their weapons.

"Get ready!" Elara called out.

In mere moments, they surrounded us, landing deftly on the rocky terrain and spreading their wings to their fullest extent, an intimidating display.

"Halt!" The leader, a flugel with silver wings, barked. "Passage through the Kyngri Range is forbidden. Turn back."

Elara, not missing a beat, stepped forward. "On what grounds?" she asked, her voice clear and steady. "The Concordian law forbids discrimination between humans, elves, and flugels."

"We are not discriminating" the leader responded, his voice impassive. "All outsiders, regardless of race, are currently not permitted."

"But why?" Elara pushed, her patience thinning. We all wanted, needed to know the reason behind their abrupt halt. But the flugels group stood their ground, as unmoving as the mountains themselves.

"The reasons are not your concern” the leader reiterated. Tapping the large imposing spear in his hand, the others inched closer, threateningly. "Turn back, or we will have to use force."

Silence reigned for a few agonizing moments before Elara gave a curt nod. "Alright. We will turn back." she conceded. The flugel leader nodded, keeping his watchful eyes on us as we reluctantly turned around and went the way we came.

"Why did you just agree like that?" I asked Elara, unable to hide the frustration in my voice.

Elara sighed, the tension visibly leaving her body as she turned to me. "Alythia, I know it's frustrating, but these are flugels, particularly isolated ones too. They are known to be very territorial and notoriously difficult to communicate with, especially if you are of a different race.”

I nodded, trying to digest this new information. I understood slightly, but it still infuriated me. It didn’t feel good being on the receiving end of xenophobia, or would it be racism? "So, what now?" I asked, a hint of defeat in my voice.

Before Elara could reply, Finn halted his steps. "I have an idea" he said, turning to face us. He had a determined look in his eyes, one that made me take a step back. "Why don't we sneak through?"

"Sneak through?" Elara echoed, her eyebrows arching in surprise.

"Yep" Finn responded, nodding vigorously. "We've already climbed this far, and going all the way back down would be a waste of time and energy. We are adventurers, aren't we?” Then, he turned to me before continuing. “Besides, the mountain range is so vast, there’s no way they could find us without a fly flapping around."

It took me a while before I understood he was making fun of me. Hmph, ‘So you just want me to walk.'

Finally, Elara sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Alright, we can give it a try. But we have to be careful. If we get caught, it could get very ugly, very quickly."