"So what's this one called?" I ask Masgeo as he guides the sutesavauru in question around to a low-hanging bowl of water and battery grapes. The long, plate-backed cattle munches on them and its tail spikes arc with removed magic. I laugh slightly as it rubs up against me affectionately.

"This dear old sweetie pie is called Raincloud, ain't that right, girl?" Masgeo answers as he scratches its head as its mouth spills over with acidic juices and colour-stained water.

"Arooooooooo!" Raincloud bellows lengthily as it bounces Masgeo away into some nearby bundles of wire-reeds.

"Are you ok?" I ask as I step around Raincloud who is desperate to stay magnetised to me. Giving in to her demands, I stay near her as Masgeo picks himself up with a smile. Discovering that he lost the target of his chewing habit, he snatches up the end from a reed in the bundle. His face contorts initially as the fresh, raw flavour seeps out onto his tongue.

"Fine as a well-grown plot of land." he smiles as he flicks Raincloud's head.

"So why Raincloud?" I decide to ask as it is quite different from all the other names he's told me so far. Some even had numbers more so than names, but, going from the way he smiles saying them, they might've just run out of ideas.

"Because this here girl can be helpful or just the worst. But, she's an essential part to everything." he explains.

"Arooooo!" Raincloud goes as they start to turn around. One of their little, flappy arms starts to whack my hand and I grab it by instinct. A joyful noise leaves the farm animal as they waddle between their right and left leg. I laugh at them as it continues to 'aroo' for all to hear.

"She's taken a very big liking to you." Masgeo smiles at as he uses a nearby, hung-up cloth to wipe the animal's face clean.

"She's like a big baby," I nearly laugh as Raincloud starts to pull me along with her, "Oh, where are we going?"

Taking greater strides, I keep pace with the farm animal as Masgeo tends to some chores in the opposite direction. Coming up to a gate, I carefully unlock it before Raincloud barges her way through, dragging me with her. Giggling at the arooing animal, she brings me to the edge of some drop. Craning their neck around, they seem to aroo me a question.

"This is quite the view, yes!" I tell them as I continue to look out across the shimmering, sparkling view. Dark figures work their way through the endless fields and some of the light even marks me as thunder gently rumbles on.

Sighing quietly as my hand comes free of Raincloud's little limb, I step towards the paint-worn fence, just ahead. Putting my gloved hands onto it, some paint flakes off onto them and I glance off into the direction of the daylight. Paying attention to all the metallic shades that go out as far and beyond the horizon. My grip tightens.

I haven't had a view like this in a long, long time...

All of what is before me, this is home. Mother used to take me on walks to places like these, so I could see the people who helped make our lands what they are. All the treasure in the world means nothing if those who toil in the fields cannot work and be happy. She wanted me to understand that as much as possible.

Fields of conducting wire-reeds, ready to be scythed and ground down into bread. Battery-grape vineyards plump to bursting with citrus flavour. The animals grazing in the fields and the chicks hatching from their eggs for the first and final time. And, up above, lightning eternal.

I've missed my home so much, but, I feel lonely being here again on my own. I met so many great people back in the Land of Wind, tremendous friends I loathe to leave behind. So many different kinds of friends... I miss them all.

I wipe my wet eyes.

An often snarky but golden-hearted, fluffy-tailed girl with a love for gardening. A formerly nasty, crimson-scaled giantess with a gifting for making quality tools and sweet treats. A blue-haired princess who never stopped smiling... A man who keeps on living no matter how bad the world gets.

So much has slipped my mind since I left all that time ago, leaving them all behind. That tearful breakdown in the forest just outside of Vadei's home. I don't want to forget them, I never do. But, I know I am.

Their faces aren't staying in my head, they're fading.

"Arooo..." Raincloud quietly lets out as their body bends like a see-saw so that their beak is near my face. I smile at them as I hold onto their small, but long head. Lightning dances about my arm before he goes across Raincloud's plates. The sutesavauru panics slightly and Lightning leaps off of her tail spikes and he lets himself into the sky.

Golden light rings out with a great thundercrack and torrential rain follows it. Everything carries on like normal, though, the farmers keep working and the animals carry on grazing. Little lambs play and chasing-bolt falcons start to compete in the sky. Following one of these magnificent birds of prey, Lightning breaks away and rejoins with me.

The bird he just met suddenly became all the more popular for the quality of gold that came after it!

I laugh slightly as the rain washes away my tears, "Thank you, Lightning."

"Have I ever mentioned how strange it is that I am the only bolt of lightning that can talk, think?" he asks as he snakes his little, jagged, volting head before mine.

"Even if you have, it's nice to hear your words about it." I tell him.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Hey, Miss! Can you bring Raincloud back!?" Masgeo calls out as he starts to herd the other sutesavauru out of the rain.

"Come on, you, best to not keep him waiting."

"AROOOOO!" Raincloud cries out as she breaks off sprinting back down towards the farm hand. Minding her excited tail, I place a hand on my chest as my eyes calm down after nearly being hit by it.

"This is quite the rainstorm you have created, Lightning." I remark as I hold onto a fence on my way back down the dirt path. Now little more than a growing river of rapidly developing mud.

"The dam that normally feeds the fields is broken, I heard talk of the need for rain." he explains and I frown as I glance at the nearby fields.

"They all look fine?" I question before he zaps away without warning.

Tickling my arm as he comes back, I try to slap him gently over it, "Underground reservoir for this farm."

"Oh, well." I say as I rejoin with Masgeo as he continues to wave me closer. Taking his hand initially, he helps me into the barn he's brought all the sutesavauru to. Taking a seat, I start to take off what I can so it can dry, though, it bothers him.

"You are mighty beautiful, Miss." he compliments with a tug of his collar as I set aside my hat. Looking towards him, I smile as he fails to take his eyes off of my golden-tinted skin.

"Thank you, but, uh..." I say before my mind starts to linger on a pale beak mask. The memory turns angry and hate-filled, silently frightening me into forgetting it. The roaring of -that- name barely stops before Masgeo opens his mouth.

"No worries, Miss, my eyes might appreciate you. But my heart will never forgive me if I listen to them." he explains with a raised, hat-holding palm.

"W-What's her name?" I ask as I try to distract myself from the renewed mental discomfort.

"Ahn-Marree..." he sighs as if she's a goddess.

"How did you meet her?" I ask him as I start to loosen my hair so water doesn't get trapped in it.

"She came crashing in through a window, would you believe that!" he laughs and I freeze up as an image rushes up to me in my head. A circular, dark and cracked lense pops into existence with a cocked back, bandage-covered fist. Gulping, I shiver as I recall the one thing I don't want to think about clearly.

I cover my face as the frustrations start getting to me.

"Miss, you alright?" Masgeo asks as he stops loading fodder for the sutesavauru to dry their mouths out on.

"Y-Yes... I'm fine, I'm fine." I answer, moving my hand away from my face and showing him my shaky gaze.

A great bolt of lightning flashes by, its roar following close by.

"Now that is thunder." the farmhand nods bemusedly as our eyes are drawn to the rattling chimes on one of the barn's support beams.

"S-So you were saying about Ahn-Marree?" I remind him as I try to play off my distracted mind and unstable eyes as an aimless curiosity in the barn and its contents. Walking up to some hung-up tools, I fiddle with them slightly and Lightning goes out and does something to them. A few, thin gold lines appear on some of them.

"Oh, right, pardon me. So, she's a recreational rider, lot of racing. Authentic love for the wind rushing through her long, black hair. Wouldn't change a thing about her in that regard. She had an accident with what she was riding that day and came smashing through. I was there, helped her out and we've gotten picky over the other's lips since then." he explains with a growing, dreamy smile as his heart soothes his mind. Enviously, I nod as I clench one hand into a fist near my heart.

"Is there a race track near here, then?" I question as I notice that some of the things set up around here aren't likely for the cattle. Very specific, ornate saddles and thick-heeled boots with a clear slot for the spurs of the trade.

"There's a modest one in town, I pop down there on occasion for more than just Ahn-Marre, though." he answers before walking up a flight of stairs to the relatively high up first floor of the barn. Soon after, round objects made primarily of cut plants fall down with dull thuds and slight puffs of flaking stems. Then, using them as a makeshift step, he drops down onto the highest-up one. Falling down into another in the process.

He chuckles as he dusts himself off.

"Do you race yourself or are you a gambling man?"

"Gambling? No, no, no. Hate wasting my already meagre pay on luck. If I don't earn it honestly, I won't respect it. But, to answer your question, I go there with the animals often. See, the owners of the track like to stress test often. Animals go hog wild on it for a bit, we get a few more coins for the farm and these lot get exercise." he explains to me as he relaxes on one of the bales.

"Are there any races planned soon? I wouldn't mind going to see one if so." I say as maybe it will help keep my mind occupied as we travel. Me and Brewbrt can talk about how our arbitrarily chosen animal and rider lost. Or, maybe we can rub in how our instincts are better because our racer won. Might be fun.

"Don't know, afraid." he explains as some of the sutesavauru rattle their tails on the bars keeping them locked away. Paying closer attention to the rattling rainwater, I notice the stream of heavy drops and easily broken lines.

"So, what's this business about a broken dam? A friend mentioned it on our way here." I ask Masgeo as Lightning's words from right as it started to rain come back to me.

"Oh, that load of awful business..." he exasperates as he briefly hides his face as a fist trembles.

"I can help, well, someone I know can." I quickly answer as his frustrations become more obvious.

"We can't ask that of a darling like you, Miss."

"Please, let me help." I insist as a hand comes to my chest. This might not be my family's land, but, it is my duty as a noblewoman of this land to tend to these matters. I know this isn't really the way I was taught to do it, but, whatever I can do, I must try.

"There... There was an accident not too long ago. Stupid boys playing where they shouldn't. Listening to your mother is a dying trait these days, must be. One of them is... Was blessed with the gift of the land. Went into the water and then a tick of panic started to drain him... That storm his precious body was bottlin' broke free and melted a hole right into the dam." Masgeo explains as he squeezes his hand together in a finger lock.

"I'm sorry... It wasn't someone you knew, was it?" I say then ask, though, my chest starts getting a little tense. I don't want Masgeo to take my question the wrong way, it was awful what happened and I do not want to undercut it.

"Thankfully, no. Blessed be his little troublemaker heart, but, the neighbourhood's got a lot grimmer since the accident." he explains as he gets off the bale and heads back to the stairs. Reaching the first step, he swings on the railing before gesturing me to follow. In a flash, I reappear on the first floor, smiling a little at how difficult that actually was.

To think I once struggled with stopping myself from spasming after using this spell. A lifetime ago, now, it was how I left my homeland and now I come back talented at it. Masgeo forces a laugh out as he reaches the top of the stairs and I walk up to him. Heels clicking on the wood panels making up the floor.

He moves up to a panel and unhinges it, groaning under the strain, he sets it aside. The rain starts to patter inside and he places one booted foot up onto the painted wood. His hat blocks out most of the water and a finger gestures out into the distance as he stops the wind undressing him.

Moving up alongside him, I follow the extended digit until I spot a violent, uncontrolled stream off into the far distance. Lightning's rain may have worsened a problem they were already trying to deal with. A lot of the fields from this high up look different, a growing layer of water that threatens to drown the plants. Or, in the worst case, conduct the power of the perpetual storm up above.

Looking towards Masgeo, he steps down as I step up onto the ledge, "Miss, careful."

"It's fine, Masgeo, don't worry." I tell him before I take one more step.