Stone Pillars — [AW] Survery the Land

Larkspur's wings flapped powerfully, the wolf rode thermals with the ease of a creature who had been doing it their whole life. Long ago, when they were just a pup, they'd taken their first forays with flight, flinging themselves from various tall objects the way they'd seen young birds do. It had been a nearly unending cascade of scratches, bruises and twisted paws before they finally took flight properly, soaring into the bright blue above. In fact, it was this ability to fly that had initially fed their urge to leave the pack and see the world on their own. Being grounded while molting wasn't fun when it was a normal, expected cycle but being grounded while molting from something as unexpected as the great flood that dragged them into this world was the worst experience they'd had yet. They couldn't properly explain to a wolf that couldn't fly how crushing it had felt to be trapped on land, watching the birds soar overhead while they waited impatiently for their wings to recover. Taking to the sky again was like being able to breath, it was like a creature had been sitting on their chest and choking them until it wasn't, and they'd relished in the freedom returned to them the moment they'd been able. Once they'd reacquainted themself with the skies, however, it became time to survey this new world that they would likely be forced to call their own in the coming times. They weren't as bothered by the idea as they could be, a little upset that they would likely never see their mother again nor their siblings, but the fate of a lone wolf was to risk never seeing home again. For all they knew, other wolves had come in and subjugated the pack while they were gone, or they'd moved on for some reason. Larkspur could've even wound up killed by those guarding their territories, so a bit of steel was needed to leave their birth pack in the first place. Cobalt blue eyes roved over the landscape beneath their paws, taking in trees and mountains. They tried to take mental notes of the location of lakes, remember where the major rivers ran and, all-together, compile something that resembled an internal map for future navigation. Staying clear of the volcanoes and the painful smoke they released (which forced them to fly far higher than they did usually if they wanted to breathe properly) wasn't a fun task and so, finding what all they could discover beyond it was important to them. "Ow," they hissed to themself, another pang running through their wing. "Definitely overdid it." They'd been so excited to fly again, to be freed of the technicolor hell that was the endless stone hills of rainbow colors, that the wolf had genuinely forgotten their own limits. Time to take a break. Larkspur flared their wings once more, ignoring the twinge of pain easily as they began a slow glide downward. Mist began to thicken around them, fog obscuring their view as a series of pillars and stones seem to stick out at random. It was exhilarating, carefully gliding through the natural obstacle course as they sought somewhere safe to land. Eventually a patch of grass made itself known, and the wolf extended their forelegs, applying the slightest bit of weight that pointed them down more sharply. It was with a practiced trot that their paws touched down, wings still half-furled at their flanks as they slowed down, "That was a nice one," they hummed, stretching a little from the pleasant soreness associated with enjoyable exercise. Their eyes scanned the dense fog surrounding them, far less concerned than a wolf normally would be about their lack of easy vision. Fog was low-lying after all, having wings meant being able to soar above the worst of it if they flew high enough, then land safely in the clear areas. They tilted their head as something muffled sounded through the dark clouds - they squinted a little at a forming shadow. Another creature, though they couldn't tell what - a wolf? A cat? Hells, it could be a rabbit of unusual stature for all they could see. "Hello?" they offered cautiously. --- Speech.