The light of dawn raced quickly across the sky over Ava, the city of birds, leading the crisp wind of night's chill and bringing the promise of the oppressive heat of day to the mountains. At the edge of the highest mountain trail, nearly atop the peak of the mountain and looking down upon the awakening city below, sat two figures; a human and an aven.

The human, an empty coat sleeve billowing in the mountain wind, sat writing furiously, his pen glowing red and curling smoke from the pages.

As he closed the leather-bound tome, his aven companion leaned in close to inspect the golden decoration of the cover.

"What kind of bird is that supposed to be?" she asked innocently.

The human smiled and replied with hints of pride and sadness. "It's a phoenix. They are great eagles of fire, much like the flamekin are, which are born again from the ashes of their dying flames. Have you not heard of them before?"

A strange series of chirps came from the aven, the bird-folk's ancestral language lost on her companion. "A bird of flame? Surely not even the flamekin have a creature as this. Who would have told you such tales?"

"Well, Lyra," he responded, pride and cheerfulness taking over, "It so happens that my family crest is a phoenix. It symbolizes rebirth and vitality."

Lyra huffed. "That is the silliest thing I've ever heard. Why would you believe a burning bird symbolizes vitality? That's sillier than using frall to heal a cough."

With a smirk, the man turned back to look at the rising sun. "I'll show you one day. I'll bring back one from my home."

"Sig, I swear, if you come back to me with your arm on fire-"

Laughter cut her off. Sig had doubled over in mirth, his safety momentarily forgotten as he slid down the boulder he had perched on. Without a word, Lyra reached out and grabbed his coat, pulling him back to the relative safety of the rock they sat upon.

In between his laughter, Sig managed a few words. "I swear to you, that I will never, ever, throw away my other arm for a frivolous bird."

Lyra briefly considered pushing him of the rock.

Later mid-morning, the two were walking along a relatively flat pathway in the now-bustling city. Ava was the city of birds for a reason, and it showed as the sky overhead was filled with a buzz of activity. Many aven could be seen carrying other earth-bound races to and fro across the city, while others flew back and forth with packages or letters to deliver. Still others flew much higher, patrolling the skies and streets below them, occasionally diving down to stop some scofflaw or another. Sig took it all in with wide eyes, barely seeming to paying attention to where he was even walking.

"A risky proposition in Ava," Lyra noted casually, "is for the non-winged to be taken in by awe."

After a moment, in which he almost audibly "ooh-d" at the sights above, Sig gave an honest "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

The bird-woman simply sighed. She waved her hand dismissively, resigning herself to watch her companion's steps for him. She had learned to tolerate his childish ways.

"So!" He adds, spinning on a heel enthusiastically, "Tell me, what is it you see around you?"

Taken aback, Lyra simply cocks her head to the side, making an inquisitive noise.

"Just tell me what you see around us," he presses.

"Well, we're simply in Ava. We're walking down one of the market streets, though half of the shops have not yet opened for the day." Ava, being populated by a variety of races as well as being a pilgrimage site, had a variety of daily activity cycles made more prominent by the existence of markets that catered either to the winged founders or to the flightless inhabitants and tourists. Being built into the side of a mountain, much of the city was based on the vertical inclination of the bird-folk, with proportionally few pathways level enough to allow the earthbound population to traverse without the ferrying services found throughout the city.

Sig, for his part, had tackled it with as much enthusiasm as he showed everything, even trying to take on the vertical city without help. Lyra took every necessary step to keep him safe, and ferried him about more than he liked, but Sig even accepted that in stride.

He considered her words a moment, taking another look around himself, before answering. "Hmm, I suppose, but let me tell you what I see. I see an amazing city, beating with the pulse of more than just commerce. I see beautiful architecture held aloft in a wonderful display of engineering."

"It's all rather brilliant," Sig continued to rave as be began walking leisurely down the street. "I can feel the heart of these mountains pulsing, far, far below us. I can feel the water, following the same flow from within the earth. I can feel all the numerous little enchantments surrounding your important buildings, like a million twinkling stars in the night sky."

Lyra chuckled, watching him twirling around in the street like a child. "Yes, just relax, will you?" she scolded him playfully. "I don't need you bouncing around when we're in front of the council. Humans aren't made to fly."

"Not all, but some!" he replied. "You'd be surprised, but I've seen mages with such expert control of winds..." He trailed off as he realized he was suddenly walking alone.

"This is exactly what I mean," came her voice from behind. "You have no business living here. Less than most humans."

"Hey now-"

"You could have died this morning if you had been alone. You already lack an arm, you don't need to be risking the rest of you, too."

"What, this?" He asked, indicating the empty sleeve at his side. "It's merely a flesh wound, nothing that can't be fixed with magic."

Caught off-guard once again, Lyra stammered out a "W-well, why haven't you-"

Sig cut her off with another bout of laughter, bouncing down the street once more. "Guess that will just have to remain a mystery," he called back.

Another resigned sigh escaped his aven companion. She took to the air, following after her crazy friend.

It was later that same day, morning long since past and the heavy heat of summer beating down hard on the mountains. The inhabitants of Ava, though, enjoyed the perpetual wind of the mountains, guided and kept soft by ingenious city planning, and a touch of magic. Fountains flowed in public crossings, cooling passers-by and creating marvelous rainbows. Children played and adults worked, pilgrims visited and wanderers returned home, and in the Aerie the city council gathered to hear out a human's call to inquiry.

The Aerie was a large, open building that served as the center of the city's democracy. Chosen from among the city's populace, the council gathered here to conduct the business of the city. Open to the sky but kept close to the ground, the Aerie also had the most magic weaved into its stones, enchantments ensuring everything from keeping weather out to holding prisoners in check kept invisible watch on proceedings, waiting for when they might be needed.

Sig studied it all intently, in his own way. More than one council member shot him an odd look as he looked about inquisitively, running fingers along columns and seemingly following his own twisting path around the place. Slowly, the Aerie filled up as council members arrived, and Sig somehow found his way to the center dais by the time they were ready to hear him.

Another aven stepped onto the dais with him, and announced to the gathered council, "Today, the council formally gathers to address the visitor Sig Gram's request to place enchantments within the city."

"Yes, yes, get on with it," came one voice from within the crowd. "Most of us have jobs to return to, and we all already know why we were called."

With a slight ruffling of feathers, the announcer gave a nod to the human before giving the floor over to him.

Sig cleared his throat a bit awkwardly, suddenly very aware that these were all working citizens rather than the traditional bureaucracy or royalty. "If it pleases the council, I have let it be known that I am seeking an individual-"

"I said get on with it, boy. You're taking up valuable time with your blathering."

"Ahem, yes," Sig said, desperately trying to retain control of the conversation. "Well, I'd like permission to place some enchantments, some detection spells, that is, to find this individual. I swear to keep any confrontation strictly outside of any public areas, if not the city entirely. I will keep everything discreet, nothing that should attract the attention of the populace."

Again, being kept from finishing his oh-so-carefully prepared speech, a raised hand silenced the human on his dais. The old aven whom had seen fit to interrupt Sig on two occasions already decided to put forth a motion. "I say have him watched by a local 'caster, make sure he behaves, and let's head out. All in favor?"

An overwhelming wave of "ayes" washed out from the city council.

"Let it be done," was the final word uttered before the group started shuffling, walking, and flying out of the Aerie. Sig stood quietly on the little dais as he watched them all go. Two figures stayed behind with him. Lyra came out from where she had been hiding out of sight, and one ragged but middle-aged aven from the council who had stayed behind. Lyra had a playful crinkle around her eyes, a barely contained mirth kept in careful check.

Lyra spoke out as soon as the last of them had left the soapy bubble of the Aerie's enchantments. "Was it everything you expected?" she asked him.

A wide smile immediately plastered itself onto Sig's face. "Better!" he exclaimed. "So," he addressed the Aerie's remaining occupant, "what, are you going to show us around, get some city spellcaster as our escorts, something charming like that?"

The ruffled bird chuckled lightly. "Something like that," he said. "I take it you'd like to start right away?"

"Mm-hmm," Sig replied simply, nodding in additional affirmation.

This brought another chuckle from the aven. "Follow, me, then. We'll see if we can get someone from the gardens." True to form, Sig took the lead excitably. As he neared Lyra, the ruffled aven added quietly, "Like a child, that one."

"You've no idea," Lyra replied. "It's a small miracle that he made it through the mountains at all."

Built high in the mountains in the already arid region, Ava relied partially on the large trade it saw and partially on the numerous magically-supported gardens scattered throughout the city for the food required to support its growing population. With the aven's traveling culture quickly fading into obscurity, the City of the Birds, away from much of the deep-rooted hatred the race has gathered, has suited as a new permanent home for many aven. Members of the earth-bound races of Ihn Gallad living in the city weren't a rare sight, either. Cities always meant business, always meant sociality, and always meant crime, and Ava attracted all kinds to its vistas. Gardens are periodically grown in the city to help sustain its population. They are always tended to by spellcasters of various skills, the mages needed to keep the mana flow delicately maintained and balanced for the fragile plants.

The three – Sig, Lyra, and their escort, whom had introduced himself as Stargazer – eventually found their way to one of the gardens, after a small trek which Sig had insisted to walk unassisted. The attendants of the garden which advertised itself as "Dewy Morning" welcomed them openly as they entered. Despite the old spiritual ways dying out, tradition still held strong in aven culture, and openness was a common thread. Dewy Morning held great flowers and towering stalks, vines both sweeping and climbing, a colorful display tucked in the morning shadow of a wide crag in the mountainside. True to its name, the garden was still glittering with droplets of water from the morning mist, and likely would be until the summer heat overcame the cooling shade of the crevice.

Sig's wide-eyed look reflected the resplendent beauty of the garden in a way that failed to resemble anything so much as a child being given sweets.

As he stood there gawping, Stargazer conferred with the aven whom had greeted them. "Well met, Frost. I have a boon to pass from the council."

Frost, a young aven with sky blue plumage and a white crest, returned the greeting. "Well met," he said. "How may we help each other?"

"The council has asked that this fledgling be watched over while he performs magics in the city."

"Performs magics?" Frost parroted. "What kind of magics?"

It was at this point that Sig, who had been admiring the myriad of plants about, raised his own voice in reply to the question. "I'm expecting someone. I want to know exactly when they get here."

Frost looked his way, and still only saw a childlike smile on Sig's face as he went from flower to flower, fruit to fruit. Clicking his beak twice, Frost muttered "yes, yes" as his thoughts wandered. In his head, Frost was quickly running through a list of who was needed at the garden and who was qualified to oversee another spellcaster. "I think," he said slowly, "that Honeysuckle would be the best for you. Yes. Honeysuckle."

Sig turned at that. "Great! Who's Honeysuckle?"

With a heavy sigh, Sig closed his diary yet again. With the afternoon sun beating down heavily, Sig had opted to take a short respite under the spray of a public fountain, which Honeysuckle had joined him at when Lyra had volunteered to get them all some food. Sitting right next to him, Honeysuckle had remained quiet as he had been writing, though it was obvious that curiosity was getting the better of her.

Leaning slightly over him, she asked, "What is that seal on your book?"

Chuckling at the uncanny repeat of Lyra's question on the peak this morning, he told her.

"A bird... Of flame?" she said. "What kind of magician would do such a thing?"

Sig smiled at that. Quick with magic, indeed. "Most phoenix aren't made, but simply 'born' that way, much like the flamekin are."

She hummed an affirmative, nodding as she considered. Her eyes hadn't really wandered from the book. "How do you keep your book dry, then? Is that why you have a fire-bird on the cover?"

"Not at all," he said. "The phoenix is simply a family crest, something to remind me of home." Melancholy flashed across his face, but was soon gone as he started describing the enchantments around his journal and the magics worked into even the vellum pages.

Honeysuckle took it all in, though it was not apparent whether she was able to follow his animated lecture. He hadn't even stopped when Lyra had returned with three roasted rabbits on a stick. As the three of them ate their rabbits under the fountain, Sig eventually decided to sate his growing hunger over finishing his magical lecture. After he had fallen quiet, Honeysuckle asked yet another question.

"What happened to your other arm?"

Lyra paused, one strip of meat dangling from her beak, as she tensed, glancing at Sig who sat between them. There was a few moments of silence as they waited for his response. Sig carefully finished chewing his mouthful of food and swallowed before responding.

"That's nothing. You should see the other guy," he said, before returning to his roast rabbit.

Lyra visibly relaxed, and stared at Sig for several long moments before returning to her own meal. Honeysuckle decided not to ask about the other guy.

After their meal, Sig inquired where Honeysuckle would be going from here. "Frost told me that I was to watch your magic, so I suppose you're under my watch until your friend comes in."

"Ah," he replied. "Yes. Well, I hope she comes soon as well."

Lyra cocked her head at him. "Why are you doing that?"

"Hey!" he said suddenly. "Since you're both my escorts for the day, why don't you take me to see the sights around the mountainside?"