Heather and her troops took off like bandits in the break of day. Her eyes stung, initiating her ability to see straight but she still led, at speed. There were people clapping and chasing. The vast majority children. They screamed to thrown up into the air.
The girls sped up but weren't creating a lead. They jumped catching the morning breeze. Screams and applause followed them, but no human could come close. The wind was on their side.
Unfortunately, their bodies couldn't keep up with either. Their wings flared upwards to catch more air but there was nothing to catch, let alone glide with. Thankfully they touched ground before any of them could drop like a log. Lindi's knees buckled almost immediately. She wasn't alone, Heather landed to reprimand her, but dropped like a stone.
"I'm exhausted" Qondile exclaimed.
"I'm worse!" Lindi cried into the sand.
"We need to get off the road," Heather yelled combing her fingers through her hair, her face firmly pressed into the sand.
"I honestly don't think I can" Sarah groaned.
"Tuck your wings in and roll" Heather said simply.
"Which way?" Lindi asked.
"Left." Heather replied.
"Do we have the same left?"
"Probably, no one's on their backs, unless they hate their wings." They all began rolling as a group until they came off the road.
"I can't believe we did that" Heather cried out.
She was laughing, they all were.
Soon after, the sound of a carriage could be heard. Nomonda sat up and groaned before dropping to her stomach. It took time, but she was the first. Sand coated her front, turning dark skin pale.
Heather burst out laughing.
"Of all the things to take as a parting gift from Novelty, the very earth itself seems, I don't know, Ironic?"
Nomonda stood at an angle, frowning, "I'd rather be the Black Air Raider with the earth at my feet than the Black Air Raider on the floor with the soil between my ears."
"How long till they actually get here?" Heather asked.
"A minute at most"
"Good" Heather said, working her way up.
Nomanda sighed. "Do you think they're just lucky with their timing or it's the whole 'oracle' thing that they always find us."
This made everyone laugh.
"Dawn, Day" Heather called.
Qondile and Nomonda stood up next to Heather as the carriage came up. "I know you're against this and I understand why but, I need, at the very least, time. Can you give it to me?"
Qondile and Nomonda held Heather's hand.
"I'd say you owed me but, this is different, I can tell. This may be something I owe you. If I can slow the wind and hold back the sun, I'll do it. Day?" Nomonda asked.
Qondile sighed shaking her head. "I can't say I understand half as well as Nomonda clearly does. But, our ancestors teach that understanding is not always necessary, I am your soldier, your friend, you only had to ask. But I get to head while you're with Matthias."
"What?"
"You're distracted, the others are noticing." Qondile said shrugging.
Heather stared; those words sounded more thought out than they should have been.
"Fine, but for no more than the two days before we reach the end of the territory. Then we're cutting through Iilifa, we drop them at the border and fly for Cullinan in Emadlageni."
"Do not concern yourself with that, concern yourself on a plan to steal time from the gods themselves." Nomonda said.
"I always have some plan." Heather said waving at both Matthias and Merriam who'd just stopped in front of them. "I have a feeling he'll help make it easy"