Lisa flew throughout the night, somehow managing to avoid falling into the ocean. Her eyes were heavy and her head ached by the time the sun finally rose on the horizon. The black sky gave way to shades of grey and then purple and orange as the black water beneath her became blue and semi-transparent once more. She could see small fish darting in great formations, turning this way and that, and here and there larger fish leapt from the water in graceful arcs before splashing back down beneath the surface.
A vague shape formed on the horizon, growing in size as she got closer until it gradually became an island. She could make out a sandy beach, and tree-covered hills with beautiful flowing waterfalls. It was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen before - like something from a dream. She found herself inevitably drawn towards it, all thoughts of sleep suddenly forgotten.
A dark shape rose from the beach, flying towards her. Lisa wondered what it was at first but then she realised it must be a sky lord, just like her! She hoped they would be more hospitable than Ibex. They had to be!
They flew much faster than her, and as they closed the distance between them she started to wonder what they were doing. Had they come to welcome her, or to attack her? Were they alone, or would others follow too? She reached into the pocket of her bearskin coat, feeling for the Eye, but she didn't want to use it just yet. She would wait until she had a better idea of what was happening.
The other sky lord was now close enough to make out long white wings and short black hair, framing a youthful face. He soared towards her but then suddenly toppled sideways, his wings becoming limp as he tumbled towards the ocean.
Lisa hovered above him, expecting his wings to beat again at any moment, but when he hit the surface with a loud splash she realised there must be something wrong with him. Swooping down in a tight spiral, she levelled out just above the water's surface. He had sunk deep into the water when he had first splashed down, but he had already bobbed back to the surface and he was now floating face down with his wings spread out across the surface of the water.
Lisa fluttered her wings with rapid movements as she hovered just above him. Reaching down, she grabbed beneath his arms and flew upwards, lifting his drenched form out of the water. She carried him higher, struggling to maintain her grip on his wet clothes as she sped towards the island.
Her arms were aching by the time she reached the shoreline. Her wings were strong and full of endurance, but her arms were not used to such endeavours. She dropped her payload on the sand, crashing down beside him, stumbling a few paces until she landed in a heap of tangled wings. It wasn't her most graceful landing but it would have to do. Panting for breath, she lay on her back, staring up at the clear blue sky.
'I made it!' she said, surprised to be still alive.
The soft sand beneath her fingers made it all worth while. The beach was warm and comforting, like a long lost home, and the sweet smell of lavish plants across the hills behind her floated on a gentle breeze. She couldn't be any happier in that moment. It was everything she had hoped for.
'Thank you,' a young voice said nearby.
Lisa sat up and noticed the sky lord climbing back to his feet. He was even younger than she remembered, perhaps in his early twenties. He had a genuine smile that was more cheeky than endearing.
'My name is Partinon,' he said, shaking the water from his long white wings behind him. She couldn't help noticing that his wings had light brown streaks along their edges. She couldn't take her eyes off them.
'Are you okay?' she said. 'You fell like a rock from the sky.'
'I'm well enough,' Partinon said. 'It's not the first time I've hit the ocean from a great height. Some might call me clumsy.'
Lisa laughed. 'You've done that before?'
'Many times.'
'I'm Lisa,' she said.
Partinon nodded. 'That you are.'
'Why did you fall?'
'I have a confession to make.'
Lisa raised an eyebrow.
'I fell intentionally.'
'Why?'
'To see what you would do.'
Lisa frowned as she climbed to her feet and folded her arms beneath her breasts. Her legs felt strange after not using them for so long, and her wings felt heavy against her back. 'Were you testing me?'
'We test all those who visit our island. We find it works better that way. It's good to know something about a person before you welcome them among you.'
Lisa chewed her lip. What he was saying made sense but she still felt like he'd made a fool out of her.
'What was I supposed to do?'
Partinon shrugged. 'Everyone is different. Some save me as you did, others call for help or try to drag me to the island. Occasionally they fly straight past and leave me to drown. Each behaviour tells you something about the person, don't you think?'
Lisa nodded. She hadn't put much thought into her actions. She had just seen him drop and feared that he might drown or get eaten by one of those creatures.
'Have you ever been attacked here?' she said.
Partinon shook his head. 'Not for a long time. We created the wards to keep the war lords away. Only sky lords can reach the island now.'
'What about Ibex? Did she ever come here?'
Partinon frowned. 'That's not a name to be bandy about. How do you now her?'
'She attacked me at the Ice Cathedral. She's dead now.'
Partinon gave her an appraising look. 'Is that so?'
'I didn't do it. Well I was part of it, I guess. She tried to kill me.'
Partinon nodded. 'That sounds like her alright.'