The Descendant

Chapter 4 ~ Welcome to Gaea (Unedited)

Chapter 4 ~ Welcome to Gaea

"Hey, Zoë, How much longer? I don't think I can hold myself up for much longer," I complained. My back muscles were extremely sore and my face hurt from the wind constantly teasing my skin. I started to slip as well, sometimes dropping 5ft, sometimes 10ft. It wasn't exactly a pleasant ride in my opinion.

"Just nine or ten more miles, dear. Keep it up. You haven't much longer," she said encouragingly.

I groaned, but continued to flap, knowing it would mean plummeting to the ground, and even though Angels were immortal, we could still feel pain and that fall was sure to cause heaps.

After ten more minutes of torture my eyes started to droop. I shook my head to wake myself back up, but the action dizzied me, so I closed my eyes. I swear it only felt like a second, but when I opened them again, Zoë was screaming at me in my head and I was less than 100ft (and counting) away from hitting the ground. I tried to flap but it only spun me around and messing me up even more. I was so screwed. I didn't scream, knowing that no one would hear me except Zoë and that it was a waste of energy, so I just uselessly fell and tried to understand Zoë's yells in my head.

"Spread your arms and legs and try to stay balanced with the ground facing your stomach!" she commanded.

I quickly followed orders. 72ft left, I thought, trying not to panic, but to no avail.

"What now?" I asked Zoë.

"Imagine your wings shrinking back into your back, first, then wait until you get about 20ft from the ground, then shape your body into diving position, with your hands closer to the ground than the rest of your body."

I imagined my wings shrinking, and they did, making me go a bit faster. I waited some more through this terrifying experience, the winds whipping all around me. Finally, I got to 20ft and did as she said. I saw green. Miles and miles of green all around me.

"Now, reach under you, bring your knees to your chest and grip your shins, one arm crossed over the other."

I did this and started to roll. Now, I screamed as I anticipated the impact of the hard ground, wondering which part of my body would make contact with Gaea first.

"Brace yourself!" She said a few seconds before my knees hit the ground and I started to roll in green. I rolled so fast and probably about fifteen times all in a matter of a few seconds.

"On a part when your head is touching the ground, quickly place your hands out and put one leg before the other so you're crouching," she said quickly, but I still understood her, and after rolling one more time, I did as told and balanced on the tips of my feet and my fingers. My hair covering my face and swaying from the abrupt stop as I panted and looked down at the green ground. While I caught my breath my excitement rose. I looked around me and saw the sun starting to set. It was so beautiful from down here. As I payed closer attention, I realized my senses were running wild. The grass, at least that's what I think that's what the green stuff is called being that I've never seen it before, tickled my skin and I felt super sensitive and the light breeze felt amazing on me. The smells were . . . amazing, isn't even a fraction of what described them but that was the best word I could come up with. The colors were so vibrant and stood out so brilliantly against each other. The fading sun warming my body. Angel Court was nothing like this beautiful place with its dull colors and lifelessness. Oh, I almost forgot the most amazing part. Everything around me was alive. The grass, the sun, even the wind. It was alive, alive, alive and I was free, free, free! I laughed out loud in pure joy.

"Welcome to Gaea my dear, Zaressa, " said Zoë from behind me.