~Chapter 3- Corri's Ascent~

Deep in Titus Forest, the red-haired Corri slept in a small home made from logs and shrubbery. Meanwhile, the boys underwent training from Chief Theo. Leaving her and the boulder child, Ruben, with little to do. Neither of them had much interest in growing powerful.

Once the eleven-year-old girl Corri woke from her bed of leaves. Ruben asked if she'd like to check out the mountain with it, and she obliged. They figured there might be other Densius living on the mountain.

"Hey, Ruben? I've been wondering..." Corri asked as they walked the path heading towards the mountain.

"Hmm?" Ruben looked at her with its red-eye stones.

"What do you like being called? I notice the others refer to you as 'him' or 'he', but I'm not sure if that's right."

"It isn't. Densius don't have genders," Ruben replied.

"Yeah, I know. But it feels weird to call you an 'it'," Corri pointed out.

Ruben chuckled lightly, "I don't mind either way. Call me what you like."

Corri felt a rush of air come from above. She looked up and saw a woman riding a tallow, a large flying animal that usually resided in the Sky Lands. She heard that the people of the sky had learned to tame and ride birds like them. The sky rider flew toward the top of the mountain. Corri had to see them!

They followed a path up the mountain towards the top. As they went, they saw Densius living in the mountains. The stones that made up the bodies of the Densius living here had moss covering them, giving them a distinctive look, differing from Ruben's uniform light grey body.

A Densius with a round stone body tucked its legs and arms around its body and began to roll around the mountain at high speed.

Ruben's mouth was agate. "That's such a smart idea! I've always wished I could travel faster. Do you mind if I go talk to them? I want to figure out how to do that."

Corri smiled, "Go ahead. I want to go see that sky rider anyways."

Ruben smiled and headed towards that rolling Densius while Corri continued up the mountain alone.

As she went, Corri looked up into the sky. High past the clouds, she could make out masses floating up above. Those were the Sky Lands, bountiful and blessed lands hovering above the earth, out of reach. She was always been fascinated by the Sky Lands, like she had a calling to be there. A sense of belonging.

When Corri neared the top of the mountain, she could see a few buildings; one of them was an inn, and another that looked like a station. A massive flying bird, a hummingbird, was perched at the top of the mountain, surrounded by other large birds and sky riders. The hummingbird was around 10 meters tall and had a harness around its body with tethers attached to it.

A few Sky Riders sat near the station together. They each wore goggles and wind-breaking vests. One of them wore a bright red scarf that Corri liked. They were prepared for the sky.

Corri went up to them, "What is all this?"

A sky rider answered, "This is a sky platform kid. Never been to one before?"

Corri shook her head emphatically.

"We ferry people up to the Sky Lands, for a price."

"R-Really? You take people up there?" Corri asked.

"Yup. We come down here every month and take whoever wants to ascend. We also bring people back down from the Sky Lands. But people generally want to stay."

Corri got onto her tiptoes and said, "I want to go!"

The sky riders looked at each other. "Better check with your parents first."

Another spoke up, "If you really are interested in coming, we're heading to the Sky Lands tomorrow. Talk to your parents. If they say yes, make sure to pack everything you think you'll need."

Corri nodded. She was sure her dad wouldn't want her going, but he wasn't around to tell her no.

Corri returned to their dwelling and found Ruben. The red-eyed Densius had carved out slots in its stone torso where its legs and arms could be placed. It started to learn to roll around just like the other Densius it had met.

That night, Corri gathered her things to prepare for the trip. Nout, Jirro, and Aero stumbled into their wooden home exhausted and fell onto their leaf beds. Theo had not been easy on the boys that day. Nout and Jirro wasted no time getting to sleep.

Aero looked at his sister while she got her things together, "Where are you going, Corri?"

"I'm going to Sky Lands!" Corri said with a huge grin, "There are people at the top of the mountain who will take people there tomorrow."

Aero's eyes widened, and he turned over. "What? Weren't you going to tell me about this?"

Corri shrugged, "I'm telling you now. I'll be back in a month."

Aero's body went through an exaggerated jolt, and he sat up. "A month!? Are you sure it's safe to go up there?"

Corri laughed, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"I should come with you," Aero said.

Corri stopped and looked at her brother, "What about your training with Theo?"

"Dad wanted me to make sure you stay safe. I've got to come," Aero declared.

"Don't do that. I know you'd rather stay here," Corri said, "Trust me. I can take care of myself."

Aero folded his arms, "Are you sure?"

Corri placed a hand on her chest. "I promise."

Aero thought for a moment, and reached into his bag. He pulled out the prize money he won from the tournament. He brashly divided it in half and handed one half of it to Corri.

"Take this in case you need it up there."

Aero handed over several thousands of Ivases to Corri with absolutely no hesitation. She took it, smiled at him, and hugged her big brother, "Thanks, Aero."

Everyone went with Corri to the top of the mountain the next morning to see her off. Groups of people had traveled to Titus Forest that day to make the journey to the Sky Lands as well.

The people manning the sky platform all guided the passengers to the giant hummingbird, which would carry them above. Each passenger had to wear harnesses, which were then tethered to the hummingbird. Corri took a deep breath as they strapped her in, waving to her brother and the others. A man climbed the hummingbird, using its feathers to grip onto until he reached a saddle seated at the nape of the giant bird's neck.

The man put goggles over his eyes and shouted to all of the passengers, "Everyone, hold on tight as we go up. This big bird won't mind any of you grabbing onto its feathers! And if you let go, don't panic, we tied all of you in. You're not going anywhere! We're heading up soon!"

Corri gripped the bird's feathers and prepared herself. The sky rider serving as their pilot whispered to the hummingbird, and it extended its great wings to the sides. It began to flap, creating gusts of wind around them. Aero and the others could hardly stand the force of it.

The hummingbird left the ground, accompanied by several other Sky Riders on their own smaller birds. The hummingbird and sky riders rocketed through the sky, wind blistering past them as they ascended. Corri took one look back at the others as the distance between them grew.

Corri whooped with excitement as they shot through the sky - it was exhilarating! They were surrounded by thick clouds, and when she looked down, Titus Forest was barely visible. The other sky riders were keeping pace with the hummingbird.

They passed through the clouds, and the sun shone on them. The hummingbird leveled out its wings, and it began to lazily glide through the skies. The sun illuminated the clouds with an orange tint, complemented by the bright blue sky. Far below, she could see, well, everything! She could even make out the eye-shaped Challenger's Lake far in the distance.

They passed by one of the many floating pieces of land that populated the sky. In the distance, she could see a giant mass of land floating, with beautiful cities filling it. The hummingbird glided through the air towards the Sky City. In that city was a statue of the goddess, with elegant white robes, long flaming red hair, and golden gauntlets.

The Sky Lands were bountiful and beautiful. The rate at which their crops grew outdid those on the ground greatly. There were always full wellsprings of water. The people of the sky rarely wanted anything and were abundantly happy.

It's said that the Goddess Ralosia plucked these pieces of land from the earth, blessed them, and sent them heavenward.

As they flew to the city, other sky riders filled the air, riding birds of various breeds and sizes. The hummingbird landed on a platform where other sky riders flew to and fro. All of the passengers were untethered from the giant bird and disembarked.

Corri walked through the Sky City, enjoying its sights. There were many tall buildings housing the denizens of the sky. There were several docks around the sky island where sky riders could leave from.

Corri looked at the people around her and noticed their clothes were very different from hers. Theirs were expertly woven, while hers were rather rugged. Maybe, she'd buy some clothes like theirs while she was in the Sky Lands.

Corri saw that they offered trips to the other islands inthe sky to those who did not have their own birds, but she didn't want to beferried around by others; she'd rather be independent. She found a poster on awall for lessons on sky riding