Sailing on the wind (1/3)

Posted on 09 Feb 2016 @ 6:58pm by Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim

2,747 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 10 - Symposium
Location: Akkadia
Timeline: MD41 Time 0800

ON:

The Twins already made the day warm. They stood side by side in the heavens one red, one yellow in a High Spring day. Wyndi illm Maki'ah made her way through the Warraquim Guild House. She had only been here a few times before and it was always impressive.

While the Warraquim was the most powerful Guild, her's was not far behind but it still did not boast the size or the adornment of the this one. Wood that was carved by delicate hands in intricate details adorn the lintels and door frames, the beams that braced the walls and the doors themselves were wide and carved expertly.

She did not need a guide, she had asked directions and gotten them and she could picture in her mind exactly how to get there. It was a talent one learned being of the Maki'ah Guild.

No what excited her today was that the request was to take a young male for a tour, but not just any male, an off world one. She had seen a few aliens at the port but never been close to one. It was exciting and she wondered what he would be like.

The room was at the end of the corridor. She could tell that it would normally have been given to a senior Guild member but had been given over to an honoured guest. She approached the door and rapped on it and announced, "Wyindi illm Maki'ah for a..." she thought the name she had been given rolling it on her tongue. It was not so far from an Akkadian name. "Wintrow,"

There was a pause and then the door opened. A older male nodded to her and said, "I have just served the young man's breakfast. He is on the balcony, please enter and I will announce you." The man bowed as she entered and then quietly lead past a gigantic four poster bed out through wide doors to a balcony that overlooked the ever present sea.

A young man was at a table looking a bit overwhelmed if Wyndi pegged the alien aright. He was in profile at the moment but from here he looked handsome.

The Warraquim male made a small sound and then bowed, "Your pardon honoured guest Wintrow. Wyndi illm Maki'ah is here as arranged by Mother named Allyndra."

"Please send her in," Wintrow answered softly, doing his best to argue against being served breakfast, especially so elaborately. This was far more than he was used to eating, and certainly far more luxury than he'd ever experienced in his young life. He was used to serving, not being served.

Wyndi nodded to the Warraquim male and gave a subtle jerk of the head. He bowed less and then disappeared inside. She in turn then made a small curtsy. "I hope I have not disturbed you over much. Ohh.....honeyed blood flower bread may I?" She knew it was impolite but the reddish red was a treat that she seldom got to sample.

"Honey what?" Wintrow gestured for her to have at it since he had no idea what it was to begin with. "No you're not disturbing me, I've been up for a while now. And this is far more than I can eat so please, help yourself."

Wyndi came around to the table. She pointed to a reddish looking bread. "That," she pointed and picked up a piece of the bread and squeezed it." She closed her green eyes for a moment. "Oh my! That is good!"

Wyndi seemed to realize just how impolite she was being and looked rather sheepish and did another quick curtsy. She was in her flight leathers which consisted of light blouse with leather like pants. It was quite less and certainly not the skirts that virtually all the other Akkadian women wore.

"My appologies. I did not mean to offend. I should be more respectful, Guild Mother has rapped me enough that I should have gotten that through my thick skull." She seemed lost for a moment and then said, "Name is Wyndi, I am sail ship pilot. Warraquim Mother named thought you might be interested in taking a trip between the islands. She said that you liked flying yourself....." There was a bit of trail off and she looked a bit embarrassed. "Sorry, males are not pilots, well at least here but then your not from here....I mean your an alien.....I mean....sorry."

"Offend?" Wintrow smiled somewhat uncertainly, "I'm not offended at all. Please, sit and indulge. Like I said it's more than I can eat on my own." He could sense her embarrassment but for now chose not to mention it. "No I'm not from here, I'm born on Earth though my mom was from Betazed."

Wyndi took a seat across from this Wintrow. She really got a good look at him. Blonde like her but with darker streaks that did not glow quite like her own green ones. His eyes, which seemed odd to her with all that white where still quite nice. She could not decide if they were quite green or blue as they seemed to shift back and forth. She decided she liked the effect and thought her own brilliant green ones a bit overdone. He had a delicate face, almost feminine, more so then even most of the fertile males that her House had pushed at her at times. She looked away out over the water realizing she had been staring. There was a bit of flutter in hearts even without her wings. "Umm.....so how do you like our world so far....Whhyynnn'trrrroooo" The name came out as though she was saying an Akkadian one with a musical rise from the beginning to the syllable and then a sort of trill on the r with a musical flutter on the o sound.

"That's an unusual pronounciation of my name," Wintrow commented, leaning back to sip his tea. "I really like it here and I would've loved to be a native I think...the freedom you have just to fly anywhere...I've been a pilot for nearly two years now and there's nothing that makes me feel more free than to fly. Why is it that males aren't pilots here? What do they do instead?" He considered something, his smile brightening a little. "Why don't you call me Win? It's probably easier for you, and I don't mind. All of my friends call me that."

"Oh? I am sorry, I just did not know how to pronounce it properly. It is sort of not far from Akkadian. Wyn......sort of like mine." Wyndi smiled looking the the handsome young man and she again felt that odd flutter in her hearts. She covered by answering his question.

"Well it has to do with the eyes. They do not have the ability to focus sharp enough. It is a physiological thing." She shook her head, "If you like to fly then being a male native you would not like. They get to serve on the ships, but mostly to book keep if fertile ones and infertile ones are the manual labour. Well....." Wyndi considered a moment and figured that it was not something from the past that was not to be talked about. "a long time ago, thousands of years, fertile males had wings. I guess over time they were not needed and things changed. Anyway," Wyndi made a nod and grabbed a fruit and bit into it savouring the juice. "Such things do not apply to you here. Expect a few odd looks though but if anyone says a thing just remind them that Warraquim Mother named has given her word. Trust me, not even the Guild Mother of Mak'iah herself would say different."

Wyndi's tone had grown very serious on the later but then she brightened again. "Well, while a guest, if possible sir.....Win. We should try to catch the morning breeze if possible. We have stops at several of the other islands and it will be overnight. Take what you need extra or we have stores and their are shops along the way if you wish. If you have never done so, trust me Win, there is nothing like sky sailing over the ocean during Ring Rise. If it were not that most of the male crew were infertile there would many matron flights!" Wyndi laughed with a musical tone to it. "Appologies, again, I am a sailor!"

"So am I," Wintrow smiled, "I'm a cadet at Starfleet academy and obviously I'm training to be a pilot. My goal is to be able to fly anything I might need to fly. And why would there be many matron flights?" He stared openly at her in curiosity, "Why is the male crew infertile? Are all the females fertile?" He realized he knew little of the Akkadians beyond what little ALlyndra had told him.

Whydi had poured herself some bloodflower juice and nearly choked on it as the alien indicated he did not understand and claim to be a sailor as well. She wiped the juice off and shook her head. "What else is there to do to pass the time while sailing in the clouds in a romantic setting? The crew makes liaisons, parings you know?" She wondered for a moment if he did or not perhaps he was a virgin but still even an alien would have figured out that or perhaps there was something different about his biology. She thought on that for a moment. "I mean having sex. Do your kind have that, I mean you look male but then again, I haven't seen or know anything about your.....well you know.....your ummm anatomy. If you know what I mean." Wyndi could feel the colour creep into her own face.

"Uhm..." Suddenly feeling flustered, Wintrow set down the glass he'd just picked up. "I'm male yes, and our kind does uhm.. have sex..." He felt his own cheeks flush in embarrassment. Was he really going to have to elaborate on his sex life, or rather: lack thereof?

She laughed out loud. It was a boisterous thing, something which showed her sailor lifestyle, not the tightly controlled society of a Guild House. "Well sorry. So if the males were fertile then all the girls would be carrying eggs by the end of the trips." It struck her that perhaps things were different elsewhere. "Ummm.........yeah woman are all fertile, some of the males are and then some are not, it is the way things are. The infertile ones grow big and are mostly the manual labor because of it. Might have seen some down at the space port doing loading and unloading."

The young pilot nodded. He had seen the larger males yes. He watched her from the corner of his eyes as he took a chance to sip his own juice. For a while, he said nothing as he let her words sink in.

Wyndi glanced out again and noted the morning was getting on. She could sense that the wind would be shifting. He was a guest and had priority but the sailor in her could not help but note that soon the winds would be shift against them. She pointed to some of the foliage, glad to maybe get the conversation away from the route it had taken. "See Win, see how the plants have changed their sway? And look at the ocean caps, they have moved their angle. Winds are changing and soon will not be in our favour. I will delay since I have been commanded to go at your pace but the sailor in me says it is time to go. I promise you," she turned to look at him. "If you do not mind our style of clothing that there is plenty in store and I will take you to the Trellium silk market as well if you are willing to leave now."

"Oh you're the expert here," Wintrow replied, "I'll follow your advice, you know these winds far better than I do. I've never been air sailing before, only on water you see." He gave her a once over, appreciating her style. "There's nothing wrong with your clothes? I'm the one who's rather out of place where fashion is concerned." He grabbed her hand, got to his feet and pulled her towards the door. "Let's go!"

Wyndi was surprised at the strength but she had the impulse to pull away. To be touched like that was........well it was unheard of. But then again he was alien, an outsider and she would have to get used to things. She made a small bow and said, "Then come with me," she said.

Totally oblivious to any possible taboos, Wintrow let her take the lead.
--
It was easier to walk than take transportation and she knew shortcuts that even on foot would easily out pace any transportation. He asked about some things and she tried to explain a bit but her mind was focused elsewhere. It was probably less than ten minutes and coming out from between two buildings Wyndi paused and pointed across a large open space.

"There she is. Ma'honi a'honi!" Wyndi said with pride. She translated for him, "The Twins Kiss. I have been her Captain now for two years."
The sky ship was an odd looking thing. It appeared to be mostly wood with bits of metal and not unlike an old Earth sailing ship with masts and sails, but instead of a hull for water that part seemed to be a forward wide cabin with others connected by walkways wrapped around what appeared to be something like a zeppelin. It floated, bobbing slightly in the breeze about ten feet off the ground. Figures swarmed over the upper deck part and masts. The sails still furled but hanging from the arms.

"Two years?" Though he was totally awed by the ship he tore his attention away from the gorgeous ship. "How old are you?" he asked, before looking back at the ship. He couldn't wait to get on board and learn how to fly her.

"I have seen the Twins complete dance for twenty three years Win and unless wind and storm or some other accident, would hope to see them for quite a bit longer before my wings no longer come in." Wyndi stated. "Does that make me a old one to you?"

"Nah, only a few years older. I'll be twenty in a few days," Wintrow smiled. "Twenty-three in my culture is considered to be quite young."

"Come," she said and lead across the field. A light wooden stairway lead to the forward cabin while a heavier ramp was extended in back for heavier cargo to be moved. Wyndi waved and called to several of the figures.
"Hola! Button her up, we are away while we can catch the wind from the mountains!"

The activity picked up and Wyndi indicated the stairway. Even so the ramp was being cranked up and lateen rigged sails being lowered. As Wyndi lead the way up the stair to the front cabin. Already the stair shifted and swayed as the ship begin to tug at its moorings. "Steady, she wants to fly."

"Whoa...is this safe?" Wintrow called ahead as he followed her, fingers white as he balanced himself on the stairs. This was something to get used to and he considered the fact that while they had wings, he had not...

Wyndi entered the large glassed in front cabin and nodded to the crew there almost all female. She introduced Win to them. "Everyone, this is Win, honoured guest of House Warraquim. Mother named of that House requests that he is to be treated in honoured fashion. Is that clear." Her tone was clear but commanding. The last was not a question. The crew on the bridge took him in and then almost as one either bowed or curtseyed.

Wyndi nodded and then went to where the wheel was. There was a swivel seat but she did not sit but stood taking the spooked wheel in hand. "Here stand beside me Win. Once we are away, I will let you get a feel for her."

---
LCmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo
also NPC Wyndi illm Mak'iah

Cadet SO Wintrow Paragon
Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
pnpc Tyrion

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