Spires in the Sky - Portal Prompt: Touching the Sky

After asking some of the locals for direction, and being plesantly suprised by how kind they were, Penny started traveling to the Strata Spires. Some of the people tried to warn her about the place. The danger of the spires toppling was not something to be taken lightly, and while several adrenaline junkies frequented the area, traveling to them was still highly discouraged unless a person knew what they were doing. The warning was heard, but not heeded. Once this pumpkin demon had made up her mind nothing could change it, and her mind was set on climbing a spire.

With directions the trip was much easier. Twisting smooth roads made by the constant traffic stretched out from the town like a growing, viney flower, and the more a person traveled the less and less wear could be seen until the road was indistinguishable from the ground. Were it not for the directions Penny was sure she would have gotten herself lost, but being lost was not something she feared. Being adrift from the course was her status quo; however, that would make finding the spires a bit difficult. Cliffs were scattered everywhere and Penny recognized that it would be very easy to fall into a canyon, so there was a small moment of gratitude in her heart for the safer path (for once). Another emotion entered her heart as the spires came into view; sheer delight. That was familiar to her, it happened every time she found another marvolous thing in the world, and it somehow managed to catch her off guard every time. Towering heights made the Strata Spires hard to miss, but the rise and fall of the jagged mesa ground conceled their true height. It was only when Penny was a short jog away that she finally understood the scope of what she was seeing.

A musical wind flew by playing its whispery tune as Penny stood at the base of a seemingly sturdy spire. "If I had a word for this feeling, it would be awe," she thought quietly to herself, mouth sealed into a tight but wide smile as she squinted up into the place where the earth touched the sky. She reached out and touched a band of earth that was as brightly colored as a golden coin and let its heat sink into her gloved palm. It was too slick and big for her to get a good grasp on, so bouldering up the natural skyscraper was out of the question. Penny tapped the pointer finger of her other hand on her cheek. Sometimes the thumping knocking noise that made due to her hollow head helped her to think. Not this time. So instead, she paced.

"I don't have climbing gear, and even if I did I've got no clue how to use it. I am not going back to the town after I've come this far, so asking for help isn't happening. How do I get up there?" Penny chuckled softly over the wind, "I should've known this wouldn't be a breeze." Then she looked down and realized a solution that she should have seen much sooner. Taking a pumpkin leaf she held on tight and let her magic cascade into it. Its bright green shifted into a shiny yellow as Penny filled it with potential. Then she kneeled down and slammed it on the ground. The ground jolted up beneath her shins and shot into the air as a makeshift elevator. The rapid ascent slowed down as the top of the spire came closer and closer, until it came to a stop and Penny stepped onto the natural platform, her platform slowly desending down as the leaf lost its magic and blew away. It was here that Penny looked and saw the world stretch endlessly towards the horizion. She was so high up that she could see nearly everything, and the village was so far and small she could hold it on the tip of her finger.

The sun sank into the horizion and the sky became as painted as the desert. Penny had seen many sunsets in her lifetime, but there was a unique beauty to this. Sitting on the warm stone she breathed in the twilight night and waited paitently for the stars to come out. A few particulary bright ones were already visible, but living in a miniscule town for the majority of her life had taught her that this was just the beginning. The more spectacular view was to come. To help bide her time Penny reached into one of the numerous pockets in her cargo pants and pulled out a well-preserved thing of oysters to munch on. Chewing on the seafood she chuckled softly to herself as the phrase "the world is my oyster" came to mind. That phrase meant she was free to do anything, and if she was lucky she might find a pearl of an experience. From her experience there were pearls everywhere and people were just to busy to notice them. From exotic and delicious foods to hearing the rain pelting the forest leaves during a storm, it seemed like there were many experiences that were as precious as pearls. It was Penny's goal to find the best ones in life and hold on to them tightly. Not that she ever gave that any thought. Her wanderlust was constantly moving her forward. It was like she was in a strong current that kept moving her from one wonder to another. Still, despite the beauty of everyhing, something was missing. A purpose to it all. In no way did she feel that she was lacking, from her perspective she had it made, but she could feel that something in her life was going to change very soon. If it did not happen on its own, she would make it happen. If only she could figure out what it was.

The stars shined brightly as they emerged from their slumber: a hazy piece of the galaxy stretched across the sky. Despite Penny's knowledge of the stars she knew it would be impossible to recognize any constilations in this unfamiliar place. Then something fast caught her eye and she stood up with suprise and another wave of awe. A comet!

A comet went blazing through the sky, then another, then another! There was a meteor shower! Penny laughed from the unexpectly wonderful suprise. What a wonderful treasure of a moment.

Then a buzzing noise cut through the natural noises of the desert. It was the sound of an engine reving away. The sound raised in pitch as it came closer and closer, and more could be heard. Penny looked down to see them.