Touching the Sun
"It was as if pins had suddenly been driven into my joints, and then used to spin me in every direction at once. The sunlight was driving needles into my brain, and my skin felt like it was on fire. If it wasn't for Thea and Ajax, I wouldn't have made it to the ground alive. So trust me - don't go showing off in the air. Chtypón will punish you."
Among the winged Aethry, there is a malady known as 'Touching the Sun' which strikes those who ascend too quickly into the sky. It most often strikes younger flyers, who do not yet know their own limits and what their bodies can withstand. It occurs without much warning, and those who discover it rarely manage to recover before they fall to the ground with bone-breaking results.
The exact conditions that bring about this condition vary from individual to another, but the general pattern is consistent. When rapidly ascending to somewhere above five thousand feet, the flyer is suddenly struck with intense pains in their limbs, particularly their wings. At the same time, the victim becomes disoriented, dizzy, and nauseated, frequently vomiting in midair. Their vision is also affected, and light becomes intolerable to them forcing them to close their eyes. Heat flashes over their skin, a sensation like being set on fire, and they may even convulse or curl into a fetal position.
Under these conditions, continuing to fly is practically impossible, and the Aethry plummets from the sky. Given the heights at which this occurs, it is uncommon to survive the landing. Some have been crippled for life, and a lucky few have survived through the intercession of companions or fortune.
It is believed that one of the Daemones named Chtypón is responsible for striking down those who show hubris in their flight, and that it is her touch that brings on the sudden collapse.
There are some factors which increase the liklihood of this happening. An already exhausted or injured flyer may encounter it, or one who has been drinking to excess - in these cases, this can cause the condition to strike even under heights and ascent rates that can normally be tolerated. The general tolerance for rapid ascent also decreases with age.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
Sounds like a good way to keep people's heads out of the clouds. ;)
Yep. I was trying to imagine decompression sickness for flyers, and found that it exists in pilots and used that as an inspiration.
Ah! So is this a natural case of DCS, or a supernatural intervention? Or is it a secret? ;)
As is so often the case in the islands, it’s both. It started as a physical thing. But they didn’t understand what was happening, so they invented Chtypón as a Daemon who punishes the hubristic fliers. That belief was translated through the force of legend into reality, and now there are two ways it can happen.
Aha! I might've guessed XD