Excitement hummed against his very skin as Aleric dared to take a step forward. The frosty winds instantly assaulted him from behind, scattering locks of his already ruffled hair onto his pale complexion. The tail ends of his baby blue scarf were jostling in the breeze. He peered over his shoulders for one final glance toward his peers before he silently wandered toward the bottom of the stairs and stared up at the imposing steps. As much as he wanted to get huddle back into the warmth of the pack, only his mind was focused on one thought.

What was up the stairs? More seagulls? New lands? He couldn’t help but wonder, shifting his weight from foot to foot, as images of the Crystal Tower from picture books flashed within his mind. His mouth felt dry at the very thought, the cold no longer bothering him, as his curiosity was at its peak. He already felt exhilarated from the scent of the salty sea and the foreign sound of seagulls, all of which were new experiences that he had only seen on the pages of a book. Should he go up? He was already at the base so he--

CREAK

Before he even registered what he had done, he was already on the move, calmly climbing from one rickety step to another despite the frost covered surface. Although, he should've taken the red-headed boy's failed attempt into consideration as he was soon within the gulls' line of sight. It wasn't long before the gulls started to cause a racket at Aleric’s sudden appearance as what seems to be an army of them started swooping dangerously near his head. He quickened his pace while his expression was seemingly calm. However, anxiety crept all along his body as, in all honesty, it was a bit nerve-wrecking to be somewhat targeted and screeched at by a flock of foreign birds.