It was the middle of the afternoon when they reached the moving anchor point connecting the ley lines. Fluttershy had been looking through the stone lens and steering them in the right direction during her conversation with Kai. They'd made good progress, as they now found themselves at an anchor point.
"So, I'm not a practitioner of magic," Fluttershy said, unaware that she actually was. "Why were we looking for this nexus again? Is it related to one of the places we need to go for those little marbles we've been picking up?"
Kai nodded. "All of these anchors are supposed to be attached to a certain permanent structure. Usually a landmark that doesn't move around. However, this one does move around, because the building it's attached to also moves around."
Fluttershy looked around. They were in an open prairie with a number of small hills. There were no buildings in sight. "How can a landmark move around? Doesn't that make it no longer a landmark?"
"That is true," nodded Kai. "With real landmarks, you can always head the same direction away from them and reach the same point. However, in rare cases, you can find structures that move around that are of great importance. Cloudsdale, for example. Their weather factory goes everywhere."
Fluttershy nodded in understanding. "I grew up in Cloudsdale, you know. Plenty of times, I've heard of pegasi going down to the surface level and becoming intoxicated, then telling the guards that somepony ran off with their house." She snickered at her own joke.
"Well, did you know that there used to be a part of Cloudsdale that broke off and flew in a different direction?"
"Sure, it happens all the time."
"Well, this was a big building. This was long before either of us was even born."
Fluttershy raised her eyebrow. "Are you so sure I wasn't born yet?"
Kai smiled. "I suppose you're right. You look great, by the way. Your sixties have been very kind to you."
They both shared a laugh as Twilight climbed out of the back. "What's going on?" she asked. "Why did we stop?"
"We're here," answered Kai. "Welcome to the Nomadic Tower of the Winds."
Twilight looked around. "Where is it?"
Kai pointed straight up into the air. "Right there." Looking up, they saw a rather large cloud structure. It was about the size of Rainbow Dash's home. "It is there that we will find our next component."
"So... do we pull it down?"
Kai shook his head and took back the stone lens from Fluttershy. "Unfortunately, it's restricted to flying creatures. Pegasi, changelings, breezies, gryphons and the like. Fluttershy and I will deal with it, because we don't really have much else in the way of options." He returned the lens to Twilight. "Stay somewhat close. This may take awhile."
"Should I set up camp?"
"I think you should start preparing for it," nodded Fluttershy. "We'll be back as soon as we can, okay?"
With a nod from Twilight, she watched as Kai and Fluttershy took off into the air. She'd seen the magic connections when Fluttershy flew, but it occurred to her that Kai's method may be different. As she peered through the stone, she saw that his wings were functionally the same as hers. All of the magic flowing through them was being used to propel them upward. The only difference was that Fluttershy's was more controlled, coming down in straight lines, and Kai's seemed to fan out everywhere.
Fluttershy landed first at the doorway. Kai seemed a little worse for wear on arrival a few seconds later. This wasn't a long flight, and yet he felt winded. Chalking it up to a case of simple exhaustion from being on the road for too long, he shook himself before knocking on the door. After a few seconds, it swung open and a pegasus leaped out, tackling Kai "I knew you'd come back!" she shouted, kissing him repeatedly.
"What do you think you're doing!?" shouted Kai, pushing the mare off of him. "This is my first time here!"
"Whoops," giggled the mare, helping Kai back to his feet. "I thought you were somepony else."
"Clearly," grumbled Kai, wiping his face.
The mare giggled coquettishly. "Oh, don't mind me." She rapped her hoof against the top of her skull. "There's nothing in there. That's why they all call me an airhead."
"Uh huh..." grumbled Kai, causing a chuckle from Fluttershy. "We're looking for--"
"But you know who's really good at keeping track of stuff?"
"Who?" asked Fluttershy.
"Miss Bubbles!" called the mare, bouncing back inside. "Some ponies at the door asked for you by name!"
Kai and Fluttershy exchanged a discomforted look, then cautiously followed the bouncing mare. " Who is this 'Miss Bubbles?'" asked Kai. "Is she colleague of yours?"
The mare stopped on the stairs and gasped. "The nerve! I'm goin to tell him that you called him a 'she.' He's going to be so mad at you!" She continued bouncing up the stairs. "Miss Bubbles! One of your guests thinks you're a girl!"
Feeling very confused, Kai opted to keep his mouth shut, hoping it would be easier to just talk to this 'Miss Bubbles' personally, and not let this mare misconstrue any more of his words.
She bounced into a hallway and down to one of the walls, opening a hole. "Here he is!" she giggled.
Kai looked through the hole. A young-looking gryphon lounged on a cloud, lazily plucking away at a shamisen with what looked to be a paint scraper. He didn't really move that much, he mostly just sat there.
Kai stepped into the room. "Am I to believe that you are Miss Bubbles?" he asked.
The gryphon's head lolled to the side. "Do I look like a 'Miss Bubbles' to you? Do I even look like a female?"
Kai shook his head. "I don't mean to offend you, that's just the name I was given to address you by."
"Gal."
Kai cocked his head to the side. "Excuse me?"
"You may call me Gal. What is the purpose of your visit to my lounge?"
"We're after a tiny clear ball," answered Fluttershy. "And it should have some kind of shape inside it."
Gal reached into a satchel next to his swing and pulled out a bag made of netting. It was full of cat eye marbles. "Take your pick, I have plenty."
"Not the ones we wanted," scowled Kai. "We seek the favour of Hwouk."
Gal nodded. "Very well. First, a challenge."
The mare bounced and clapped. "You mean like a game!?"
Gal sighed. "Yes, Prize, like a game."