An elf called Mai’ho approached the table on the opposite side of the inn where his kin was slowly drinking herbal wine.
* “Ran away from few furries?” his comrades decided to mock him a little. He didn’t mean anything offensive, just started a conversation
* “Ran away? Indeed. I was afraid of catching their stench.” The first one answered taking a sit with rest of his group.
* “That half-breed told you anything useful?” another voice asked mentioning Gisele which Mai’ho was talking for last hour or so.
* “Conversation with this woman was a pure agony. She is far too narcissistic, each time I asked anything about that white-haired jested she would redirect the whole attention on herself. All the time:
* “Cheesecakes you say?” a very calm, feminine voice could be heard from behind him. Words were spoken suddenly, right behind his ear making a man almost jump from his place. The owner of the voice was relatively short as for her race elf woman in simple, yet well-made adventurer robe. She was supporting her body on magical staff. Her beautiful, completely silver hair reached half of her back.
* “Lanele? You scared me!” the royal guard smiled after seeing young priestess.
* “Mind telling me what were you doing behind my backs? Apparently, that adventurer earned your curiosity too. I am wondering why.”
Everyone at table became quiet. They were acting without young noble knowledge because of egoistic reason.
* “… Well. We wanted to… influence him… into talking with you?”
* “Why?” despite friendly tone one could easily tell that Lanele was annoyed.
* “Because we heard you were interested in having a conversation him…”
* “That’s true. But as I was bit busy recently I couldn’t muster time for any possible meeting. But now, tell me, if I wanted to talk with him, why wouldn’t I approach him myself and ask for conversation?...” That reason to act on their own was their racial pride. If someone of Lanele’s status wishes to talk with someone, she calls him to her, not the other way around.
* “Because…”
* “I will have whole eternity for acting all-mighty and treating everyone like garbage – after I would take my mother place…” she mocked her friend
* “My lady! It’s not the c…”
* “… But for now, I want to act like a normal girl. I appreciate your efforts but stop being this overprotective. Now, if I will have a chance of having any form of conversation with him I will have to start with apologizing. Because of you.”
* “That will not be neces…” the same elf tried to talk again, yet one more time he was disturbed.
* “Actually, I should be grateful to you. Because you made him pretty much hate us, it will be even greater fun to have a talk with him. To be treated like annoyance you wish to get rid of. That will be an experience worth having!” woman actually chuckled a little.
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Zari’s POV.
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Before leaving with beast-kins I left a note to Gisele at reception, just informing her I will be away for few hours. Was that necessary? Probably not, but then again, her mind works in mysterious ways and I would prefer her not rampaging in the city while looking for me. They (beast-kins) were still annoying me. I did my best to stay away from this sick devotion-mess away, but after Harpy offered me a quick lesson of actual flying I got quite excited. Up until now my experience with flying were… not necessarily greatest. I could actually fly more or less correctly only after turning completely into killer-mantis form. And if flying individuals draw attention, then flying 2 meters tall insect with sickle limbs would raise the alarm. Next thing I would know was a bounty for my head appearing in local guild.
We picked a little of equipment and some food rations, as we weren’t going to get back before dinner, and moved toward specific rock formation to the north. Locals called it canyon or forest of rocks. I would call it just a bigger pile of sharp rock thrown here and there. Legends told that these were used by giants throwing them as weapons on each another. Was it true? Absolutely not. But try convincing locals about it. Especially those which were earning money for leading tourists in there.
We walked more or less an hour and half, and every single minute of it was completely awkward. Willingly or not, they made a formation around me. I used to see nobles cart being protected by knights in same way, and once again my blood boiled. Somehow I managed to swallow this humiliation, for yes! – I felt humiliated!
As we approached our destination, extremely irregular ground with hundreds of sharp, obelisk like rock pointed to the sky covering group of hills, the harpy asked.
* “My lord. What does it mean to you
She wanted physical or philosophical answer? … Wait. Why do I care?
* “I am sure you are about to enlighten to me in next second.” I answered with a mocking tone
* “No. I won’t. For everybody sees in it different values.”
She started stripping off her heavier equipment – bags, leather protectors and parts of clothing with cores sewed into them, serving as catalyst empowering her magic.
* “For other it is just a matter of traveling… yet another group it is form of meditation… for me...” she hesitated “… Do you know how living in harpies lair looks like?”
I declined with my head’s movement.
* “Our life belongs to matron. When we are little chicks we are not told to do much, but we are raised to believe that word of matron is everything. It’s like… we couldn’t even comprehend that other life, life far away from nest could exist. We were living day and night under her word. Hunting when she told us too, mating when she told us too, eating when she told us too… even dying. As the nest would be attacked and she saw no possibility of winning she would pick few dozens of her people and told them to buy as much time as they can, while rest of horde would grab belonging at flee to make a nest somewhere else.”
She stopped and looked far into the horizon, probably in direction of her old home.
* “When I was once hunting, I saw two birds making their own nest close to our new home. Not best neighborhood for them in my opinion... but then I wondered. Why? Why did they nest here? They have wings, they could just fly away somewhere else and start a life far from us… and then I asked myself same question.”
She looked back at me.
* “This is what flying means to me. It’s path of liberation and style of life. I love these bastards…” she pointed with her head at rest of the party “… they are a group after my home I stayed the longest with. But, if our relations would start being awkward or hostile, I would just spread my wings and fly away. I would do that seeking for freedom. As I was traveling I heard a legend. About a being called as worse than devil… yet by few called the chain breaker. The liberator. The mightiest of beasts with a hunger to swallow the impurity and injustice of this world. I decided to use my wings to look for this wonderful being from above. And now, I can show this beautiful god, what it means to spread ones wing. All the suffering I have been through lead me to this one moment. And I couldn’t ask for more.” She smiled at me.
Her eyes beamed with determination and pride. Somehow, knowing her little sacrifices, I could tolerate her. Maybe even respect a little.
* “Great. I consider philosophy and history classes finished. Can we get to the practice?” yet I couldn’t let her know about it. If she would know I sympathize with her she would use it to influence me more and drag me into some racial wars. Thank you, but no.
* “The day of your awakening is yet to come. But we will wait patiently, preparing ground for you oncoming. Ground and sky. Show me your wings, my lord.” Last sentence she barely whispered.
I started taking off clothes from my upper body. I started feeling as my shoulder blades shift their locations, and then begin to turn. I felt the bones piercing painlessly through my skin growing bigger and harder. Then, all over the bones the flesh started crawling up, creating net of nerves and muscles around it. The skin covered the whole structure. The last phase was feathers covering the whole, new structure, which unfortunately for me, itched like hell.
Not only my backs changed. My lungs slowly increased their capacity, bones became empty inside making my body light, yet I was aware that some stronger punch could break me in half. Notification of my Constitution losing few dozen points just ensure me in it.
I tried getting rid of alien sensation of growing additional pair of limbs by moving them few times. I looked back. Red wings I “borrowed” from Red SkyTerror Eagle presented themselves proudly.
* “Flying has one more value to me…” harpy said after a moment “… You see, world, is a hell-hole. Full of violence, hate, pestilence and rape. Yet, when you fly high in the sky and watch the ground below you… it seem so peaceful and beautiful. It gives me strength to keep fighting. To keep living… Oh, just one more thing. It’s the story we tell all of the young chicks before they start flying. About Icarus – man that fell in love with harpy and wanted to join her in the sky. He made his father build him pair of wings he used to fly. But he got too excited by idea of flying closer to the sun that he…”
* “… melted the wax of his wings and died?” that was bit different version of Icarus I know
* “…What?! No! Pardon me sir, but you apparently have no idea how sky-thing works. The higher you get the colder it gets. You are lacking good-air to breath and your muscles grows numb making you fall. But in the end effect is same – you die.”
… of course I know what happens when you fly too high!... but that’s not how Icarus myth goes! At least not at my place.
* “Come closer to the edge.” She instructed me. We come to the verge of the hill and I looked to the valley below. The distance down was around 20 meters. Sometimes, if you fall from such distance, when you get
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Can I regenerate damages caused by broken spine? I don’t want to check that.
* “Close your eyes.” She was whispering. “Feel the wind. Wind is your greatest friend and foe while flying. If you use it skillfully you can fly for whole day without actually moving your wings. Desert vulture even starts his flight without beating its wings, he just waits hours on the tree waiting for the blow that would rise him up. Spread your wings. Try catching it in. Seek for it. All these gentle blows.”
Indeed. Wind was tickling my feather nicely. They reacted to every, even weakest, breath-like blow. It felt so right.
* “Flying doesn’t’ mean just flapping your wings mindlessly. Sometimes, less means more! Imagine it, you are flying against the wind. One powerful flap, and straightening your wings to soar on the blow. One…Two…Three… Strike with your wings again… One…Two… Three. Don’t fight with the wind. Embrace it. Use it. You won’t overpower the storm. Rest will come from practice..”
Yes, practicing would be actually nice. I just hope harpies don’t train flying same way birds does – by kicking them out from the nest. Better make sure just in case.
* “If you would have some silly idea of kicking me down, just know that I will cut off your legs and shove them in your ass.”
I said opening my eyes and turning slowly to her. She frozen in place like some sculpture, she was all pale on her face. When I lowered my gaze a little I noticed that she had one of her bird-legs raised in position for kick.
* “You wanted to kick me down?” I actually stated more than asked.
Still pale she shook her head to the sides.
* “You are positioned directly behind me and your leg is raised.” I noticed
She slowly put her leg down and took two steps to the sides.
* “Good. Where were we?” I turned back to the cliff repeating the lesson from before. After a moment or two, I more or less I got the grip of the basic.
* “If you wish… we can try flying now. I will jump first, just try flying after me and repeating my moves. In few minutes it should become more or less natural to me.”
I liked that idea. Idea of not being pushed down. Idea of deciding myself when to jump. You know, I have that childhood trauma of being pushed deeper into a dungeon by familiars.
Breath in, breath out, wind on my wings. So peaceful, so right.
Harpy jumped from the cliff next to me. I watched her for a moment, then I jumped after her.
Feeling of calmness disappeared in next second, instead I felt the adrenaline rushing through my veins. I was falling with my head down, my eyes were glued to harpy’s wings waiting for her to move in order to mimic her. But behind her shoulder I saw ground coming dangerously closer to me with every split of the second.
I didn't even notice when we got in the half of our way down.
10 meters, she was still not moving.
9 meters. I could count pebbles lying in the valley.
8 meters. My senses started screaming.
7 meters. I actually noticed that one of the pebbles was a lizard pretending to me one, basking in the heat of the sun.
6 meters. Now even I was screaming.
5 meters. She finally moved. Pushing her whole body to the horizontal position, grabbing wind’s pressure under her wings.
4 meters. I copied her moves. Impact of wind hitting my wings was so strong that I thought that my wings will give up.
3 meters. Lizard noticed that it got covered by the shadow, so it raised its head up to find a source of darkness in the bright day. It noticed us approaching her at high speed.
2 meters. Now even lizard was screaming.
1 meter. We both flapped our wings before hitting the ground. All the winds pressure that was build on our wings created a gust that stopped us from turning into pancakes.
It also throw a poor lizard to the side. I only saw a brown reptile bounce few times over the rocks. We flew further over the valley.
I turned my head looking behind us trying to check the fate of poor lizard, somehow I got strangely attached to it. To my great relief, I saw it raising from some rock-rumbles pretty much unharmed. I could even swear it raised on its hind legs and swiped its front in out direction, as if cursing vulgarly in our direction.
Once again I focused my gaze on harpy before me.
We were traveling at high pace, rocks, trees, lizards. Everything was vanishing behind us. It was a great place to start learning how to fly, not many obstacles, nothing alive except of few lesser animals to disturb us, just a canyon build in spiral patter leading toward tallest hill in the middle. We reached first twist-like corner in less than a minute.
You remember me telling you a moment ago about how easy it was to fly here? Well, guess what…
* “THE FUCK!? No! No-no-no-no-no! Sweet baby Jesus and his holly balls! NOO!”
… I take back what I said.
The rock like pillars started appearing more and more frequently here. Some of them were standing, few of them were lying almost horizontally. As I tried slowing down the air blow at my backs accelerating my speed even more. Of course that yes, we are in spiral canyon. Air after getting in this formation could not leave until reaching middle. I had to be extra carefully not to splash myself on one of these colossal rocks.
Damn it! As long as I would just follow that bloody bird-brain I should be more or less fine.
I shouldn’t have thought that. I should not have think about this at all! In next moment, my flying-teacher made few rotating movements completely changing side on the valley separating herself from me by the wall of rocks. I almost completely lost her off my sight. Only every few seconds she blinked from behind some tree or obelisk.
I once again completely focused my gaze on obstacles before me. I dived under stone bridge, raised up, just to avoid hitting a branch of a tree by an inch or so, moved to the side and only thanks to huge amount of luck not getting cut in half. I tried rising up, above the walls of canyon to avoid problems of all sorts… But then lesson of Harpy not to fly too high reminded itself brutally. No, not because of cold, we weren’t that high at all. Still, because of specific terrain formation the wind created a powerful layer of pushing force at its top part. Each time I tried crossing it, I was brutally pushed back.
Another twist, another corridor like crossing. I was forced to dive into small rock tunnel. Another mistake made by me. It was dark in there, making me spot spiky rocks sprouting almost like plants from walls in very last moments.
In order to avoid them I pulled my wings closer turning myself in to a bolt that slowly start rotating. I got quite dizzy, but I left it alive. I considered it as necessary annoyance.
One again I spread my wings, the blow of wind changed again pushing me higher from the ground and once again I avoided certain death.
I actually started to giggle like a maniac as I kept getting high on endorphins and adrenaline. Best drug ever. My vision blurred a little at its corners, but then again the center of it became sharper than ever. Unknowingly I must have adapted my eyes in order to keep myself fully functional in this extreme environment.
The feeling of calmness came back. No, adrenaline was not gone at all. It was such bizarre feeling. Every hair on my body raised in excitement. My heart was pounding with a tempo that could be considered as heart attack, my eyes were tearing a little from fear and share force of wind…
But my mind became calm. Completely deprived of any thoughts and emotions. It’s like it never ever mattered. My brain started acting like a machine. Each time I looked at some distanced place, I could right away tell if I would fit in it, I would know how many times I had to strike my wings in which moment for best possibly stamina consumption.
And then I saw her again, flying gracefully far ahead from me.
And once again - the desire came out of nowhere. To out-speed her. to outrun her. To prove myself dominant in the sky! It was hilarious. I was aware of that, I barely could keep an eye on environment around us…
… but it didn’t matter. Didn’t matter at all. I needed to reach the peak of the hill before her.
I flew higher, over the rock-obelisk, and still flying for a split of second I rested my legs on it and push myself with great force, accelerating my tempo.
I doubled the frequency of flaps of my wings. My massive limbs in this raging air-tunnel started generating deafening sound echoing across the canyon.
This is when she looked back at me for the first time. She smiled baring her all teeth. It was a weird smile. Like a parent seeing his children doing great in thing that they have been mastering through their whole life. And that they thought they can challenge them. The same moment when a parent wants to make their child realize how little they know. She turned one more time and accelerated her speed. She left me behind one more time. Her posture was so graceful, her moves so perfect, without any energy-wasting flaws. Her aura so… overwhelming and humiliating.
I clenched my teeth so hard that I actually tasted the blood. Despite that I couldn’t control my moves at current speed, I decided to speed up even more.
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In same time a local man was leading a group of tourists. Right now they were resting near the cliff as guide was telling some histories that were passed in his village for generations. He didn’t believe them at all, but tourists did, which meant he could earn even more for entertaining them.
* “It is said that ages ago a race of Tengu was living here. A beautiful bird-like divine creatures, some said that they were descend of the angels. Godlike beings that blessed this land into prosperity. They are long gone, but according to old legends, few of them are still alive, sleeping somewhere in tunnels under forest of rocks. It is said that every hundred years the two of them would race over the canyon to the highest hill. If yellow, resembling gold, would win, the prosperity would be still rain over this land. If red, resembling blood, would get to the peak before her, this land would die, for earth would stop bearing its fruits, animals would die and water became unfit for drinking…”
And then a yellow bolt flew across the canyon.
* “M..mommy… was that.. a gold Tengu?” the kid asked
* “No. No, young lord, it is just a legend! It must have been just a regular bird… Big one, yes, but if that would be Tengu from legends, then red should follo…” the guide tried calming down situation. The nervous client is the less paying client.
In that moment another creature flew from the canyon, for split of second landed on the rock pillar he used to accelerate itself in chase after golden-bolt. Yet, for that split of a second when he landed, they could gaze over his graceful body. White hairs, red wings growing from the naked torso, and eyes, eyes focused on his target before him. Eyes filled with such insanity. With such sick passion. There was no doubt that this being was a manifestation of pure evil.
The creature turned into the red blur and vanished behind the corridor.
Woman gasped, kid started crying overwhelmed by aura of monster and man simply froze in place.
And guide? Guide decided that it was final time to use all the money he earned for past years and leave this place. Maybe he will buy himself a house somewhere near the sea? Yes, close to the sea is a good idea. Tengu are not racing close to the sea. It's not very Tengu-like thing, is it?
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FASTER! FASTER! This is how it feels to be alive! I no longer cared for my own health! All that mattered was the whistle of sound in my ears!
After some time I could again see her, how many times did I turn in this canyon? How many turns were left? I didn’t know, all I knew was that we were getting closer the finishing line, and I was far behind. Too far.
I abused muscles that grew a few moments ago, I felt them slowly becoming heavier, growing numb. But knowing how little was separating me from victory was forcing me to fly faster, stronger, more recklessly.
Another twist. Another turn. Another rock, another tree. Slowly but steadily I was shortening distance between two of us. And then the hill appeared before us. I mustered even more then it was possible. My arms were burning, nerves screaming in agony.
Just hundred more meters! 10 of hers advantage! I had to do it!
50 more! I am almost catching up with her!
25! We were flying side by side!
10…
She got in front of me and smacked the air with her wings. The pressure from her wings hit me completely shaking my balance.
I was left behind. She gave me a fake hope till very last moment before she showed me our experience gap.
She reached the hill and using the pressure of wind she started ascending high in the air above.
DAMN HER! I was this close! THIS CLOSE!
I smacked my wings few more times trying to regain speed from before. I grabbed the wind blowing from behind my back to rush right after her.
After I reached the center of the hill I was literally elevated in the sky.
She was waiting for me, flapping her wings lazily about hundred meters over the ground. She thought I was going to stop near her.
* “… you did great as for your first actual flight, my lord, next time try… My lord? MY LORD?!”
I didn’t slow down. I kept flying higher toward the clouds. I think I know why Icarious tried flying toward the sun. From here, it looked like precious gem glowing his beauty all over the world. I stretched my hand as if trying to grab it. Faster. Higher. I lost, that's the fact... but there was something pushing me higher. Some primal need.
My breath started turning in the mist. This was the first sight that I was slowly leaving zone in which I could live. The cold itself hit much later, in the end I was still drunk on adrenaline. I flew the ver layer of clouds.
Slowly I noticed I was lacking breath, despite that my lungs were full of air, they felt awkwardly… empty. As if you were trying to cheat your hunger with nothing but water.
This is when I stopped. I could barely see harpy below me…
… but she was right. Earth from here looks… beautiful.
I turned in the air, and for the second time today I started falling with my head down.
My muscles were indeed numb.
Adrenaline vanished completely. Instead, I reached state of perfect tranquility. Despite the fact that I kept accelerating toward the ground below me, I was peaceful. It was right. This is natural. This is how it is supposed to be.
Soon I could breathe again, yet my paralyzed from exhaustion, cold and temporary lack of oxygen muscles still wouldn’t move.
I started rotating while falling down, the world slowly started turning toward most beautiful mosaic of colors. Never before I felt so connected to… to what? I don’t know myself.
Yet, the time came to act. In the end I don’t want to scare to death yet another lizard.
I slowly started covering myself in fire. Two single flames that were rotating with me, creating blazing trail on the sky, like an arrow send by angles to purify the world. The world became completely blurred, the fire covered me completely, warming up body. The heat from magic I used to forcibly boost my metabolism regaining control over my limbs. Yet I was far from using it.
I flew past harpy heading toward the hill.
Few dozen meters before I twisted my body again getting ready for an impact. Prepare kids, here comes a super-hero landing.
I started using the first spell I ever learned, the mana shock wave, to create a force that would nullify an impact. Few last adjustments… And I hit the ground in kneeling position. The wave of magic and pure pressure resonated over the hill, cracking it in several places. The whole peak was covered in dust.
* “MY PRINCE!” I could hear calling of harpy as she quickly flew back to the hill trying to find me over the ashes still flying in the air.
Vision quickly got cleared by another blow of air, uncovering me, still kneeling in the crater. Fire was still blazing under my fists and knees.
She kept looking at me as on walking miracle. So I did the only thing I could to ruin the mood. I fell on the ground and cursed loudly.
* “I am sooo fucking frustrated!”
* “M..my lord?!”
* “Still, I have to admit you that. World surely looks better from above.” I said still lying and looking this time in the sky. “… I give this lesson 10 out of 10. Would fell from the sky again.”
I can’t really tell what happened before I woke up in the beast-kin camp few hours ago. Maybe I fell asleep because I overused my body, or maybe it was a backlash of suddenly cutting off adrenaline.
All I know is that from that moment I started dreaming about the skies.