Three Years Ago

Azriel

I would never tell the others, but I always preferred it down here. It was much warmer. And I'm not just talking about the temperature, even though it is true, it is warmer in the lowest tier of the kingdom. No, it's because the people are much nicer. The families are closer, the communities more welcoming.

Warmer.

There was a common phrase amongst the low tiers. An inside joke, with a double entendre.

"They say the high tiers are the coldest people."

I'm not a high tier myself. I'm a bit of a floater. Truly, we all are. Regardless, the patrol missions to the low tier were my favorite. Tonight, however, was especially brisk as I walked the street, my hand gliding through the cloud beside me.

Perhaps a cold front was coming?

A sound attracted my attention. A cry piercing the quiet, still night air. It sounded like a baby's at first and I almost ignored it. It very well could've been a skycat, and even if it was a babe, unfortunately it was a common occurrence for one to be left on the streets. There was nothing I could do about it.

Why did her face look so similar?

Without even realizing it, I had gravitated towards the baby where she lay on a cloud beside the street. It was as if she had a magnetic pull on me. Looking at her face a moment longer, my heart's rhythm slowly picked up its pace as it came back to me.

It couldn't be... But how did she end up here? None of this makes any sense.

I flew back to the headquarters that day doing something I made everyone promise they never would. And it would cost me everything later.

****

"What is that?!" they said immediately as I walked through the headquarter doors.

"What? Never seen a baby before?" I spat back. High tiers are the coldest people, I reminded myself.

They immediately lowered their heads. "I apologize General Azriel, sir. But your policy-"

"I am very aware of my policy. You will wait, along with everyone else for the explanation. Gather everyone and we will discuss it in the boardroom."

They nodded, immediately going to do as I ordered. A moment later and I stood before everyone in the boardroom. Normally, I was right in my element standing before them all. Today would be the first day in a long time it made me nervous.

"I came across an orphan in the low tier. For reasons only for me and a select few to know, she will be remaining here with us, to be trained as one of us."

"You've got to be out of your mind!" someone said.

"But it took me years to get in," someone else said.

"Why her?" was the last phrase I allowed before silencing them.

"Enough! We will accept her as one of our own and that is the end of the conversation.... And her name will be Maeve."

****

Maeve

Today was my exam. The day I prove to all the snobs that I do indeed belong here. Why else would he have chosen me as an orphan? I admired my wings one last time, knowing in my heart it would be the last time I'd wear them. Once I passed the exam, I wouldn't need them.

Once I passed my exam, I'd be given new wings. The wings of my people. The best wings our kingdom has to offer.

Unzipping the back of my shirt, I stepped back to the wall where my wings hung. They clipped to my body, adding a weight I was still getting used to. Walking out of the locker room, I examined my competition. My eyes caught Kalon's.

Long, blonde hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. A slender long body only rivaled by mine, along with her fierce competitive nature. I respected her, sure. But today she'd be eating condensed air.

The arena for our trials doubled as The Mariposa’s gym, where all of the training normally took place. It was a huge oval room that took up a vast expanse of the sky. The dark meteorite floor doubled as huge doors that could open up, allowing us to drop straight out of the building. The gym had tiered bleachers that surrounded the main floor. All across the high walls were mounted Mariposa wings and our wrist guns.

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The first few rounds are painfully easy and boring to boot. It wasn't until the end of the exams the moment I had been waiting for came. I was facing off against Kalon. The first match is simple. A test in wing and body agility. The timer started as the gym transformed into a track.

I took off running as fast as my legs could take me, jumping the first hurdle effortlessly. The next one wasn't for another ten feet. However, they quickly became closer and closer until eventually they were impossibly close together. I smiled as Kalon's step faltered. Her skills in taking off flying at a moment's notice weren't as well developed as mine, so of course she hesitated. I leapt into the air, my back contracting in order to trigger the wings to open. I soared just above the ten hurdles, my body only an inch away from grazing them. Next to me, I heard one of the hurdles fall. Kalon hadn't been as successful.

Back on my feet, since the rules didn't allow for flight more than two seconds long, I raced towards the end without a worry. I won by a whole second and a half. Kalon shot me a glare, and at first I smiled gleefully, but remembered what the next round was.

"Take off your wings. It is time for the martial arts round."

I sighed. I wasn't quite as well versed at this part and Kalon happened to be one of the best. I stepped back against the wall, and arched my back, allowing the magnetic wings to clip to the wall. I stepped forward, joining Kalon in some quick stretches while we waited for the-

"Beep!"

She leapt at me immediately, tackling me to the ground. I punched her face hard and rolled us over while she was still reeling from the impact. I stabbed my knees into her legs, my arm going against her throat as my other arm held her torso down.

I grinned at her. "Do you yield?" I asked as the ref started to count.

Swiftly, her knee came up and hit my groin, making me flinch away out of instinct. She threw me off her, jumping to her feet. Before I could even get up, she sent a swift kick at my face, knocking me into the mat. Over and over, she kicked. I finally grabbed her ankle, yanking her down to the mat with me. Once again however, she simply slipped free, kicking me in the torso before leaping onto my back. She shoved my head into the mat, her arm holding me down along with her legs. The ref began counting and I squirmed in a panic, trying to get free. Anytime I started to get free, she'd only knee me in the leg or elbow me in the back. Tears filled my eyes as the ref got to five. I sniffled in frustration, mad at myself for crying and mad at myself for failing so miserably.

Five seconds was up, and I was out.

****

My heart was racing as the arena changed one last time. I looked at my rival, who's eyes weren't on me. They were on THEM.

They watched from the highest chairs. The leaders of this family. That's the moment I remembered. The competition wasn't against anyone, not even Kalon. It was me against myself. They were deciding based on our individual merits. It didn't matter which one of us won, at least not really.

All that mattered was that we gave a good show. I looked at Kalon, an unspoken understanding in her eyes. We nodded. I stepped back, reclaiming the familiar weight of my wings. As soon as both of our wings were on, the floor below us disappeared.

We were sinking straight through the clouds, the tiers passing our eyes rapidly. I kept falling until the last possible second, shooting up towards Kalon's legs above me. Upon reaching her, she was ready, kicking me away from her. She flew away a short distance before firing darts from her wrist guns.

I swiftly turned, shifting left, right, up and down to avoid her targets all the while moving closer. I had bad aim, so my best luck was close combat.

She knew that.

I spun towards her as fast as I could, managing to grab her. Taking this opportunity, I pulled my signature move. I flew straight up, dragging her body against the skyscrapers. She kicked me away finally, gasping in pain. Her wings were smoking, sparks flying off them.

As I watched her though, a beep went off.

The next second, an explosion hit me, throwing me against a building and down to the ground. During all of her pain, Kalon had managed to plant a bomb on me. She had recovered, flying at me now, her wrists shooting rapid darts. Mustering up all of my energy after being hit by a couple, I managed to roll away. My wings would barely even go up anymore. Looking at Kalon as I fought to avoid her attacks, I knew I only had one chance.

I sent one missile her way, a tracking one. Her eyes widened at it. She quickly began her ascent. I shot my grappling at her shoes, riding up with her. So focused on dodging the missile, she didn't notice I was attached until we reached the headquarters. She made a sharp turn, firing her own missile at mine, making a huge explosion in the sky. Using the resulting cloud coverage as a tool, I flew at her, nailing her to a wall and quickly laying a number of punches at her until she was out cold. Quickly, her body began to fall. I dove after her, catching her and flying back to headquarters.

Back in the arena, the floor reappeared below my feet. Gently, I laid Kalon in the arms of a medic. As cheering ensued, the only reaction I looked for, the only one I CARED about, was Azriel's.

He was mostly expressionless, but for just a moment, I saw his lips twitch with the urge to smile. That's the only confirmation I needed.

****

"Our final new member is one I am proud to have recruited myself. Maeve, you may come get your wings," Azriel said, a full smile on his face now that the results were out.

I stepped up onto the stage, kneeling before what would soon become my wings. They came flying towards my back, connecting instantly to the metal implants. The impact had me arching, gasping for air. That would take getting used to, but it meant they would always come to me.

A very useful upgrade.

They were bigger, yet lighter. They were more aerodynamic and deadly. The wings had the pattern of a monarch butterfly.

Slowly I stood, looking at Kalon first. She was smiling widely at me, as she had also passed with flying colors. Next, I looked at Azriel, grinning, my heart pounding as he said the words I had waited for, dreamed for all my life.

"Welcome to the Mariposa, Monarch Maeve. We will have a long, bright future ahead of us."