Chapter 7 – A Dream That I Was Flying

For many children, turning ten was a momentous occasion in their lives. That was the minimum age when the procedure to graft wings could be done.

Arwain watched from his balcony at home overlooking the residential square. A new batch of Flyers were testing their wings in the nearby playground, wobbling and crashing into the cushioned surfaces.

It took time to gain the balance and endurance for constant flight, so like toddlers taking their first steps, these children tested the air under cushioned ground, their parents shouting encouragements in the process.

“Momma, when am I gonna get wings?” He looked back at his mom who was lying in bed. She slowly got up and floated over to give Arwain a hug.

“Baby, free things take time. I checked your place on the list, and it’ll only be a little longer. I promise you’ll be out there flying with the rest of them soon enough.”

“Then, can I go out and practice for that time?”

“Sure, knock yourself out. Remember, no effort goes unrewarded.”

Arwain gave a hearty nod and leapt off the balcony, gripping a nearby bar to swing himself to a ledge just below. He took off in a run along the edge of the apartment, just wide enough for a person to land upon.

He had turned ten more than two years ago, but the base of his spine still lacked the attachments other children had grown used to. With his mother unable to work and no father around, they had no choice but to live in poverty.

Yet, poverty for citizens of Stratos meant that the basic needs were covered, so he never had to go hungry or think about being in the streets. Even the necessity of having wings to become a productive adult in Stratos was guaranteed. However, those that couldn’t afford the procedure were placed on a waiting list.

That didn’t discourage Arwain’s budding excitement as he watched his name slowly move closer to the top. Even if he started a little late, there were plenty others that faced the same. The city was full of migrants from other places, adapting to a brand-new life of aerial freedom. He would simply have to learn a bit faster, aim for higher, and show how thankful he was to have wings.

Arwain took a running jump off the end of the ledge, diving into the open air below. He was fearless as he started to drop like a rock with his arms spread out, knowing full well that he lacked the ability to control his descent.

An alarm on his shoes kicked in, and suddenly, jets of air puffed from the soles, working to slow down and correct Arwain’s landing. It took barely seconds for controlled falling to happen, making it no more dangerous than a leap from a meter high.

For a society that hinged on vertical travel, children were supplied safety footwear that negated hazardous falls. That made the sensation of falling an everyday occurrence to grow accustomed to, numbing any sense of caution that humans would develop from heights.

But in Arwain’s case, he took full advantage of this feature to experiment.

He quickly dashed up the side of one wall, taking a big leap to grab a beam to swing over to the next. A giant lache sent him comfortably upwards to another beam where he continued to propel himself through the urban jungle.

Any place that had room to grip and stand was fair game as he climbed and sailed to places that only those with wings could normally go. He wouldn’t wait until it was easy for just anyone. He wanted to go farther and push harder to make up for lost time.

Arwain wouldn’t be happy to be just another person idly drifting through the air. He relished the wind in his face and found thrill in challenging gravity. For him, wings weren’t a convenience, but rather, an opportunity.

An upward swing led him vaulting into the sky where he could see the residential square hundreds of meters up. He embraced the free fall once again, a thrilled scream of joy escaping his mouth.

All of a sudden, he felt wings sprouting out of his back, shooting him back towards the sky. He looked down at his sides, seeing the rainbow sheen vigorously flapping to keep himself aloft.

It was a few months later when he was finally granted his turn. And barely a week after leaving the hospital, he was ready to climb higher than he had ever made it on arms and legs alone.

It didn’t matter than the sinew connecting his nerves with the intricate system of tissue and machine called ‘feathers’ were still sensitive. The shivers that cascaded down to the tips were dismissed as excitement and adrenaline powering him forward.

A vigorous flap sent him shooting upwards, before he did a midair flip to dive headfirst toward solid ground. Counting the floors of the hospital downward, he tilted up with five floors to spare, letting the drag force pop him upward again.

“Wooooo! I should find Jolly and tell her that I can keep up now!”

He found her at a nearby park, playing aerial soccer with the other children. He watched as she nimbly juggled the ball past several others before taking a clear shot at the goal.

Unlike Arwain, Jolly came from a rich family. She had received wings shortly after her tenth birthday and had plenty of instructors to unlock her talents.

Yet, when she spotted Arwain approaching in the distance, she didn’t hesitate to fly up and join in his celebration. They locked hands and spun in a circle, whirling and giggling together. No words could express how free Arwain finally felt. How much he had looked forward to this moment.

“Come on! I’ll tag you first!”

Jolly smacked him on the head before shooting out in front of him, the majestic shimmer of her wings making her seem like a fairy guiding him to new places. He fought to keep up with her speed, his wings stuttering on occasion to keep up with more polished ones. They looped and swirled in the air, laughter escaping their lips despite a breathlessness soon taking over.

With Jolly’s lesser stamina finally running on empty, it seemed like Arwain was about to overtake her.

But then, a small purple ball suddenly appeared between them.

Arwain braked hard, a chill engulfing him. Panic caused him to flap backwards as the purple glow expanded quickly. He looked ahead, watching as Jolly was swallowed up by the light, seeing her wings slowly crumble away from the tips to the base.

He yelled out to her, but no words came out. He felt helpless as the light came for him next.

“Ungrk!!!”

A sharp smack against his head brought Arwain back to consciousness. He looked around to see that he was hovering above his room, literally having flown out of bed and smacked his head on the ceiling.

With the initial panic subsided, Arwain clutched the side of his head where it was now throbbing.

That had been a dream. Just a dream. His wings were still attached, and so were Jolly’s. He floated slowly back down, letting his heartbeat calm and his feathers straighten. He looked out the window where the sky was still dark before checking his watch to see that it was still an hour before he normally woke up.

As he landed gently back into his bed, he closed his eyes to try falling back to sleep.

His bedroom door opened with a slam.

“Arwain! Wake up now! It’s an emergency!”

Jolly’s unexpected entrance put him right back into panic mode, forcing his gaze right over to her sides to check that her wings were still there. Relieved from that, he shot a look of confusion at her.

“What, what? Did we botch a shipment? Did someone leave us a 1-star on Zelp?”

“No, bigger problem. The mayor called.”

“Huh, what does the mayor have to do- Oh shit! Are we done?! Is Silver Stream getting its license revoked?!”

“Geez, Arwain. I said it was an emergency. Not an announcement of impending doom… at least, not yet anyways.”

“Then, what the hell does he want?”