Chapter 30 – Hi Flyers! (and Non-Flyers as Well!)

“Thanks for using Silver Stream! Where our service is a riot!”

“Thanks, Mr. Champion!”

Arwain rubbed his head sheepishly.

“Haha, I’m no longer that anymore. The guy that gave me that title is no longer in office. The new guy says there’s no need for one, now that the bombings have stopped.”

The man shot him a cheeky grin.

“After the last incident, I would reckon that the government is the last thing that should tell us how to see others around us. So I’m going to trust my gut, and it says that you’re still one.”

“Much obliged. Have a wonderful day.”

Arwain saluted him before diving off the platform, spreading his wings to glide into an upward arc. He savored the crisp air for a moment before hitting his comms.

“Hey, Jolly. Fire me another one.”

A different voice responded, surprising him.

“Next package is en route. It should reach you soon enough.”

“Eh, Sarge? What happened to Jolly?”

But before he could get a response, something slammed right into him. A pair of arms looped around his waist and dragged him into a spin as he tried to fight whoever it was.

“What in the-, Jolly? What are you doing out in the field?”

“I could say the same for you, idiot. You just got out of the hospital for hypothermia, and you’re already going at it hard like normal.”

“Ah, that. Isn’t it better for me to get the engine running so that I keep everything warm? Or does wing tech not work like that?”

Jolly wacked him over the head with her wing. Arwain had suffered extreme freezing temperatures for several minutes, enough to make the Icarus bomb malfunction. Given that his wings contained mechanical parts in a network of organic tissue, there was a risk that they would have failed as well.

Fortunately, the damage had been minor. A bit of electrotherapy had restored the function to its full form. Still, Jolly had to shake her head that Arwain couldn’t ease back into work. Not unless she was there to watch over him.

“You, Mister, are taking a break! The others can cover the rest.” Jolly pulled Arwain along like a misbehaving little child.

“But what about the package?”

“That would be me! A personal delivery that will take up the rest of your afternoon, so you better treat me with care!”

“Fine, fine. I just thought I’d lend a hand to make sure Sarge makes her date. It’s the first time I’ve seen her so smitten over anyone, or anything for that matter.”

“Dingleberry is pulling his weight and then some on that matter. The latest fiasco gave him a much-needed boost of confidence in his skills. You should have seen him wrangling those droids. I’ve seen more ways of pitchfork combat than I thought was ever possible.”

“Oh, right. He passed all the flight metrics given to him by Sarge, didn’t he? With how high her bar is, I’d thought he’d stay a trainee for another year.”

Jolly placed a hand over her mouth, obviously hiding a teasing grin.

“Jealous that you took longer?”

Arwain scrunched his face at her, refusing to answer. Instead, he remained quiet as he watched the flow of traffic around him, having returned to normal. It was almost like nothing had changed at all.

Almost.

He looked down, seeing the surface all the way below. The new mayor didn’t hesitate to take action, diverting the steam from the factories to rid the cloud layer that separated the two parts of Stratos. Any barriers that had been constructed to hinder movement in between had also been removed.

“If Flyers are going to travel up and down the city, there’s no point in making it harder for them,” was what the new mayor said.

Strangely, that little change eased the tension between Flyers and No-Flyers. Even a physically flimsy barrier had shown how a mental divide grew as time went on.

“You know, Arwain, you’re the reason the city decided to do away with it. All those deliveries to the folks on the ground got people thinking. When did we start thinking it was okay to pretend that the other side didn’t exist?”

Arwain smiled. He shook his head.

“People will make excuses to not do something. We’re all guilty of that. Excuses pile up and turn into a habit, and before long, we forget why we’re doing it in the first place. But the fact remains, people need stuff. And we deliver it to them. It’s as simple as that.”

“Now, you’re just propping up delivery like it’s some noble profession,” Jolly laughed.

Arwain beat a fist against his chest.

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night, nor bombs threatening our will of flight, will stay these Gliders from the swift completion of bringing delight… How’s that for mission statement?”

“You stole part of that from some history text, didn’t you?”

“Guilty. But at the same time, people seem to like what’s familiar. You can’t really force them to change.”

“Former Mayor DeWine seemed to think he could. And if you look around, it sort of worked.”

They reached a nice park, where they found a bench to sit at. A group of children playing around caught their attention. Even though they were too young to have wings yet, their desire to have them was obvious in how they flapped their arms around pretending to. One kid climbed onto the top of a playset, pointing to his friends below.

“It is I, future Champion of Stratos! I will make my mark as the swiftest delivery man in the entire city, no, the entire world!”

“Not if I do it first!”

“No, me!”

Jolly laughed as Arwain covered his face in embarrassment. He rubbed his messy red hair in frustration.

“Do I really come off like that?”

“Definitely.” Jolly smiled. “But it is not a bad thing at all. Your enthusiasm has passed on to them and maybe they’ll do the same to next generation. Eventually, flight will be an unthinkable thing not to have. It will take time, and it will happen naturally, as long as there are people like you to carry people’s wishes forward.”

“Do… you think DeWine had planned for this outcome?”

“Who knows. He surrendered so quietly that there was hardly any media buzz. The transition of power happened in a blink of an eye like it had been a contingency plan. Only those that really care ask questions, and even then, it’s rather muted. Your actions outshined it all, Mr. Champion.”

“I guess that’s something to be proud of. Thanks, Jolly.”

“Always and forever. I can’t take my eyes off you for a moment.”

Arwain didn’t say anything. He simply stared at the children playing, a beautiful sunset behind them slowly darkening the skies. Soon enough, parents flew over to pluck the children from their mock flying, whisking them home for dinner. After several minutes of silence, Arwain finally spoke.

“Things will come naturally. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t chase after it regardless.”

Still staring at the sunset, Arwain slid his hand over to Jolly’s. She turned it to cup his hand into hers. Silently, they enjoyed the coming of evening and the end of the day.

Stratos was a city meant for Flyers. But that didn’t mean anyone should be left behind. After all, the two of them were just like all others, finding a place for themselves. Whether on the ground or up high, there was no ceiling when it came to pursuing one’s dreams.

THE END