Lesson 10: Fear of Heights (Alpha Winglets!)

[zeis]

Alphas! Today you drag your rider kicking and screaming up into the sky. Report to the sunning steps in full harness and riding gear! Canph commanded with a chuckling voice, unerringly wheedling past the defenses of his student's minds. He gazed with amusement and shameful anticipation out over the canyon from where he stood on one of the steepest of the sunning steps. Well groomed and resplendent in his gleaming and supple harness, he posed leisurely as he waited for his class to arrive. He heard K'huna sigh from his position on his back, and swiveled his head around to peer cajolingly at the red rider. In awe of my beauty?

I'm in awe of something. K'huna responded dryly, and leaned a little bit to the side to look past the red's metaphorical and literal massive head to watch his class arrive. The Wingletmaster had followed his own advice today, and was in what passed for the loose standard or full rider dress. Durable comfortable leathers, his own half of the riding straps, a thick insulating coat trimmed with fur, and a set of goggles pushed high up on his brow. As they arrived he hoped they weren't idiots and dressed accordingly. It was a chilly day today enough as it is, but in the air? It would be even colder. He remained silent and simply suffered Canph's preening until they were all assembled.

"You've done a good job, Alphas. Every single one of you are flying just as well as Canph here can. Maybe better." He ventured with a small smirk, grinning a bit wider at the indignant squawk the red gave at that comment. Perhaps hoping to put the fear of simourv into his rider, Canph gave his shoulders a brief but vigorous shake, which K'huna endured easy enough with a barking laugh. "Today is your first manned flight. You're all big enough now that even the smallest of you can fly with one or two aboard and barely notice they're there. As for you riders, you've impressed everyone so far, and this is the most important thing you'll have to learn." He strove to make eye contact with each of them as he spoke, and his gaze spoke approval and confidence. "So don't be afraid."

"Fear is the only thing thats going to keep you grounded. Just remember you're safe in your riding straps." He spoke reassuringly, but then turned his focus on the chicks with a playful grin. "Chicks, try to go a little easy on them. We don't want anyone getting sick." That said, he thumped Canph fondly on the shoulder, and pointed skyward. "Nothin' I can say to really prepare you for it, so the only way you'll get comfortable in the air is to practice. So mount up, strap in, choose a take off point, and get airborne."

Canph lifted his head and crowed, a deep bellowing noise that reverberated off the canyon walls around them. With that, he leaped powerfully from his place on the stone step, beating his wings and buffeting the students below him with wind. He rose like a massive crimson cloud into the sky, and called invitingly down to the young simourv below him.

[Quill]

Grumbling, the simourv protested moving. His tail swished around and Je'ce ducked to the ground. "Do you realize how big your tail has gotten, Nasyeph?" The blue moved, hiding a grin on his beak. His tail moved again, this time sliding on the ground. Je'ce jumped up, avoiding the tail but his foot touched the moving tail and forced off balance, he fell. He spat out the small amount of dirt that zoomed into his mouth. "Are you done yet?"
"Why so serious, Mine? A bit of fun before the lesson-day is always good for the soul." The blue shifted his weight before standing on his dark legs. Then he his head, followed instantly by Je'ce's head grew stiff and still. No time for food. It was time for another lesson. As they heard the details, Je'ce gulped. It was fine riding Nasyeph on the ground. The experience was ten times better than any horse he'd ridden, but thinking about wheeling into the sky, with the entire world below them. It was scary.

Like a deer, he froze until Nasyeph stood beside him. He chirped and nudged Je'ce before darting out of the room. Then he lowered his body, letting Je'ce sit on his back as they marched outside the Winglet's Barrack.
"I wonder how long we will be in this barrack. I'm ready to get out. I mean, with all of us growing, things are getting cramped and I get the Bravos might think we would crush them."
Je'ce laughed. "You talk as if you are the biggest thing ever."
Nasyeph stopped and swung back his head, shooting a corrective glare at his Rider. "You know I'm kidding." The blue maintained the serious gaze for a few moments before trilling happily.

Nasyeph escorted Je'ce until they grabbed the riding equipment and then Je'ce scaled the rest of the rocks. The rocks itched at his pant's leg, but thanks to the decision to wear a heavier pair, they did not hurt. He looked at K'huna and his getup. For a moment, he wondered if he would forget how everything fit on Nasyeph, but after playing with it for a few minutes, everything fit snuggly. After that, he pulled out some thick gloves. He wore them more often when traveling, and they were perfect at grasping the roughest of material. He thought he was safe enough from the cold with his thick coat, but his face was unprotected. Still, with other candidates ready to fly, there was no time to retrieve anything.

Gulping, he secured himself in the straps. He watched for a moment as one candidate rushed forward and took to the sky immediately. Je'ce felt nervous and closed his eyes. Nasyeph's head lowered as he looked down and then he spread his wings, letting the wind run over them. Then he jumped. Je'ce curled on Nasyeph's back. It was too much. He shivered with the chill.
"It's okay," Nasyeph said to comfort him. Je'ce slowly rose from the fetal position and then looked around. He flinched when he lookedown. "Only look up!" Then Nasyeph rose higher, wanting to fly as high as Canph, but the blue sensed the hesitation and stopped.

[Lan]

E'an... Came the still, yet subtly excited voice of the now very large blue that shared living quarters with a female guard-turned winglet. She glanced over her shoulder, dark brown eyes meeting dark gray ones with silent interest. Yet, as she looked over, her hands still fumbled over the harness that they would use soon for flight. Yes, Kas? She projected her thoughts easily, having built a strong connection over the past year and a half. After a small smile to her blue friend with whom she was actually pleased with today, she continued preparing the harness for whenever they would need it. Usually it might have been wishful thinking, but not today.

It is time... time for us to fly. Together. Canph has called us. It was a bit dramatic for Kaslimeph, but perhaps the occasion warranted it. E'an's small little smile of content turned into an excited grin. Standing up, she crossed the room to the blue and pulled his soft beak down, snuggling her forehead against his. For a moment, the large blue made a sound somewhat akin to a cat purring, but quickly he stopped and whipped his tail around to tickle the back of his bonded. We're losing time. Let's go. E'an laughed and nodded, running over to grab the harness that was no longer the object of wishful thinking and together the two ran out to meet Canph and K'huna.

As soon as they got there, however, the winglet pair put their game faces on. No more cuddling or uncontained excitement for them, they had a job to do. A canyon lay ahead of them and a large drop that would claim those unworthy or unable just yet. But Kas had done much better since his first attempts at flying. One could say he was even graceful now, after working extensively with little breaks to get every last detail right. K'huna laid down the law, giving them a speech that was supposed to be encouraging. Well, it didn't help. E'an took deep breaths as she stared at the edge. She feared not death, though... only failure. After I'dou had taken that plunge the brunette wasn't keen on being made an example of as she had been. Failure was the worst case scenario.

We will NOT fail. Kaslimeph encouraged, giving a definitive snort and staring at the cliff like some great enticing challenge. Come on... the sky awaits. E'an mounted, a bit awkward at first but gradually more confident. Once seated and strapped in, she patted the neck of Kas beneath her. It felt right. Sitting here, on top of a simourv and therefore on top of the world, she couldn't help but let a small grin tug at the corners of her mouth. This was really happening. Today, she and Kaslimeph were going to fly!

With Canph's great bellow, Kaslimeph's own matured voice added a third to the chord. Then, without hesitation, the blue ran off the cliff and spread his wings, gaining air and momentum as he took his first beat after his leap. E'an's breath caught. It was much different than she remembered her ride back with M'ari and A're being. She was alone, with her partner, lighter than air and falling into line with other rider pairs such as themselves. It was wonderful. The ground grew farther and farther below them as the blue's wings carried them higher and higher to join Uncle Canph. Unlike the rider of the other blue that had also recently taken to the skies, E'an reveled at the long way down. She almost wanted to dive, going faster and faster until with a snap of Kaslimeph's wings they would narrowly avoid disaster and be carried up by the wind again. Anything was possible now.

How you doing, Kas? E'an asked with another affection pat as her other hand held tight to harness and feathers. Better than you, I should think. I've done this before, he commented simply, I won't let you fall, don't worry. He held themselves steady in the air, waiting for his other siblings to join them. I'm not. She replied, taking on the haughty tone she had learned from her simourv. This would be fine. If anything, it was way better than fine.

[Kat]

Ri’ley was sure that he was going to die. If he fell out of the sky, he would most certainly die. How did the other riders not die on a regular basis? Why had he not thought about this before? He was actually quite nervous. Dionyph had not meant to clue his rider into Canph’s message, but he thought immediately of Ri’ley and fighting, and Ri’ley understood and knew. And the man did not want to get out of bed to die, so he rolled over so that he could panic in peace. Dionyph, however, wanted no part of it, and so he dropped his head low enough to nudge Ri’ley with his beak.
Mine, you know you have to get up—this is the biggest day of our life. You need to get ready so that we can accept our destiny as fighters together—so we can save the world.
The black’s mental words were soft, and his touch was as well. He wanted to make sure his rider was excited and not frightened. If he was scared, this day would not go well, and they would look foolish in front of Eoreph’s or Laraph. The man felt his simourv’s steadfast determination, and so he sighed, moving himself out of the bed, and shedding the blanket off of his body and onto the floor. Ri’ley, then, got out of bed, so that he was standing in the middle of his floor wearing only his underwear. He stayed in this state as he made his bed, pulling the sheets and then the blanket straight, meticulously tight, before he pulled the leather pants over his legs. They were extremely tight, Ri’ley noted, but at least they were long enough to cover the expansive length of his legs.

Ri’ley chose a simply, clean, but still stained, white shirt from the pile on top of his desk, which he slipped over his bare chest. He then tucked the shirt into the pants and slipped a belt through the pant loops. Dionyph had already pulled his harness off of the peg Ri’ley kept it on, and the black was trying to slip it over his head. After Ri’ley tied his thick boots over the cuffs of his pants, he smiled towards his simourv and went over to help get the harness on his black’s body. Dionyph remained still while Ri’ley worked, but the blackrider could feel the tension of Dionyph’s excitement behind the soft feathers. Ri’ley would repress his own fear to make Dionyph happy. He would do anything in his power to make Dionyph happy. And together the pair went down to the rocks where the rest of the class waited. Dionyph strutted proudly, his head held high and his chest puffed, assuming the role of the king of the Eyrie. Ri’ley, however, looked terrible. His whole face and hands paled until he was an ashen, lifeless color, and his hands shook a bit. He was picturing extraordinarily vivid sights of his lifeless body smashed against the ground. From that height, his cranium would certainly explode against the ground, and he imagined thick blood gobbed in piles next to little hills of his brain matter. His chest would likely explode, too, especially if he handed on his face, which would mean that his intestines would—Dionyph’s mentality bashed into Ri’ley’s mind, ending the man’s thoughts on the subject with an overwhelming pulse of support.
Mine, you must trust me.
Ri’ley nodded his head as he mounted Dionyph, his body slipping into familiar positons while his hands remained sweaty and gross.
I trust you with my life, and I will do anything for you.
Ri’ley said as he took a deep breath and mentally signaled for Dionyph to fly.

The black simourv stampeded down one of the rocks until he burst into the air with a powerful push of his legs against the stone. And while Ri’ley felt very much like he was going to vomit, but he knew that he would be fine, because Dionyph was with him, Dionyph carried him. And Dionyph would never do anything to harm Ri’ley. At first, Ri’ley’s gut plummeted into his groin as the pair of him and Dionyph pulsed up further and further into the air. Even though Canph told the simourvs to take it easy on their riders, Dionyph moved rapidly upwards, climbing higher and higher at an incredibly steep angle. He wanted to show their superiority, and he wanted to show his rider that he would be fine.

Ri’ley felt quite ill at first, as the air rushed passed his body and the ground became smaller and smaller under him. But then, the ride began to fell invigorating as the adrenaline pumped from his adrenal glands over his kidneys through his veins making his heart pound harder and harder against his ribcage. He felt alive. He felt excited and scared and alive. Dionyph let out a roar as he felt his rider become more and more excited and less frightened. Ri’ley, too, called, producing a sound somewhere between a scared yelp and a scream of exhilaration. Before he joined Canph and his siblings, Dionyph used his powerful wings to propel him higher than the group, and then he plunged, almost vertically to the front of the pack.
You are going to kill me, Dionyph. You are going to kill me.
Ri’ley proclaimed, and he sounded terrified, panicked, and thrilled. Dioyph shook his large head as he nosed next to Kaslimeph and flashed his brother a gleaming look from his white eyes.
No, Ri’ley, I’ll never do anything I feel puts you in danger. You need to trust me with your life, because warriors must give each other their lives in camaraderie.
Ri’ley just clung tighter to the straps.