The Initiation
Ahriin's first flight, again.
The Story Continues
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You are the first to arrive at the place where you failed to fly last year. There is nothing, just a place full of the same grass as anywhere else in the Orthlands. The winter and summer winds are in conflict with each other now, leaving Yaliru - the wild wind - as the one you will have to fly on. You decide that your time is best spent learning her dance so that you may join it once the others arrive.
* * *
You are pulled from your reverie when Rana is the first to arrive, carrying little Saana in her arms.
"Looks like we're the first ones here. Ewer is coming too, he's just helping to pack up the extra tents." Rana says as she sits down beside you. "If you succeed and leave us soon, we might not be here when you get back."
"From up on the winds I will be able to see where you are from incredibly far away. Keep a fire going and I will be able to find home from even further away."
"You will fly this cycle and you will leave to do what you need to do."
You are feeling a little hurt that your friend doesn't want you to stay when she speaks again.
"And you will return to us and I will be happy to see you and hug you and hear all about your adventures."
You lean against your best friend. "Thanks Rana. I look forward to it as well."
The two of you sit there in silence, enjoying each other's presence, for quite some time before anyone else arrives. The villagers - all of them - approach, your teacher carrying his kite and Ewer carrying yours. Your kite looks simple by comparison and you suddenly become worried about whether yours will fly.
No words are exchanged before the ceremony. Your kite is handed to you by your teacher as everyone else gives you plenty of space on the open plain. Cassan stands between you and the crowd, his own kite within his arm's reach, ready to help should you be in danger. Your eyes meet and he nods as if saying "It's all you now."
You close your eyes and take a deep breath. You feel the wild wind on your face, blowing around the tiny stray hairs not held in place by your hat. You feel it on your clothes and as it tugs slightly on your kite. You feel the wind within yourself and open your eyes.
The ground rises up slightly to a small hill ahead, you will run and jump and if all goes well your kite will catch the wind and you will fly. You shift your feet a little wider apart and ready your kite, holding the two handholds so that the kite hangs behind you. It swings back and forth slightly in the breeze. Suddenly the kite seems a whole lot bigger than it did before and you feel your heart pounding within your chest. You close your eyes again, you know everyone is watching you. You breath.
In.
And out.
You take a strong step and open your eyes. Another step. And another. Before long you are in the fastest sprint you can manage. When you reach the top of the hill you plant your feet and jump with all your might. The next few seconds could determine what happens for the rest of your life. You have a sinking feeling, you feel it inside you.
Just as despair was about to overtake you, you realize the sinking feeling is caused by your organs resisting the lift of the kite as the wind pulls it level and pushes it upwards. You are almost there but are not done yet. Your body is still dangling and you need to get up and into the kite.
You pull up with all the might your arms can muster, pushing your body over one of the wooden poles. It doesn't go as smoothly as you would like but it works. Next you get your feet into their holds and settle in properly. The kite was wobbling side to side as you shifted around beneath it and you almost lost it but as Cassan says "A life of almost is a life of never."
You are looking down now as you lay on the frame, you can see the shadow of your kite running along the ground below you. You've done it. You're flying.
The fear for your life becomes muted and the anxiety about this ceremony that you have carried on your back for the last year lifts and disappears into the wind. You note how you didn't lift the burden to fly but flew to lift the burden.
You see a shadow appear next to yours. You turn your head to the side and see Cassan. He says something but you can't hear it over the wind in your ears. He nods to you despite the expression of confusion on your face and makes a sudden sharp turn to the left. You know what he said now, "Flying in a straight line is great but you will need to turn eventually."
You take another deep breath and tilt the entire kite slightly to the left. It straightens back out immediately. There's no going half-way here. You take another breath and hold it as you really lean to the left pulling the side of the kite down with all your might.
You curve gracefully through the air, swooping around behind Cassan, and feel that if you leaned any further you would have flipped over and fallen to the plains below. This time he signals something with his hand, he frees a hand, makes a fist, and lowers it before returning his grip to his kite. The signal to land - though this is the first time you have seen it in action.
He slows a little until you catch up and begin to descend side-by-side. You feel the fear welling up again as the ground appears to rush up towards you, it looks like falling. This time though, you have much more confidence and don't let the fear get the better of you.
You start by removing your feet from their holds - your kite shakes a lot more than Cassan's as you do. A few moments later you pull your body out of its supports and drop down so that you are hanging from the kit by only your hands, the dropping motion causes you to swing forward and back uncontrolably. As soon as you feel the grass touch your shoes, you start running. You can do nothing but keep running until the the wind leaves the kite and you can start slowing down. A few steps later, you stop.
The crowd - the entire village and some of the dogs - run over to congratulate you.
Before they arrive Cassan says "You're a windspeaker now Ahriin. I am proud to have called you my student." before backing away so all the people can congregate around you.
You are surrounded.
There is definitely going to be a big celebration and there's no way you're getting out of it. Join the raucus revelers.
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