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The sky opened up like a cracked oyster, clouds departed to reveal cheery twinkling stars as if the sky was personally opening its gates to him. Inviting yet daunting. Grass swayed at his feet, clothes crinkled from a restless sleep. Stood like a statue, a silent guardian, he reached out a hand to the sky. How foolish, he reaches out like he’ll find something. Like they can reach and twirl around the stars themselves.
“If you’re listening, like they say you do. Please, please hear my plea. I don’t ask for riches, or to escape death itself. I just want to fly, to feel the embrace of the sky.”
Huh, how interesting. The mortal asks this as if they're talking to a person! But, I’ve seen this person before. They crawl out of bed as if being chased by monsters, only to sit under moonlight.
They search the sky as if it’ll give him answers. Maybe just this once, I’ll do something nice for humanity.
Clouds spiralled around like a tornado, wrapping themselves around two polished stars. My hands clasped hard around the spiralling matter, until the restless bunches of cloud slowed to a stop. Now fluffy and delicate, I molded the material, feathers made to carry and ride the currents of wind with a star making the membranes glow softly.
A true gift, not of science or reasoning, but of a silent understanding that the sky will never not let you fall. That it’s the ground that tethers and binds but the sky, the sky is a silent mercy.
With the wings now brandished, they fluttered down to the mortal like a pigeon off to carry mail.
Silence, It carried out in the dark abyss of void. Of course, nothing. It was dumb coming out here again, calling out to nothing like it’d talk back with wisdom.
Defeated and tired, he crumpled to the ground. ‘I wonder if anyone can see me out here, talking to the sky in Pjs like a madman’ Grass tickled him as it swayed in the warm breeze.
The sky was still opened up, clouds still slowly wisping away. It was all so familiar and inviting, how he yearned to be able to know what it was like to fly. Sure they could try to be a pilot, but after being rejected for the third time this year, he had lost all hope of that.
Stars twinkled above, like they were mocking him for his silly little dreams and failures. “ Just wonderful “ he mumbled, half in annoyance, but still with the hint of awe that seemed to lighten their tone.
Then, movement. It was hidden by grey scattered clouds at first, but the unmistakable flurry of something almost alive caught their sight.
“What in the world?” Wings, actual wings were descending down towards him. They had no body attached to them, they glowed softly like light itself was trapped in the feathers.
A gift, unmistakable and real, few get them. There were people in this world with powers or money or really anything that were given out to them if the Gods felt bad enough to do so. Hah! Here he is getting a gift for no reason! Most do quests or, or gift giving, and he gets one out of the blue for no reason?
Maybe the lack of sleep was getting to him, surely this wasn't happening? Yet the wings got closer and closer, he could feel the wind that the powerful flaps of feathers conjured up. They stopped right in front of him, as if the wings were waiting for a command or code.
He stayed still admiring the gift they were given, the wings were a pearly white with a hint of blue on the tips of the longest feathers. The membranes of the feathers glowed softly, but up close, you could see the light move as if powdered star dust were the veins of the wings.
Surely this was a mistake? He hasn't done anything of note that garnered such a gift, no act of devotion or show of power. No, no this couldn’t be for me. The only act of care he’d given was watching the sky at night, whispering secrets of wanting to leave home and wanting to fly. Was that enough? Was that all it took to have a God pity you? If so, he must’ve looked pretty pathetic.
Why him? Everyone else does more than him to earn a gift, he isn't talented or powerful or…
“JUST TAKE IT ALREADY!” A booming voice travelled over the sky, deep and hollow like wind jostling a house.
“Sorry!”
Right, right the wings. It would be more than disrespectful to reject a gift. He reached out a hand, the wings responded immediately, like they too got a fright from the Gods demanding voice. They twirled gently behind him, light and wind seemed to swirl around them now, the wings sidled closer until they pressed against his back. Silent words of magic were spoken by no one as the wings were bound to him.
It felt weird, the binding didn’t feel painful but the slow realisation that he could now feel and control a new limb slowly caught up to his brain.
The sensation of veins and muscle slowly being added to memory was almost the same sensation as pins and needles, tingly and numb.
They adjusted their footing, now feeling the added weight of their new wings. They were broad, about twice his height in length and being able to touch the floor. Beautiful, they were beautiful, truly a gift from a God.
After a minute he could confidently adjust and stretch their wings, and in that minute. He realised the gravity of what had just happened. He had a gift, a powerful and beautiful one, one that would be classed as a medium tier power, one that could put a target on his back. He would have to figure out a plan on how he would present himself in public now.
But for now, he will fly. He ran across the field, remembering their slight training in the air force workshops for their school outings and how they used momentum to take flight. He reached their wings as far as they could, feeling wind brush his new wing tips. Then, with one big push of his wings he flapped and scrambled, finding an air current then losing it. Falling happened three times before the fourth, he ran,pushed, then finally, soared.
It was magical, better than any feeling felt in a cockpit, freeing. He flapped higher, the new muscle of their wings obeying like they had been born together. Higher and higher he climbed until the sparse clouds were below him.
“ Wahooooo!” he twirled in a loop, his wings seemed to glow brighter with their owners delight. Stars twinkled above, no longer mocking but greeting this new stranger of the sky like a long lost friend.