Ghost in the Roses

I’ve got to admit that Flight Class is still my favorite by far. It was my favorite last semester and I don’t see this preference changing any time. After all, what a thrill! Still, what horror!

September doesn’t blink an eye. All of the dragons seem to enjoy it and our flight instructor wishes that her students would share the same enthusiasm about the maneuvers.

Madam Feyer is clearly fed up with what’s left of our insecurities and fear, and promised to come up with a lesson that would break that barrier. Today is the day and the look on her face says it all. Her sly smile and brewing eyes tell that she knows where eureka is.

To find it, she leads our team into the perytons’ territory and has everyone land on the clouds where these pheasant-winged deer like to graze. I’m pleasantly surprised to have our class take place in this sky country of cotton-candy clouds. The rosy crystals crunch under our weight and the trees bloom with sweet dreams. For fun, we stick out our tongues to catch the floating pollen and have the icy treats melt down our throats. In the pastel safety of the clouds high above us, I’m happy to spot a herd of perytons staring down at us. Their beady black eyes challenge me to a staring contest and their tails periodically signal others to keep up with the watch.

As beautiful as this natural setting is, I dare to look at the unsettling side of it just over the edge. As far as the eye can see, the familiarities of the world have grown into complete strangers. Anything that made anything unique and distinguished melted into an unformed eternity of borders and curves. But, we’ve been higher than this and there is still enough oxygen to keep my breathing comfortable. Clearly, she wants us sober and aware for this lesson.

“If this doesn’t work, then I don’t know what will!” Madam Feyer’s thunderous yell ends our daydreaming.

Our instructor is only half a step away from a plunging death, but she keeps her full balance and stands tall without flinching a muscle. Just looking at her sends shivers down my spine. There is no saddle with a dragon underneath her or a parachute pack on her back. It’s just her. Her dragon doesn’t seem to mind it and keeps licking the fluffy leaves.

“I am so fucking sick of your lack of confidence! I’m so sick of you always doubting! Every time we fly, you overcorrect your dragons and hold back on the maneuvers! You need to let it all go. You and your dragon are a team. This is not just you! Let your dragons do what they need to do! You need to trust them, they’ve been flying for a lot longer than any of you!” Her dark eyes are turbulent and flicker with lightning.

“Yes, Ma’am!” we agree, but this is not the first time we heard this sermon. These speeches are not enough to push us to do what she wants us to learn to do.

“Are you all familiar with the trust-fall exercise!?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” I answer with the rest.

“Good! Let’s turn it up a notch! You’re going to need your armor on, so make sure to activate it quickly. Otherwise, the air friction will tear your skin off,” her inner storm is calming and the hue of her iris lightens.

With her armor fully activated, she walks all that’s left of the edge until there isn’t enough cloud to hold another step. She looks down, then back at her class. With a wink, Madam Feyer salutes us and takes the deathly dive. The dragon sees her rider quickly melt away into the depth of the sky, but yawns and continues to eat the vegetarian of the crystallized trees. Only a gasp from the entire class recognizes her sudden exit.

In complete disbelief, I look into September’s eyes for assurance, but she only smirks. Her eyes motion me to commit the same insanity.

Our instructions for the lesson are given and they’re quite simple, and at the same time, they’re not. Today, our teacher isn’t asking us to perform a new maneuver, but a leap of faith.

Carefully, I try to estimate how far down it will go. Oh dear, Lord. This isn’t a leap of faith. This is a fucking marathon!

“Follow me, bitches!” Nina looks at me and Kai.

“I can’t do this!” wide-eyed Kai shakes his head.

“Come on, Kai! Meet me down there and I’ll accept your dinner invitation,” she then lets the sky take her.

“Dinner with Nina. Dinner with Nina. Dinner with Nina,” that seems to help him.

Two little duckies followed her mom and thirty-three more of us to go.

There is no pep talk for me and I’m left to deal with myself. What I would do next remains undeclared, so I try to summon some courage to claim me, but something else answers. It’s subtle, but I can feel it creeping, a small but toxic voice. Before it gets the chance to shut me down completely, my alarmed heart begins the countdown. The beating in my chest winds and pulls at my strings and tendons. It’s up to me to unleash them before they snap. I let go and at full speed accept the crazy dare.

The run sends me into the blue abyss and where it ends is up to September. Just as instructed, I remember to activate my armor and all I can do is wait. My life is irreversibly in September’s paws. My life isn't alone in this; there are others randomly spread out, waiting to become their dragon's catch of the day.

The whistling song of me cutting through layers and layers of the atmosphere is coming through my helmet. My pulsing vein joins in and drums against my temples. There is no other sound or voice, not out there or in my head.

The feeling of being suspended in the air like a decoration in a sunroom doesn’t last and I start to lose track of what really happening. Is the ground coming at me or am I coming at the ground? But the evolving image gives out when an animalistic force finally decides to get in the way and not let this confusion escalate any further. Something steels my body from a terrible fate and claims me to a longer life.

Once again, everything below turns small and for a split second, time stands still. In two blinks of an eye, the green and brown patterns vanish and a complete blackness stands between me and the world. Its solid-state become my saving grace. The swift darkness that took me is my September and in my tight grip, I can feel her black scales cut in between my fingers.

As she revolves into a descent, my dragon turns her head and smiles at me. At my expense, September is really enjoying this game. I, on the other hand, am thankful for not splattering all over the ground like a dropped spoonful of berry jam.

Oh, thank you! Thank you so much, September! You’re the best dragon a knight would ever want! You are such a good partner! Thank you!

That’s what I mean to say. That’s what I want to tell her. How much of it came out as intelligible speech? I have no idea.

At last, we land. I try to compose my dignity, but my noodle legs are not cooperating with that plan. Not being able to talk or walk right, sets me back into the babyhood of learning to do this all over again. Madam Feyer is on my far left, but my legs tumble right. Compassionate September nudges me in the correct direction. Like a newborn fawn I manage to bring myself to report to Madam Feyer and in this strange state of drunkenness, I declare completion of my and September's mission.

“Good team!” with her loyal dragon staying by her side, she gives us a nod, “You and your dragon are free to go back to the Academy. The next class is in an hour.”

I fucking love this class.

“Did I miss a party?” Sir Agapa suspects us of being hungover, as we enter his class and are all too glad to take a seat.

Before any of us gets a chance to answer, some elf’s shock finally settles in and I see him run for the trash can. In an exorcism-like style, the forces of the previous lesson expel the fear and doubt of his graceful and beautiful state of being.

“No, Sir. We just got back from Madam Feyer’s Flight Class and it was very different from what we usually would do,” someone slurps out the answer.

“Oh, for a moment I thought I missed a chance at a good wine,” he laughs. “Alright, on a serious note. Today for Courts’ Proceedings we’ll be discussing our new and exciting assignment.”

Oh no, I think I took all of the exciting lessons that I can take for one afternoon.

“So far into this semester, we've been going to local courts to represent our clients. This court run will be the last one for our program, so it's time to change things up and double the stakes. I want you to find a client in need to be represented in The High Court here at The Capital of Petograd, under my supervision of course.”

Limply, Kai raises his hand, “Sir? Is there any kind of restriction on the cases we are allowed to pick? ”

“The rules are the same, but I want you to find a class action or a public proposal. So, let’s not waste any time and get the word out about your availability. I want you to pick one response by the end of the week. Class dismissed!”

My leg strength progresses to toddlerhood and with the rest of my class, I walk to the dorms to type out the necessary letters. Nina and Kai make other plans for the evening, but agree to do a letter review swap once they're back from their private 'dinner break'.