49 Spreading Their Wings

For many months, Merem had spent his time training to be an Aerial Knight. He had initially joined because he wanted money. However, once he learned that he would be able to fly in the sky like a bird, he was ecstatic. He would be able to do something amazing; flying must be so awesome, he thought.

Then came the training. The physical training was rather easy, he was quite fit and the workouts they made him do weren't that tough. The other training wasn't so easy. He had to endure hours of being spun around while having images projected in his head of being thrown through the air. It was quite the torturous experience. In the beginning, he couldn't help but vomit. However, now he was quite used to it and the experience, though unpleasant, was no longer able to cause such severe reactions in him.

He had also spent much of his time studying the flight manual. He learned everything there was to know about flight. He almost felt like he knew too much. After all, he didn't need to know Bernoulli's principle to know that when a plane moves forward, it will rise. Who was this Bernoulli person anyways he wondered. The manual had detailed what the controls would look like on a plane. He spent time imagining flying a plane, since he couldn't actually do it, and he often pulled and pushed at imaginary levers while imagining himself flying.

Today, something out of the ordinary happened. He was called to the field. The last time this happened, he witnessed her Highness Tilly flying with the glider. Perhaps now it would be something just as momentous.

When he got to the field, he saw three large metal constructs sitting on runways. They looked like larger versions of the glider. After they all gathered, Tilly came up to them and started speaking.

"Listen up trainees." Tilly got the attention of everyone there. "The planes have been finished. I have determined that you are now ready enough to begin using them. I have already tested and helped improve them and can guarantee that these planes are flyable. Now, it is up to you all to learn to fly. You will take turns in the planes. There are only three of them right now, so most of you will have to wait. Make sure to watch the others fly so you can learn from them. If you screw up and the plane is about to crash, eject and Lightning will catch you."

"That doesn't mean that crashing a plane is okay. These planes are very valuable." Tilly glared at all of the trainee pilots. "Even though Lightning will save you from the crash, she won't save you from me. So you better not crash the plane."

Merem felt a shiver run through his spine. He definitely wasn't going to crash a plane.

"Alright, it is time for the first group to try." Tilly pointed at three people. "You three will be first."

Merem noticed that one of the people selected was him. After he got out of his shock, he began walked toward the planes. He was very nervous. It was going to be his first time flying a plane.

After Merem arrived in his assigned plane, he started taking deep breaths to calm himself. "I've got this", he thought to himself.

"Runways clear", the ground crew shouted. Merem started up his engine. The plane began rumbling as the fuel was ignited and the engine began to turn. He saw the men waving green flags. "Go!" Merem stepped on the pedal and the plane started moving forward.

As the plane started speeding up, it lifted off the ground. Soon, the plane began rising into the sky. Merem was almost overcome with excitement. The plane rose higher and higher. As Merem looked down, he noted that the people seemed rather tiny to him. He adjusted the plane so that it stopped rising.

Merem began cruising along at a stable height. Then, he decided to do some maneuvers. He adjusted a lever and the plane started turning to the left. The plane made a wide arc as it turned. Eventually, it was facing in the opposite direction and the plane started heading back. He saw the other two planes flying in the air. They were quite far away from him and there wasn't any danger of them crashing into him.

Merem made the plane take a dive. The plane's head tilted downward slightly and it picked up speed. He also had the plane tilt to the side as it traced out a curved path to the ground. Then, he changed course and the plane began gaining altitude again. He took the plane through several more turns before the timer attached to the plane rang. It was time to head back down.

He took the plane into a gradual descent. It glided toward the ground and its wheels touched the surface of the runway. He applied the brakes and the plane began to slow down as it slid to a stop. He saw the other two planes land on the runways to his side.

As he got out of the plane, the adrenaline rush wore off. What he did just hit him. He just flew in the sky! Merem could barely contain his excitement as he walked toward the rest of the group. Once he got there, Tilly instructed him and the other two to start sharing their experiences.

Merem began describing his feelings while flying. He talked about what he did and how he did it. He made sure to emphasize important details like how the plane was quite sensitive to altitude change so they shouldn't push the levers too far too quickly. After giving his tips on flying, the other two shared. During this time, everyone paid close attention to what was said. Even Merem listened to the other two pilots. Flying was dangerous and one could never be too prepared for it.

By the end of the day, everyone had been able to fly a plane once. This was to be their new schedule. Every morning they would show up for practice and they would take turns flying around the planes. Merem went to sleep full of anticipation for the future.