3 Chapter 2

Age 15

"And because of that is why the knights will never again fly with whistles around they're neck!" The teachers finishes out a lecture. "Now go out and take your break, be back in one hour!" Several desks shuffle as young teenagers stand and gather they're belongings to leave class.

"Hey Alloy!" A voice calls out to me from behind. "What's up?" I turn around to face one of the other knights in training, Skyler. "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch by the waterfall?" She asks with a slight blush in her cheeks. "Yeah sure, let me just go get my lunch from my dad's office." She shuffles aside to let me through as I make my way out the door and into the hall. Gotta hand it to the academy, it's pretty inside. All wood, everything from the floor to the ceiling, and the wood is stained different colors. The floors are dark brown, while the door frames are kinda blueish. The floor and ceiling are edged in a golden color. I make my way up the spiral stairs to the headmaster's office, my dad's office, he packed me a nice lunch today apparently. I knock on the door a few times before he opens it and presents a box. "Here you go." He lays the box in my arms with a warm smile. "Thanks dad." He smiles and slowly closes the door, through the crack I could see someone in his office so he must have been busy. I make my way back downstairs and out the door, the warm sunshine on my face. The bright green grass and wooden homes are almost dreamlike in the distance. Everything about today seems... perfect. Walking over past the acadamy and across a wooden bridge, looking down to see the cream colored clouds below, I come to a lake, with flowers all around it and a waterfall from a floating island higher up flooding into it. It almost sparkled, as if from a fairy tale. Sklar is sitting on the edge looking down upon the clouds, I help myself to a seat next to her. "So was today's lecture lame or what?" She says opening her lunch box. "I thought the piece about the whistle was important." I reply opening dad's lunch box. "Well yea, you dont want to call anyone's bird on accident." She says taking a bite out of her sandwich. I kinda caught myself staring out at the sky. I wonder what all is out there. I'd go right now if I was properly licensed. But knights and they're birds have to go through alot if training together before they're allowed to go out on they're own. My thoughts are broken by Skylar's question, "So, is Headmaster Owl actually your dad or what?" I respond quickly, "I'm pretty sure my dad is my dad." Followed by a small chuckle. "You two just dont look alike so I thought I'd ask." She shrugs taking another bite of her sandwich. "He says I look almost identical to my mother, though I havent met her. Apparently she passed away when I was very young." She stops and looks over at me. "My Goddess, I'm sorry to hear that." I simply shrug it off. "Its alright." She bumps my shoulder, "You havent eaten any of your lunch." This breaks my previous trance. "Oh yea right." I pick up my utensils and cut into the meat of a blue sky tail, my favorite fish. Dad sure does know me. However, the peaceful day soon had its crack of thunder. "Well, well, what's this? Young love perhaps?" I can hear the hyenas laughing behind us. I stand to face our harrassers. It was the school bully and his goons. "Fitch. How terrible to see you this fine day." I reply shifting my weight and planting a hand on my hip. Scanning the three members of his wicked trio. "Now, now, little missy is that anyway to greet this academy's finest ever student? How about a bit more grace? Maybe, kissing the ground at my feet?" The hyenas laugh again. "If anything your last in place, have you seen your scores?" I snap back. "Hmph, that's only because your father is too stupid to recognize my greatness, you see?" Before another word was spoken I spat directly into his eye. "Never say those words in front of me again! Understand?" I yell at him stepping closer trying to stand imposing. "You rat! Youl pay for that!" He throws out his leg to kick me, however I quickly step to the side, thwarting his attack. However, what I did not realize, was Sky standing right behind me. Fitch stumbles forward, missing his mark and pushing Sky with his foot. She stumbles backwards. Right off the edge. She screams as she slips and falls to th clouds below. Fitch, at first confused, then as the hyenas laugh he regains his peacock like demeanor. However, he is shocked again as I dive off the edge after her without a second thought. I barely even notice the wind assaulting my face from the speed at which I'm falling, in fact I bring in my limbs and dive even faster, chasing after the damsel in distress. I eventually catch up with her and help her level out, doesnt help her calm down at all. Actually at this point I didnt know what to do as I look down at the clouds approaching quickly, before remembering the lesson that was taught today. I shove a few fingers in my mouth to make a whistle and begin to blow as hard as I could and as loud as possible. The resulting sound hurt my own ears, and actually managed to get sky to cover her own. This is how knights call they're birds isnt it? Suddenly I feel something slip under my stomach. It was my bird coming to save me. I quickly grab onto some of his feathers on his back and sky is perfectly rested between me and his neck. He quickly pulls up into the air, fast enough that falling onto him doesn't affect either of us as he flaps his mighty wings carrying us rapidly skyward. Up right past the ledge, fast enough to blow air through Fitch's perfect haircut, ruining it. We level out and loop around and Sky is unceremoniously dropped onto the grass, as I shift my weight up his back to finally sit up and see what's going on. As we stay there in the air we are watched by Fitch's dumbfounded expression and my father looking upon us with surprise however he quickly smooths out his expression to one of pride. "H-headmaster! One of the birds broke loose!" Calls out the stablemaster Bryn. "I think I were all aware." He responds with a beaming face of pride. Once again another face is taken aback by the event. I carefully stumble off of my hero onto the grass with the others. "Alloy, we have much to discuss my child. Bryn will you tend to the bird?" I slowly approach my fathers side with his command, and Byrn quickly recovers himself and tends to the bird. "So what's his name?" Awoll whispers down to me. "All good birds have a name." I think to myself for a moment. "Pheonix, for how he rose to save us, and from the vermillion color of his feathers." I say to him as knights rush past us to tend to Skylar. "Is she going to be alright?" I ask. "She will be fine I'm promise, you can see her in the morning." He says opening the door for me. "Go get some rest, you've earned it hero." He smiles at me as I walk in past him to the hall, all the way to my room, closing the door behind me and flopping on my bed. "What. A. Day."