Barbara's Book of Fire

Chapter 4

Half a year has passed since the fateful day that Lance kindly demonstrated his views regarding training seriously. Every day, he literally almost skinned us alive, all in the name of disciplining us based on how naïve our outlook on survival was.

I hate to admit it, but in the beginning, I cried myself a bucket in the night due to how unforgiving Lance's training regime was. I always knew he was not an average person, but I realized then that he was sick in the head. And Lance himself didn't seem to notice that.

But seeing that I was getting used to him, maybe I didn't fare too good either, in the head...

A bit appalled, in fact, by my own realization of such a fact, but soon I knew the reason he had developed such abnormal thinking. It was none other than the black-winged mythical beast that seemed to find her life purpose to tease me in every damn chance that she got.

'This stupid dragon!' I pounded her on the back.

[What's that for? You want to see what it feels like to fly like a bird from up here?] Macie's response was both casual and brutal.

To Filtiarn and my dismay, Macie more or less wore the same lenses about how Lance was training us. Heck, if anything, I suspected that she might even deem it to lack a little bit on the intensity side.

I mean, even after seeing me crying like that, if not comfort, I would expect her to respectfully leave me alone at my own devices. But no, a day goes by without her making fun of me was like her forgetting to breathe.

Although, when all has been said and done, I always find it easier to blame her rather than Lance. That was a fact I never ever figured out why even after all this time.

"My face hurts. Can't you go slower?" I mentioned childishly.

[Crybaby girl.] Remarked Macie.

"Ugh..." I couldn't refute back despite how eager I wanted to.

"Now-now, Mace, let's go a bit slower," Lance chimed. "You've been going at full speed since we took off. We can do some change of space now and then."

[It's a shame, I wanted to stretch a bit more because it's been a while since we take the sky,] Bemused, Macie's tone turned softer. [...Well, no matter.]

The formerly sharp cold air disappeared gradually, replaced by the chilly breeze on the far stretched sky. It still felt a little stuffy when I breathed, but the view was worth the hassle.

Before Macie slowed down, I had to put my face close to Lance's back and shut my eyes due to the pressure. Because instead of winds, it felt like thousands of tiny rocks were playing shooting target with my eyes. And with how fast she was flying, before I could even make do of anything at all, they would simply be gone.

But when I could see everything without pain or dry eyes as a punishment, it was another story altogether.

'Wow...' I pondered, astonished.

Everything was tiny, but the details were no less than astounding. How green the forest was, how carefully sculpted the river bent, and how big and majestic the mountain stood.

"This is..." Bewildered was I.

"It's beautiful, right?" Lance probed.

"Yeah." His words only served as a kind reminder while the scenic wonder patented deep in my memory.

"Before we met you, Mace and I went to many places. Some were strange, but some were breathtakingly beautiful too," Light in his timbre, Lance added. "Like this."

"Woah..." Hooked by his simple sentence, I exclaimed in excitement. "I want to see it too!"

[Let's go later,] Macie replied instead.