Down on the ground, Aedis had instructed Honey to shift position—to use the foot grooves at the back of the saddle to become as aerodynamic as possible—it'd allow her to move faster and make diving easier for Copper.
Down on the ground, this had seemed simple. A whole morning of flying had gotten to Honey's head. But Honey wasn't on the ground anymore. She was a deathly height away from safety, and even though she was securely strapped to Copper's saddle, the thought of shifting to such an unsecure position had anxiety nipping at her gut.
The two flew in a straight line as Aedis turned to look at Honey, who sent him a fake but confident smile. He regarded her for a second, before responding with a nod and shifting into position so effortlessly that a perturbed expression had morphed into Honey's face. She copied his movements, though far less gracefully, and leaned slightly to get a look at Aedis from where he flew ahead. Copper sensed the shift, and tilted slightly with Honey's bodyweight and bringing Aedis into view.
Honey's eyes widened as the shape on Inertia's wings seemingly sharpened. The feathers had been clearly defined before—wide and clear and almost fluffy, but suddenly it was as if the entire shape of her wing shifted into a more compact shape, like the scales of a snake, they were suddenly angular.
In Front of her, Inertia manoeuvred into position.
Honey's eyes widened as the shape on Inertia's wings seemingly sharpened. The feathers had been clearly defined before—wide and clear and almost fluffy, but suddenly it was as if the entire shape of her wing shifted into a more compact shape, like the scales of a snake, they were suddenly angular.
It was strange, the way that the Brisk-Beak prepared to dive. She didn't simply plunge headfirst, nor did she tilt and twist into a nosedive. Instead, she moved in a way that had her body twisting sideways, tail over head, before tucking her wings in and plummeting nose first towards the ground.
Honey's perturbed expression only deepened.
She'd made it this far, she told herself, before following through with what had become a ritual and taking a deep breath.
As if her body knew what to do, Honey was pulling up on the handlebars, her biceps screaming in protest, and pushing down into the groves with the balls of her feet.
It was second nature the way Copper responded. For what felt like forever, Honey was weightless. The only reminder that gravity existed was the way the clips at her waist and hips tightened against her as she was suspended upside down.
Looking up—or down, Honey supposed—her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the ground so far below her.
Aedis was already a fair distance away, tucked in so tightly to Inertia that she couldn't even make out his form-
Suddenly, that weightless feeling ceased, and Honey tucked herself further into Copper as the two went head first towards the ground.
Coppers wings tucked in tight.
Honey had to stop herself from squeezing her eyes shut.
Their descent sped up.
Exhilaration filled Honey.
There was no resistance as Copper sliced through the air. No wind pushing back, stopping them, slowing them down. They simply fell through the cracks of the atmosphere, parting it like the pages of a book. Falling, falling, falling.
Honey couldn't breathe. The air passed by too quickly for her to inhale. Her lungs were vacant. Empty.
She was exhilarated. Terrified. So full of adrenaline she wasn't sure she'd remember this when she pulled up.
YOU ARE READING
A Mirage Of Milk And Honey
خيال (فانتازيا)Waking up to nothing but a snow filled forest with a dark and mysterious creature on her tail, Honey can do nothing but run, run, run. With no memories or knowledge of the land she's woken up in, it is only a chance encounter with the General of th...
