As the Grand Melee started and the huge projector fired up a group of kids sat atop a roof to watch it. The sky exploded into colour within a moment, showing live images of the entries walking into the stadium to the gods themselves.
"Another slaughter," Ashley said as she looked over at the stadium from the roof's edge. Behind her another four people were sat around a television, clad in black, watching the introduction from the camera crew's perspective. One of them looked up to see Ashely pulling her hood up and they did the same as they fell in behind her.
Ahsley took in a deep breath, trying to calm her shaking hands as they opened the duffel bag to retrieve her set of gliding wings. As she clipped it the safety around her chest she heard the familiar voice chiming in through her earpiece. "Remember, Instigator, you need to come in low for your landing or this is all for nothing." The height scared her, but her resolve was strong. Thinking no further than it being what she needed to do she threw herself from the hundredth storey, in order to strike a blow for peace and to save her sister.
Her arms ached as the wings caught onto the air, violently pulling on her joints as she clenched her teeth in the effort of banking. "Kiddo," Blaze chimed in through her earpiece "You're too tense, relax and bank with one arm." She must have been doing bad for it to be noticed from Blaze when he was so far back.
As if to prove a point, Blaze came shooting under her to take the lead looking like some kind of glorious bird with the neon light of the city making his metallic wings shine a magnificent blue. The five metal birds followed the turn of the stadium walls, losing speed and height until they were able to bank downwards behind the seats into the maintenance area behind them, sending a gentle breeze across the back row as they landed. Ashley saw Blaze land, turning the wings up to stop himself almost immediately and then discarding them.
After her long fall
YOU ARE READING
Virtually Existent
Science FictionVirtually Existent is dedicated to Siobhan and Angela. Without their encouragement and support this story wouldn't have become what it is.
