Sky City Chronicles

Chapter 2: First Flight

First Flight

I visited Razor in the dungeons many times over the next couple days, though the bars stayed firmly locked during those visits. He was still my prisoner, and to openly invite him to walk out of his cell would have been foolhardy. When he was permitted to leave his cell to stretch his legs, I walked with him as we went from row to row of cells, the inhabitants spitting insults at me, or simply turning their backs with a snort of distaste. We talked of many things during the walks we shared over the passing weeks, and I learned a lot about Razor the dragon over that time, and suffice to say he learned a lot about me. For reasons I could not explain the words seemed to tumble out of my mouth whenever he looked at me with his deep orange eyes, like I couldn't help but confide in him all of my beliefs and dreams, lie he actually wanted to know.

After about a month of Razor's confinement, we had just come to the intersection that led to the stairs when he stopped and looked at the well-worn steps with longing, "It has been so long since I felt the Sun against my scales, felt the wind under my wings." He looked at me with a pleading glance, "I would give anything just to see it again, if only for a moment."

The Ember of old would have immediately called the guards and forced him back into his cell at such a request, but now my heart ached at the pain in his eyes, so I found myself saying, "Only for a minute." His eyes lit up like a flame had been dropped in them, and he only remembered to follow me as I came running to catch up to him at the base of the stairs. As he followed me up the steps I couldn't help but feel good that I was enabling a prisoner to have some freedom, even if it was short lived. We reached the top of the stairs and I started to walk towards the door, but Razor stopped me with another request.

"Do you think we could visit the observation tower at the top of the building?" he asked as I turned back to him, "With this weight attached to me there isn't a way I could fly, but it would be close enough if I could just get high and feel the wind under my wings." His eyes were pleading as he looked at me, and my heart just melted to the point that I just couldn't say no, even though going up to the tower would put me in the face of my greatest fear.

"Only for a minute," I said, giving in, "but any funny business and I'll shove you off of the edge myself." I smiled to let him know I was joking, but he still nodded soberly as I turned to my left and started up the spiral staircase that led to the lookout tower. As we climbed I kept my eyes on the steps in front of me, not letting my gaze go anywhere but up so I wouldn't see the open air under my feet. I was ashamed to admit it, but I didn't know how to fly, and even worse, I was scared of heights. I had never told any of my comrades in fear of being teased or called a coward, but just the thought of being on the edge of the observation deck, with only a low railing blocking me from falling to my death, it was almost enough to make me faint on the steps. I shook my head and pushed on, knowing full well what would happen if I backed out now. Razor would not be satisfied until he found out why we had to stop and go back, and the shame of having to tell him would very near kill me, even if I didn't die of a heart attack from the view at the top of the tower.

I came to the top of the steps and pushed open the door, a draft rushing in as a light breeze brushed at my face and wings. I stepped onto the platform and nodded to the two guards on duty, "You are relieved until I send for you. Please head downstairs until we come back down, the prisoner wishes to have some time in the open before we go back." They looked at each other in confusion, but I stepped up to them before they could argue, "Is there a problem with my orders?" I asked in a deceptively sweet voice, "Are you questioning my command as a general for his Lord Igneous?"

That decided them and I almost laughed as they stumbled over each other to get down the steps first. Razor plastered himself against the wall as they rushed past him, and then walked up to join me as he shook his head in wonder, "Remind me never to get on your bad side." he said with a grin, "I thought one of them was going to soil himself he was so scared."