Chapter 6: A young chick leaving its nest.
"Aww a young chick leaving its nest??" A teasing voice from a guy suddenly spoke besides Arteus as he was wiping the tears that fell on his face.
The man seems to be a traveller, he's wearing a long robe that have a hood that covers his head, his back where a thick outline of a bag could be seen. and almost the rest of his body other than his face.. Since he was facing him,
"Shut up" Arteus sniffles as he glared at the middle age man besides him who laughs at him.
"Don't worry kiddo. I know how that felt, I've left my old man's place when I was young to find some work.. but you're definitely younger than even back then" The man laughed and smacked him from the back hitting him at his 'white cape'
"..??.. oh? Carrying a bag under your cape? Good idea.. you will be less likely to be Target by some morons when you're traveling." The man spoke mistaking the solid muscle and bones of the wings as a bag underneath the cape.
Arteus didn't correct him and instead let the dude be.. and with that.. the open platform elevator came to a stop and a gate that leads outside the elevator opened up. Letting the bright sunlight through.
Many people on the platform flinched from the sudden changes in the brightness.. some even hissed and sucked in breath in a pained groan. But there are others among the crowd who expected it or was already used to it.
'hiss...so this is the morning sky huh?' Arteus wonders as he looks up in the sky and followed the other people as they stepped off the platform.
Like the night sky and the stars.. this was his first time seeing the clear sunny sky in its full glory.. all his life he only got a glimpse of the sun from small gaps in specific parts of the under city or the slum — Umbrian which was the place he grew up on.
"It kinda hurts.. But it's not bad" he said as he makes a strange face with his eyes squinting despite him trying his best to keep it open while looking at the sun like a moron.
Looking around he realizes hes not alone on this endeavor.. another lady was doing the same.. and like him she have a pale skin..
'an Umbrianian huh?' he thought before looking up in the sun again with his face scrunch up like an idiot. 'This is it.. my turning point! I'll do my best and make Carter and Abigail proud!'
And with that he began to walk — ... only to walk into a pole. '..I...I CANT SEE!'
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Thirty minutes later, Arteus was walking along a dirt trail, brushing his hands through the tall grass on his right. The world was wide open, the horizon stretching in all directions. No walls. No ceilings. Just sky.
"Freedom," he whispered, smiling.
He thought back to when he exited the elevator. A guard had asked to see his token — the same kind required to access both the upper and lower layers. It had cost him nearly all his savings: $3,000 for a permanent token. But now, it granted him the freedom to move between Umbrian and Lumens freely.
"This should be far enough," he said, glancing back at the distant kingdom walls of Ambrosias. He turned and headed toward a nearby forest, just a short walk from the road.
Once under the canopy of trees, surrounded by thick vegetation, Arteus stretched his wings wide. A shiver of pleasure ran through him, like stretching after a long nap. Even the feathers seemed to shudder.
"Hnnnngg~~... Ah, keeping them folded was suffocating. Finally, I can stretch properly," he sighed, raising both his hands and wings in a satisfying stretch.
Now that he was away from prying eyes, it was time to try flying.
Back in Umbrian, he hadn't had a chance. Even at night, the slums were too populated. The sound of his wings alone caused disturbances. He remembered one night after the heist: he'd gone to a remote area and attempted a flap. A single beat caused a dust storm and echoed across the canyon. It had drawn way too much attention.
The only real time he'd flown was when he rescued Abigail, but even then he hadn't truly flown. He'd mostly glided, already buoyed by the updraft.
But now? Now nothing was stopping him.
With only a waterskin and his money on him, he had no baggage to worry about. No hesitation.
He started running. Slowly, at first. His wings flapped behind him in test beats as he hopped lightly.
"Hohoo!" he laughed, jumping again. On his next leap, he squatted, jumped high, and swung his wings down in one strong beat.
WHOOSH!!
A thunderous sound boomed. Dust scattered. Trees bent with the sudden gust.
"WOOOHOOOO!!!" he yelled as he launched into the sky, soaring higher than any tree. His heart pounded. His mind raced. It felt... liberating.
He flapped again. And again. Each beat sent him higher. His rhythm improved with each attempt. His wings moved naturally now.
Soon, the world below shrank. Trees became dots. He felt the rush of cold air — fierce, wild, alive. There was nothing above him. For the first time in his life, he was free.
Clouds surrounded him. But then, everything began to blur.
His breathing grew shallow. His wings stopped moving.
He plummeted, spinning out of control.
Panic surged, but he fought to stay calm. He couldn't breathe. The air was too thin. But as he descended, air filled his lungs again.
The ground was approaching fast. He wasn't oriented right. He looked at his wings, tilting them in opposite directions.
Right before he hit the treetops, he spun, flapped, and soared upward once more.
"YAAAHOOO!! I'M FLYING!!" He screamed as adrenaline surged. His heart raced. He laughed — wild, unrestrained. He couldn't help but remember that man in the platform elevator and thought. 'It does feels like im a chick that just leapt from it's nest.'
That thought made him cackle like a maniac. His laughter echoed through the forest, carried away by the beating of his wings.
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