Chapter 17: Where inventions provide new prospects

--LILLIE--

Although I attempted to stay strong for Sable as we returned to the library, as he lay upon the floor bed, his agonizing soul overwhelmed me and I struggled to tell Historia what had happened while fighting back the guilt rising. Over and over, I found myself feeling like the bane of his existence, being the one to influence his suffering, but Historia quickly reminded me that he had made all these choices on his own and that the best I could do for him is to stand by his side instead of blaming myself for life’s cruel lessons.

Thankfully, she devoted herself to also protecting Sable from Lord Orvin, and we both kept a watchful eye on people entering the library, fearing that the master would send others to come after him in attempt to harass or persuade Sable to return to his position.

While Sable’s salary had given us a lot of comfortable freedom, Historia reminded me that all would work out as long as we all focused on our personal goals, including creating the first historical documentation about the Teragane and teaching Sable how to read and write.

“It would give him something to do each day,” Historia had said. “The best way to overcome this traumatic experience is to keep moving forward.”

Sable often left during the morning, returning to the lake for swimming and fishing, but rarely did he venture around the city. He helped me once again in the library, and I began teaching him how to read and write. He seemed motivated at first, but easily grew bored with lessons and drifted off to clean the dust along the edges of the shelves, and spent many afternoons cooking food quietly while I would assist Historia with lessons.

When I would go to the forest, Sable would join me, and he often spoke about wanting to have a house of our own, or grow a garden, but I reminded him that we were wanting to travel in the upcoming spring.

“I think I will go back to the farmlands,” he told me one day as we foraged for autumn mushrooms. “I want to work in the fields.”

“What? But, you know nothing about farming,” I said as I pulled my cloak tighter around my neck while the winds turned frigid.

“I can learn,” he said. “If I can learn to read, why can’t I learn to work as a farmer?”

“Oh, I’m sure you could. But, why the farmlands?”

“I met the people before. Since then, I’ve been thinking about them. They were kind, friendly, and welcoming. I think I could fit in well with the community. I could fly there every morning, help with whatever they need, and still return home here. I’ll still bring home fish, and whatever else we need.”

“Then go. Work the farmlands, and build friendship with the farmers. But, it’s nearly winter. There may not be much to do.”

“I don’t care. Learning with you is great. Honestly, I love it. But, I need to do something physically. I know that we have upcoming plans for next year to visit Piya with Historia, and you’ve got your routine. But, I need something for myself if we are to stay in Cedrus City. I need to have a purpose.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I understand. You deserve something for yourself, too, and I know you’ve been restless since—well, you do better when you’re more active.” I stepped over a fern and wrapped my arm behind his back, tugging at his winter cloak. He leaned over and kissed the top of my forehead while holding the side of my arm, and I bent my head backwards while gazing into his sorrowful, crimson eyes.

“Thank you for your understanding,” he purred softly.

“Of course.”

After collecting a heaping basket of boletes, we returned to the library, and Sable left to return to the farmlands and seek out a new opportunity more aligned with his needs.

“Good luck, and stay safe,” I replied with a short wave as he opened the front door of the library, and he turned and smiled, then swiftly moved through the door. I heard the sound of his wings rustle and fade away as he took off.

I hope he can find peace within his heart.

The library had been closed up for the afternoon, indicating that Historia was gone, and I looked over at the table in the dark corner, eying the open book about sheep-farming that I had been using to help with Sable’s reading lessons. He liked the book, admiring the short excerpt about the farmers trading with the Teragane people. It was obvious to me that part of his restlessness was due to his severance with his own kind. As we begun to write a historical documentation of the Teragane, I noticed his eyes glimmer and his voice grew excited as he would explain in tedious detail all about the methods of child-rearing that he could remember.

I picked up the notebook we stored under Historia’s desk and began flipping through the extensive pages I had already begun to fill after spending every evening listening to Sable speak about the Teragane. He told me about some of the teaching tactics his parents had followed, the daily routine of living on the mountain with a small colony of six, young Teraganes that he strained to remember some of their names. In addition, he told me about the Sage coming to visit him each winter to provide a new tattoo, but, recently we wrote about the fire in which he only knew as something magical:

Sage’s bring a bright, blue magical Eternal Fire that is placed in an iron cauldron, used to heat the cave within the mountain for the comfort of its residence—usually a young Teragane being trained to live their life in isolation. There is little knowledge of where it comes from or how it is created, but our theory is that a Teragane Sage is capable of producing its magical flame by some spiritual source.

The account seemed unworthy to write in a historical book, yet perhaps this would only be our first edition as I visualized the blue flame that Sable spoke often about. The memory of the blue, healing light emerged into my mind and I looked down at the palm of my hand, wondering if it was the same in some spiritual connection.

I glanced over at the flickering, single flamed candle, observing its bouncing flame and reached my hand out—visualizing turning the orange light into something blue and magical. I strained my hand, causing veins to bulge from my skin, then grunted as I tightened my hand into a fist and grumbled.

Why give me healing with no guidance?

I slammed the book-in-progress shut, and slammed it on the table as I rubbed my temples, releasing further mumbling as I felt helpless.

“If only I could speak with the Sage,” I said out loud, then flipped open the pages again. I stopped at a sketch I had made of Sable’s description of the mysterious Teraganes who bore the mask of an owl and permeated with burning herbs and wore bone necklaces.

“My friend was training to be a Sage—the one who gave me the flower tattoo,” Sable had told me, and my mind swirled at the idea of seeking out the supposed guides of magical abilities.

Yeah, then they would probably try to silence me—they probably hate me for leading Sable away from their culture.

“Knowledge is power,” Historia’s words rang in my head, and the sinking sensation of being helpless—powerless—overwhelmed my mind as I scoured a few more books in search of anything about magic—even folklore, superstitions—anything at this point.

I had gone to visit Jadis on occasion, but the topic of magic caused her to nervously glance over her shoulder, or ask me to be silent on the subject. I had initially feared she would reject me on accounts of my reputation, which was still circling around my old community, although no one dared come after me since seeking refuge with Historia.

“Well—some people already fear Grandfather and I’s influence—but only on the cause of our unique mindsets,” Historia had stated, claiming that I should be proud of building a reputation that prevented people from taking advantage of me. “They shouldn’t bother you after all.”

A loud thump followed by the scraping of the wooden floor alerted me to sprint up the stairs. Grandfather stood in the middle of the room holding the long contraption he and I had been working on together.

“Just who I need!” he exclaimed while beckoning me towards him as his wiry hair swayed in the dimly lit room. “I need you to properly hold this. I know I already made measurements, but I want to make sure it fits you. Then, we can plan for our greatest adventure yet!”

“I don’t know if we should be testing it in the living room,” I said while looking around at the overturned tables and items that had been previously knocked down. Grandfather immediately swung the large wooden pole around and I ducked before he hit me.

“Watch this!” he said with excitement of a child caring about nothing but impressing those in his proximity. He moved a mechanism against the pole, and a set of large, canvas made wings folded out from the top of the pole, and a smaller set near the bottom. “And here is the hand-grip for steering!” He twisted a thin, metal handle into position, and adjusted a foot rest at the bottom.

“Come on, come hold it for me—let’s make sure it all lines up, yes? Yes, yes indeed, yes indeed.” I moved up to the tall wooden pole, but my hands fit perfectly at the handles, and I could imagine my feet resting just below while the wingspan would provide a proper width for gliding.

“The handles maneuver the glider wings,” Grandfather explained as I shifted the mechanism, noticing the described shift. “In the air, you’ll be able to change directions, but you must rely heavily on wind currents. However, lifting off the ground was the only element I could not factor in. But, if you start from a high position, you will be able to adjust accordingly. It is a glider, after all. Perhaps a wind propeller or something more advanced would solve this equation. But, that will require proper calculations since your weight already is a factor to contemplate.”

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

“I think it’s perfect,” I said happily. “I don’t need a propeller if I use it mainly with Sable”

“Oh, yes, your flying-friend with wings. Yes, yes, whatever your hallucinations tell you.”

“You still don’t believe that he’s a Teragane, do you?”

“I still think he is actually a demon who has yet to consume your soul. Heh, you young folk are too careless these days.” I rolled my eyes, ignoring his disbelief, for he did make me a rather useful invention despite his superstitions of my dearest boyfriend.

“Tomorrow!” Grandfather shouted. “Tomorrow you shall take to the sky!”

“And I know just where to launch from—then maybe you can witness what it looks like for a Teragane to fly.”

***

I stood on the edge of the cliffside of the meadow as the cold breeze of late autumn blew through my hair. I wore a pair of linen trousers that Jamie had given me, and secured my woolen cloak with a wide leather waist belt—similar to how Sable did with his clothes when flying. I had already insulated my winter boots, but the coming of winter caused my jaw to chatter as I couldn’t wait a moment longer to use my glider for the first time.

Since the moment Grandfather Maggie had begun his planning, I was hesitant to tell anyone about the invention, afraid it was all a fluke, or would never amount to anything. Although it caused my loved ones to groan and pester me as to why I was spending so much time at the side of a crazy old man, as I gleefully invited everyone to come to the meadow, my heart felt like bursting with joy as everyone arrived to finally witness the secret in which I had been keeping for months.

“So, this is the famous meadow?” Jamie asked while standing next to me as he looked around the long grass swaying like rippling water.

“Yup. This is where everything started for Sable and me,” I replied while observing the area while nostalgic emotions overwhelmed my already racing heart. So much had happened over the years, yet, just last winter, Sable and I were saying goodbye before parting ways for the cold season, yet this year I was waiting for him to come to the meadow where I anticipated joining him in the sky with my own set of wings.

This year was so different. This year I would not have to go the entire winter without him. Instead, I only said goodbye to him in the mornings before he left for the farmlands where they had happily accepted his offer to work. He returned every late afternoon with time to do a reading lesson in the library, and we would cook a meal together, all the while stealing kisses whenever possible, and sleeping side by side on the floor mattress in a home that felt safe and welcoming—finally.

“Why did you never tell me about this place” Lara asked as she walked up to my other side, and she rubbed her hands together as her cheeks began to grow quite red.

“Because I didn’t want anyone to know about Sable,” I said truthfully. “I was afraid of losing him. But, that’s all in the past. Now, I have a new future—new endeavors that I’d like you all to witness.”

I turned around and both Historia and Grandfather Maggie began walking closer to us, and my exploding heart could hardly bear another moment of realization that after all the secrets I held, all those who I valued were now altogether to witness the most exciting step in my life.

Now—where is Sable?

“You—you could have picked a better time in the season,” Jamie complained as he shivered and leaned at my side. “You could have brought us here in the sum—summer. Then we could—could have had that tea party.”

“What are we even doing?” Lara asked as she leaned closer to my side as well, and the siblings wrapped their arms around me as they both complained about being out in the open during the colder season.

“I wanted to show you all not just the meadow, but the invention Grandfather made for me,” I finally announced, and both siblings lifted their heads away as I gazed up at the cloudy sky, waiting for Sable to come. I had told him to meet me in the meadow after he finished work, but the early setting sun was causing all those around me to grumble.

“Where is it?” Historia asked while looking around, and Grandfather Maggie raised the wrapped glider. “That stick? I thought you had made yourself an oversized walking stick.”

“It’s not a stick!” Grandfather shouted as he began unwrapping it. “It’s one of a kind flying contraption for Lillie to restore the sea.”

“Ah, I hadn’t realized you had such a quest in mind,” Jamie jeered as he nudged my arm, and I moved over to the glider as grandfather lifted it and handed it to me.

“I want to wait for Sable,” I said as I looked up at the sky while holding the staff upwards with the wings still folded.

“A flying contraption?” Historia asked while she eyed her grandfather. “You mean a glider? You really made something again?”

“Glider—schmider—it’s brilliant—best and only of its kind,” Grandfather proclaimed loudly as he puffed out his chest and Historia smirked.

“Really? You’re going to fly? Like Sable? But, how?” Lara asked.

“Yeah, how you gonna do that?” Jamie asked. “Looks a little thin—more like a weapon at this point. Will you spin it around like a wind-mill?” Lara laughed, and before Jamie could continue uttering nonsense, Grandfather Maggie raised his wrinkled finger and began explaining the engineering concepts. For a moment, everyone listened intently as he pointed to the different contraptions, but as his words became more jumbled—or perhaps just advanced—Jamie’s eyes began to glaze over, but at least Historia and Lara would nod their heads.

Then, before Jamie could make any silly remarks, I heard the sound of Sable’s wings from the distance and spotted his figure approaching. He landed near me, embracing me for a hug, wearing a huge grin as only a few strands of hair came loose from the braids I had made for him earlier that morning.

“What’s all this?” he asked while looking around at our group of friends.

“Lillie is going to fly!” Jamie blurted out, causing Historia to smack the back of his head and Lara slapped a hand over his mouth.

“What a way to ruin the moment!” Historia shouted as she then wrapped her hands around his neck, and Jamie began to whimper as the two women spent a few seconds tormenting him.

“Have you found a way to sprout wings?” Sable asked while looking down at me with a twinkle in his eye.

“Hmm, not exactly, but—Grandfather Maggie and I have made something of the sort,” I replied, and tapped the edge of the staff in my hand, then proceeded to walk over to the edge of the cliff, feeling the others follow close behind. I unstrapped the leather that secured the wings in a folded position, clicked the mechanism that extended the wings, and twisted the hand and feet handles into position.

“Now, Lillie, don’t forget to secure your feet onto the bar below,” Grandfather said as he quickly approached me. He then turned to look at Sable who came to my side. “Now, demon, don’t you dare let her fall. Take care she catches the air currents and by no means suck out her soul. Otherwise, I’ll sell your location to the Kertuit Kazut Klan.”

Sable looked over at the man who actually addressed him directly and asked how to help, which only caused the crazy man to scamper away and hide behind Historia.

“Don’t worry, all you gotta do is make sure I don’t fall,” I teased and placed the fully extended glider behind me, already feeling the strength of the currents.

“Okay,” Sable said while standing by my side, and I gazed down at the sheer drop off and swallowed past the initial fear lingering in my throat.

“Be careful!” Lara cried out from behind, and an echo of concerns resounded from the others, but I knew if anything were to malfunction, Sable would always be there to save me.

“Let’s fly,” I whispered, then jumped forward, positioning my body into a nose dive. Immediately the canvas wings caught the wind, and it shot me straight up. I swung my feet onto the footrest at the bottom of the glider, and a rush of adrenaline overwhelmed me as I felt out of control of the sudden burst of new sensations and energy. I angled horizontal to the valley below, and my hands shook upon the handles, but then Sable darted underneath me, spinning around as he faced me with his wings to the ground. The glider began to zigzag as I moved the handle with inconsistent movements. Suddenly, I felt the wind tip me over, and I screamed, afraid of losing my balance completely.

“Steady your breathing!” I heard Sable shout as I flipped upside down, and he grabbed the pole, and swung me around, and was gliding from above. His stabilizing action allowed me to readjust my hands and calm my breathing.

“This is harder than I thought!” I shouted, hoping that he could hear me even though the wind rushing past my face was louder than I could have imagined.

“If you practice every day, it’ll become easier!” he called out from above. “It took me a couple tries before I could fly without my parent’s help. You only need to adjust to the new environment. It’s different than walking, or swimming. But, your body will grow familiar with the air currents. I don’t know how the glider works, but without the force of movement, you must rely heavily on the air currents.”

“Can you help me?” I asked.

“Of course! This is like a dream come true. I never thought I would ever teach a Tamarine to fly!”

“Well, I guess I just love making new quests for us to achieve.” I heard Sable laugh loudly, and I smiled to myself.

“I’m going to let go. Try to steady yourself now on your own.” He released his grip on the pole and I felt the glider begin to tip again. But, this time, I recognized the sensation and kept my grip sturdy, adjusting the nose of the glider to smoothly glide past the abrupt currents.

“Excellent! Let’s try dipping down!” Sable exclaimed, and I pulled down slightly, allowing the glider to descend.

We flew above the trees, over the winding river, and I began to feel more comfortable adjusting the glider, familiarizing myself with the sensation of drifting along the currents. Only once in awhile Sable stabilized me, and we flew all around the valley until my arms began to grow tired and my core ached from holding my position for so long. He directed us back to the meadow, but we had descended so far down, he needed to help my glider ascend enough to reach the meadow.

“How do I land?” I asked, feeling nervous as we quickly approached the clearing where the others spotted us and began jumping and waving, crying out for us.

“Pull up and position your body so that you can land on your feet,” Sable instructed. “Like a bird, perhaps, coming in for a landing. You may need to land by running forward too. Just try it out!” I did as he instructed, and I slowly lifted the glider into a halting position, and I moved my feet to the ground. I ran for a moment, trying to stop myself, but I tripped and fell to the ground while releasing my hands from the glider that kept drifting right over me.

“Lillie!” the others cried in unison, and their racing footsteps shook the ground as I lifted myself up, and ran after the glider. I picked it up while my friends surrounded me with bombarding questions, but all I could do was smile as my heart raced.

“Brilliant, as calculated!” Grandfather cheered, and slapped my back. “The first flying Tamarine! History in the making, history for the records. Don’t let anyone know about this, though. Yes, they’ll be coming for you—just like they came for Brandon.”

Sable stood behind the others, and I looked up at him, ignoring Grandfather’s remarks, but the others continued to cheer as they happily exchanged their excitement of my newest adventure.

“What a time to be alive!” Historia exclaimed as she patted my back. “Oh, Lillie—you really are a wonder.”

“You were amazing!” Jamie shouted. “You lucky bastard! Now, you can go wherever you want without a single ounce hesitation or limitation! Oh, my baby girl is gonna leave us for sure this time—nothing holding her back, is there?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lara chimed. “As amazing as that was, Lillie—you’re not leaving us, right?” I looked at my friends, Jamie, Lara, Historia, and even Grandfather Maggie as they all grew silent as the excitement of the adventure grew rather serious.

Then, my eyes lifted towards Sable who towered behind the group of Tamarines I could easily call my family.

I hadn’t expected them to suddenly fear losing me now that I had a better method of being with Sable—yet, as their anticipating eyes welled with concern, and Sable’s nose scrunched as he drifted into pondering future prospects, my heart ached as I felt I were being torn into different directions now that I had a little bit more freedom.

Yet—that was what I wanted all along.

Wasn’t it?