Chapters 3, part 1

 

Chapter Three

            School was never were I belonged. I got through the first five years without anybody noticing my wings, but once somebody found out, everybody treated me like a disease. I made a deal with the principle the day I was discovered. Since everybody finds me ‘undesirable’ based on my condition, I found I can no longer go to the school physically. The principle agreed to have me assigned to six teachers like everybody else. Only they would send home a photocopy of the day’s notes and assignments.

            I spent any free time I had in the air. There was nothing better than flying with a flock of stray birds. Once I flew with a bunch of geese when they were migrating south for the winter. Needless to say, I became a very talented flyer.

            I had no idea what I was going to do with my life after I was out of school. I guess I would take my collected money and get a good place somewhere. I had no need for a horse; I fly wherever I want to be. After that I guess I needed a job.

            The only thing I had ever wanted to do when I was young, and my secret unknown, was to destroy or work in the palace. That palace had always held the city outside its walls with an iron grip. The palace’s word was law, and they had unchallenged power. In my eyes, too much power. What really irked me was they also seemed to have unlimited access to gold. I had been born to a poor family that knew little luxury. The only source of power we had was our gift. We were one of the ten families in town with the gift.

            Ever since I was found out, my father had had a hard time at work. He worked as a scientist. His latest assignment was finding everything there was to know about the elements, and particularly the ice element. As far as I knew, he had been researching it since I was born.

            My father had told me that I had the gift for using great magic. I had misunderstood him. My father had the lowest amount of power; anything compared to him was great. And so I became great in his eyes. My father only knew everything about elements as far as ways you could use them. If only he could use the magic, he would have become a professor and worked for the palace. The professors were said to be master mages who worked with prophecy.

            I have tried to fly over the palace to see inside, but their magic barriers made it impossible. I’ve tried from every altitude; nothing could get within a mile of the palace.

 

            One fine spring morning, I was flying low over the farmer’s fields. I was low enough to hear them speak. They all, even the guys, talked about how graceful my flying was. They thought all animals, that didn’t harm their fields, were god’s goodness in flesh. Therefore, I was popular among the farmers and field hands and had been for all my 13 years.

            Spring was my favorite time of year. All the harvests were blooming, the flowers fresh, and the bakery made its famous aromatic loafs of bread. Every spring on the Fifth of April, I’d take a dollar from my allowance money and buy a loaf. The annual habit was one of many. For instance, every seventh of November I’d fly to one of the four flying islands over our city.

            These four islands were too high for anything but me and a few people who own hoverboards. Hardly anybody had a hoverboard because they were so expensive. These islands could fly because somebody thought it would be cool to have four flying islands. They used their gift to lift the islands. They each were exactly the same distance from each other, one in the north, east, south, and west. Each was exactly the same triangular shape pointing in four directions as if to form a compass. Unfortunately, the man who made the spell underestimated the energy it would take to place the spell, and he died a quick death.

            I’m an optimistic guy, so I don’t dwell on these kinds of things. My annual habits don’t draw me too much attention. Everybody who has the gift has some sort of habit or another. For instance, my father loses all sense of taste on Saturday afternoons. Likewise, when I was five, if you gave me a sword on a Friday morning, be prepared to have hell.

            Ever since my dad discovered my talents with a sword, he has been teaching me himself. I learned everything I know from him. I could now control my Friday morning attacks. My dad was one of the best blades of his day, but then he grew old. Now he could barely keep up with me.

            Anyway, while I was flying over the fields that fine Sunday morning, one of the field hands called me over. They normally like to keep me at wing’s distance, even though I’ve never touched their fields. I was surprised in what he wanted.

            “He’ay you, come down ‘ere! I wanna talk to yaw” the farmer was wearing blue overalls and a plain white t-shirt, the typical dress for a farmer.

            “Yes sir, you called?” I asked.

            “Yes I certainly did, I have a business offer for you. I know that you have plenty of time on your hands what with not havin to go to school. How’s about you work for me. I’ve seen you fly; you have the strength to lift an ox. You see, I’ve lost a couple of men. They packed up and left just the other day. Ever since, I haven’t been able to come by men willin to work. You know were I’m goin with this right? I would be payin you, and it would just be a couple of hours a day. What say you?” Like I said, the farmers are the only ones that are nice to me.

            “Sir, you offer makes sense. Before I say yes, I’d just have to run it by my folks. I’m sure they’d be happy to let me work for once” he smiled, I had all but said yes.

            “Thanks sonny, you’ve no idea what this means to me.”

 

            “So, what mischief did you get into today” my dad asked humorously.

            “Not much, actually; hey, you know my friends down at the fields? The head farmer asked me if I could work for him. A sizeable group of his workers have gone traveling. I have plenty of time during the day, and he said he would be paying me.”

            “Well if that isn’t much, hmm, did you already say yes?”

            “Not yet, I told him I’d run it by you two” ever since I had been found out, the town ladies had been giving my mom a hard time. This is why she had kept quiet. She hardly ever was seen by me except at meal times.

            “Well, it’s alright by me, how about you honey?”

            “Hmm, oh, ok sure.”

            “Thanks guys, I really appreciate it” that night I slept happily.

Author's Note

i would really like to know if anybody likes my ideas. if the chapters are to short, please tell me.