Opening the Skies

(For this story, I used a character and world from a book I have saved for later called Hidden Heart. Enjoy and don’t forget to comment! Due to someone’s concern about the email box above the comment box, you don’t need to include your email. Just submit  your comment and WordPress will let me know what you said!)

Mandie sat at the very bottom of the Stocklants Mountain Range. She was just sitting in the silence of the forest around her while waiting for her friend. He had begged and pleaded with both her and her boss, Mr. Cuttle, in order for her to be free this particular day. He did not explain why when she inquired his reasoning, only pacifying her with the reply, “You’ll enjoy it to the fullest, Mandie! I promise.”

“So, he did tell me to wait here, but what are we going to do?” The redheaded girl spoke her thoughts aloud as some birds cried out in the distance. That’s not much of an answer, is it? Mandie turned her attention away from her predicament and gazed around the area. Most called it ‘The Miracle Forest Planet’ given the fact it was hard on some of others planets that had societies full of machinery to keep nature alive. Ronus stood out from others like it in this way. (Ronus was an air planet characterized by it’s floating island upon a giant atmosphere. Deep dives into the skies below the islands revealed a small sphere of water surrounding its core.)

The hiss of steam overheard followed by the cries of sailors drew mandie’s attention upward. A giant air ship brig was passing over heading toward the docks just outside Magehaven. Probably supplies from the construction or just regular imports, Mum probably knows. Mandie sighed before a fit of coughing took over her. Her breaths came out in wheezes, making her chest feel tight like chains were binding her lungs together. Feeling the need for her inhaler, she scrambled inside her side pouch as her body felt the brunt of her fit. Feeling around blindly, her fingers felt the familiar shape of her inhaler. Mandie wasted no time pulling it out and waiting until she could properly take her medicine. 

After a moment, she was able to breathe steadily and processed with her treatment. Inhale, hold, exhale. Inhale, hold, exhale. Finally, she was at peace again and the forest around her seemed to relax as well, as if it had been held up in suspense, due to the rare human who ventured in being in danger. Mandie decided to start braiding her long hair to pass the time although even she was starting to be impatient. “Where is Fowl, anyway?”

“Did someone speak my name?!” “Ahhh!!!” Mandie jumped forward, rolling on the ground before lifting her face toward the source of the voice. A grinning, bright-eyed young man with messy brown hair was standing on the rocky ledge that overhung where Mandie was sitting. “Zebulon Fowl Inchcombe! That was not nice at all!” Mandie tried to stop herself from shaking while Zebulon, commonly known by his middle name, snickered. He saw his friend hug herself to stop her own reaction and felt a little guilty. Mandie was a tender soul so while her reactions to his surprises and scares were entertaining, they weren’t good for her. 

He jumped down with a repentant smile. “Sorry, Mandie. Both for scaring you and for making you wait so long, so come follow me!” He started to walk into the woods so Mandie got in step with him. “Fowl, what do you need to show me that requires us to leave Magehaven? Couldn’t you have just showed me there?” “No, because there’s no space for it!” “For what?” Mandie was even more puzzled but she started to have a feeling for what it was. Fowl stopped right at the edge of a clearing and spread his arms out in a grandiose manner. “For this baby!” 

Mandie looked over his shoulder and finally understood. “Your own air ship schooner?””Yes! So, now that it has been approved for flight and I have my license, why not take the maiden voyage with me? There’s the little island that used for Hukrine ores; I’m sure Mr. Cuttle would like some extras for the shop.”  Fowl nudged Mandie with a wink. He knew that the shop owner especially wouldn’t mind Mandie being absent if it meant they brought back something of value to the The Misty Clock.

Mandie’s facial expression relaxing, Fowl took that as a yes. “Then let’s wait no time!!” Grabbing her hand, he ran up the ramp and quickly pulled the lever for it to retract. “Hoist the main solar sail! Start up the inner engines and let’s go flying!” Mandie had to jump to and fro to avoid the sailor androids which were built to be small and were connected to the ship’s mainframe. I’m not so sure about this. Swallowing her fear, Mandie clutched the side of the shrouds. 

The sound of fabric flapping against the wind filled her ears along with the hum of the material soaking up the sun’s rays. The energy made it’s way through the sails, into the post and down into the ship’s hold. Gravity lost its grip on them as they slowly lifted up. As the schooner picked up speed, turning starboard away from the city, Mandie clutched the shroud and shut her eyes. 

“Mandie,” Fowl’s voice whispered with a hint of a tease. Mandie turned her head away, her chest was feeling tight again. Her knuckles were white from her death grip on the rails. 

“Come on, you’ve been holding the shroud for ten minutes. Open your eyes to see the view, you don’t want to miss it.” 

Shaking, whither from fear or the chilly air she didn’t know, Mandie peeked at her surroundings. 

The endless sea of white and blue laid before her. Clouds wandering across the endless atmosphere, huddling closely to hide its heart below them. The distant cry of the wild Vapras could be heard and the glint of their foamy green and pink scales were flashed from their fluffy playgrounds. Mandie felt a sense of ease wash over her as she aged at the splendor around her. Fowl grinned, happy to see his friend relaxed again. “Now, let’s focus on our adventure!” He held his fist in the air to rally her spirits. Mandie giggled a little before meekly punching the air as well. “Yeah!” 

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