Born to Fly
You glance about the outside area, taking in the forested location. You ponder about whether or not you would want the genie to be with you, but, after a moment, you decide that having magical assistance could be of some help.
Granted, you know the genie may not help you without being an actual wish first. Still, you wouldn’t mind the company.
‘Yes, genie, I would love to have you join me,’ you say.
The genie gives a jovial laugh and then flies through the air over to you, shrinking down even smaller as he does. He lands on your upper back, right behind your head, yet he is so small, you hardly feel him there.
“You know,” the genie says, and he sounds rather gleeful now, “this might be the most fun I’ve had with a Master in a long, long time. You are the first to actually ask for me to come with them - I might actually like you, Master.”
You would smile if you could, but, as you can’t, you simply focus forward.
It takes a moment for you to maintain that same sensation inside of you that you did before, but, when it feels like it will stay proper, you take off. You leap from the windowsill and your wings stretch out, then flap with enough strength to push you up, and up, and up.
And within moments, you are aerial, flowing through the sky at last. Flying.
It is a remarkable feeling, one that words cannot do justice. You soar through the sky at great speed, your wings flapping now and then, keeping you balanced against the currents of the air itself. It is breathtaking, truly, to feel lighter than air itself as you zoom forward - it’s almost like swimming in a way, you think, in how it works, except rather than working against the water to stay afloat, your ability to stay in the air is much, much easier.
‘This is… wow,’ you think, more so to yourself.
The genie, who has been silent for this time, gives a small chuckle. “Indeed it is, Master. Perhaps it is best you are a human choosing this path - you possess the ability to understand and appreciate these boons in a way no creature could. I am glad you wished to retain your humanity for this wish, truly.”
You decide to be a bit daring and dip down, thrusting your body at an angle toward the trees you’ve been soaring above. You shoot down rather abruptly, your body dropping with ease at the angle you wanted to - and though you shoot with a great speed, you thrust your wings out and start to pick yourself up before it’s too late. You avoid hitting the trees, just barely, but still.
You admit that there’s a frightening aspect of this, but holy hell, is it fun.
You begin trying to really test the limits of this new body and your new abilities by seeing how fast you can fly. You flap your wings, up and down, up and down, as hard as you’re able to, and you pick up a good amount of speed.
You feel like a bullet - you rocket through the air, clearing a mass expanse of trees with little effort whatsoever, though your wings do protest a bit after a moment of hard wingbeats.
You take a moment to relax them and instead glide, leaving your wings out, yet not forcing them to move up and down. It’s strange - the sensation of having your wings, your arms, out like this doesn’t bother you. You simply ride the wind current as you gradually begin to descend in height, dropping little by little until you’ve neared the tops of the trees below you.
‘What a strange area,’ you think.
You hadn’t noticed it before, or, maybe you did but you sort of forgot (and really, who could blame you when there was a magical genie standing before you, that wasn’t something you saw every day) how weird this whole locale was. You’d been walking about when you happened upon the area where you wound up running into the genie, which itself seemed to appear out of thin air.
Now, you were in the actual air, flying for real, and you wondered how long this whole wooded area went on for. And where did it even come from in the first place?
The genie chortles, and you’re surprised to hear him again.
“Magic is a very intriguing concept, Master,” the genie says. “There is a great deal at work here - it goes beyond what you can comprehend, I’m afraid. Suffice to say… when you have internally decided you’ve had enough of this area, and wish to return to where you came from, then it will be so.”
You turn your body and start to descend a bit more, keeping your eyes peeled for the weird shop. As you do, you ponder these words.
‘Is this part of your magic?’ you ask.
“Hmm. No.” The genie sounds odd as he answers. “This goes beyond me. I am but a portion of it. It’s difficult to explain, to be honest, in a way you would understand. Do know that you aren’t trapped here, Master. I, however, am.”
You frown, or at least, in your head you frown at this.
“Would you like to return to your area?” the genie asks. “Or remain here?”
You slow your flight and come to a perch on a tree branch. As you rest there, you mull this over for yourself. You aren’t sure, really, which is best.
Written by Hollowpages on 14 April 2020