Goggles and Gold | Tales of the Avains

Chapter 1

Ramon's POV:

I looked at the contraption on my desk, my scuffed, messy-ass desk. I needed to clean it up, it was covered corner to corner in notes, tools, screws, cogs, and blueprints. One main parchment was pinned to the wood of a backboard of my desk. There were hundreds of little scratches and scuffs in the fine wood from hammers and other sharp objects being used here. Even though most normal people would have gotten a new desk instead of holding onto one from since you were 6, this desk held memories, so might as well keep it.

"Okay- will this work?" I muttered, taking up the contraption in my arms and walking down the steps, my boots, carefully laced and gold gears sewn into the leather, making loud thumping noises. "7 years of work, fails, and revising..."

Mother was in the kitchen, the loud clank of pans echoing through the large room that was the living room, kitchen and dining room. There were also two large, windowed doors that I would swing open, revealing a large balcony, overing looking the horizon. The sun was just above the far-off hills that stretched far below the mountains. I took a deep breath, stepping out farther to the balcony. My dove-like wings had grown over the years of working on this project, so constant adjustments had been made in order to hold my weight. As I strapped the leather bindings to my feathers, words echoed in the back of my mind, the words of those two figures from so long ago.

"They choose me, whether they were real or not, I have to do my past self-justice." I furrowed my brow, the clips snapping into place. They contraption only made my wings bigger, by attaching more feathers to my wings through straps. I had spent months looking for hawk and eagle feather, only then to spray-paint them to look like my own wings. Now these much larger feathers were combined, looking like a whole new set of wings. It was a little heavy, but it looked natural for the most part, my own feathers covering the leather.

"Here goes... everything-" I looked at the sky, then flapped my wings lightly at first, testing the flexibility of the new feathers. "Alright- good so far."

I continued, before then going to the edge of the balcony, "Normally I would strap myself in, but- I have to have faith in this," I thought, bending my legs a little, stretching my legs, and jumping.

At first it was terrifying, my wings spread as I plummeted over the edge, but then my thoughts seemed to click. I started trying to catch the wind, and as soon as I did, I soared up, a little suddenly, my breath knocked from my chest. I gasped, correcting my stance a little and adjusting the wind positions.

"It works? IT WORKS!" I shouted, raising my arms in delight, then shuddering as my balance faltered.

I soared for a little while, before my wings seemed to tire from the amount of weight being pressed to them. I headed back from the balcony, excited to tell Mother. I realized; I had no idea how to land.

"OH SHOOT-" I cried as my legs caught on the wood ground, making me "cartoon" tumbling across the floor with a loud thump.

"Ramon!? Are you alright?" Mother came rushing out of the house, her eyes wide. "What happened!? Why are you not wearing your safety rope?"

"I uh- forgot?" I shrugged but then got up, wincing a little at the pain in my back.

"Well- next time be more careful..." She sighed, looking me up and down for injuries.

"There won't need to be a next time!" I chirped, spreading my wings, my arms wide. "It worked!"

"Really!? Oh, Ramon, that is fantastic!" Mother looked at me with pride, not worry, or pity, or disappointment, a first.

"Yeah! Now Dove and Crow might give me a new mission!" I said, twirling around like I was eight again.

"Oh- oh dear, them... right..." Her face fell a little. She had never really believed me, even when I did come barging into her room when I woke up with the blueprints in hand. I had given her proof that they were real, but she just thought it was an old blueprint from Father. Even so, she let me have my imagination, but for the most part, I could tell she was skeptical.

"Yea, and maybe I can go do something with my life now? Right? Like you always said, instead of just being here all the time?" I looked at her, a sad smile on my face.

"Right, yes, of course, I should be happy for you," She shook her head and nodded, taking my hand gently. "But for now, lets go have dinner."

I nodded and she lead me to the dinning room, two plates dished with vegetables and sausage.

"Oo, my favorite!" I said, sitting down, folding my wings behind me.

"I knew it was." Mother laughed, poking at her own food, slowly, seemingly troubled.

After dinner I hugged Mother goodnight and headed upstairs. I got ready for bed, un-lacing my boots, changing out of my normal engineering outfit, and into comfortable clothes, "hoodie and sweatpants" as humans called it. I settled down under the covers, my eyes still open and wide.

"C'mon Ramon- sleep- then you can show Dove and Crow." I thought, furrowing my brow.

Hi- i am tired- and sick- so- uh-

Happy Holidays!!! And hopefully a new chapter will come out soon-

Sorry it is a little short-

-Eco (910 words)