Daughter of Wisdom

Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

“Umm . . .” I said staring at the gorgeous and huge, black Pegasus. “You never said we were riding on a horse with wings,” I stated. He looked over at me a laughed.

“It’s called a Pegasus, we have them all over the place in New Athens, we use them for lessons at the Institute,” he explained, patting the horse lovingly which nudged him back affectionately. I stared at him, then at Pegasus, then back at him.

“Just remind me one more time that I am not hallucinating, please,” I nearly begged. He grinned at me and grabbed my hand, setting it on the flank of the Pegasus. My breath caught in my throat.

“You are not hallucinating.” He stilled grinned. I gaped at him. “C’mon, we should get going before a gryphon or something attacks.” He hoisted himself onto the horse using the stirrup and mane. I looked up at him.

“I can’t get up there. I may people able to run, but I most definitely cannot get on eight foot freaking tall winged horse.” 

He laughed yet again.

“I’m so glad you find my troubles so amusing,” I said sarcastically. He shook his head and smiled.

“Just c’mon.” He stuck out his hand to me. I stuck my foot in the stirrup and grabbed his hand. He pulled me with what seemed the strength of an elephant. I landed with a small “oomph” on the back of the horse.

“Oh. My. Gosh. What are you? Freaking Hercules?” I asked, astonished.

“No, he is Roman, and please don’t compare me to that ego-inflamed dimwit. Daily work outs are required, so we all have muscle,” he said casually.

“Yeah, a lot,” I muttered under my breath.

“What did you say?” he asked. I knew he was smirking by the way his voice came out.

“Oh, nothing, nothing at all,” I replied nonchalantly. He laughed silently.

Maybe the monster wasn’t actually that weak . . . I thought.

“You might want to hold on,” he advised, grabbing my arms and wrapping them around his waist. I blushed furiously. I had never been this close to a boy, not like this, in my entire life, except for Papai.  He made a clucking noise with his tongue and nudged the side of the horse with his heels. The wings which had been folded next to its sides spread out wider than two of me on top each other, and I’m 5’ 7”. I gripped Ryan’s waste even tighter. I felt him laugh again.

We were flying within seconds, air making my hair fly behind me like I had just stuck my head out of a car window on a highway. We flied so high that normal people would think we were just a bird. I didn’t feel light headed or anything like I thought I would and I could breathe normally. I also didn’t get cold  because of the heat radiating from the Pegasus. They saddle was big enough to fit the two of us so I wasn’t uncomfortable at all, either. I actually felt really relaxed, but invigorated at the same time.

I set my head on Ryan’s back.  I still barely know this guy and I am resting my head on his back. Did one of the kids drug me or something? That might explain this whole situation. Well, it didn’t matter because it will wear off eventually, so I might as well enjoy the moment while I can.

“You enjoying the flight?”

I nodded against his back. He chuckled.

“Yeah, Black Caller has a really smooth flight.”

“Black Caller?” I asked.

“Yeah, that’s his name, he is my Pegasus that I won in a battle with an upperclassmen.”

“Ah.” I set my head back on his back. I had no idea what he was talking about. Now that I didn’t have a death grip on him, I could now acknowledge the fact that he had the hardest abs I had ever felt, and the only ones not to mention. Now that I had time to think, and to breathe, I was starting to notice a lot of things. Such as Ryan’s incredible hotness. His skin tone seamed Mediterranean and his dark brown wispy hair went with it perfectly. His eyes were what got me though. They were like a deep, inescapable abyss. Every time I looked into them I had to force myself to look away. Those same eyes as in my dream.

“Ryan?” I asked.

“Yeah?”

“Why did you seem so fixated when I said I saw you in my dream?” I was glad he couldn’t see my face right then, because I was blushing, why, I didn’t know.

“Well, you said you saw me trying to catch you from falling off a cliff, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it’s really rare and unusual, but sometimes half-gods and goddess can have the ability to see the future in their dreams.”

“So, you mean that . . . that might actually happen?”

“Yes.” His voice was terse. I tightened my grip on him again. 

“I see.” I tried to keep the fear out of my voice. I was going to die? Die while trying to be saved by Ryan?

“What I want to know is why are you falling from that cliff in the first place.” His voice seemed tense, but puzzled at the same time. “This must mean we are going to go on some sort of mission or quest. Have you had any other dreams like this?”

“What? No, not really.” I felt a little pain in my chest that he wasn’t as concerned about my death as I was.

I barely know him. I can’t expect these things out of a guy I have known for what, twenty minutes?

We both fell silent again.

Another ten minutes later he spoke.

“We will be there in twenty minutes.”

“Okay,” I said, trying to sound as casually as possible. I wanted him to keep talking, for that not quite deep but perfectly medium voice to talk calmly, soothingly. What was wrong with me?! I sat up and took my hands out from around his waist and set them in my lap awkwardly. He turned his head, looking at me through the corner of his eye.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

“No, not really, why?”

“Oh, well, umm, I don’t know . . .” he sort of mumbled. I looked out and below us. We were flying over lush forest of pine trees in a peaceful valley. My breath escaped me. It was beautiful. No, more than that, it was gorgeous. I watched the scenery below for what seemed an eternity until my eyes fell prey to something un-belonging.

A huge, wall-enclosed city laid in between two mountains that jutted out of the earth. I gaped at it.  

“Welcome to New Athens,” Ryan said proudly.