Fledging

Chapter 17

                “What?” I stated dumbly, my heart fluttering in surprise.

Alida glanced back at us to see what the commotion was. “Everything alright?”

I didn’t answer her, too dumbfounded to speak.  Had I done that?

                Evidently Kenneth and I were on the same wavelength because he asked in an awed voice, “Did you just do that?”  I glanced over at him, my eyes clearly showing my shock.  Alida was now headed our way with a light frown on her face.  The frown deepened when she spotted the raised dais of dirt and she looked back to me, her eyes suddenly flying wide in surprise.

                “I think we just found out what your powers are.”

                “What? No, it can’t be,” I said shaking my head “I can’t be an earth elemental.”  Now not only could I not fly and therefore remain grounded in my shame, my powers mocked my flightless wings.                  “Well that’s cool!” Kenneth exclaimed sleepily, rubbing at his eyes as he blinked away his sleep.

                “No, it’s not cool Kenneth, you don’t understand.” I felt panicked, the world seemed to be spinning around me.

                “Fine, then help me to.  I thought it was a cause for celebration when a pavox gets their ability.”

                “Normally yes,” I all but snapped at him.  I wasn’t mad at Kenneth, I was mad at myself, my very being.  “In case you don’t remember, just sleeping or even standing, on the ground is considered low, shameful even.  Our powers are part of us, make us who we are.  If one is an Aarde-klan, they are considered one of the lowest of the low, ranking just above those with now powers or, skies above forbid, no ability to fly.”  I scoffed now, the absurdity of it too much for me.  “And just think, a royal Aarde-klan who can’t fly, they’ll kick me out before we even reach the Roost.”

                “Wait hold on, did you just call yourself an Aardelan?  I thought that was your name for humans?” Kenneth looked at me confused.

                “No, Aarde-klan.  It means … Earth power or something in your language, Aardelan would mean earth walker.”

                “There’s so many rules as to rankings, isn’t that just kind of annoying and stupid?  Who cares what power people have!  And if they’re crippled, do they suddenly become hated?”

                “It creates order,” I muttered, repeating what I had been taught back as a hatchling, back in the place where people held those like me in the lowest of regards.  And we were supposed to be headed there today.  “Look, let’s just forget that happened and move on.”  I turned away from the scene as if once my back was turned, it would be as if it never happened.  I felt the air by my face begin to stir and I looked up in time to see Amiri light down on my shoulder, looking at me with his deep, black eyes.

                It is good you have found your ability, you are on your way to becoming fully fledged.

                Yea, I suppose so.  I glanced at him and continued walking away towards the horse who was loaded up and ready to go.

I had noticed over the past days with Amiri, that his speech was getting better.  Perhaps being around us all the time made it improve so much.  After all, before he had met us, he had only been around other animals who didn’t speak any complex language like the Aardelan or Pavox.