you-float-i-stumble-blog

[you-float-i-stumble-blog]

Extract from the rough first draft of a story (meaning there’s stuff I want to change in future versions)

Echo Berezin felt the air flying over her face and fought the urge to whoop as her reptavian traversed the training course. Reaching out with his scaly talons, Brin grabbed the wooden beam, and latching on with his rear legs, extended forwards again, launching both mount and rider through space. Echo gripped the reins, her knuckles a stark white against her darker skin, her boots hooked into her seat's catches to save her a fall.

"On your left!" A voice called out from behind her. Echo's training partner, Felix, passed her on Beatrice just as the four of them neared the final section of the course. Brin tensed up a little,  and launched himself off the next pole with such determination that they closed the long gap between the beams without slowing down, completely overtaking the gliding Beatrice. With a final leap, Brin landed elegantly on the finish line.

As Echo fumbled with her boots, Felix landed next to her, swung his leg over the saddle, and slid off. The bastard probably didn't even need to use the foot-hooks. When they had first arrived at the Zemilya Academy, both of them were very secretive about their gifts, for different reasons. Kid Felix didn't feel like "luck" was as impressive a skill as the more physical powers, whereas Echo's telepathy made her a bit of an outcast - it can be hard to trust someone who, theoretically, never has to trust you in return. A few years later, though, everyone had come to terms with it, and the quiet Echo had been accepted by almost everyone as someone they could trust. Almost everyone.

"Bell, Berezin, front and centre!" The command carried across the field and Echo groaned inwardly.  Felix gave a sympathetic shrug and broke into a halfhearted jog toward Kalani. Echo hesitated, then turned to pat Brin on the side of the head.

Do good? Echo could just about make out the question directed at her.

"You did great," Echo said to reassure her mount, before finally heading to join up with the others. The reptavians weren't as capable of complex thought as the humans that had tamed them, but Echo could still discern their clearer thoughts when in direct contact. Unlike the rest of her class, who were always so noisy, all the time. One of the better things about spending time with animals was that she could relax without having to actively tune out the cacophony of thoughts.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Kalani remarked as she reached them, jostling her back into the world as she almost walked into someone's back. Hugo turned and gave a quick smile before returning his attention to Kalani, who was giving his breakdowns of everyone's performance. Finishing off the one he had started before interrupting himself, he then turned to Echo. "Berezin," he started, "what the hell happened at the end there?"

Echo cocked her head to the side slightly. "Sir?"

Kalani shifted his weight slightly, uncomfortable under her gaze. She didn't even need to open her mind to him to know that he was worried about just that. Her technique wasn't perfect yet, though, and every so often snippets made their way past her defences. She was surprised to not hear a voice this time, though, but saw what he was visualising - a reptavian mid-leap, surrounded by calculations. Even coaches can have hidden depths, she thought to herself, but refrained from commenting. It wouldn't help her case with Kalani if she revealed that she had ended up seeing his thoughts.

"How did Brin manage that jump? It's not meant to be possible."

***

Eight months previously, the 52nd class had been led out into this same yard, fledgeling reptavians in tow, to be introduced to the training course for the first time. As Kalani showed both groups of juveniles around, he gave a play-by-play commentary of each section. "The majority of section two, poles five to ten, is as close a straightforward climb as you're going to get, with the possible exception of section six. Section three, however, starts lower than two does - you're looking at the biggest drop of the course. But don't think that means the rest of it's going to be easy!" Towards the end of section seven, Kalani's chest practically inflated. "Now this is one of my favourite parts of the course. This is where we will see the most obvious improvement in your mount's development. I should hope that by now, having had to hatch these creatures yourselves, you'll have done a fair amount of research on them." Kalani's moustache quivered, his face otherwise so unreadable even Echo was unsure if it was in jest or anger. They'd heard horror stories of previous classes failing in the hatchery and the wrath of Kalani. "Who among you has picked up on why we use them as our military mount of choice?" He scanned the crowd, zeroing in on Arthur Brett, swooping down to his eye level. "Ooh, I can practically see the cogs turning. Come on, Brett, what have you got for me?"

"They're... really good on almost any terrain?"

Kalani's entire face stretched, his eyebrows going high, his chin going low in mock astonishment. "Tell you what, that's not bad." Standing back up, he addressed the whole group again. "Can anyone tell me what makes them so really good?"

Hugo spoke up. "Their climbing, their speed, their gliding..."

"And it is here," Kalani interrupted him, "that we work on the gliding." He paced from poles thirty-three to thirty-four. "This distance has been carefully calculated, measured, and verified to be out of range of a reptavian leap. They have to glide to successfully cross the gap. In this way, we can teach your rides their own limits - and expand them to what is required."

***

Eight months later, back in Echo's present, Kalani was wondering if the course required an adjustment.

Echo shrugged. "He has a bit of a rivalry with Bea. I think he just wanted to get to the end first."

Kalani nodded to himself. "Interesting." He was probably already coming up with an idea for a treatise on the social interconnections of reptavians, or something like that. "Bell, keep an eye on Beatrice too. I want updates on any social developments. Same goes to all of you. Brett - check on Alizeh. Her front left leg seemed to give a little in section five, I want you to make sure she's okay. Everyone - go put your mounts to stable, then you're dismissed for the night."

The group wasted no time in getting back to their mounts, eager to get onto break. After washing them down and taking them to their stalls, the kids filled up their reptavian's food buckets and shuffled off to get some food of their own. Echo and Felix loitered for a moment, waiting for Hugo, who in turn was helping Arthur look after Alizeh's leg. He had found a poultice to ease sore muscles, and was showing Arthur how to apply it properly.

"You really get on with them," Felix remarked as the three of them crossed the courtyard back into the Junior Department. Arthur had run on ahead, eager not to miss the steak on offer tonight.

"The reptavians? Yeah." Hugo said cheerfully, then faltered. "I feel like that's where I'm best suited. Honestly, I think that I might elect for the School of Rearing in a couple of months."

"I can't say I'm too surprised," said Echo, quietly. "You're definitely the best in the class at caring for them. I don't think Ermir's had a single health problem so far."

Hugo shot her a glance as a younger kid, probably from the 54th class, sprinted past them, footsteps reverberating on the flagstones. "Honestly, I'm surprised that you're still considering the School of Arms. I would have thought that Rearing would have been heaven for you."

Felix opened the door to the stairway and ushered them inside and up the stairs without a word, only breaking his silence as they began the climb to the Upper Halls. "I'm sure that everyone has their reasons for their choices."

"You're not happy with my choice," Hugo said.

"No," was all Felix said in reply as they reached the corridor and turned into the refectory. He sullenly grabbed a tray, loaded it up without looking at what he'd chosen, and went to eat in his room.

"There are far too many onions on that plate. He's not gonna be happy when he realises."

Echo found a quiet corner of the cafeteria and sat down. "He needs to learn he can't rely on his luck all of the time."

Hugo sat down opposite her. "What's the big deal about me wanting to go to the School of Rearing, anyway? The whole point is that we go where we'd best be suited. That's why Arthur's going to join Bernt at the School of the Foundry."

"If I had to guess, I'd say he doesn't want the group to split up. He's too fond of the three of us being a trio." Echo turned to look out of the window next to her. From this side of the canteen, she was looking into the central courtyard, out toward the Senior Departments - to their future. Twice already they had watched the ceremony unfold, as each student was called forth and they declared their intentions for the future. Next, it would be their turn. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Felix was going for the School of Arms.

"Is that why you're going with him?"

"Not really. It's just that..." Echo paused. She hastily scooped some peas up with her fork, and chewed them deliberately. Mulling her words over. Finally, she was ready to swallow. "Everyone always looks at me funny, you know? They don't like the fact that I'm telepathic. I wanna show them all that there's nothing to fear when it comes to people like me, and it's harder to be an example when you're behind the scenes."

Hugo laughed, then stopped abruptly. "Oh god, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean... it's just that you're the last person I'd expect to want to be in the spotlight."

Echo shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "It's not that I want to be in it exactly... more like that some good might come of it if I happen to be in it and someone happens to notice?"

Hugo nodded. "A fortunate coincidence could arise, got it."

Echo shrugged. "It's worth a try."

Hugo conceded on that point, and the rest of the meal passed without incident.

In the recreation room, Felix was in the middle of a match of ping pong against Horace, finding challenge in each other's gifts. Hugo had opted to return to his room to continue his research, reading into some of Kalani's papers on the care of reptavians, leaving Echo to enter alone. Felix had his back to her, and didn't see her come in, as she slipped through the door and made her way to a couch, falling into a reclining position with her feet up on the armrest. Meditating, she practised tuning out the buzz of everyone's background thoughts until all she could hear was the tap-thunk tap-thunk of the ball going from paddle to table and back again. The repetitive rhythm was soothing, and she was able to get lost in it, not hearing anyone else's thoughts, barely hearing her own, until she was suddenly snapped out of it by the ball skittering across the floor.

"Yes! I am a ping-pong god!"

Sighing, Echo rolled over to crane her neck to look across to him. "If you're a god, then I'm the Queen of the Spiders," she said irritably.

Felix jumped, not having noticed her presence, but recovered quickly. Making a skittering noise with his mouth, he sarcastically wiggled his fingers at her to imitate an arachnid.

Echo hissed back, standing up to leave. "Be careful, Felix," she said as she opened the door. "If your ego gets much bigger it may make a bid for independence and secede."

Felix was left alone with a sniggering Horace as the door swung shut. "I still won," he bristled.

The next morning, Felix seemed content to pretend that nothing had happened the previous day.  Hugo wasn't a fan of dodging the subject, but decided not to bring it up again just yet. They'd have to face each other again sooner or later.

"Oh no," Hugo heard Echo mumble as she opened her morning news. Felix's eyes snapped up to look, but his hand and mouth continued operating independently, shovelling sausage and egg automatically into his mouth as his brow creased.

Since Felix's mouth was otherwise engaged, Hugo asked the question for him. "What is it?" He leant over to see if he could read what she was looking at. Then he read it again.

"There was an... incident." Echo said. "At Eagle's Rest."

Felix's fork faltered in its course, freezing in midair. "Eagle's Rest?" He repeated. "But that's our closest outpost. What kind of incident?"

"The barrier broke for a few minutes. A Goliath managed to get in before they could get it repaired in time."

The fork dropped its payload back onto Felix's plate. "Any survivors?"

"About 25 people got killed in the rampage but everyone else managed to make it out. When the barrier went back up the military was able to go take care of it but it levelled at least half the city before they got there."

Felix breathed out a curse. "That's gotta be a hell of a rebuild effort."

"Hey, guys, I see you've already heard the news."

Felix almost fell out of his chair, startled by the sudden appearance of Jabin Chase over his shoulder.

"Yeah, it's a massive bummer, but we're gonna be helping out the rebuild project."

Echo frowned. "Well yeah, I mean, we are a part of the same country, it makes sense that -"

"No, you misunderstand me, Echo. By 'we' I mean the Academy! You guys in the 52nd class are coming along on a little field trip with the School of Arms to examine the body of the fallen Goliath. The Foundry folks are coming too, going to see what they can patch up." As Chase paused for breath, another student caught his eye. "Ah, there's Arthur! I have to go tell him too."

Echo, Felix, and Hugo were left in a bewildered silence.

***

Four hours later, they were left in another bewildered silence, as they gazed at the wall of fur and meat in front of them. Echo couldn't hold her barrier and was bombarded by everyone's thoughts.

That's one hell of a beast…

I knew they called them "Goliaths" but never thought they'd be this big…

This thing killed twenty five people easily…

I'm glad these things don't have much intelligence…

One of them was just a scream. A full-on scream of terror that made Echo wince with the raw emotion and volume. She staggered away from everyone, making sure to still keep the group of people in view. Sitting down heavily by one of the stagecoaches, she looked up at the creature's body. The buildings around it had fallen into had already been victim to its rampage before it was felled, but the ones it had fallen through were in an even sorrier state than the rest of this district, a ghoulish sector of an already-ghost town.

A pebble clattered to the ground down an alleyway near her. Looking up, Echo saw that some of her more rebellious classmates had decided it would be great fun to climb up the ruined houses and have a bit of an explore of the city from the rooftops. After some of the pushing around that boys like to have with each other, one of them started to run along the ruined wall. With a sure-footedness that could only have been Flink Dain, he leapt from the shattered roof and landed on the Goliath's side, whooping as he clung to its fur. When he had attracted the attention of the audience he desired, he began climbing up , hauling himself onto the giant's chest.

Echo breathed deeply, managed to fully rebuild her barrier, and  hauled herself up  to walk closer to the crowd and try to see better.

The staff members were not amused. When it was obvious that merely calling threats up to hie would not bring him down, Jabin Chase began the climb up to Flink. He did not have th e youthful energy or gift of agility that Flink did, but he was athletic and practised, and made good time.

"Dain is so done for," Felix piped up from behind Echo, something he'd had a habit of doing since they had met. "He's gotta be outta here after a stunt like this." "I dunno," Hugo chimed in from behind Felix. "I realise that he's just getting himself in more and more trouble the longer this goes on for but he's got a pretty useful gift. I wouldn't be surprised if he was just disciplined somewhat - they don't want to lose someone who's a potentially viable asset. Just look at how fast he scaled that thing, given a few more years training, he'd be killer in the field."