I squinted, looking up into the bright sky. I had to hold my wings tight to my body, so the fickle wind, coming from the direction of the lake, wouldn't lift me up from the mansion's roof. The day was sunny, the lake reflected the green of the surrounding forest, and where the color changed over to turquoise, spots of golden shoals could be seen.
I glanced down. Three figures stood by the shore. All of them, including the dog, must be thinking: "Whose idea was it, to let two young boys jump from the roof of a building? A fairly tall building at that..." I wasn't sure if it was a good idea either. For sure, it wasn't the safest.
I felt like I didn't want them to watch. I wasn't very afraid of the potential catastrophe, that could occur in a few minutes. From this altitude I could use my wings to land in the water relatively safely even if not everything would go as we predicted. I was more afraid of the meaning of this action. It was a step, after which there would be no turning back.
I lifted my gaze again to look into the azure sky. Images of the last three days we spent together came back to me with the warm sun rays.
The lake had countless tiny coves and coastal glades guarded by scrubs and reeds, as if created to conceal some mysteries. The shores were mostly sandy, but here and there you could find some gravel as well. It was at one of these secluded spots, far from the gazes of unnecessary onlookers, where Sril shared his knowledge of flying with us.
When we proceeded to practicing wing movement on the ground, Sril admitted, that despite all his book knowledge he didn't try actual flight yet. He also showed us his own wings for the first time. They were indeed quite different from mine. Their color changed gradually from top to bottom, from the deepest sapphire all the way down to the most pale and delicate sky-blue. They weren't smooth like mine either, but covered with tiny scales. I had to admit, I was a little jealous... both of their appearance and the fact, that he could make them disappear at will.
I've come to like this place and the people living in it, including Kaan and his four-legged friend. I always felt most comfortable around Yanka though. She could somehow make anyone smile regardless of all circumstances, and while I might still have been quite enchanted by her beauty and nature, it felt more like she was an older sister. And he somehow seemed to become more and more lively every day too, even though the progress was so slow, it would probably be completely unnoticeable for an outsider.
Sril's voice suddenly brought me back into the moment. "Are you ready?"
I blinked a few times, as if just now noticing, that he was standing just a few steps away. "Yeah... I think so."
"Do you want to try first, or should I do it?"
"What difference does it make?" I tried to cover my nervousness with jokes. "I will either fly or fall, the jumping order won't change anything..."
"Do you remember everything I told you?"
"I hope so..." I watched the bright surface of the lake for a moment. "But what if it doesn't work...?"
"It has to work. You just need to keep something in mind, and everything will be fine."
"What?"
Sril looked me in the eyes. "The greatest obstacle in life and in the air are doubts. So if your heart keeps the faith... the wind will always be your ally..."
His words mesmerized me for a moment. I didn't even bother to push away my bangs, that danced in the wind in front of my eyes... an then an involuntary, but genuine smile found its way to my lips. I nodded, feeling the unpleasant cold in my chest starting to melt at last, and turned back to the lake.
I instantly cleared my mind of everything I deemed unnecessary. I bent my knees a little, feeling a strange but pleasant chill running down my spine, took one last breath and leaped forward, trying to put as much effort as I could into my legs before the wings took over... I spread them...
... and suddenly the wind caught me mid-jump, took it with me easily like a water current takes a sailboat. I felt every touch, the wings suddenly seeming more sensible than my fingertips have ever been... I tried changing the angle a little and the air swirled around, slowing me down willingly in response to the different shape of my wings.
Seeing the other end of the lake approaching I lifted the outer edges, spreading them almost all the way out and struck my wings in a not too sharp downward angle. They caught the air just like Sril told me and I sensed myself being lifted even higher. The lake slowly became smaller and I felt a sudden urge to rise my gaze to what the water reflected.
I was afraid of it before... now I wanted to continue forever.
A bright, enthusiastic cheer reached my ears despite the loud singing of wind in my ears. I carefully plunged my right wing into the warm current of air and the shifting angle shifted my direction as well.
After coming out of my turn I spread both wings almost to their maximum and let myself be carried back towards the residence. I saw Yanka hopping with joy near the shore, her hair flickering like pale flames in the warm sun.
I abruptly rose my wings against the air current and came to a stop in midair not far away from the smaller part of the mansion. I started to beat them again to stay in place. Sril was already standing at the edge of the roof, watching me attentively. I waved to encourage him.
The little group below froze for a moment, when Sril's wings glimmered in the sun. The next second he soared right above my head and my delighted cheer joined Yanka's.
When Sril turned and came back the same way I did earlier, I noticed something I've never seen before in his face. There was a delicate ripple in his green eyes, a change almost unnoticeable, but impossible to confuse with anything else.
A tiny flash miraculously close to being a true, lively smile.