*winds gushing*
Above the sea of white, if one where to asks 'What would you do if you know you can fly?', i'd say it's straight up top.
Why? For it's for the sense of freedom of feeling something that is visible yet untouchable, for being alone with the one you're riding and just enjoying the grace of God that is bestowed upon us, and to realize how you're so insignificant yet significant in the creation of these white vapor.
The freedom of looking at the cities, towns, villages and the massive mass of land Far Far Away where i can't touch them, but i can see them.
The locations that i see is like a miniature you can make out with some Earth Magic and some decoration and paint, makes me feel arrogant.
The mingling people down below me is like a speck of dusts, trees as spiky grasses, and the grasses as green moss.
Holding tight the leash that holds the winged-beasts i am riding, i breathe as much as i can to keep concious. " *sighs*. Can't get used to have myself above the clouds, and i'm glad you're the one here with me.
Right, Erzen?"
(One can dream to Fly up here, not if one were to Stay up here, i'm getting nauseous the longer this goes by)
Flapping it's wings, not even trying to look at me, this here is an arrogant one. " *irritated growl* "
"... I'll take that as a yes"
This guy, who's a red-winged wyvern that is known to rampages fire everywhere it lands, had itself captured when some adventurers had some raids going on about seizing an undead stronghold, and was put to a cage alongside the other rampaging beasts we've been having after some unknown phenomenon.
I've heard that the 'Guardians' that felled him down nearby now resides near The City Of Shaarik in which case they had some appointed as the witness and is responsible for the safety of the crew.
Up in the sky, here i am riding Erzen, my assigned Wyvern tamed with the newly developed 'Aeon Dragon-Taming Device' in which works on wyverns and the lesser dragons too.
This Taming Device, it's a metallic collar in-development by Aeon made out by their 'Specialists', and works on Almost any monsters you'll encounter on the wild, Emphasis on the word 'Almost'. We still haven't found a way to tame Golems, Spiders, and et cetera but mostfully the Dragons had us in on a string.
The other monsters, they only need some programming, tinkering and magic imbued by their races' DNA like blood, skin, and sound samples.
But for these Draconic species like Wyverns, Drakes, Wyrms, and Dragons and it's Lesser counterparts, the Specialists implanted some Controlling Magic that will makes them recognize us as it's 'Superiors'.
I'm still not sure what to say about being one of the people to test this new device, but i can't say that it feels bad.
[ Warning : The current altitude is not susceptible for the tester's health and safety.
Recommend the wearer to descend a few distance ]
A message, straight from my helmet's Heads-Up Display makes me realize i've been taking my time for too long.
"A~ah, can't help it, and you don't know how exhilarating it is to have some degree of danger on yo-...! *chokes* "
I feel my throat strangled, air won't come in but only out, and so i put my left hand at it. (*coughs* Agh, if there's one thing i'd wish for is to make us able to inhale oxygen the higher we go. And it's still another 6 minutes before a filter refill)
" Ack, Erz, go down a little!"
" *agreeing growl* Flapping down, we descend upon the horizon just below the clouds.
Feels like it's only five minutes but i know it's almost an hour here, because i'm starting to suffocate even with this prototype suit dedicated for high altitude.
Helmet has some temper-glass shield that masks the face from being identified and is a respirator helmet with a Big Filter which stretches from side to side, and all i had to do is slide it down manually by hand and it'll radiate some energy inside before it fully activates, the filters of course still needs to be replaced depending on the heights you're on, in my case 1 filter each 15 minutes. I save them on my vest's pocket around the chest.
The insides displays all kinds of messages, images and all that.
[ Contacts ], [ Notes ], [ Photos ], [ S.O.S ], and [ Flashlight ].
To access them, saying 'Contacts' will show the name of the people i've known and registered, there's shown the options of [ Call ], [ Message ], [ Add ], [ Block ], and [ Edit ]. For example, a call on the interface will show your identities were they to be registered, it goes like :
[ Sieg : Calling ]
But, if they weren't, as an anonymous one, they'll show up to more be like :
[ ???? : Calling ]. Both of which are displayed on the upper left-end of the interface
[ Notes ], you can pin some messages, tasks, reminders and the likes that'd stay on the upper right end of the interface. Mine right now is [ Tests the Aeon Dragon-Taming Device's Efficiency ]
[ Photos ], you can record sounds, videos, take pictures and zoom in with them.
[ Record Sounds ], [ Record Videos ], [ Take Pictures ], [ Zoom In/Out ] all respectively accessible on the bottom, from left to right.
[ S.O.S ], contains some guides that'd help on certain situations, like [ How to Survive From Falling High Nearby Dense Forests ]. Displays on the right-end with the many guides, which expands to the middle when you speak it's title.
[ Flashlight ], [ On/Off ] is self-explanatory with [ Wide ] for light that stretches horizontally to cover up wide areas and [ Far ] for focusing on a far spot.
Displays it's options just like the [ Photos ].
Next, black-coated clothing that seems bulky but reinforced armor by the help of some inscripted Strengthening circle magic and hard plating all around the armor helps to move 5 goblins, and most of them weights from 10 ~ 40 Kigs (Kilograms) for the normal ones more or less, just on Either shoulder and not both, yet it feels like we're just picking up 3 sacks of green herbs that weights less than 2 Kig.
It has some belt pockets on them, which we can fill for the likes of putting some Emergency Food Supply you can cook or boil, a very compact First-Aid Kit, and a Survivor Toolkit that's useful on ground. All in the form of a slim rubbery box.
(Haven't saw what's inside them, not like i'll be needing them with all the guys around town watching over us testers)
All i need is these filters around my chests, less i fall over an accident and broke my ankles. Wait...I forgot the parachutes.
If this damned wyvern were to flip upside-down... Let's not think of that)
Combat boots, leathers made of kobold's skin to make it light and ogre's to make it last long, both is from the dungeons and Always the dungeons as they're much sturdier to put down with the dense Mana around them. Nothing much else worthy of note for these ones, really.
[ C.O Bannifer : Stand-by . . . ]
"Oh Great, am i supposed to recon just above the forests again?"
"[ C.O Bannifer : Calling ] *walkie-talkie beep*
Sieg, you doing okay up there?" The voice of our Commanding Officer, Bannifer, though we don't call him that, never shows his face to us even when it's weekends, so no one around really knows who he really is.
Feeling like i want to punch him right in the face, i toss away my thoughts on screaming out loud. "Tsk. Not sure if the means of choking is your idea of 'okay', Captain Bannifer"
"[ C.O Bannifer : Calling ] It's do or die, son!" Sounded like he wants to makes me a puppet that's all for the trash, anyways.
Unfortunately in his excitement, i am not relieved at all. "Fuck you mean by that, old scrub?
Me Being Dead won't do you profit aside from a burden lifted, does it?"
"[ C.O Bannifer : Calling ] Now now, no need getting agitated, i need you back down here"
Smirking, feels like i want to be on the top above him even if just for a second. "Tell me why and i might just go a minute faster"
"[ C.O Bannifer : Calling ] It's serious, came from Aeon directly.
Something's up with the Specialists' base, saying 'Everyone were to abort the tests immediately' " Stoic, he always put this voice whenever it's the likes of 'Rampaging Dragon Subjugation' seriousness.
"... *sighs* Will do real quick, since you're the one to put it like that"
"[ C.O Bannifer : Calling ] Ey, Ey! Remember, no point rushing in to your death in the process of the landing, and just know you're not That much of a burden, since we all lift together.
Good Luck!
[ C.O Bannifer : Callout ] "
"... *chuckles* Ah~, Damn old geezer. Hear that, Erz? Begin the descend!" I pat his back by my left hand with the right amount of force for him to notice.
" *Excited Roars* "
*woosh*
Diving down in the shape of a torpedo, the speed of which we are going is hard to put down if you're not the skill of a Guardian. "Whoaho there! What's the rush, big boy?"
(He sure is more energetic than usual. It's only been a week but i felt like i've known him for a lifetime. Guess that what it means to have a partner. I hope we'll be chowing some nice steak back at the field's base)
. . .
Flying high above the lush forests, i see the base.
Tents and camps and fires, not much to it since we'll just be leaving this place in some hours.
Guy's all down on the ground, looks like they have an announcement to make, possibly the message from Aeon that'll be directed by Captain Bannifer.
" *Grumbles* " The wyvern is reacting oddly with how his body moves quite awkwardly like how it tries to subvert from the direction we're going.
"Hmm? What's wrong, mate? What you wanna do?" I redirected him forward via the leash.
" *Pained Roars* " Flapping it's way from the right to the left, shaking, feels like he tries to rids me off of his back.
Holding tight the leashes with both hands, i managed to stay steady. "OY! Fucking hell, what's wrong with you, Erzen?! It won't be funny if we both die from this altitude and be a splat in the field!"
" *DEAFENING HOWL* "
"KHH!" My ears hearing tinnitus, hurt by it's screams, i try to cover both with my hands.
(Can't, Think For Shit!) I realize i am not holding control over him.
Erzen shakes his body, before flipping upside down.
And so i fall, towards the lush green forests. "Ack, GODDANG IT!!!"
Skydiving while trying to figure out the way as to make sure i am not a corpse by the time the others find me.
Heart's beating, head's sweating, and body shivering, all i can think right now, Survive At All Costs. (Damn! Gotta think of a way to survive the landing! There's no need to panic! Think! THINK!
Right right right, the magic we were instructed incase of an emergency landing!
Combine high-concentrated Water and Fire magic chants to form loads of snow below me and before that i'll slow myself from the fall with Wind magic facing downwards far from the snows so it doesn't scatter around!)
"Grant me power to convert mana to high-concentrated Water in my right hand and Fire in my left hand!" *woosh* Lights of faint blue turning into hard solid ice on my right hand and red burning fire on my left.
"Combine!" *spiraling woosh*. I joints both hands in the form of a gaping mouth, which results in a white mossy snow.
Aiming towards the ground, i try my best to hold steady. "Launch! " *btoom*. The amount launched is thrice the time of my body. (Hope this works, God's Sake, Please!)
"Grant me power to convert mana to Wind in both hands!" Lights of faint blue turns into greenish nigh invisible wind.
Reaching out both hands, away from each other, i slow down my fatal descend. "Converge!" *wind gushes*. As it does, my body tilted from side to side, even so i hold towards the ground. "Agh, This Isn't Working!"
Even with all my might, it is not enough and so my best hope of not being Dead is to keep on pouring Mana for both hands.
Before i know it, there lies the greeneries that awaits for me with the snow just right below me. "Oh, God! No No NO NONONO AAAH!!!" *poof*
Landing Just right above the snows, smirking by the thought of how do i even survived that. " Aa~h, Damn you Erz, you red-winged piece of sh... *sighs*"
Breathing in and out heavily, i rests because of how exhausting it was. "How much Mana do i have now? I don't want a headache in this kind of situation"
*inhales and exhales* (Think i broke a rib or two. Which is it?) Trying to sit, i notice something with some of the arms and legs.
"Ack, think i got it. Splintered bones on left arm and right leg. Gotta thank them for the compact first-aid kit, fit Just right on the belts"
I see the 3 boxes i've strapped, with the left as First-Aid Kit, middle as Survivor Toolkit, and right as Emergency Food Supply.
Picking up a cross-marked slim silver leather box, opening the zip, i do not give care to all of the stuff aside from the Bandage and Painkiller pills in a sachet
Only 4 of the bandages are available at any moment, i took one, applying them to my left arm.
Rolling round and round, round and round, i then apply the very end of it which has some little inscription so it sticks when i traverse through the woods.
Doing the same for the right leg, i notice the pain reduces Just enough so i can stand up walking.
Taking the sachet, it has 5 pills for the taking. Opening the face shield, i take one up, and swallow it. Sliding the face shield down again, wondering how much longer before it takes effect.
Seconds after, most of the pain on my body caused from the fall subsides a little and my mind clears up a bit, numbing some part of the broken rib in the process.
Putting it back, i then know of the full content of the box:
Brown Elastic Bandages: 2 Pcs of rolls (2 previously consumed)
Painkiller Pills : 4 Pcs in a sachet (1 previously consumed)
Antiseptic Wipes : 3 Pcs of wet tissues
I close the box and put it back to the left of my belt, i stand up, walking to the nearest tree i can slump my back to.
Sliding down of it's thick wood, i proceed to take the middle of the belt, the Survivor Toolkit.
Thicker than the previous one, i open the zip, noticing the contents :
A Flare Scroll, if i were to flow Mana in after laying it down on the ground with the circle facing up, it'd sent up a sparkling flare that'd fly up and stay afloat for at least 15 minutes or less, depending on the Mana density. Could be useful for calling the others out in the field but could be fatal if i don't know my surroundings.
A Flick Survival Knife with a compass on it's pommel (butt), in case a melee combat ensues and if i were to get lost in direction. Can skin animal hides, or flick to start up fire, cuts through thick ropes in a matter of seconds.
Spark Stone, from some mines in the starting areas for the 1st Grace, acts as the fuel for starting fire and is Very Robust. A flick can send out Lots of sparks that'll reach 3 meters at most, hence it's name.
Coiled Rope, were i to traverse a deep canyon or a cliff and other hazardous terrain. Can be cut by the previous said knife if it were to be hindering my survival.
I pick up the knife, flicking it shows the sharp one-edged blade that looks like it can cut just by staring at it for too long. I hold it at my right hand, makes me feels a little safe and prepared for anything that'll jump at me at any moment.
Closing the box and i put it back, before gathering my focus to remind myself of where i am.
(Where am i again? I'm pretty sure i'm near Shaarik, so the guys can't be far.
I'm sure the folks'll be here in a couple of hours. Surely they will, won't they?
... No, that's just some hopeful thinking. Like hell will help come by itself. Let's see what's up with them)
Picking up the foldable tablet on the right-end of the belt i strapped, i start up the screen.
[ Aeon ®, The Greatest Fusion of Technology and Magic ]
"Yes yes, boot it up real quick, Ple~ase"
[ Password is Required ]
Swiping the screen upwards, below the texts are 6 empty boxes.
Tapping on the first column, displays the number from 0 to 9 respectively.
I input the required numbers to proceed, 7-1-4-2-1-4.
[ 7-1-4-2-1-4.
Lock opened.
Initiating unlocking procedures . . .
Error, System cannot proceed with inner components damaged.
Recommend maintenance by Aeon]
"Oh, why you!... A~ah!"
(And this damned thing got damaged by the fall, of course it does.
For now, i need to look for some shelter, near a water source if possible in the meanwhile.
Throats dry, least i can do is make my own Water with Mana but that's a little unhygienic than flowing water)
. . .