Vincent and Richard left to go to the FSD. Vincent and Richard were laughing with each other. They arrived at the FSD just before night fell. The lines were long, and everyone looked depressed. Vincent's face fell, but a man walked over with a clipboard.
"I will assume you are the people Lyla told me about. Follow me to my testing area quickly." They followed him while everyone glared and spoke hateful remarks.
They reached an empty field. The guy gestured for Vincent to stand in the center and Richard to stand on the side. "Kid, this is going to be fast and straightforward. I don't want this to take forever, and you are from the Grimms, so this should be easy for you. I will make you perform a series of different flying maneuvers; all you have to do is not crash and burn."
Vincent unfurled his wings and nodded at the guy. "Cool wings, spread them apart so I can have an accurate wingspan." Vincent did as he was told. "You have a wingspan of 1.9 meters or 6'2 feet."
He marked it on his clipboard, and then a gust of wind lifted Vincent off the ground. He reacted and regained his balance in seconds.
Vincent was tired and lying on the ground. It was 10 pm, and they started at 6 pm.
"Congratulations, kid, you passed with an 87. Most first-test takers fail miserably. Here is your permit to fly in the city, and remember to respect the flying laws." The guy left his permit on the side of his head.
Richard helped him off the ground. "Good job, Vincent. Janet had to take the test four times before she earned a passing grade." Vincent rolled his shoulders and put away his wings. He rubbed his shoulder blades.
"Ugh, I need a cold bath and maybe a massage." They went home, and Vicent got one of the maids to give him a back massage. He went to bed afterward and set an alarm for 3 am.
Vincent woke up before his alarm went off. He shut it off and got dressed. He checked everything he needed and took out the new staff Simon gave him. It was pure silver and was heavier than the last one, but he could still wield it with a little effort. He put it away and took out the tonfas he received yesterday.
They were jet black with a few streaks of red around them. They were tier 5 weapons with an affinity towards fire. He put them back inside of his inventory and set off. He took to the skies from the back of the palace and flew toward the furthest gate. On the way there, he was stopped by an officer with leathery wings.
"Stop right there. You are about to enter a no-flying zone. Please show me your flying permit." Vincent hovered in the air and handed over his permit. The officer sighed and returned it to him. "Here is a map that will display all of the no-flying zones in the city. Be careful from now on. The next time this happens, the next officer may not let you pass with a warning."
Vincent nodded his head as thanks and landed on the ground.
He looked at the map and saw that almost the entire southern region of the city was a no-flying zone. 'Damn. Horton probably thought about me flying there.' He couldn't call for a cab service either cause that would be considered outside help.
He ran off and reached the south gate with a few minutes to spare. Horton was leaning on his bike with a cold bottle of water. He opened the water and drank the entire bottle in front of Vincent. "Look who showed up. Did you enjoy your warm-up?"
Vincent looked inside his inventory and saw that he had forgotten to pack water and food. He groaned at himself. He was too focused on ensuring he had weapons, outdoor equipment, and extra clothes.
Horton laughed at him. "Follow me." Horton got on the bike and took off. Vincent ran after him and then started flying. They were no longer in the city, so now he could fly freely.
Horton weaved in between the trees, and eventually, Vincent lost him.
Vincent landed and saw a note at the last spot he saw Horton.
[Your task is to live here in the woods for two days on nothing but the knowledge you have gained from Jekel.]
Vincent balled up the note and threw it. "Damnit!" Vincent looked around for any signs of an animal staying in his area. The tracking skill he earned yesterday came in handy. He noticed signs of three animals going in the same direction. 'A pack of some kind? A predator hunting prey?'
He removed his staff and rubbed dirt and leaves on himself to get rid of his scent as best as possible. He followed the paw prints and came across a cave. He saw two feline animals sharing a kill in front of the cave.
One was more bloated than the other.
'Shit. One is pregnant, which means it will be more vigilant and territorial. Its partner scans everything to make sure the other one is safe.'
Vincent slowly moved away from the family and returned to his starting position. 'I can't stay here anymore. I will also have to make sure not to leave any traces.' He cleaned up all of his tracks and took to the skies again.
He found an abandoned cave next to a river and landed. 'This place is perfect! It will protect me from the elements and have a freshwater source.' He took out his tent and set it up. He made a few simple alarming systems and a few simple traps.
He gathered some dry twigs and leaves to store for use later. He took out the survival knife he had packed and carved an ugly bowl to collect water.
He went to the river and put his hand in it. He concentrated on the water and tried to get it to push the fish out. The water bubbled and swirled a little. Vincent took his hands out and sat at the edge of the river. 'I have to practice with my abilities more. I guess I have to do it the old-fashioned way.'
He took a stick and sharpened the tip to a point. He stabbed and caught a few fish to eat. He made his way back to camp. He sharpened some more sticks and shoved the fish onto them. He started a small fire and placed the fish around it.
'Not bad for a kid from a different world and first time in the wilderness. I say it was a great first day.'