Chapter 86 One Day Until Unification Day
In the air, south of the Ridges.
Grey Wing and Snowfall were flying toward the nest. They took turns leading the way. The lead Pegasus created a favorable air current for the one following behind. It was a tactic to conserve energy. The Pegasi perceived some of the feelings and many of the thoughts of their riders, whether the riders wanted them to or not. The bipeds were worried, specifically about the number of flights they would have to make in the following days. A rider could hide their feelings from other bipeds, but their strong emotions were easily detected by their mounts.
From a small platform at the top of the nest, Elicio saw the two Pegasi when they were just tiny dots in the sky. It was the first time he had served as a lookout. A reward for his hard work and dedication. Four hours of cold wind and unbearable boredom, followed by half an hour of excitement and learning.
Elicio: Pegasi, two with passengers! Pegasi!
Snowfall landed first, and the matriarch followed. When the latter approached the stone path, the bipedal creature shouted again.
Elicio: Pegasus! With a passenger! Pegasus!
When each Pegasus was in their nest, with warm walls and hay, Nestor gathered his family around the table to share food, wine, and conversation. The Master Rider understood that morale was important during times of tension.
Nestor: Who needs to inspect the high road?
Chara: It is me and the ghost.
Nestor saw her smile. It was not a big smile, but she looked different: Good. Move it, my skinny ones!
Volker laughed and jumped from the wooden platform onto the wooden path. One false step and he would fall for a few seconds, hit the ground, and turn into liquid. Chara jumped to land beside him without a second thought, with no regard of the height. The two began walking in a zigzag pattern to examine each section of the wooden walkway and the stone path used for takeoffs and landings. All the riders were thin. Riders were supposed to be short and lightweight. But these two stood out for being exceptionally thin despite eating as much as the others.
Chara: It was just a joke, Folker. I am sorry.
Volker: Do not worry. I am glad to see your smile again.
Chara: Sometimes I do not know if I should behave like the boys and say mean jokes or be more like a woman.
Volker: Be the woman you want to be. I think you are braver than any man here.
Chara: Thank you. It was difficult when she rejected me. Are you afraid the same thing will happen to you?
Volker: Yes. I am afraid there will not be any more Pegasi to ride. There are four of us and there's only one Pegasus. Nestor is talking about an invocation ritual, but I do not think it will work. People no longer believe in them the way they did when I was young.
Chara: People believe. The pigs in the castle do not believe in them anymore. They do not believe in anything that does not serve to kill their enemies.
Volker picked up a stone and dropped it from the edge of the road: You deserve the next Pegasus. You are a perfect rider.
Chara: You are always so sweet. From the very first minute, you were kind to me.
The two locked eyes for a second that seemed to last for minutes. They both smiled and looked back at the road.
Elicio: Pegasus! No! No! No! Pegasi Males! Pegasi Males!
All eyes turned to the sky in the northwest direction. The Pegasi males must be coming from Puerto Blanco.
Nestor: Men! Flags! The wind is strong. Quickly!
The Pegasi were also watching the males. They had never flown to the stone nest before. If it were spring, they would understand why. But it was almost winter, and none of the Pegasi were pregnant or nursing.
Grey Wing in the mind of her rider: They will not wait for the flags to be put up. They are more agile than us. They can easily land on the stone path.
Nestor: Stop! Chara, Folker, be careful!
The attendees stopped and observed the small Pegasi. Their bodies were similar to those of horses, but lighter. Their wings measured only three times the length of a man. The males were nothing but bone, muscle, and feathers. They were flying almost side by side, the blond-haired one behind, with barely the distance of a human arm between the tail of the other and his wing. They reached the stone path at the same time and ran with synchronized steps. They stopped near the middle of the path and observed the bipedal creatures in front of them.
Snowfall in the mind of Hernando: My wings! They are so delicious. Spring must arrive soon.
Hernando thought: Please! Stop thinking about their cocks!
Snowfall: You think about breasts, butts, and vaginas every hour of every day.
Grey Wing neighed with amusement. The other three did the same, with a mixture of embarrassment and thoughts about the males that they did not yet fully understand. Each rider discovered that, sometimes, the Pegasi would share mental jokes with each other. Hernando knew they were laughing at him, and that he deserved it.
The two Pegasi approached the bipedal creatures. When they were closer, Golden Arrow leaped into the air, flapped his wings powerfully for two seconds, and landed on the other side of the bipeds. He was now behind the woman. She turned to look at him.
Volker looked at the dark-haired, white-faced Pegasus: Veisse Maska.
The two Pegasi understood a few words of the language of Blasser Hafen. Their names were the first words they learned. White Mask carefully projected his thoughts towards the bipedal being.
White Mask: Young biped. The All-Mother called me. She asked me to carry you as a rider.
In the mind of Volker, the words young and biped simply appeared as if someone had spoken to him. The image of a huge Pegasus landing on a high mountain appeared to him. He received the word rider clearly.
Chara: Folker, I have this image in my mind of myself riding on him.
Volker: I think they want to be our mounts. Could they bear our weight?
Chara acted without thinking. She ducked under his cream-colored wing and grabbed his mane with both hands. She jumped onto his back and settled herself until she was stable.
Volker turned his head towards her: You are mad.
Chara: Coward.
The seventeen-year-old climbed onto his back and settled into place.
Chara: What does bereit mean?
Volker: He wants to know if you are ready to fly.
Chara thought with all her heart: BEREIT!
Volker thought to his mount: Bereit.
The Pegasi galloped at great speed along the path. They leaped from the stone ledge almost simultaneously.
Nestor expressed what the others were thinking: May the goddess protect them! One Pegasus, two Pegasi, three Pegasi, four Pegasi, five Pegasi, six Pegasi, seven Pegasi...