Pegasus Flight School (Phgasos pthsh hcoleio) Part 4

Pegasus Flight School (Pegasos ptisi scholeio)

Part 4

Just as I begin to think that his wing was going to touch, he rolls ever farther making the sky dangle beneath my legs. A sickly feeling fills my senses as we now begin to drop quickly, the waters edge beneath me as we fall into the mist filled roaring abyss. Flapping his wings, and climbing, I watch the world spin about me as he dives quickly in a inverted arc into the ravine.

Squealing playfully, Pegasus’s forelegs move in time with his wings giving me the sensation that he is running along the ravine’s walls. Slowly leveling out his banked turn, he pulls away from walls, his forelegs tucking back beneath him. His nostrils flutter a few times, nickering softly in equine greetings as if he spotted someone he knew as he passed over top of them. The ground is moving so fast around me that it blurs into a flash of bright and dark colors. Squealing loudly, his wings suddenly stretch out! His body turns upwards to the sky, banking slowly as soars through the air in a completely vertical climb ! I can feel through my body that Pegasus’s heart is racing in his chest, his wings and breathing in complete syncopation as he beats them again the air, thrusting himself upwards. I look down, watching the ground spinning behind me. Trying to stop the sickening feeling of the slow spin, I try focus my eyes on a single object before resigning to only looking straight ahead past his forelegs. The rushing air begins to slow, as his strength is unable to keep this steep climb for much longer. From above I can see the thin clouds getting ever closer, the red setting sun shining through them forming shafts of light that descend from the clouds, bathing us both in their crimson light. Pegasus’s coat takes on a different cast, shining brightly as the sweat glistens in the cool air, like a coating of glass following the contours of his entire body.

Without warning, Pegasus punches through the cloud ceiling, my eyes temporarily blinded in the red light for a moment as the glowing water vapor rushes past me, covering our bodies with a fine layer of dew. Coming out on top of the clouds, Pegasus climbs upwards still, his entire body undulating beneath me, using every last muscle he has to continue upwards. I cant help but to smile as I look outwards, the cloud layer quickly sinking beneath us giving me the illusion of leaving the ground for the second time.

Pegasus finally tires, satisfied with the height he is at, he relaxes, the air slowing, enjoying the last few moments of his upward inertia. Kicking out with his forelegs, his nostrils flared wide, neck arched and teeth bared, Pegasus squeals at the last moment, looking like a wild stallion that wants to fight! His adversary being the gravity that pulls him back towards the ground away from where he loves to be! Reaching the top of his flight, his body stands still, little clouds of steam rising from his flanks that fills the bitterly freezing cold air surrounding us both. Standing static for a moment, the steam billows and morphs in front of us before blowing past his muzzle as he begins to sink. The flying horse quickly folds his wings tightly against his body trapping my legs against him. I feel quite secure in my seat as his body rolls over backwards and begins to fall, pushing the ground up over my head. Pegasus only falls for about five seconds before squirming like a cat, kicking outwards with his legs, holding his neck to a side, turning him right side over. Lowering his hind legs, he adds more drag, his rump pulling higher than his head, then suddenly he thrusts his wings outwards, catching the wind beneath them and soaring downwards towards the clouds below.

With the cool wind blowing across his back and belly, Pegasus whickers happily, enjoying the lovely feeling of the air as it tickles him. Holding his wings in a high “V”, we sink quickly towards the white ground, giving me the feeling that I am just floating above the winged steeds back. Lowering his wings slowly, I can feel my weight push down into his back again, his decent slowing as he glides over the vast ocean of the clouds. As I look around, I watch the clouds billow and ripple beneath us, ever changing their shapes and form as he sinks lower still. Lowering his head, stretching it as far forward as he can, Pegasus whickers happily to me, his legs raking across the tops of the clouds leaving little streaks behind them.

The sun continues to lower in the sky as he, continues to slowly sink, his body beginning to become enveloped by the soft moist clouds. I watch in astonishment as his wings sink below the opaque covering of the clouds, leaving nothing but my own torso standing above their tops. Quickly turning my head to look behind me, I can see the vortices of his wings stirring up the clouds behind him. Like the wake of a boat, the crests are folding over in two symmetrical rings that expand like cones into the distance. Feeling as if we are alone, standing among the clouds, Pegasus slowly yaws to the left towards the setting sun, the crimson red light turning the clouds into an sea of fire. Brilliant orange and red in the distance, the clouds turn a dark red and black alongside us. As I look, I feel I can almost pick out the details of faces and animals in the clouds that seem to be watching over me. Pegasus continues at this level for a few more moments before sinking again, letting the soft mist wash over my face as we descend into the clouds once more. Looking above, I cant help but say farewell to those images I saw above as we leave them behind. Feeling rested, Pegasus now soars effortlessly in a slow descending spiral. As we come closer to the ground, I once again begin to recognize where we are, the details of the ground slowly becoming familiar. Leveling in a banking turn I look over top of his head, having learned now how to tell where he is aiming, and can then see the clear and open field that we both took off from.

Pegasus whickers deeply before crying out in a loud whinny. At first I don’t see or understand what he is calling out to or for, but a few seconds later I can see a small herd of horses in the field, all looking upwards towards the sky. They stand there motionless for a moment, and then turn about, taking off in at a gallop. Pegasus swoops lower, his neck arched as he catches up to them, the galloping horses all running though the field as fast as they can. Sinking gently he flares his wings, reaching forward with them before slowing down. I watch the horses as Pegasus quickly matches their speed and then slows so that they pass beneath him by only a few feet as he runs with them for a moment.

Flapping his wings quickly, his forelegs raise high into the air, his hind legs stretching downward to the ground. Just as his hind legs touch, he lowers his forelegs, his wings quickly flattening out, supporting his weight as he tries to match the galloping motion of his legs to the speed of the ground. Stumbling a few times, he finally slows to a point where his legs take over, his wings flaring so he can use them as brakes, making him quickly slow from a gallop to canter and finally to a trot.

Safely on the ground, Pegasus folds his wings against his body, trotting about proudly as a few rogue lightning bolts crash off in the distance. Pegasus arches his neck and tucks his muzzle against his chest as he trots towards a nearby barn in such a way that anyone that looks upon us would be in envy. Finally reaching the barn, he comes to a complete stop, his body shaking slightly as he adjusts again to being on the ground. Lowering his wings slightly he releases his grasp on me and looks back to speak ;

“You can untie the strap and get off if you wish.” Pegasus smiles at me, his ears perked forward as I reluctantly remove the golden bridle. Closing his eyes for a second, he reopens them and gazes back at me with his normal equine eyes.

“You did very well today. That was your introductory flight. Do you think you want to fly again?” Pegasus chuckles softly and takes a few steps and folds his wings against his body, resting them before walks a few steps forward and takes several long drinks from the watering trough.

“Yes” I reply, “I would like that very much !”

Backing away from the trough, Pegasus bows his head to his rider and then looks into the heavens and says loudly, "W QEOI, GENOITO TAUTA NWIN!"

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