Page 127 of Even Angels fall
It’s been two days and we haven’t heard from the Blois team since one of them lost his holo connection. Anna, who teamed up with Marcus, still has her holo working but it hasn’t moved from the hotel room they were staying at. It shouldn’t be surprising though, they have until today to report about what they find and it was to be expected that they would have to spend time either underground and/or in their animal form.
It’s stressful not to know if they finally found something, but everyone is trying to stay optimistic.
The Amboise team came back this morning. There are dungeons under the castle there, but they aren’t so difficult to access, and the team had no trouble finding the ways in and out to give us all the information necessary to liberate the prisoners. They’ve double-checked, though. No one from Brice’s team is among those prisoners.
A team is already getting ready to do just that.
But there was no sign of Brice or his team, so we’re still waiting for more intel.
In the meantime, I’m still training with Léandre every day. I still don’t know how to fly in my angelic form, but as an animal, it doesn’t seem to be a problem. I don’t even have to think. It’s like some part of my brain already knows how everything works and the animal part of me takes over without trouble.
In angelic form, it’s different. My animal side doesn’t take over at all. I can shift without needing to be thrown from a big height now, but according to Léandre, my animal has been suppressed for so long that I don’t know how to workwithit. I’ve been human and only human for so long that I don’t know how to trust my instincts when it’s not about fighting. Elhyor thinks it’s only a matter of time before I finally trust my crow and that I only need time spent in my animal form. So, every day I shift completely and fly around Notre Dame. I want to go further away, but the fact we’re all waiting for an update or getting ready for an attack makes me wary of flying too far.
After I’m done with the flying, I shift back to my half-shift form and try to fly again. I think I’m getting the hang of it and understand the way my wings are supposed to move, even if it still feels like my muscles aren’t developed enough to support my full weight.
I now can somewhat fly as long as I’m not asked to fly up. I still jump from Notre Dame’s rooftop, even if I don’t need that fall to get my wings out. I need the height all the same, and there is no way I’ll let Elhyor throw me around again.
He seemed relieved when I told him that.
That’s where I am just now. Looking down at the garden at the back of the church. I’m at the front so I can see all the expanse of Notre Dame, and I know what direction not to take if I don’t want to end up being stuck on the structure.
I jump and start moving my wings up and down. It’s slow, and even if it’s not really painful, I can feel the weight of my wings bearing on my shoulders, but still I keep beating my wings. I’m almost to the arrow marking the middle of the church, and I have managed not to lose any of my height. It feels good even if it feels gruesome at the same time, but still I keep beating my wings. When I finally reach the end of the building, I look over my shoulder and that’s when I notice it. I haven’t lost any height at all. This is the first time, and I’m so glad that I whoop in the air, losing my focus in the meantime and dropping from a good three meters in just a second.
I’m so happy about the first part of my flight that I don’t even berate myself for the drop. I just beat my wings faster, and for once, they seem to work the way I want them to. Yes, it takes ten times longer, but I still manage to get back up where I was.
By the time I’m at the same height, I’m exhausted, but I don’t care.
I made it.
I’m pretty sure my instincts have nothing to do with it. I’ve gotten up by sheer force of will, but it’s not important.
What’s important is the fact that I’m still up. I’m still flying, and I managed to go up.
If I did it once, I’ll do it again.
Carried by the fact I finally managed something new since I fully shifted two days ago, I circle Notre Dame completely with a wide smile until I come back to the garden and let myself drop to the ground slowly.
Am I exhausted? Yes, totally, but I’m also very invigorated and I can’t stop smiling.
I might not be ready for battle just now, but I’m getting close and it makes me feel good.
There is no one on the training ground when I land. I picked the time of my new training on purpose to avoid having to fall on anyone, to be honest.
So, I train in the morning with the warriors—who went back to being nice once I stopped annoying them in the middle of their training grounds—and then I join Léandre and Cassiopé in the archives room for a couple hours—even if I don’t feel like I’m helping a lot—and I finish with this training on my own.
Since that last time with Léandre, I refused any assistance from either him or Elhyor, and I’m regretting it a bit just now, because that would have been nice to have someone to cheer me for my accomplishments.
It’s alright, I’ll just have to find Elhyor to tell him, and then I’ll go back to training tomorrow again.
When I’m finally on the ground, I cross the distance to the double doors and open so I can get back inside.
Except, I don’t think I’ve even seen the inside of Notre Dame so buzzing with people since I arrived. Not even for my wedding.
I turn the ring, now sitting on my finger, at the thought.
I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel like I need to find Elhyor for more reasons than one now.
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