Conquering Fear [Raithen] [Memory]

[Talisman]

Ash 25, Year 108

[Memory]
[Closed - Raithen]

The Avialae princeling of House Phaedryn lived a much different life than that of his elder siblings. There was still structure and expectations, but those expectations were nothing compared to those standards that Valaera and Phocion had been held to in their childhood. Considering his age, Raithen had his lessons with private tutors for now, and playdates on occasion that had been vetted and were carefully watched and observed. And on other days, it was him and his caretaker.

Aelia was a Sunborn Re’hyaean, a Sentinel that had been in the position of his nanny since he had been born. Tall and slender, with long golden hair that shimmered in the sunlight and pale blue eyes, the Sentinel accompanied him just about everywhere. She wore her blacks often, her hair bound in a long braid and pinned up. Even when he had classes, she sat in the classroom and kept an eye on things. She didn’t interrupt, and with the wards it was quite easy to forget that she was even there to allow him to focus on whatever the tutor was imparting on their young disciple without her serving as a distraction.

There was always the knowledge that he was of royal blood, but the Sentinel did her best to treat him like she might her own child. Where there was often a frosty coolness amongst the Re'hyaeans, and certainly between parent and child, Aelia was a bit softer with him. Not so soft as to make it a weakness, but she was often cheerful and kind. They had outings and trips around both the Umbrium and the Luxium, occasionally to Tertium or into the Expanse. Others followed and kept an eye out for threats, but Aelia wanted Raithen to be comfortable in any variety of settings. Early exposure made for setting up a good foundation for the boy in the years to come.

“What did you think of that lesson?” Aelia asked Raithen as the tutor left the classroom, leaving the two of them alone. Books and papers, pens and pencils remained on the table for the time being, and she left her seat that was off to the side to approach the young Avialae. The afternoon tutor's subject had been reading and writing, and part of it was on a novel about the old colonies and territories that had once been a part of the Solunarian crown. In any event, now that the bookish part of the day was done, it was time to get some more physical activity out of him, and the Sentinel had something in mind for him.

[Raithen]

Aelia was not his Mother. This was something Raithen had insisted on when he'd been a baby, or so he thought of himself in his younger years. It wasn't that his disliked the Sentinel, she was kind to him, kept him safe, even taught him things once in a while that other people would not teach him. He knew that he should obey her and treat her with respect, and he tried his best to do both, but she was not his Mother.

The nanny was more like a shadow that allowed him to know he could explore and learn where he wanted to without having to be afraid. Raithen was very rarely afraid, he knew Mother wouldn't let anything happen to him and that Aelia was an extension of her care.

It was a day for inside lessons, which were, by far, his least favorite, but he tried his best at them anyway... most of the time. As the tutor left the boy stretched, arms and wings, wide over his head and out to the side, suppressing a yawn that might have been considered rude.

Looking up when he was spoken to he said,

"It was... informative?" He tried to make it a statement but it came out more like a question, he held the attentive expression for several seconds before deflating and slumping against the table. "It was boring."

Sometimes history lessons could be interesting, better than maths all the time, but some days they were about battles or The Founders or his own ancestors. The Founders were his ancestors but they were special so he didn't think of them as his family.

"Can we go outside now? Can I practice flying?" He sat up, posture changing abruptly from a that of a deflated waterskin to buzzing with energy again. He was getting close to being able to actually fly rather than just gliding and spent every moment he was allowed trying to work his growing wings.

[Talisman]

That he found it boring didn’t bother the Vigilia in the slightest. He was young; he may or may not take all of this in now, but it would give him a foundation to work off towards later. If he showed aptitude for it, then it was something that could be reported on and enhanced with further education. If not, then he would learn what he needed to learn as his station required, if only to ensure that he was not found lacking by those outside of his own House. “It can be,” she agreed with the child. “But in history, there are some great lessons to be found, and those who find it too boring might miss the tricks contained within,” Aelia smiled at that. “Studying the past means you can define the future.” The book was suited enough to his age group, but it was something that could be talked about later. For now, he needed something different.

“Let’s go flying,” the Sunborn agreed. While she lacked wings, she had Runes that could certainly help support the boy. His lesson work would be tidied up by the servus, and put away for the next day when they would be back at it, but with a different subject. In any event, she went to the door, pulling it open and holding it for Raithen to run on through. With him eager, her stride was long enough to let him run or jog, whatever suited his fancy, and she led the way outside of the palace, out towards the gardens. This gave them some more room to maneuver, and more space to practice his flying. Out here, she could sculpt the earth and stone to make him more ledges, shelves, ramps, and walks to give him some extra height for lift-off, and to help practice his balance.

The tall blonde crouched once they were beyond the fancier gardens, and sunk her gloved hands into the earth. She drew on her Arche element, earth, and above the sunken pools, built a bridge of sorts from the earth. Practice for the young Avialae would make perfect in due time, and so this gave him an opportunity when he felt ready to use it. But for now, flapping and trying to get off of the ground would be a good start. Still, when he was ready to try... it was there. She stood up, looking down at her charge. “Stretch them first, like we would before we practice sparring,” she advised him, stretching her arms up, and then out, and back. She knew that he knew the drill, but she reminded him anyway so that in his excitement, he didn’t miss that critical step.

[Raithen]

The golden haired boy nodded, it was a lesson he'd had imparted to him many times but he tried to accept it rather than being annoyed by the repetition. If his mother and those she employed to teach and protect him thought it was worthwhile to repeat the suggestion, and the history lessons, then there must be merit to it. Even if Raithen knew that he was not going to define the future himself, he wanted to be able to help Mother and his siblings do what was needed in the ways that he could.

When his request was confirmed he leaped into the air, fist held high as though he had won some great victory. When the door to his freedom was opened he did, in fact, run through it, saddles pelting against the stones of the hallway floor for several long strides before he slowed to allow his mentor to catch up.

Once they were out past the well manicured parts of the gardens he stopped, waiting in barely controlled anticipation for Aelia to create for him the obstacles and ramps of Earth that would serve to both assist and train him. He bounces on the balls of his feet for a moment before her voice reminded him to stretch before trying anything harder.

Spreading his wings, which he had finally learned to keep politely tucked so as not to knock things about as he moved indoors, he pushed them both out as high over his head as he could. Then, one at a time to the sides, feeling the pull in the muscles of his shoulder blades and spine. Reaching his arms above his head while he did so added to the stretch. Between the movement and the bright sunshine he found himself yawning wide enough to crack his jaw despite the fact that he was not at all sleepy anymore. The sun light made him yawn sometimes, or even sneeze and no one seemed to know why.

When he had gone through all the motions, faithfully, three times, as he'd been taught he turned back to Aelia expectantly.

"Now?" He asked, and when he was given a nod he turned and ran up the ramp bridge of dirty, feeling it shift a bit as he scrambled up but not letting it slow his momentum. Fearless as a bird the boy launched himself out over the pools, spreading his wings wide, feeling how the feathers opened and trying to let the wind tell him how to move them to carry him in a glide over the water, to the land on the other side.

It wasn't as hard as it had been, and, in less than a minute he was folding them again and putting his feet under him on the solid ground opposite the elemental bridge.

[Talisman]

Aelia enjoyed the boy’s zest for the physical part of his day. That was always the fun part for both of them, and it was partially because his enthusiasm was contagious. The Sentinel kept a mostly straight face, though, when he punched his sky and raised his fist and ran, though her lips quirked slightly as she followed along after him. Her long stride helped her catch up, and when he ran along after, she was close behind. Not so close as to smother him, but close enough that if anyone dared, she was in range to intercept and protect her charge.

The sunlight of the lands above was always different from the subterranean city of the Umbrium, and the boy was most regularly used to that. But it was good for him to experience the topside of the Kingdom, and the warmth of the sun was always good for helping birds fly... and Aelia would see the fledgling princeps have every advantage in the course of learning how to master his wings. This space was familiar, as she brought him often now, and private. Protected. He wouldn’t always be, but for now, the goal was to keep him safe while he learned how to be able to protect himself in time. And the Sunborn took that seriously. Raella's grace made the sun quite welcome to the both of them, but it was Divine Avaerys' whose light shone on them out here.

She stretched while he did, performing the same movements with him to encourage him to get himself limber. When the opportunity was there, it was always wiser to do so, especially since he was still getting used to using those wings of his. Besides, they had been folded all day, and stretching them to get them ready for this exercise was important. Aelia nodded when he asked for confirmation as to whether or not he could start. She stood below, near the gap where she could see how he did. She watched his progress, the way he was able to glide across the miniature chasm to reach the other side. “Very good, Raithen. Let’s do it again,” she encouraged him. He had enough of a ramp on that side too to allow him to make the return, and once he was used to that distance and confident in it, she could take a few inches off of the ramp, letting the earth crumble down to broaden the gap. This was a familiar lesson, a battle of inches, which was what led to the distance he had now

For now he was gliding, but he was going to have to learn to flap a bit to soar and make up the longer space. Aelia would never take too much off of the edge; not yet. This was about building confidence as much as it was in building strength, training his muscles to know what to do so that he could take to the skies and soar as his birthright. Not just as an Avialae, but as a Prince.

After a few passes back and forth, the boy and his shadow were no longer alone. A number of children, those of the servants, had approached the larger pond that Aelia had made, each of them carrying a towel before stripping down. They hadn't noticed the others at first, and were all too happy to go splashing into the water.

[Raithen]

The lessons continued for more than an hour, the boy's young body beginning to build the muscles along his spinal column that would eventually aid in long gliding. Even if magic was involved in keeping him aloft, some of the energy and power did come from the Avialae themselves.

By the end his shoulders and back were aching, and even his legs were beginning to flag from his tendency to launch himself off the end of the earthen ramps as hard as he could. The knowledge of his flight being partly arthritic was in his head, but not in his body and a part of him believed he had to get as high up in the air as he physically could if he wanted to fly.

Eventually he came to land, barely, on the edge of the water and scrambled, waving arms and wings both to keep from tumbling back into the decorative pond. When he was finally steady on his feet again he heard the patter of other small feet, childish and bare, pattering over the stones of the paths. Looking over he saw a group of children, mostly male but with a girl of two sprinkled in, running together. They were wearing almost nothing, or nothing at all. It was unseasonably hot, which meant that even in early Ash, it felt like Searing, and the children seemed to have decided that if it was going to be so hot then they had the right to relieve if by going for a swim.

Some of the kids were servants, some from wealthier families and a few of noble birth. That sort of thing didn't matter to them yet, or if it did it was only in the way of bragging rights or claiming that ones parents might punish their parents if a particular child did not get their way. Raithen wasn't like that, but, then again, he also wasn't even threatened by anyone. He was tall for his age, due to his father's heritage, strong due to his training and not at all opposed to bloodying a nose if ever anyone decided to try him. As he watched them scampering over to the system of ponds he saw that one particular boy, dark haired and lithe was with them. For reasons he had never seen reason to examine closely his mind seemed to catch on people around his own age sometimes. He felt warm and funny inside when he saw them and wanted to be around them. At this time, the dark-haired low-level noble boy was the one that was caught in his head, so he glanced back over his shoulder, gauging how his minder would react if he just ran off with them.

The worst thing Aelia could really do was run after him and try to drag him back home. Biting his lip for just a moment he considered, then he saw the object of his interest skid to a stop for a moment when he saw Raithen and beckon to him. That was all it took, and off he went, shucking his tunic as he went.

[Talisman]

As the lesson went on, his teacher continued to carefully widen the gap between the ledges. Every couple of passes, the distance increased. Never so much that it was going to seem to be impossible to the young Avialae, but enough that she could keep challenging him and keep him moving. Occasionally the Sentinel adjusted the ledges, changing their angles, encouraging the boy through the play and exercise to pay attention to his surroundings. There would be a time when he would need those skills, and it was something that she needed to teach him. To pay attention to the little details.

As the children came running in, the Vigilia looked on. She wasn’t too concerned; when she had built and expanded on this place, it was open enough, and if young children wanted to come and play, then so be it. However, it was not guarded or watched, and if they came on their own... Well, they were responsible for themselves. She had her charge to look after; the children of others were hardly her concern. That wasn’t to say she would ignore them completely; it was that Raithen simply came first, and if a decision had to be made, it was to his care and protection above everything.

Perhaps surprisingly, when he looked back at her, Aelia just gave him a small nod. He had done enough today with his flight practice, and he was clearly at the end of the session. But they’d done well by her estimation, and she knew Cithaera would be satisfied with the report that would come in the book. So when the young boy took off to play with the other children, she only gathered his tunic, and followed at a distance. She may as well have been invisible to the others, and Raithen likely knew she wouldn’t interfere until necessary, and so when the children ran into the pond system, splashing and laughing, she seated herself on a rock with the folded tunic beside her where she could watch the boy. The only concern she had was if his wings got waterlogged and he, having already exerted himself, was not entirely prepared for the weight of them. But that was what she was there for, and if the situation arose, she would deal with it.

For now, there was simply fun to be had - children splashing and throwing themselves into the water, soaking their skins to take a break from the ever-present dry heat that came with the Solunarian sun. Most, if not all of them, had shed their clothes, leaving piles around the outside of the water where they could dry themselves off later with the towels and cloths if they had brought them. This was a rarer opportunity for Raithen, but it wouldn’t hurt for this to be an unplanned reward for an afternoon of lessons that had been accomplished. “Tag!” the child called, tapping Raithen’s arm, and bolting into the water, as lithe as a sea serpent as he hurried off, looking over his shoulder to see if the Princeling would follow.

[Raithen]

Within moments he was running through the extensive gardens of the palace complex with the older children dressed in only his breech cloth, undistinguished by any ornament or conceit from his peers. His teacher would follow him, he had no doubt, but perhaps he could lose her in the twist and turns that were leading, inevitably, to one of the ponds that, while appearing natural were certainly artificial.

In this assumption, he turned out to be wrong, as he realized once the mad dash of many small feet went on and they ended up slipping out of a small gate in the palace wall that led into the wider world. There were still some places left to their own devices, or at at least those that were owned by people who wished it to seem that way and it was to such a place that the children eventually found their way. Shadowed by the overreaching limbs of several large willow trees they came to an expanse of water that was both wider and deeper than anything that could be found within the confines of Raithen's palace home. These things did not concern him, partly because they did not seem to bother any of his companions and partly because he had never truly been in danger that he had been aware of in all his life.

There was a moment of hesitation as the children, now hot and sweaty from their long run looked around. First checking that there were no adults around who might try to stop them, and then watching each other to see who would brave the cold water first. All at once the tension seemed to break and the moved, in one laughing, shouting mass to throw themselves in.

The water was freezing, causing the laughter to morph into squeals instantly. Raithen kept laughing, cause he felt the cold as a sensation only with none of the shocking effect that others described feeling when something was very cold. Taking advantage of the moment he splashed the others mercilessly until they recovered enough to return the play.

[Talisman]

Aelia did follow with Raithen's tunic in hand, though as far as the boy would be able to tell, he'd managed to leave her behind at the training ponds and ledges. She allowed her wards to cloak herself once more, even from her charge. She liked to let him have fun sometimes, and considering the lesson and the effort that the youngest of House Phaedryn had put into it, he had earned the reward. Between the book lessons he had had earlier and the flying lesson that he had just worked on, it was time to play.

With the horde of children dashing along from perceived safety to perceived freedom, no cares were had, nor worries focused on. There was no danger here, after all; not in the holy, sacred City. Once the decision was made to take the plunge, the coolness of the water was a considerable shock for most of them. Once they started to acclimatize to it, it would be less unpleasant, especially with the heat of the Atraxian sun on their skins. Raithen's splashes were met with shouts and calls and peels of laughter... until those who were so amused to not have the Avialae boy's attention on them received their turn from the merciless little Princeling. Then it was their turn to shout and yelp like startled puppies.

Another one of the children, who had Vastian features accentuated with Elvish ears, took a shot at returning the favour. Clutching the wire-wrapped Aqualyth on her pendant, she used the dragonshard to help her make a small wave to surround him, pushing it at him. It wasn't so big that it would be dangerous to the playful youngsters, much less one as sturdy as Raithen, but if need be, Aelia would intervene with her own Elementalism where she made herself comfortable on a rock close by. But she would let him try first. If anything, it might give him something to think about or make use of later on. Maybe not tomorrow or even next week... but one day.