Morning sun rose on the shores of the Pikeport, illuminating the sleeping town. But, as it happens, not everyone is dreaming in the morning this day: from the hut on the edge of the cliff resounded voices of a young boy and an adult, echoing between stone pillars, supporting the city above raging sea.

  "Can't you sit still for at least a second?" asked the scruffy looking man, while holding a needle with a wooden handle.

  "Ouch! Ouch!" the boy tried to get away, but his arm was tightly secured by the man.

  "Last line, I promise"

  "You said that on the last circle!"

  "That wasn't a circle."

  "Dad! I'm old enough to know how circle looks!"

  "Of course, of course! Now, can I add the last rune? Or else the diagram won't work!"

  "Ugh, fine!"

  Short haired young boy sat in a middle of a spacious room, illuminated by golden light of sunrise, seeping through windows. Bright shine inevitably exposed dust lingering in the air or a library. The furniture wasn't luxurious, but it couldn't be called simple. Lacquered armchairs surrounded the desk, filled with scattered in disorder books.

  The man sat on a small chair in front of his son. Every now and then he would straighten his leather vest and check the page of a tome to his right. He once again adjusted the steel needle in his hand and finalised the details of a tattoo on his son's palm.

  "Now turn around and give me your feet," said the man in warm tone.

  He took a towel, lying on his triangular hat, and wiped his forehead. Then he rummaged in the countless vials in the small wooden chest, and fished out a bottle with label "numbwart extract". It contained a dark, oily liquid that gave off tingling and minty aroma. He thoroughly treated both of his son's soles, and, after carelessly throwing the bottle back into chest, began sketching another design with a sharpened piece of coal.

  "Hey, Jack?" asked father.

  "...Yes?"

  "Did you read the book I gave you yesterday?"

  "Well, I tried but..."

  "Ha-ha, I know that you didn't! I mistook the advanced magic tome for the tales of the past. You know, I would be surprised if you really did read past the first page."

  "But I did. I just fell asleep on the third section about enchantment of sorts."

  "Wait, really? Then, can you show me the flight diagram I am drawing on your feet?"

  The boy waved his hands, concentrating on the shapes he saw yesterday. Line by line he added onto the circle, gradually forming the outline, resembling his feet tattoos. Shaping mana into something tangible was still incredibly hard for him, but the Thought Constellation has almost formed in his Astral Body, giving him a leverage in this endeavor. Father glanced at the process and incredulously whistled. The next moment, the diagram dissipated into nothingness and kid fell face first into the pillow, panting from mental exertion.

  "Oops, sorry. Didn't mean to ruin your focus. You should've asked for a pen and paper though, It's not like they are that expensive nowadays."

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  "It's not about the money!" Jack hit the bench with his fist.

  "I know, you just wanted to flaunt your skills. And, to be fair, you succeeded. You know, I couldn't form images until I became Captain. Then the need arisen to show maps and directions to people and I had to learn quickly."

  "Wasn't it you, who urged me to learn this stuff to impress other kids?"

  "Well, you are not wrong, but look how far you've came! Today is your first flight!"

  "Stop. What do you mean by today?"

  "It's tradition every person capable of magic in Breezeborne undergoes, when they are old enough. To become adult you need to taste the freedom, and there is no better way than having a flight!"

  "But what about training..."

  "No training," he cut Jack short.

  "Yes..."

  "I can't hear you?" the man put the hand behind his ear with a wide smile.

  "Aye-aye, captain..." Jack mumbled without excitement.

  Flying was a dream of any child, be it on the deck of an airship, or with the help of spells. It was equally compelling. But right now young Jack wasn't excited. Thoughts churned inside Jack's brain, not giving him time to rest and prepare mentally for what was to come. What would happen if the diagram was wrong? Or what if he became so scared, it would stop working? It was hard to create a steady flow of mana at home, let alone in the air, and especially if there is no solid ground under your feet... What if...

  "Okay, done! Can you try activating them?"

  Jack absentmindedly powered the circuits with mana and they glowed in a pleasant teal light, but he was still way too nervous to appreciate it.

  "What are you thinking about?" Captain asked, while checking the diagrams on Jack's body.

  "Were you scared before your first flight?" Jack asked quietly, looking into his father's deep green eyes. Captain's Tale Beads soothingly rattled, as he put on his hat. One of them symbolised his first flight as well...

  "Oh I definitely was. But my dad wasn't having any of that. He was like a cliff behind my back, always ready!"

  "Ready to catch you?"

  "Yeah, right... More like, ready to push me if I don't go myself.",

  "That's cool..." Jack looked down in disappointment, but instantly his mind froze. He was prepared to see anything but green waves of Southern Ocean underneath.

  "A-a-and welcome back from dreamland! You powered your circuits so much you began floating and I just couldn't resist leading you outside, while you were overthinking!" The father was proudly smiling at his son, who was still unsure what to do in this situation. "What about now? Ready?"

  "..." Jack sneaked the last nervous glance on crashing waves down below. He closed his eyes, and calmly said "Ready!"

  Jack began falling, startling the Captain, but then jovial laugh resounded between the cliffs, as the boy took control of his flight and soared as high as he wanted, announcing his success to everyone in the town.

  "Hey, Captain Finch!" The burly man asked from the deck of passing airship. "Ain't your lad more talented than you? Ha-ha, maybe one day he will command the Golden Wing in your stead!"

  "Oh, you rat! Don't you dare wishing me to retire!" Captain faked his anger, but exploded in laughter soon after. "Though, he really is more skilled than me at his age... Say, Brown, do you have in mind a mage in need of an apprentice?..."

  Meanwhile, under the scorching sun in the air shimmering with colors of sunset, Jack was soaring and plummeting without a care in the world. He experimented, twisting loop after loop in the sky, and maneuvering between ragged cliffs of Pikeport, evading waves and stone pillars. Only after Jack was beginning to faint, did he decide to head home.

  Jack headed to the peak of a cliff, where on a porch in a rocking chair sat Captain Finch. Old man seemed to doze off while Jack was experiencing those priceless moments. The boy decided to soundlessly float past his father, but something caught his eye. In his hands lay two books in hard blue covers with titles written in golden, dimly glowing in the dark letters. One of them had the title "Advanced spellcasting. Tome II" , while other bore the name "Legends of Admiral Sparrow". The temptation was too much for a kid, so he began carefully moving father's hands to set both of the books free.

  "Could've just asked, you know," calmly said Captain, nearly scaring Jack to death.

  "But I thought you are sleeping!"

  "I pretended. I wanted to see what book will you pick, but you nearly snatched both without disturbing me. Here, you deserve them!" old man carefully floated both tomes towards his son.

  "T-Thank you, dad!" Jack put the books on table and tightly hugged his dad.

  "Please, please! Don't strangle me! I didn't plan to die!" laughed Captain, but his face softened and he hugged Jack in return. "Happy birthday, Jack..."