AW's Note: This chapter was based on a short conversation between Jade and Pyrus. Jade isn't that much older than Pyrus, so she would have had to have done it when she was young. :)
Jade: "Since before you were born."
My Brother's Keeper
By Al's Waiter
Chapter Two: Jade's First Flight
Jade and Graveheart were now in grade eight and both enjoying junior high. One of the highlights of the year was a field-trip to the capital city's Quarrior post.
All of the students got off the bus and stared at the giant structure looming over them. In the distance, a large figure was chiseled out of the rock on the citidel where their leader, Lord Mantel, ruled over Rock.
A young Quarrior walked up to the school group, took off his helmet and smiled politely. "Hello and welcome to Rock's Quarriors Head-Quarters. My name is Private Feldspar and I'm going to be your tour guide today."
Mrs. Topaz instructed the students to talk quietly, if at all, after entering the Head-Quarters. Graveheart and Jade walked side by side as Feldspar pointed out the sleeping quarters of the officers - who were on duty for forty-eight hours at a time - the dinning hall, and the place where the soldiers would kick back and relax during their breaks, though since they were at peace, they didn't need to work as hard as they would if at war.
During lunch, Jade couldn't remember where the 'Private' tour guide had said where the washrooms were, but Graveheart did and he would take her. The students had an hour to do what they wanted - that was within reason - so Jade told her teacher where they both were going and left the dinning hall.
Jade went into the washroom while Graveheart waited outside. After Jade was done, both headed back to where their classmates were gathered. The two children were almost there when Jade spotted a dark passageway. A passageway that looked all but neglected.
"Let's go down 'ere." she suggested.
"I don't know..." Graveheart said slowly. "We should go back."
"Aw, come on Graveheart. Don't be such a rock in my shoe. It won't take long. Besides," she added. "We've got a whole hour."
"Forty-five minutes." he corrected.
"So what? Come on!"
Reluctantly, Graveheart followed his best friend down the hallway.
At the end of the hallway, there was a large circular door. Jade felt the cold metal with the tips of her fingers. It was smooth and shiny in the little light illuminating the hall.
Graveheart looked over his shoulder. "We should get back..."
Jade let out an impatient grunt. "Graveheart," she said turning around to face him. "We're not hurting anyt'ing and Mrs. Topaz won't miss us for at least ten minutes. Get a back bone!"
At that, Graveheart stood up straight, slightly offended. "I've got a back bone!" he shot back.
Jade put her hands on her hips. "Prove it."
Graveheart frowned, stepped up to the control panel beside the door and press the sequence of buttons he had seen many times while watching the Quarriors in Battle Moon Core. The door groaned as it rolled and opened. The two children walked though it.
The room was completely black. The only light source was a small bulb behind the children a ways in the hall. Jade squinted her eyes, but could barely see a thing. The one thing that she could see, however, was something that looked like a controler lever sticking out of the floor.
"What's dat?" she whispered.
Graveheart, still wanting to prove that he was brave, shrugged. "I don't know. Let's see..." He walked up to it, closed his hand around the clamp, and pulled. The leaver squeeked and screeched as he manuvered it towards his body. There was a loud boom above their heads, followed by a series of squeaks and suddenly light flooded into the room through a door in the ceiling.
"Whoa!" Jade exclaimed as she watched the door continue to open to its' fullest. The sky appeared and looked brighter blue than either of the young pre-teens had ever seen it. Graveheart took his eyes off the sky-light and looked at the object that had appeared in the new light.
"Jade! Look! It's an old Arrowhead flyer!" Graveheart exclaimed as he and Jade ran up to it.
The old Arrowhead was in fairly good shape, even though it didn't look like it had seen the light of day for years. The surface of the vehicle was rough but wonderfully made. They climbed in and sat down in the first two seats.
"This is so cool!" Jade spoke finally after several minutes of just looking around the inside of the airship. "I'd never thought yesterday I'd be sitting in one of these today."
Graveheart looked over towards his friend. "Neither did I." As he turned back to the controls, something caught his eye. "Hey, look at this..." he said and bent forward to pick up the small object.
It was an old black and white photograph of a very beautiful rock woman with the sweetest expression on her face. Graveheart showed Jade. "I wonder who it is." he replied as he looked at the back of it. "Hey! There is writing on the back of this!"
Jade leaned over to see what was written as Graveheart read out loud:
"To my dear Quarrior and hero,
I think that you are crazy to do this but I just wanted to let you know that I'll wait for you to come back to me. I love you Mantel and I always will.
All my love, Amber."
Graveheart and Jade both raised their heads and stared at one other. "Mantel?" they asked in unison, then looked back at the photo.
Graveheart nodded. "It says Mantel." then he grinned. "This is Lord Mantel's girl friend. I wonder where she is now..."
Jade smiled and looked around. "That means that this is Lord Mantel's Arrowhead! Or at least he flew it. I wonder..." she said letting her voice trailing off. She turned to the control panel. There was a large array of buttons and dials infront of her. I wonder how it starts... she thought as she leaned forward and pushed a black button.
Graveheart, who was still staring intently at the photograph, looked up quickly. "What did you do?" he shouted over the thundering noise.
Jade just turned and grinned. Back to the control panel, she pushed several buttons and flicked on a series of switches. Light flooded the cockpit.
"Jade...you don't know what you're doing!" Graveheart exclaimed.
"There's only one way to find out." she smiled.
"Yeah," Graveheart said as he held onto his chair. "By training to be a Quarrior when you enlist! If you take off now, we might not reach enlisting age!"
"Relax, G!" Jade shouted over the noise. "It can't be that hard..." She grabbed the control lever and pulled up. The cockpit shook violently as the Arrowhead slowly lifted. Soon the airship rose out of the hole in the ceiling and into the sky. "This is so cool!" Jade laughed excitedly.
"I'd think so too," Graveheart yelled "as soon as I get my fingernails out of this chair!"
Jade laughed again. "Come on and get over here. I need your help to steer this thing; it's heavy." Gingerly, Graveheart stood up and walked over to Jade, who was beginning to struggle with the weight of the ship and keeping the Arrowhead airborn. The pre-teen grabbed the lever lower down the shaft and aided his friend to steer the large vessel. They both carefully sat down in the same chair, cautiously belted themselves in, and began doing simple manuvers in the sky.
First they tried simple turns, then climbing high, then diving steeply towards the rocks below before finally pulling up and doing loop-de-loops. Both children laughed joyously as the Arrowhead did its acrobatics in the air but they made sure that they didn't loose sight fo the hanger that they had brought the ship out of.
After fifteen minutes of ups, downs and round-a-bouts, both children were beginning to feel air sick. Carefully they steered the viechle into the large hole and lowered it into the dark.
The two eighth graders rushed into the dinning hall out of breath, and feeling very nauseous. Mrs Topaz was doing attendance just as they arrived.
"Here!" one student answered after being called.
"Graveheart?" Mrs. Topaz called.
"...here...!" He answered as he gasped for air.
"Graveheart, are you alright?" She asked her student.
"I'm fine..." he breathed. "Jade and I just were racing...that all. Weren't we?" he turned to his friend. Jade only nodded.
"Alright. It's time to finish the tour. Is everybody ready?" A chours of yes's came from everywhere around her.
"...and this is the hanger for all Arrowheads, Lodestone carriers and CRPR's. Does anyone know what CRPR stands for?" Feldspar asked the class.
Jade raised her hand proudly. "Combat Ready Processing Rigs." She had studied Rock defences in a book her father had given to her for her birthday.
"Correct." Feldspar was impressed. "Would anyone like to sit in one of the Arrowheads?"
Jade and Graveheart exchanged glances and laughed. "If I sit in an Arrowhead anytime soon, I'm sure I'd be sick all over da controls." Jade whispered.
"You just don't have the constatution for it." Graveheart grinned.
"Yeah, well... you have a granite stomach. Nothing bothers you for long." Jade said as she playfully punched her friend.
"Ohhh, not there Jade, or you'll regret it." Graveheart winced.
Jade smirked and watched one of her classmates as they excitedly climbed
into one of the Arrowheads. Jade had loved the experience of flying and
it made her want to be a Quarrior all the more. One day.... she
thought I'll be climing in dere with full armor.... One day....