"Ricken feeds a flock of sparrows under a chestnut tree. He rests a hand on his cheek and begins to mutter his thoughts. "Stupid Henry, he's such a creep. Always talking about killing people and blood. Even if he says he's on our side, I feel like I'll never fully trust him." He imagines his maniacal grin in front of his nose, whispering nonsense. We are the music makers... we are the dreamers of dreams..." Ricken tosses a handful of seeds where Henry's head would have been. "I'll never fully trust him." The birds take flight, startled by his outburst. Ricken follows them with his eyes, noting a pair of pegasus knights performing maneuvers.
Sumia and Cordelia were having their afternoon flying lessons: seven laps around camp, a few trick dodges in the air, and man-sized targets below for javelin practice. Cordelia excels in every category, rolling through the air like a figure skater, throwing javelins like a natural Olympian. Sumia flies behind, feeling useless compared to her companion. As she dipped low to practice evasive maneuvers she spied a grim figure in the feral grasses below. He, as it appeared to be, flapped his arms and ran around in a circle. "Is that a child? This far from town? Where are his parents?" She ponders, signaling Cordelia to continue without her as she stopped to investigate. The grasses flattened as her pegasus glided downward. The boy turned his head of white hair and laughed: Henry was playing, making zooming noises and flapping his arms. Sumia smiled. This was no lost schoolboy.
"Enjoying our flying practice, I see?" She said as she dismounted. Henry made a low humming and fell on the ground. "Forgive me, I thought you were a lost child, I guess I won't be hero of the day after all." "I wouldn't say that," Henry said, "I thought you looked pretty cool up there. I sure wish I could fly around like that. Zzzzzzzzoooom nyooooooooom! Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Hey, maybe I could fly with you!" "Aw, thanks, but I don't think that's a good idea. Really I'm not so special. Look at Cordelia up there. I've never seen her make a mistake. Ever." Sumia sighs in defeat, "I can't even stretch in the morning without tipping over. I should just quit and go home." Henry sits up, uncharacteristically serious. "Sumia, tell me: Did you do better today than you did yesterday?" "Well, yeah, I guess so." "Then why are you beating yourself up over it? Listen to yourself! You keep comparing yourself to Little Ms. Perfect up there and think you're terrible, when this whole time you should be comparing you to used-to-be-you! If you do better today than you did yesterday, you're better than you've ever been. You should be proud of that." Henry stands up and resumes his pantomime flight. "Wow... Thanks Henry. That's rather wise of you. Something I'd never expect from you. No offense." Sumia smiles and gives him a warm hug. He stops playing and embraces her in return. "Soooo do I deserve that flyover now?" Henry asks hugging her around the neck closer. "Sure, why not." Sumia says smiling. She loosens the reins of her pegasus and drops her supplies on the ground to make room. Henry jumps right on the back of her mount as she orders it to take to the sky.
Henry lets his arms out and flaps them as the fast cold wind hits his palms. Sumia flies through a cloud and gets pelted with water. The pegasus shakes itself dry, loosening the harness around its neck. Sumia pulls back and fears she may fall, her last ride ending as a clumsy mess like everything else. Her life flashes before her eyes, until Henry's arms wrap around her midsection, Holding fast to the reins. Their mount slows to descending speeds. Sumia turned back to look at Henry. "Oh my gods, I thought my klutziness was finally going to be the end of me! You saved me... Thank you." Henry smiles and puts a hand on the bottom of her chin, as if he were to kiss her, but that was not to be. "Nyahahaha, I did save you, huh? Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." He pulls her neck up and she gasps, grasping at his hand futilely. Henry twisted the reins around her neck. She tried pushing away, but there was nothing that could be done; she was trapped between the void below, and the psychopath behind. She struggled, jabbing him with her elbows, only making him giggle more as he shoved her off of her mount. She hung helplessly around the neck of her trusted steed, screaming internally. Her face contorted as the reins tightened. She dangled helplessly, kicking her legs and tugging at her neck, but there was no escape. Her last terrifying moments were permanently etched into her face as her life drifted away... "Bye bye, Sumia."
Henry chuckled and slapped at the pegasus, forcing to fly faster. Its mistress still hanging on its neck like a grim pendant. He held out his arms , smiling in childish glee. "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"