Chapter Three

Skyla walked down the stone corridors, passing by several other gliders and other members, weaving her way toward the High Flight Commanders room for Hans Ile. Commander Ile was known for his diplomatic service with other nations, and for his elite warriors and personal flights. Skyla wasn’t sure what he wanted with her, or what her next position would be, but she felt ready. Skyla headed over to the next hall, weaving her way until she finally made it over to the office of Commander Ile. She took a deep breath and knocked twice on the wooden door. “Come in.” replied a calm voice. Skyla opened the door and entered the room. It was small but tidy, with several maps and notes on the wall, and a plain desk stood at the corner. At the desk sat a small man, with short hair and a fair complexion. His deep grey eyes betrayed a seriousness to them yet were somehow lively and full of energy. He looked up to Skyla and grinned slightly when he saw her enter. “Ah, Miss Varen. Please sit down.” He said, standing up and motioning to the chair in front of his desk. “Thank you, sir.” Said Skyla. She sat down on the hard-wooden chair, sitting up straight, and listened attentively, as Ile continued. “I’m sure you’re wondering what you are doing here, correct?” Skyla was wondering, as most new members were not sent to a high-ranking officer. She merely nodded in response. “A little quiet, aren’t you? Well, your performance during your final test, was, shall we say, impressive, to say the least.” Skyla tried not to blush, but she couldn’t help but smile. “I was only doing what I was trained to do, sir.” “And you did a fine job at that! But beyond just that, we’ve been keeping close attention of you, Miss Varen. You’ve shown exemplary work in your gliding, combat, and magical training, and have far surpassed many of your fellow trainees.” “Thank you, sir. I only want to serve my nation to the best of your ability.” “Ever so humble, eh? Well,” he sat down, “needless to say, your abilities and intensive training have caught the attention of some higher-ups. As you know, war is brewing on the horizon.” Skyla knew that. Everyone knew that. Mig and Nephinal had been at war for who knows how long. Always fighting over the Titan Fields, the one major landmass capable of growing food and farming animals. Mig and Nephinal had warred for over a thousand years, vying for control, switching hands through an endless cycle. Nephinal currently controlled the region, for a surprisingly long amount of time, about eighty years. But Mig was starting to prepare for the inevitable conflict, and everyone could feel the coming storm. “Well,” continued the Commander, “We need to prepare, and to do that, we need allies. The Council has decided to put together a special flight, for the purposes of renewing our alliances with the other regions and preparing for Mig’s assault. This flight will be led by myself and consist of various individuals who have been chosen to help perform these duties.” So that was it. She was selected for an elite team! “Pardon me for asking sir, but why do you need a fresh member? Wouldn’t it be better to have a more experienced glider?” “Like I said, you’ve made an impression. I don’t know fully why, but it seems they want to put your talents out into the field immediately, and make one ‘tough cracking bear,’ as they say.” Commander Ile grinned slightly, and then stood up, as did Skyla. “So, welcome rookie. You’ll be taking orders from me no. Here’s where you need to go. Move any possessions to this room, as this will be the main quarters for my flight. Understood?” Skyla looked up, ready, and said, “Yes sir!” “Good. Now get to soldier, we got a lot to do!”