One Magnificent Leap

                  “That was one magnificent leap!” the flying instructor called out.

                  Aranekki beamed with excitement. Enrolling in dragon flight lessons was exciting enough, but for his instructor to recognize his ability? That was a special feeling.

                  “I am a good leaper,” Aranekki shouted with excitement. The compliment fueled a growing fire of confidence within his belly that made him want to jump farther and higher for his next turn. A cluster of small Dragons were lining up to take turns jumping off a small ramp into soft padding and furs. The young dragons laughed, shouting, making silly poses, doing all they could to get a laugh from their other classmates.

                  “Hey look at me!” Aranekki called to his instructor as his turn to jump off the ramp was coming up. The instructor smiled and nodded. The young dragon shook his hips, curled up his spine, dug his claws in, and took off running as fast as he could. With the yell of success, he leaped with all his might, catching air off the ramp, reaching for the sky, then landing with a tuck and a roll into the soft padding below. The other young dragons cheered.

                  “Wow, look how high he jumped!” one of his classmates commented.

                  “Nice work. That's some great effort I'm seeing out there,” his instructor said. “Remember, reach for the sky, and climb! Reach for the sky and climb!”

                  Today’s training task was simple. The little dragons would get a running start, leap off the ramp as high and far as they could jump, then reach up with their wings to the sky. Aranekki originally thought flight school would be a lot scarier, but this was easy. And fun. Flight school was one of those moments in a dragon’s life that signified a time to grow up, a time to embrace their true nature and join the other adult dragons in the sky. It was a time in a dragon’s life that created memories, shaping dragons for the rest of their lives.

                  It might seem odd to the average human that dragons send their young ones to be trained on how to fly. After all, they were born with wings. Most might think flying for dragons would be instinctual. For some, it is. But over thousands of years living in a civilized society with buildings and transportation offered from multiple aspects of life, a dragon could easily live and thrive in the civilization without taking flight. And some species of dragons don't fly. So, if a young dragon didn't want to fly, they could easily live a life without it.

                  Much like humans embracing swimming lessons to help master the capricious nature of water, dragons have flying lessons to master the yet more elusive element of air. Learning to fly is just the beginning, with plenty of other skills, techniques, and nuanced lessons to be learned. Plus, in a civilization like Hallador, flying laws and best practices are a must for young dragons hoping to take to the air with their fellow adults. The dragon flight school helped young dragons embrace the abilities they were born with, and teach them the legal protocols within the city.

                  The school taught the basics as part of the public schooling system available to all residents. But the Academy offered schooling and lessons far beyond basic training. If a dragon wanted, they could refine their abilities to extreme expertise levels. There were multiple disciplines that a dragon could pursue. Some dragons were great long-distance flyers, while others excelled at agility. The school also served as the training ground for the extreme athletes that competed in the dragon flight games. A competition where the greatest of abilities and most agile of flyers would compete against one another for the entertainment of all who watched. But even the greatest of greatest flyers and dragon celebrities to have graced the kingdom’s stage all started with one magnificent leap.

                  Aranekki felt a sense of pride because he could jump higher and farther than his other dragon classmates. He tried not to boast, but his happiness and excitement said it all. The other dragons didn't mind. They thought it was fun. They tried to encourage him to leap farther and higher every time. The instructor would raise the ramp to higher levels, then all the young dragons would repeat the cycle. They would get a running jump, leaping as high as they could, reaching for the sky, and mimicking the climbing motions they were taught, then land on the soft padding below the ramp. This cycle repeated several times until the dragons were leaping from a decent height, some of them catching on that their wings would help glide them to a soft landing. The young dragons continued taking turns jumping, laughing, cheering each other on and having a fun time.

                  “Okay, everyone gather around,” the instructor said. “We're almost done with training for today.”

                  The young dragons were still laughing and joking with each other, some breathing heavily from running around and jumping.

                  The instructor continued. “We have one more leap to do and then it's time to go home, but this one will be a bit higher.” All the young dragons cheered, making jokes about how high the next jump would be. “Alright flyers, fall in line!”

                  The young dragons quickly scrambled to get into line behind their instructor, as he led them down a hallway and onto a side ramp. The ramp was slowly inclining and zigzagging back and forth like an extremely long staircase without stairs. The young dragons were joking and teasing and laughing as they usually do, barely paying attention to their instructor leading them. They continued along the long ramp, back and forth, back and forth, slowly upward and upward. The ramp would pass an open grating to the outside arena. Occasionally, a young dragon would look and notice that they were getting higher and higher. Slowly, the dragons got quieter and quieter. One dragon would make a comment about stopping or the fact that they're going too high as their instructor smiled and just kept leading them.

                  “Wait, what’s going on?” Aranekki thought to himself. “Why do we keep getting higher and higher?” But as faithful students, the young dragons all followed in line.

                  They arrived at a platform high above the ground.

                  “No, this has to be wrong,” Aranekki thought. “This is way too high to leap from. None of us can jump from here. All of us are too early in the program to fly. No, they must be showing us where we will jump from once we learn to fly. Yes, that must be it!” Aranekki thought.

                  The instructor walked out to the ledge, encouraging all his students to file in through the gates and gather around in a circle. All eyes were fixed on the instructor, just waiting for him to tell the little dragons they were dismissed after a brief lecture. Yes, just a lecture. That was all they wanted.

                  Clank! Clank! Clank! Clank!

                  The gate shut behind the youngling dragons.

                  Gulp.

                  The little dragons were silent. All eyes fixed on their instructor.

                  “It’s time for one last jump,” he said.

                  Little Aranekki’s mind silently refuted, “Oh no, this is not happening, this can’t be happening, this can’t be real, we are not ready to fly!”

                  “Can I have a volunteer?” The instructor called out.

                  Silence

                  The instructor smiled, knowing this was the only time during the entire course when the young dragons were actually quiet.

                  “Dragons, there is only one way out. And that’s off this launch pad.”

                  Silence.

                  “You all knew you enrolled in ‘flight’ school, right?” The instructor said with a chuckle. “Aranekki!” The instructor called out.

                  “y-y-yes?” Aranekki replied.

                  “Why don’t you start us off? Same concept that we practiced on the ramp. Run, leap, reaching for the sky, and climb the air. It’s as simple as that.” The instructor said.

                  “But, but, we are so much higher, there are no pads to catch us when we land,” Aranekki said.

                  “Sure, you do, you have padding on each side of your body. Lift em up,” the instructor said gesturing to his wings.

                  Aranekki woefully looked at his wings and stretched them out.

                  “No, STEEEEEETCH those wings! WIDE! You have those wings for a reason. Stretch them out high!” his instructor said.

                  Aranekki reached his wings out further.

                  “Do you see that, dragons, do you see that?” the flight instructor asked, pointing to Aranekki’s wings. “You have a gift. You can control the air with those things. You don’t need pads of furs or pillows, you can use the air to catch you. Look around, look up, look up at the sky. What do you see?”

                  The little dragons felt very confused as they all looked around, some mumbling things they hoped were the right answer, like walls, or columns or tiles, or the sky. But none were brave enough to speak up and truly answer the question.

                  “You see nothing. Nothing. Look over the ledge. You see nothing between you and the ground.”

                  The little dragons all nodded mumbling, “yeah, nothing, that’s what I was going to say.”

                  The dragon instructor continued his lecture. “But just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. I’m not here to teach you how to fly. I’m here to teach you how to ‘see’. See the air, see how it’s a real thing and though it feels different, it just like the ground we walk on, or the water we swim in. If this was a pool of water, none of you would hesitate to jump in. That’s because you can see the water, so you trust it. You just haven’t learned to ‘see’ the air. It will guide you and protect you far more than those pillows and furs down there. Now Aranekki, why don’t you show us that magnificent leap? You yourself said you were so good at.” The dragon instructor motioned with his wing for Aranekki to join him on the ledge.

                  Aranekki slowly walk to the side of his instructor, keeping his distance away from the ledge.

                  “Well, go on, let’s see that leap. And remember, the same principle. Jump, reach for the sky and climb the air,” the instructor said.

                  “I… I… I can’t, it’s too high.” Aranekki said.

                  “I know, but you have wings,” the instructor said.

                  “But I’m scared,” Aranekki said.

                  The flight instructor held for a moment and smiled, then leaned in closer to Aranekki. “That’s okay. It’s okay to be scared. Everyone up here is scared. When I was your age, I wasn’t nearly as brave as you. You still came to the front of the crowd. When I did this my first time, I was hiding there in the back. But I think it’s because you trust me. And I think it’s because deep down inside, you know. Besides, we can’t be courageous without being scared first, right?”

                  Aranekki looked at the ledge, then back at his classmates. The expression of sheer terror did not help him. He looked back at the ledge. Then at his instructor.

                  His instructor smiled and leaned in close and whispered, “You are going to be alright, Trust me, we won’t let you fall.”

                  Aranekki nodded, but kept his feet planted. The instructor moved in close, putting a wing around the little dragon. “Look down there, at that kindly old she-dragon. She is watching your every move. If something goes wrong, she will catch you.”

                  Aranekki nodded, heart racing, feet firmly planted.

                  “Do you know why I chose you, my good sir Aranekki?” the instructor asked. Aranekki shook his head. “It’s because you, my friend, are the best leaper here. The others look up to you. Turn around, look at all their faces.” Aranekki turned to look at all his classmates, their eyes wide. The instructor continued to whisper. “Those are the eyes of fear. There is more to see here than just air. Now look off the edge. Fears are kinda like air. They scare and confuse us because we can’t see them. It's the unknown. But once we learn to ‘see’ our fears for what they are, then we can control them. Fear will always be present, but you can learn to control it. And you know what? Fear is just a warped sense of hope, a hope for the worst. And if you can choose what to hope for, why not hope for the best?”

                  Aranekki nodded as he thought about what his instructor was trying to teach him.

                  “Let your wings control the air, and your mind control your fears.” The instructor said, staring directly into the eyes of young Aranekki.

                  Aranekki gulped and nodded his head.

                  “Now don’t worry, I’ll be with you all the way,” the instructor said.

                  Aranekki nodded.

                  “You know why else I chose you?” the instructor asked.

                  Aranekki shook his head.

                  “Well, first, I know you will fly. Some others, it’s 50 / 50. But you, I know once you’ll leap, you’ll fly,” the instructor said.

                  Aranekki smiled at the vote of confidence.

                  “And you seem like the kind of guy that could take a little teasing,” the instructor said.

                  Aranekki’s eyes and smile quickly shifted to confusion and surprise. The instructor began pushing Aranekki to the ledge.

                  “Wait, I’m not ready, wait!” Aranekki mumbled.

                  The instructor turned to the classmates, “Looks like someone could use a little motivation,” the dragon instructor winked at the young dragons.

                  “No wait, I’m not ready,” Aranekki mumbled again. But deep down inside, he was feeling something different. He was still afraid, and felt he had to say he wasn’t ready, but he knew, he knew he would never feel ready to jump.

                  “C’mon class,” the instructor called to the other dragons, “Encourage your classmate. He needs your support! Jump! Jump! Jump!”

                  The little dragons’ eyes of fear quickly shifted to a sense of jest and laughter. They all looked at one another. One of them yelled out in the back, “you can do it!”

                  “Jump! Jump! Jump!” they slowly chanted.

                  The instructor responded to the reaction of the class, “Let’s not push it… or should we?” the class cheered as the instructor gave Aranekki another little push.

                  Then, leaning in to whisper to Aranekki, the instructor said, “See what you are doing? You're getting them excited. Don’t worry, I’m with you all the way.”

                  Aranekki could only focus on the quickly approaching ledge. “Jump. Jump. Jump,” rang out from his friends and classmates. He knew he had to do it.

                  Aranekki even chanted to himself, “Jump, jump, jump, you’ve got this, you can do this!”

                  Aranekki was inches from the edge.

                  “Okay, it’s do or die, I mean, it’s just do, it’s just do, sorry for the miscommunication there, ha ha,” the dragon instructor joked with Aranekki. “Don’t worry, we’ve got you.”

                  Aranekki glanced down only briefly before fear shot his head back up. His instantaneous glance captured the image of the kindly old she-dragon nodding for him.

                  “Yeah, forgot to tell you, don’t look down pal,” the instructor said. “Now, let’s count down!” the class cheered. “5, 4—”

                  *push*

                  Aranekki felt his heart float outside of his body. Reach for the sky, reach for the sky, climb the air, climb the air, climb the air. After three days of repeating the same drills, it was instinct. Aranekki couldn’t bear to open his eyes, just waiting for the embrace of the kindly old she-dragon. But then nothing. Aranekki worried something was wrong.

                  Then he heard the class cheering!

                  “Whoa pal, slow down. You’re going to hit the atrium ceiling!” his instructor called out.

                  “Ceiling?” what is he talking about? Aranekki opened his eyes. To his shock, he was about the same distance above the ledge as the ledge was from the ground. Aranekki smiled widely, looking at his wings flapping through the air. He was doing it, he was doing it, he was flying!!

                  “I’m doing it, I’m doing it, I’m flying! I’m flying!” he yelled back to his instructor.

                  “Yeah, you are pal, way to go!” the instructor yelled out.

                  Aranekki looked down. He could see all his classmates cheering, then lining up, one after the other, to take their turn. Some would get to the edge and jump, others needed a little more encouragement from their instructor. But they all kept glancing up at Aranekki. The more he watched, the more he laughed and laughed. Then he saw it. He saw that all those little dragons were not afraid to jump any more. It was like all that fear, that weight that was holding everyone back was now all dispersing through the air, no longer a shackle to the worrisome little dragons.

                  All because of one magnificent leap.