It’s an odd sensation, flying, but not out of the ordinary for me. Swooping low, I dive down towards General Estelar Luna.

Estelar Luna has waist-length, red hair that shimmers like sunlight on water. Her gown is the traditional silver, knee-length dress with two, full-length swords. These swords attach to a deep green belt that shows at a glance that she is a general. Fairies are excellent swordsmen and, unlike humans, the females are better with a weapon than any male.

Other than swordsmanship, fairies value the ability to fly. Estelar Luna is a fantastic Glider. She flies with only the slightest whisper of a wing-beat, turns quick-as-you-please, and can out-fly most self-respecting fairies.

Checking my dive at the last possible second I whisper, “Hello.” Three things happened simultaneously: she whips around, trying to pinpoint where the supposed “attack” was coming from, lurches forward into a crouch, and half-draws her swords.  Laughing, I carefully loop back to hover just above the ground in front of her.

“What are you doing, Ekail Larask? Had it been someone else they might have killed you!” she scolds as she straightens up and dusts off her dress.

“That is the reason that I saved my attack for you,” I reply, still smiling.

“I must admit,” she said, smiling back, “you are a silent flyer.”

“Thank you, Estelar Luna,” I say, slightly dumbfounded. General Estelar Luna is well known by every combat fairy to give nothing more than rebukes and punishments.

“I must speak to Commander Ekattie Lerai. Will you accompany me?”

“Of course, I might be of assistance with all of the attacks.”

“You have the mind of a soldier, Ekail Larask. It is not a good idea to travel alone. We will wait until Erasha Leighla arrives. Then we go.”

So when we were sure that it was Erasha Leighla who was flying from the city at noon, we took to the air and flew to meet her. “All quiet?” the newcomer queried.

“The wind is humming, but all else is silent,” Estelar Luna replied. “Good-bye, Erasha Leighla. May we meet again.” With that, we flew towards the city, opting to take a route that flew over as many forests, lakes, rivers, and fields as possible. When we reached the rim of the valley, we paused, chatting merrily for a few minutes with the sentries posted there.

Along with other, less exciting news, Esturi Labera had been elevated to the rank of soldier and would be moving out of the recruit barracks today. It made me more than just a little sad that my best friend had become a soldier before me. I’ve been training for three years more than her now, I thought to myself.

“We are going now, Ekail Larask,” said Estelar Luna, startling me out of my thoughts.

“We?” I ask, raising my eyebrows. “I thought I was only to accompany you this far.”

“One of the sentries held a message that said you were to go immediately to Commander Ekattie Lerai’s office.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you,” replied Estelar Luna smiling.

I shrugged. “Okay. Let’s go.”

We landed at the top of the stairs up to the office building, even though it looked more like a temple then an office. Estelar Luna led me through the front doors and up to the front desk. “Ekail Larask to see Ekattie Lerai,” Estelar Luna said clearly.

“Follow that hallway, there’s a door at the end,” replied the woman behind the desk with a happy smile, pointing to the corridor behind her.

I was starting to feel nervous. I hadn’t done anything bad that I knew of in the past few weeks except for that prank earlier this morning.

When we reached the door, Estelar Luna knocked on the door jauntily. “Come in,” drawled a voice from behind the door that was distinctly Ekattie Lerai’s. Opening the door, Estelar Luna motioned for me to go in first. I nodded once, too worried to speak.

I walked through the door and saw Commander Ekattie Lerai sitting behind a cherry wood desk. This wasn’t the first time I had met the commander. I had gotten into a scuffle with two of the other girls my age. I had been victorious and then some. They had had to be given treatment, because of a punch to one girl’s arm and a kick to another’s leg.

Even as I was remembering I could tell this was different. There was a paper on the usually bare desk. As I walked up to the desk I said, “Hello commander.”

“And hello to you too,” she replies with a smile. “I’m glad to say that I have even better news for you this time.” She turned the document around so I could read it.

Ekail Larask has been elevated to the rank of soldier.

May she serve the army long and well.

“Could you post this on the message board please, Ekail Larask,” Ekattie Lerai asked.

I looked at her for a long moment. “Yes,” I replied, a smile spreading slowly across my face. “Yes, I can commander.”