Taking Flight
“Okay,” you say, having made your decision. “I’ll go with falcon.”
The genie nods. “You must visualize yourself becoming the bird. Picture the exact breed, and envision your body turning into it. Then, it will be so.”
You take in a quiet breath, hoping this works and doesn’t blow up in your face.
You start by envisioning the falcon, like the genie said. Falcons are sleek, beautiful birds, you feel, and you know the peregrine falcon is one of the best - and the fastest of the lot. You picture one in your mind, and then, you picture becoming one. Mere seconds later, you feel things start to change - they aren’t painless, but you can and DO feel them taking place rather abruptly.
Your fingers begin to elongate first. You feel your body starting to shrink, too, and feel your clothes ripping away. Your shoes and socks are torn through as your toenails stretch out, and you soon see sharp talons spring from the tips.
It is a rather fast process altogether. Your clothes are torn, bursting and shredding themselves as your body shrinks down to a much smaller size. Your arms stretch out, feathers sprouting from all around. It’s like getting a massage, almost, you feel; even though this massage is turning your hands into the fused ends of wings now growing and blooming feathers all about.
Your nose and lips elongate and fuse, then harden into a beak. Your eyes grow larger, your sight growing much stronger with it. Your feet have morphed into talons, and within minutes, you are now a literal peregrine falcon on the floor. Only shreds of fabric and bits of what used to be your clothes remain of what you used to be at your feet.
You can think, and feel, and hear the same. Your eyes are sharp, yes, yet your sense of smell is somewhat dulled. Still, you are thankful for the fact you can actually control yourself as you turn your head, glancing about the surroundings.
“Well done, Master,” the genie says. He shrinks down to better match your size, and he smiles. “You’ve managed to successfully transform! And into quite a lovely specimen, if I might add.” He looks at you with genuine appreciation. “A peregrine falcon. A noble hunter, a swift sky warrior. Wise decision indeed.”
You blink - a sensation that feels odd - and realize now that, well, you can’t exactly speak any longer. You attempt it anyways and your voice is a harsh caw. You can’t string together words, though, since you lack lips and the vocal means to do this.
The genie chortles. “Ah, don’t fear, Master. You cannot speak the words any longer to me, but, I have granted you a secondary trait to alleviate this. As you can see, I am more considerate than you might’ve felt.” He winks. “You may telepathically speak. Think the words, and I shall hear them. Try it.”
‘Think the words? Like this?’
“Precisely,” the genie says. “Now then. It would be cruel of me to demand you make your second wish so soon, Master, especially now that you’ve transformed yourself for the first time.” He smiles. “So, go on and experience this new body you’ve been granted.”
You tilt your head about and notice a window - an open window at that, wide enough for you to get through. You are, admittedly, rather excited about the prospect of being able to fly, although you don’t know HOW to fly.
You start by testing your wings - your arms, as it were, yet lighter, and also somehow stronger. The feathers attached to do not register to you beyond feeling like hair attached to these new arms, meaning, very faint. Still, you can feel them as you move your wings up down several times in a row.
After doing this and feeling like you understand how these wings work - in theory, at least - you decide to give it a shot. You flap them with a great deal of strength and try to jump, and you manage… to get about a foot in the air before you flop onto the floor rather pitifully.
You pick yourself up somehow, despite lacking hands to do it for you. You hear the genie chortle behind you, and you sign internally. This will prove to be far more difficult then you expected it to be, it seems.
“A word of friendly advice for you, Master,” the genie says. “Do not force yourself to adapt to these new bodies. Rather, you must allow the innate instincts of these creatures to come to you. Close your eyes, and relax - allow yourself to FEEL like a falcon, and you will find it to come to you with ease.”
You ponder this for a moment before deciding, well, why not?
You close your eyes and relax. Your heart beats quicker, yet, you feel your body calm, and as you stand there, you begin to feel… something. It is a stirring sensation that bubbles in you, yet it feels in your mind like you are already in the sky, soaring among the clouds. The freedom of the air, the feeling of wings beating in rhythm with your heart, the lightness and speed.
These are what you feel, what being a falcon means in your head.
With this in your mind and your chest, you open your eyes. You straighten your wings out, and with a single, smooth wingbeat, you manage to push yourself off the floor to the windowsill. You feel the lightness to your body and the wind under you even from such a short distance. When you land, you feel the air on your bare body, and you understand now what it means to be a falcon.
“Well done, Master,” the genie says. “If you wish, I can join you on your flight. Or I can stay here. Do let me know, yes?”
Written by Hollowpages on 04 April 2020