"You almost had it that time." Clyde encouraged from where he floated about ten feet up in the air, hands on his waist, hooves slightly apart as if he were standing on a floor. He kind of glittered at he hovered there, something to do with the magic. Eric rolled over in the snow at the base of the ramp he had just fallen off of to look up at him.
"Really? None of that felt like flying." Eric got to his feet.. hooves.. and brushed the snow out of his fur. That alone was a perfectly weird experience. Maybe it was just too much being in a new body on top of trying to do this flying thing.
"You sparkled that time. One more try." Clyde encouraged. "You make it and I'll buy lunch. Just remember, don't flinch, you can literally walk on air, just be confident you can." That was another weird thing, it was less flying and more walking on air, or running.
"Lunch?" Eric asked when he moved around to the foot of the ramp. Clyde bobbed his head, then gave him a thumbs up. He closed his eyes, maybe if he couldn't see the end of the ramp he could keep going. He ran as fast as he could and kept going. Where was the end of the ramp? Surely he was going to fall off of it any moment. But soon an arm was across his chest and someone was laughing next to him.
"See! I knew it." Clyde sounded almost as excited as Eric felt. He opened his eyes and looked down. He was in the air. It felt like solid ground beneath him, that couldn't be could it? At his doubt he could feel it soften, then he focused. No! This was right, and it stiffened again, giving him better footing.
"Well. I guess I owe you lunch then. C'mon, our time is up and Bix gets annoyed if anyone cuts into his personal practice time." Clyde slapped Eric on the shoulder and then floated down to the ground.
Eric just stared. "How?"
"How? Oh! Right.. landing." Clyde scratched at the base of one of his antlers. "Just think down. But a slow down, like a feather or a leaf. But not too much, you don't want to spin or drift too much.
Okay. Slow down. Eric tried to picture it in his mind and his footing just disappeared out from under him. He went tumbling into a snow bank, sending a puff of snow up into the air as he hit with a fwump. He hand soon had his and was pulling him free. Free of the snow he looked up at a laughing Clyde. "We'll work on landings next lesson."
"Next lesson? You think I'm doing this again?" Eric said, though he put a smile behind it.
"Well, yeah, you signed up for two lessons a week." Clyde scratched at the base of one of his antlers again, a tick Eric was coming to learn meant the reindeer was thinking. "I mean I guess you can cancel if you want." He sounded actually upset about that.
"No!" Eric said quickly. "No." A bit softer. "I didn't realize it was a whole thing, I thought it was just one class." Eric brushed some stray snow off his green shorts.
"Good, I'd hate my first student to quit on me, especially one that flew in his first lesson. You're a natural at this." Clyde was practically beaming.
"Seriously? I thought I was being stupid." Eric scuffed his hoof in the snow as he shook some snow off his head, Clyde knocked some off Eric's antlers, then pulled his hand back like that wasn't quite an appropriate gesture.
"No, took me four lessons before I could get off the ground. Heck, even Bix took two and he's one of our better fliers. He's gonna be so sour when he hears how good a teacher I am." He slapped Eric on the back and started towards the exit. "C'mon, I owe you a lunch."
"Shouldn't I get changed?" Eric asked, looking down at himself.
"Nah, keep it on. You'll fit in better. Even though humans are okay up here there's not a whole lot wandering around at the moment. Besides, the look fits you." Clyde stepped back into the workshop and Eric followed. He led him to the other side of the building where the village entrance was. It was like stepping into an old European town. Everything was well maintained, and painted in bright greens and reds, mixed in with white and golds, but the buildings has an age to them. It gave the town a feeling of something solid and lasting.
Clyde led them to a large timber framed building painted a dark pine green. A wooden sign swung over the door showing a reindeer in flight. "This is the reindeer pub." Clyde added in an aside. "The elves have their own drinking spot, they think we get too rowdy, though sometimes some will show up." Stepping inside, it was mostly empty this time of day, though Clyde was greeted by the humanoid reindeer behind the counter by name.
"Sal! This is my student Eric, flew on his first lesson so I figure I owe him lunch, got anything good on?" Clyde headed right for a table by a frosted window, Eric following.
Sal was an older reindeer with quite a bit of grey around his muzzle and a bit of a paunch. "I do." His accent was thick as well. "First lesson, eh?" Even he sounded impressive, but soon he vanished back into the kitchen.
"Is it really that big a deal?" Eric asked in a low voice, feeling a little embarrassed by all the attention.
"Are you kidding? Last time someone flew that quick was old Blitzen. Though you are also the first.." Clyde was interrupted by another voice from elsewhere in the pub.
"Really, that quick?" The reindeer that stood up from the table in the back was tall and fit, Eric would have called him a jock back home, though he seemed older. Seeing the others he was beginning to realize Clyde was a bit on the young side, maybe only a few years older than him. This reindeer screamed an adult in his prime. Then Eric saw his nose, it seemed to glow softly in a faint red light.
"Rudy! He sure did." Clyde motioned to Eric. "Eric, this is Rudy, Rudy, Eric. Though it's technically Rudolph the third." Clyde leaned in, an almost conspiratorial whisper. "We're actually brothers, I just didn't get the gift." He taps the end of his nose. Rudy shot his brother a bit of a semi-amused look, then back to Eric. "Well, let's see it."
Eric looked around, eyes widening. "In here? Don't I need like, a take off ramp or something?"
Rudy snorted. "Sometimes we need to take off with just a run, sometimes we barely get that. Just.. go." Rudy made a rapid walking gesture with his fingers. Eric looked over to Clyde for backup, but just found an encouraging nod.
Eric stood up and found a good spot of free floor between some tables. He gave a short sprint and just thought of going up, being on a ramp, and he suddenly felt like he was going up hill. He turned around, sparkles drifting off of him as he hung a couple feet in the air. Clyde was clapping and Rudy was just giving him a considering look. "Well, if that isn't something." Eric tried to land softly, but his hooves clopped heavily on the wooden floor as he lost his aerial footing. "Landing needs work. First lesson?" Rudy asked again eyeing Clyde, who was nodding and practically beaming with pride.
Eric made his way back over to the table and took his seat again, though found himself still under the gaze of the lead reindeer. "You know, we're holding tryouts for Cupid's old spot in a few weeks. If you're this good maybe you should try out."
It was Eric's turn to be stunned again. "Oh, I'm only here for a month or so. I have to get back home."
Almost on top of Clyde's, "He's really human, Rudy. Some of the others might not like it."
"They can get over it." Rudy responded with a snort. "Or give up their spots. I'm the team captain, it's my choice. You got talent kid, it'd be a shame to toss it away. Just think about it. The job's a cushy one and we can make this all permanent with the right magic." Rudy gave Eric's shoulder a squeeze and headed back out into the cold. Sal reappeared with a tray of steaming food, setting down a bowl of oatmeal decorated with fruit and nuts in front of each of them as well as a mug of cocoa each. Well, this was a Christmas Village.
The oatmeal tasted better than he expected, and he found himself cleaning his bowl as Clyde chatted away. Telling him about the different reindeer on the team and what they were like. Though Eric finally spoke up. "Was he serious?"
"Rudy? He usually is. And if he gets something in his head.." Clyde's words drift off for a moment. "And the Cupid spot is my harness mate, I'd like to fly next to someone I get along with."
"No, I mean, this can be permanent." Eric asked giving a tug on one of his ears.
"We know how, but no human has done it before." Clyde's expression was hard to read, did he seem eager? Excited? Worried? "You got weeks to think about it yet, eat up. Best oats in town, I promise."