A Whole New World

Unbelievable sights and indescribable feelings awaited Gonyaul as he was slowly lowered by platform down to the ground floor. The light became more and more obstructed the lower he went and the familiarity of the environment was shrouded more in shadows and uncertainty. He had been studying and preparing for this moment for eight years; however, nothing could have readied him for experiencing it firsthand. It was as if he was being transported to a whole new world.

He was holding the hand of Qualestrel, who had volunteered to ride down with him, being the last two of the class to arrive. Without hesitation she let go of his hand and exited casually in order to join the others. It was mixture of primarily adults with several older children between the ages of 13 and 18 years old. They carried themselves with a confidence that Gonyaul had not yet found.

Gonyaul had to be gently coaxed off the platform by his friends as they realized he hadn’t moved yet. Like a timid puppy coming out of its safe cage into the scary unknown, Gonyaul slowly moved forward. While holding onto the side rigging of the platform, he extended his left leg and reached to place his foot upon the ground, liken onto one that was testing an ice-covered pond to ensure it was secure to walk upon.

For the first time in his life, Gonyaul’s stepped onto solid ground. He left the platform completely and like a newborn animal slightly wobbled over to the group. His sense of balance reorienting itself, finding it odd that there was no shifting and swaying beneath him like up in the canopy. The ground was solid and unyielding. He could only imagine it was immense in size, making him feel extraordinarily small, like a tick on a large beast.

The others were patient, waiting with a good attitude, for him to adjust. They all remembered their first time. Once his mind was sure that the earth was stable and figured out how it behaved beneath his feet, it quickly adapted. Gonyaul’s pace quickened to get close to the group. Even being a few yards from them seemed terrifying, like when you run down the stairs from a dark place into the light because you imagine a monster approaching.

Gonyaul was assigned to Orohc Faewyndl, all greenhorns were on their first day. He was the foremost expert on the world below and that fact alone was comforting. The other children were all paired with another adult. It was explained to Gonyaul, that they would be shadowing the adults for this class, learning from them. It was emphasized to him as well, that this training was not just in the arena of ideas, but happening in real time in the real environment. Faewyndl did not sugar coat his opening talk, making it very apparent how dangerous it was; however, he also added the hope that if one listened and learned that mitigating and navigating the hazards was absolutely possible.

The class began and they all proceeded off into the jungle together.