Wings of Discipline

Xaren stood among the other demons in the training yard, the morning sun casting long shadows across the compound.

Floch's booming voice echoed through the air, carrying authority and a tinge of amusement. 

"First lesson! Release your wings!" 

The group stood frozen, unsure of how to proceed.

Wasn't learning how to release their wings the whole point of being here? Why was Floch ordering them to do something they hadn't been taught?

Though the question lingered in their minds, none dared voice it aloud.

Floch folded his arms, his gaze sweeping over the crowd of demons. Spotting a few with their eyes squeezed shut, as though willing their wings to emerge through sheer determination, he let out a short, mocking laugh.

"Did you think your wings were just going to pop out when you wished for it? No! They're an extension of your body, and like your arms and legs, they're controlled by your brain.

You just haven't found the switch yet."

He stepped closer, his sharp eyes narrowing as he issued his next command.

"Close your eyes. Feel for it. Somewhere in your mind, there's a part of you that instinctively knows how to control them.

Find it, focus, and let them out!"

Xaren obeyed, shutting his eyes and turning his thoughts inward. He concentrated on the memory of the first time his wings had emerged—the strange, alien sensation that had accompanied their appearance.

Floch's words made sense; it was like discovering a new set of limbs and trying to figure out how to move them.

But understanding the concept didn't make it any easier. It felt like trying to move a phantom limb he wasn't entirely sure existed.

He strained, attempting to reimagine the sensation of them sprouting from his back.

Time blurred as he focused, and at some point, he felt a faint ripple of demonic energy surging through the energy circuits in his torso.

The energy seemed to be seeking an exit, and as it reached the surface of his skin, there was a sudden, sharp snap.

Dark, leathery wings burst from his back, unfolding wide in a dramatic, sweeping motion.

The wingspan was about 1.5x his height, equating to approximately 7 feet (3.5 feet per wing). This size provided enough surface area for lift without becoming cumbersome or disproportionate.

As for the base width near his back, it was about 1.5 to 2 feet per wing at the broadest point, tapering as it extended outward.

This way, the wings were sturdy, while not hindering arm movement and overall balance.

After studying them, Xaren faced forward and saw Floch nodding in satisfaction.

"Good. Now retract them." 

Xaren frowned. Retracting them proved far harder.

His wings twitched and shuddered, resisting his attempts to pull them back. Meanwhile, other demons began to release their wings as well, some with more success than others. 

Beside him, Ilya seemed to release her own dark-hued wings with effortless control, earning a nod of approval from Floch.

In the meantime, Xaren tried to retract his wings again, but they stubbornly remained extended. 

"Come on, you kids! Don't just stand there like a tree! Pull them back in before I startle you into it!" 

Floch barked aloud and before Xaren could ask what that meant, Floch clapped his hands together with a deafening boom.

The shock of the sudden sound made Xaren's wings snap shut on instinct, a wave of embarrassment washing over him. 

He wasn't the only one who had their wings pop out or snap shut on instinct, and Floch laughed at the lot of them, his amusement dripping into his words.

"See? Happens every time. That's why you'll also need to learn not to let your wings pop out whenever you're startled.

It's undisciplined and could get you killed in a real fight." 

This phase of training lasted for days. Floch would test their control with sudden shouts, flashes of light, or even tossing pebbles at them.

What Floch called a gentle toss felt more like a bullet to the inexperienced Low-Rank demons, leaving many teetering on the edge of a heart attack.

Time and time again, most of the new Low-Ranks, including Xaren, failed miserably, their wings instinctively flaring out at every unexpected movement.

"Again! Control your instincts. Your wings should NOT move unless you command them to!" 

Floch's booming voice lingered in their minds, even haunting their dreams.

At last, after countless attempts, Xaren finally mastered the art of releasing and retracting his wings at will.

The relief of progress was short-lived, however, as Floch immediately moved them to the next phase of their training: flight. 

◇　◇　◇

Flying, Xaren quickly learned, was nothing like he'd imagined.

Floch's voice, now a staple of both Xaren's waking hours and restless dreams, cut through the air with its usual mocking tone.

"Flap your wings, lift yourself off the ground, and don't crash. It's not that hard." 

It was THAT hard. 

The first time Xaren tried to take off, he flapped his wings too hard, launching himself into the air before tumbling down in a heap.

Others fared no better.

Demons flailed and spun in the air like drunken birds, crashing into each other or plummeting to the ground. 

All except Ilya. 

Xaren watched as she soared gracefully above the group, her movements smooth and controlled. He couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration at how easily she seemed to grasp it. 

Floch, however, wasn't impressed. 

"You there. You think I don't know what you're doing up there?"

At Floch's voice, Ilya froze mid-air and she temporarily lost control of her flight. Seeing this, Floch sported his usual grin.

"You're cheating with wind magic, aren't you?" 

When Ilya didn't respond, Floch snapped his fingers. Two of his subordinate Low-Rank demons appeared, clamping magic-restraining cuffs on her wrists.

They moved faster than Ilya's eyes could catch, and by the time she realised they'd snapped something on her wrists, she was tumbling to the ground.

"Learn to fly the proper way, or don't fly at all. At your stage, magic's a crutch. You won't always have it in a fight.

You don't have the necessary amount of magic for the Flight technique."

From that point on, Ilya's progress slowed, putting her on equal footing with the rest of them. 

Days turned into weeks as they learned to fly.

Floch introduced gruelling exercises: races through obstacle courses, high-speed dives, and even aerial combat drills. The demons were pushed to their limits, often collapsing into exhaustion by the end of the day. 

◇　◇　◇

After weeks of flight training, Floch introduced a new concept: using their wings as magic conduits. 

"Your wings aren't just for flying. They're built-in magic catalysts. Think of them like a wizard's staff—only better because they're a part of you." 

Floch explained, his voice taking on a lecturing tone.

After speaking, he demonstrated by spreading his massive wings, which glowed faintly with magic power.

A moment later, a burst of fire erupted from his palm, its intensity clearly amplified by the energy coursing through his wings.

"Casting with your wings makes your magic stronger, faster, and more efficient. But it only works if your wings are out."

He retracted his wings and cast the same spell again. The difference in power was stark, even though the same amount of energy had been used.

"That said, you won't always be able to rely on this. There'll be times when you're in a confined space, or situations where revealing your wings could jeopardize a mission.

There are countless other scenarios where using them might not be ideal. It's up to you to use your intellect and judge when to use them and when not to."

Floch dismissed his magic power, his gaze hardening as he continued.

"Still, you need to master this.

On a chaotic battlefield, where it's essentially a free-for-all, that one second saved on casting could mean the difference between survival and death."

After this, he clapped his hands and began dividing the group based on their magical affinities. As a fire demon, Floch was best suited to handle those with fire magic, while other low-rank demon instructors were brought in for demons with different attributes. 

Xaren's primary affinity lay with Gravity, but his proficiency with Fire wasn't far behind, so he was under Floch during this period. Floch took the opportunity to teach him several new fire spells to expand his arsenal.

At first, Xaren struggled to use his wings for casting.

Channelling magic through his wings felt unnatural, like trying to write with his non-dominant hand. But with practice, he began to notice the difference.

Once they got the hang of it, Floch ramped up the difficulty. 

"Time for some sparring! You'll fight in the air, using magic cast through your wings. Let's see who can stay airborne the longest."

The skies of the training yard became a battlefield as the demons clashed, their spells illuminating the air.

Xaren was knocked out of the sky more times than he cared to count, but each fall came along with a lesson for improvement.

◇　◇　◇

Finally, after months had passed, they came to the last stage of their training: using their horns.

Not all demons had horns, but for those who did, Floch had special training in store. 

"Horns are energy amplifiers. They boost the power of whatever energy you channel through them—magic, aura, or demonic energy.

But at your level, you can only focus on one type at a time." 

Xaren, who had a pair of small but sharp horns, found this ability fascinating. He practised channelling his magic through them, feeling the surge of power as his magic power became stronger.

However, the effort was draining, and maintaining control was a challenge. 

Of course, Floch made sure they practised relentlessly, pushing them to use their horns in combat scenarios.

At times, he restricted them to using only energy amplified through their horns, throwing them into a magic ring he conjured and forcing them to fight until only one remained standing.

Injuries were inevitable, with demons making daily trips to the treatment centre next door.

Yet, despite the difficulty of the training, it yielded undeniable results.

◇　◇　◇

It took over two months before Floch finally declared their training complete and the relief among the group was palpable.

They had spent two gruelling months under his Spartan regimen, enduring physical exhaustion and mental strain. 

Their training ended on the 1st of April, exactly three months since Xaren's rebirth.