Flying - Peta

The hum of excited chatter hung above the queues snaking down the main road towards the stadium. When the gates open the masses burst forward in unison dragging each other inwards.

It was easily the most impressive stadium in the Kingdom. Like a multi tiered wedding cake it was all pastels and cream. Instead of candles each tier was decorated with coloured flags flapping. The stadium filled quickly and was soon packed to capacity, not an empty seat to be found.

Testament to the importance of the occasion the guilded Royal box contained the whole of the royal family. Unusually King Bernard and Queen Lolita were both in attendance and today accompanied by the three Cherished Cherubs. The triplets born of a miracle birth despite the weight of medical opinion as to Queen Lolita’s barren state. Today the Queen was resplendent in lime green organza shot with orange. It pulled tightly across her chest, her more than ample bosom spilling over multi coloured braiding. A dazzling array of jewels sparkled like stars at the base of her slender throat while a floaty veil masked her beauty. Her dark hair was severely drawn back into a tight topknot revealing her royal double lobbed ears pinched with tiny diamonds and pearls. In contrast King Bernard was a jolly tub of a man. His red cheeks glowed, his full lips spread widely over his higgledy piggledy slightly yellow teeth. He roared and applauded in delighted anticipation.
All eyes stared in the direction of the podium fixed in the middle of the vast arena. A sentinel trumpeted demanding exclusive attention and heralding the commencement of the show. A hush descended over the crowd.

High above the ground the Magnificent Lydia flew in ever decreasing circles spiralling down to the podium. Effortlessly she hovered above it, bowing first to the Royal box and then to each corner of the stadium. The applause was instantaneous and deafening.

At 3’6” Lydia was large for her kind. Her lithe body bathed in crimson sequinned silk, skin tight accentuating her muscular form. Her features were stunningly angular, dark cavernous eyes drew you in below her bald shiny and oversized dome. An endearingly common characteristic of the gifted ones. Lydia’s radiance shone from the huge screens erected at all corners of the stadium. Tiny wings fluttered maintaining her hover. They shone like highly polished silver and carried her effortlessly higher and higher up into the darkness of the tent like ceiling. One spotlight followed her every movement. She floated momentarily in suspension, her sequins sparkling as the spotlights dodged from this side to that. All the while Lydia’s hands moved gracefully in arches creating circles of laser light beguiling the stunned crowd below.

Gasps broke the silence as Lydia folded into a ball and then flipped and spun. Momentum saw her spinning at warp speed towards the stadium floor, no safety net in sight. Moments before she would have been little more than a memory her magical wings fluttered again pulling her up just inches short of certain death. Applause erupted, hooting and snorting. Red roses showered the stadium floor.
The King struck the royal gong an unprecedented three times. An accolade like no other. Lydia somersaulted through the air, twirling like a bandleader’s baton. Stopping suddenly her tiny legs and arms spread to a star shape, a broad grin enlivened her face, testament to her pleasure. Once again she was the greatest show in Myriadia.