23 Flight Training and Talk

As soon as our declarations were done, Hildr slowly raised herself into the air with some strong flaps of her wings.

When she was about 2 meters off the ground, she stopped ascending and slowly came to a stop, hovering at that spot. She looked down at me, a smirk on her face, "So, do you know the basics on how to fly?" seeing me give a half and half motion with my hand, she went into teacher-mode, "Okay, first off you need to keep your balance, as long as you can keep your center of gravity, you won't have any problems," she waited for me to get ready, so I didn't keep her waiting.

I sensed out my body and found the best position for my body to stay stable and balanced. When I did this, I looked up for further instructions but I felt an instinctive pull at the back of my mind. The pull told me that I just needed to flap my wings and it'd all sort itself out.

So, thinking that nothing too bad would happen, I did as the feeling said.

With a strong flap, I flew into the air, shooting past Hildr. My wings folded slightly to make less air resistance and I shot through the air, a whistling noise ringing out as I cut through the air.

I continued flying for dozens of meters before slowly coming to a stop. I spread my wings out once again and did what felt natural and flapped my wings in a steady, calm manner.

It still required some tweaking but I could keep myself in the air with only minor falls of rises in height due to the occasional mistake.

But I lessened the mistakes by manipulating Gravity around myself to make flying a bit easier for a beginner for me.

I hadn't had many chances to practice, as it only took one person with a zoomed in high-quality camera and my face would be spread around the internet as a winged-human. Personally, I cared very little about what other people thought of me but I didn't want to make unnecessary trouble for Nat and the people at S.H.I.E.L.D who'd have to clean up my mistakes.

So, right now where I didn't have to hide, I felt a weight unleashed from my shoulders and I let myself really stretch my wings.

Hildr shot up next to me and looked at me with both an annoyed and happy face. It was a weird look.

"You said you don't know how to fly but look at you now, hmm?" her voice sounded annoyed but her happy smile made me know she was only joking around. She flapped over to me, her face had taken on a curious look and seemed to be expecting an answer.

I playfully rolled my eyes, "Did you forget I'm an Angel Descendant? It's instinct, so I guess I don't have to learn from scratch as you guys did,"

Hildr seemed to think this also made sense and curtly nodded her head and went to speak but when she did, a very grumpy Valkyrie came from above.

"It's good we don't have to teach you everything, now let's get onto the Aerial Combat," Thrud floated down, her gold eyes looking both annoyed and weirdly...hurt?

Seeing her like this I knew it went a bit deeper than me not listening to her drunken request, so I decided to ask her after the training.

Hildr wanted to say something but I raised my hand, "She's right, Hildr, let's get on with the training. Every second wasted is a bit of strength not gained after all!" showing her a smile, she nodded and we flew up a bit higher.

When we reached the right altitude, Hildr explained to me that even with all my strength I'd still need to get used to the thin oxygen levels in higher altitudes, and it was better to do that now rather than later as I never knew when I would be fighting in high altitudes - even if it was a small chance, I'd still prepare for it.

At first, we just hovered there, letting my body get used to the new atmosphere. When we just got up here, I didn't feel any different but as time went on it got harder and harder to breathe and function. But I had a trick up my sleeve for situations like this.

You see, the Sage Force wasn't just to do with the Mind, no, it could also affect the body. Mainly in terms of evolution and adaptation.

So I simply channeled as much Sage Force as I could into my body and forced it to adapt to the high-altitude environment. It was painful and felt like multiple ants, spiders, and centipedes crawling around in my body but before I knew it, I was done and I could know breath fine.

In fact, I felt like I could do it even better than before! I wonder how could my stamina is now...

Bringing myself out of my stupor, I looked over at Hildr, "I've adapted, now what?" hearing what I said both the Valkyries looked shocked.

"A-are you sure, Michael? It may feel like you have but that could be the lack of oxygen messing with your head," Hildr came up to me and checked my pulse and breathing with a worried face.

The more she checked, the more her shock turned into surprise.

She probably found that my pulse was steady, strong, and slow. While my breathing was unhindered and had no problem supplying my body with enough oxygen. Her eyes widened as she looked up at me.

"It should've taken you a week or two to adapt...we were only planning to see your limits today before going lower in altitude before teaching you Aerial Combat..." she paused for a minute before flapping back over to Thrud's side. She turned back to me and smiled slightly, "Oh well, this puts us way ahead of schedule, and that's good! So, should we move onto the Aerial Combat?" she seemed a bit excited and summoned a spear from God knows where.

But I smiled in return and summoned my own red spear made of fire. It was the same as the one I usually made, around 215cm in length with a strong but flexible pole and a sharp blade which glinted in a red light from the sun above us.

(A/N - Imagine Gae Bolg, the spear that Lancer uses in Fate/Stay Night~)

Hildr and even Thrud look at the spear, admiring both the simplicity and beauty of the weapon I'd created. But that didn't stay for long as Thrud flew off to the side while Hildr suddenly charged at me. As she was charging she started to lecture me.

"First thing you need to get used to with Aerial Combat is the 3 Dimensional and fluid nature of fights," she threw a thrust at me which I went to knock away but her thrust was nothing but a feint as she flew over me and sent a thrust at my back.

I spun around with a flap of one of my wings and diverted the lightning fast thrust with the side of my spear.

While I was diverted her spear, I didn't see the curled metal wing rapidly uncurling right next to me and before I knew it I'd been hit and sent flying back a few meters.

My head was spinning a little bit, not having any ground to hold me up after getting hit making my recovery a little slower than usual. But that slow recovery was all Hildr needed.

She charged in before sending a myriad of blurred thrusts.

Each thrust of hers seemed to become a snake with a mind of its own. Every time I tried to divert one, it'd somehow curve around my spear and strike at me still.

The spear Hildr was using seemed to be blunt as she'd hit me multiple times with her spear and yet I wasn't cut. And while I was proud of my defense, it wasn't to the point that I couldn't be left unharmed by weapons made for a Valkyrie.

Knowing I wouldn't be able to beat her in technique, I tried to overpower her with strong thrusts that she couldn't block or counter, she could only dodge letting me finally get some rest against her weird thrusts.

Taking note from her, I made it so my spear's blade was dull as well. This didn't mean it wouldn't hurt her, just that it wouldn't impale her.

But my breather came to an end when Hildr spoke out, "Tag in, Thrud~!" she seemingly disappeared and what replaced her was the still-annoyed Thrud. She had a spear and a shield and simply lifted her shield up to block my thrust.

Her shield felt like a gooey liquid and my spear got stuck in it. While it was stuck, Thrud sent out a sweep at my midsection, but I wasn't going to let her and de-summoned the blade of my spear, leaving me with a pole.

That's I needed.

You see, Hildr was something I struggle against - a technical fighter. She didn't use raw power like me but brilliant skill, and that was quite hard to counter.

Say if this was a fist fight, and on the ground, I'd be able to deal with her. But we were using spears and were in an environment where I'd never fought in before, so I couldn't.

I made a mental note to train with my spear even harder than before instead of just doing as a hobby.

But back to Thrud. I brought my leg up and filled it with Strength Force, causing armor similar to the gauntlets to appear on my lower leg and foot. I kicked the spear out of its path with my stomach, knocking Thrud's balance off, before I let the momentum of my kick carry me as I copied Hildr's earlier move and rapidly curled and then uncurled my wing, hitting Thrud with a solid hit.

She went flying back with a disorganized appearance but she had a small smile on her face. I was wondering where this came from but she started charging at me, sending powerful thrusts and sweeps my way, while occasionally throwing in a shield bash here and there.

I had 'grew' back my spearhead by this point and engaged her in combat.

When she thought that I'd gotten familiar enough with his fighting style she started to speed around me, using her superior flying experience and skill to attack me from all sorts of odd angles. But I was slowly but surely improving because of this.

After a while of doing this with Thrud and then having Hildr come in and beat me up with her technique, we went down to the courtyard again.

Despite being in the sky and having the clearest view of the sun, we didn't quite realize we'd been training for hours. So, when we landed Hildr asked if we wanted to go for something to eat.

I instantly agreed, having worked up quite the appetite but after seeing me agree, Thrud said she'd do it another time and left. Not being giving me a weird look and taking her Valkyrie wings to the storeroom where they were kept. After she did that, she pretty much sprinted off.

Surprised at how Thrud's mood died down from the earlier training, I looked toward Hildr in confusion before walking up to her and speaking in a low voice, "Tell me, Hildr, what's really up with Thrud? At first, she's all flirty with me, then she kisses me while we're drunk and asked me back to her room, but now she's so dismissive you'd think I just dreamt it all up! And this can't be all over one rejection can it, I'm sure she's got loads of other people she could go to, so why get so hung up over my words?" my low voice slowly developed into an annoyed and frustrated growl-like voice, causing Hildr to look at me with a look of pity before letting out a sigh.

She walked over to some shade in the courtyard and sat down, patting the spot next to her, motioning for me to sit down.

I complied and walked over, sitting next to her. I looked over at her, waiting for her to elaborate.

"You see, Michael...Thrud isn't usually like this," her words instantly confused me - she seemed like she was used to this stuff? If she wasn't, why'd she do it? - but ignoring my confusion, Hildr carried on with mirth in her voice, "In fact, you could say Thrud has zero experience with the opposite sex. Due to two reasons - One, her father is Thor, someone who is respected and feared by many, this 'many' just so happens to include most of the males in mine and Thrud's generation leading to most men steering well away from her...but the second reason is a much bigger 'problem'..." Hildr stopped speaking as she looked up at the blue sky with a slightly troubled smile, which still seemed to be happy in a weird and reminiscent way.

"And what is the second reason? And what do these reasons have to do with her behavior around me? If anything, it makes it even more irrational..." Hildr held up a hand, signaling me to shut up, so I reluctantly did.

After shutting me up, Hildr continued, "I'm getting to that, Michael, please be patient~!" she laughed a little before getting serious, "The second reason is that she doesn't want a man who is weaker than her to be with her. She wants an equal who will walk side by side with her, not someone she has to drag along. Meaning her lack of experience comes from the fact that no man in Asgard has overcome these two hurdles. They're either scared of her parents, weaker than her or both...but then you came along," her words caused even more rampant confusion to spread across my mind.

What did this have to do with me?

Before I could get any questions out, Hildr spoke out, "You were not only on friendly terms with Thor, the father who is a hurdle to most men, you were his student. Someone he cares for and helps grow which leads to the second point - you've been trained by Thor. There was very little chance of you being weak, and after your display against that Superia woman, then you pushing Thrud to use her power seriously in the arm-wrestling match...you could say you passed with flying colors and with how suppressed her emotions for the opposite sex have been, it's probably burst out like water from a broke Dam; Uncontrollable and hectic, leading to our current circumstances," Hildr went over what she said in her head before nodding her head self-assuredly with a small small on her face, "In simple words, it could be explained like this: Thrud's extremely forward and flirty behavior is the product of her fear that you - the only man to garner her interest - will disappear if she doesn't get you as soon as she possibly can,"

Sorting my thoughts out, I let out a sigh before looking at Hildr, "So, you're telling me that she...she wants me in 'that' way and isn't just a massive flirt? But she flirts with me so much because she thinks if she doesn't get with me, I'll disappear??...I'm not gonna say I completely understand but I kind of get it. It's just a little surprising, I guess," not being able to stop it, I felt a light red blush spreading across my face.

I truly thought she was just either trying to tease me or was just flirting because there was a guy in front of her. From how she acted, I thought she did this a lot.

But instead, it turned out she not only isn't like this but is instead without any experience and her flirty behavior was only her inexperience acting up and making her rush the process?

Seeing this, Hildr started laughing, "By Odin's beard you're as clueless as her...I guess that's good news for her though," Hildr continued laughing.

My eye twitched a little, "H-hey, I'll have you know I have the combined life experience of 2 and a half months, so what do you expect..." I weakly retorted as I truly felt that what she said was still right, no matter my reasons.

I let out a long sigh, "Do you think I need to go and talk to Thrud to sort stuff out? Because I feel like I do now. She was sincerely expressing her interest in me and I shrugged it off because I thought she was a promiscuous girl...she must have been quite hurt," I felt a pang of guilt in my gut. Sure it wasn't my fault I misunderstood, but it would be my fault if I didn't sort this out and she did something stupid.

Hildr seemed surprised at my candor and smiled while looking at me, "Maybe Thrud sensed this kind personality of yours. After all, Angels were known the be nice, gentle, and forgiving..." she chuckled before carrying on, "Yes, you idiot, you should go and talk to her,"

Letting out a laugh myself, I stood up before saying my thanks to Hildr before shooting off into the air so I could try and find Thrud from the skies above Asgard.

(A/N - So, ha! Take that to all the people who thought Thrud was a loose girl! She's simply an inexperienced and emotional girl who was fearful her only chance at a decent relationship with a man is gonna disappear if she didn't act on it!

Next chapter will be a chat between Thrud and Michael, and some more development to their relations. And before people talk about rushing romance, please don't. Thrud's been sheltered for all her life, her common sense is a bit..unique, which will lead to her emotions blooming as they've been suppressed for so long. I won't be dissuaded on this~)