Baruf helped Gründ get the machine to the floor, all the while cursing at the weight of “that giant useless thing”, then sat next to Bared to watch the show. They had some berries to nibble on and, now that the hard work was over, a big goofy grin on their faces. They knew that, with Gründ around, they were in for a good laugh. They won’t be disappointed, but that comes just a little bit later.

The flying machine consisted of a long stone tail ending with a feather, an oval body hollowed out to make room for the driver to sit, a couple of weird instruments that probably controlled the flight, and four feather shaped wings, two on each side. Two orbs were needed to power it up, and Gründ inserted them in the small cavities just in front of the driver’s seat with a stunned reverence. The machine, in his eyes, was the most beautiful thing in the world.

Everything lit up in a bright blue flash, causing gasps and oohs and aahs among the Töskrs. Gründ started laughing uncontrollably. It worked! He had hoped it would, but after being buried for so long, there was still a risk that the thing would be broken… But it wasn’t! And oh, how beautiful it was! The feathers were all lit, veins of blue running through their length, and the cockpit shone light the morning Core. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He HAD to try it out.

Despite the throbbing in his leg (and nose) Gründ jumped on the seat and, with a giant smile on his face, pushed on the orbs. And… nothing. Nothing at all.

“Bwahahaha look at you, sitting there! You were so sure you knew how to make it work! Hahaha” Bared was rolling on his back with laughter. “See Baruf? I told you we were in for a good time! Oh Gründ, if you could see your face!”

Gründ, still in the seat, lay motionless while the old Töskr made fun of him. What had he missed? He knew that two orbs were needed to activate it. And that part, at least, had worked. But why wouldn’t it move? Was he too big? Maybe he didn’t push the orbs enough, or maybe too much, or…

“Or maybe, if you had looked around a bit more, you would have found the way to move this thing!” Gotha had returned from her exploration, and sounded triumphant. Gründ looked up, hope in his eyes. “You found it?” He would let them laugh at him for the rest of his life if she gave him the key to flying! His dream, coming true!

“Try again” said Gotha. “Get your big bones out of the seat, and the orbs. Now, sit back in… Hahaha, Gründ, you look so huge in there! All right, all right, calm down, here’s the thing. You have to put the orbs in once you’re seated, then press them lightly, just like you do for all the other machines at home. You let too much time pass between the placement and the pushing, is all!”