31 - Show-Off

After they had stopped freaking out about my new technique, we ate lunch. It wasn't anything special - just a simple stew one of the new guys had started making recently - but it filled us up.

Afterwards, Cameron begged me to show them all my air walking. I complied, just a little self-conscious. It was becoming second nature, assuming I kept practicing.

"Can you make me fly?" Cameron suddenly asked after my demonstration.

I paused a moment. "I guess I can." I created a platform for him to step on to at shin height. "Go ahead and step on."

He did, his excitement bubbling over. Once both feet were on the platform, I made a smaller one, just a little higher. As he stepped on it, I created another one, higher. After several steps, he was over my head.

He hesitated, balancing on one foot. "You didn't make another step."

"You pick the next step." I replied.

Hesitantly, he stepped forward. When he found a platform under his foot, he let out a breath he held. Then he took another blind step that I supported. He walked a few more steps before I started making stairs down. He took the first couple, then jumped to the ground.

"That was so fun! A little scary, but fun!"

I nodded. "Now get back to work. Your days off are Sunday and Tuesday."

Cameron bounded off, and the crowd that had formed dispersed to their various jobs. I found myself alone.

Deciding to avoid distracting them all more - they were working on winter preparations - I went around behind the temple to practice more.

My after-lunch practicing involved more dynamic and daring footwork. I leapt across long gaps, smashed into barriers, and even attempted a somersault. My butt hit the dirt again on the somersault. I also experimented with angles, and got to about 60 degrees, running in a circle, before I got dizzy.

Time passed steadily, and I took several breaks to recover my mana. Eventually, it was getting late enough that the girls should be returning, if they hadn't already. I air walked up to the roof and carefully made my way around to the front. I didn't see the women, so I sat on the ledge, my feet dangling.

I didn't wait long before they showed up, giggling and chatting. They entered the camp, congregating around the stew pot, which was boiling with dinner in it. Katie looked around, probably expecting to spot me working on my day off. She had caught me doing that before.

I set platforms under my feet and stood. Casually, I strolled around the camp, gradually getting lower and lower.

Silence, who was sitting next to Katie, poked her for her attention and pointed at me. Katie gasped when she saw me. I took a few steps of about a foot to land on the ground, and joined them at the fire. They all had their attention on me.

"You did not just learn to fly." Katie said.

"Nope." I replied.

"I said that sarcastically. You clearly were just flying."

I created a barrier by my shoulder and leaned on it, arms folded. I even picked up a foot to demonstrate that the barrier was holding me up. "Flying implies a number of things which were not actually happening. The more accurate term would be walking in the air."

She rolled her eyes. "Greg, was Marcus flying?" she asked the chef.

"You tell me, missy. I've been watching my soup this whole time."

"I think he's flying, no matter what he says," Cameron said, approaching and taking a seat around the fire and clay pot, "he even let me fly after lunch. It was kinda scary, but I flew!"

"Thanks, kid," I grumbled under my breath.

"See?" Katie said, "all that matters is how people see it, and we see it as flying."

I shook my head and sat down. There was no point in arguing.

Katie moved over to me, and leaned on my shoulder.

"I think we should go for a flight tomorrow." she said.

"I guess we could."

"What better way to show off your 'walking in the air', right?"

"Right... Is that really what I sound like to you?"

"No, I'm just too lazy right now."

I shook my head and watched the fire crackle.

Eventually, Greg called out, "Dinner's ready!"

The men doing tasks around the camp stopped what they were doing and gathered around the pot. It gave off a sweet smell.

Like the smell, dinner was a sweet stew. It was a welcome change from our regular savory.

After dinner, we split up among our three barracks to sleep.

As soon as I fell asleep, I dreamed. I was being chased by a monster that resembled a giant, round crab. Its face was shark-like and beady yellow eyes stared down at its prey.

Which... was not me. A girl, about 8 years of age, ran from the beast, her radiant gold hair flowing behind her. Somehow, she didn't trip over her clean white dress, and her bare feet were uninjured.

She changed her course, and I looked ahead to spot an ancient tree, with a maze of roots she could fit between.

The monster gained distance, despite the sudden change in direction.

The girl dove between the roots, just barely dodging a swiping pincer and finding safety in the roots system.

She looked directly at me, and said, "Come, help me!"

I awoke immediately. It was still dark out, from what I could tell from our built-in skylights.

Trying not to wake anyone else, I moved toward the door to check who was keeping watch.

Everyone stirred, though, some sitting up. Cameron scrambled to his feet.

"We have to save her!" he said.