Ch. 8: Travel Party

A few months had passed, and it seemed that every day Illesior was eager to speak with me, monitoring my progress and mental state. Meanwhile, I had kept my deal with Dukalis and practiced whatever he was able to transmit through me.

Now it was the edge of spring, and the days stretched on for what seemed like eternity. The last major festival held was the Assessment Ceremony of the Spring Equinox, and now the Assessment Ceremony for the Summer Solstice was only five days away.

Warmth seeped into my fur as I stood on the balcony, staring across the city. The sun blazed high in the sky, and I was alone with my thoughts for a time.

I hadn't told Illesior that I had tried to grasp magic as a Sorcerer; the last time we had touched on this topic was the day I met Dukalis and made a deal with him. It had been brought up as a suggestion, but nothing more than that.

But now it was time I revealed what I had been taught by my secret mentor, and I hoped that once I proved myself as a formidable warrior rather than a wannabe scribe, I would be sent to Dragon's Reach to fight the Consumed. Dukalis never told me what that entailed, aside from feeding the royal family's thirst for magic, but from what I knew I assumed it would be to become a person of high social standing and hold my own.

The sound of a mighty horn shattered the silence, and as it subsided, I closed my eyes. "It's time, Dukalis. There's no turning back now."

I had to trust that what I had learned would be enough to convince the prince, or our plan would never come to fruition.

I let out a yell, a shout that echoed through the turrets of the world around me.

"Dukalis, grant me the Agility of Az, the Lord of the Ascent!"

Let his essence give grace to your steps and lightness to your feet, Albino. Take a leap of faith…

"...And fly on wings of wind!" I leaped from the balcony and felt assurance rush through me, like I was suddenly invincible.

As I plummeted down to the garden below, suddenly I glided upwards, running through air and landing on a steep roof.

But the angle was nothing to the grace of the gods running through my veins. I ran along the side, swift as a raging hurricane.

I was on top of the world. I spiraled through the air, completing so many twists, turns and flips that anyone watching would faint from dizziness.

But as I neared the arena where the meeting was being held, suddenly I could feel my strength depleting.

Oh, no, not now! Dukalis pleaded worriedly. I was sure the Agility of Az lasted for much longer than this!

"What do you mean?!" I yelled, struggling to leap across a stretch of buildings in front of me. "I thought you had this under control! We practiced for ages!"

But not for long enough, He replied, panic and realization rising in his voice. I should've known that three months is nowhere near long enough to even comprehend the Agility of Az!

"YEAH, YOU SHOULD'VE!" I snapped. "And now it's going to wear off, and I'm going to fall to my death!"

Now, let's not be so dramatic. And besides, it took me twenty-three years to learn the Agility of Az, not three months. Ah, I'm so foolish! I could've sworn I heard him tsk-tsk to himself after this, and that was the last straw.

"Okay, FINE! If we can't use the Agility of Az, we need to use another kind of magic! One that won't give me a broken spine!" I huffed and yelped as I skidded on a loose shingle, but I still continued to run.

It'll have to be one that can be easily learned by an ordinary aetyr. The magic of the gods will prove useless, as I do not have enough willpower to summon it. Dukalis then proceeded to channel a lesser magic into me, and it was one that I realized was a kind you could be born with. It was the lowest rank of achievable magic.

Before I could realize what exactly the magic was, I felt an explosion around me and I shot through the air.

"WHAT MAGIC IS THIS?!" I screeched. "I'VE NEVER USED THIS BEFORE!"

Compression Cannon! You control the air around you to send objects or individuals flying!

"Compression Cannon?!? HOW DOES THIS HELP?!"

As if on cue, I felt a blast of air envelop me, like a vacuum sucking me in. Then it expanded, and I shot through the air again, tripping on another roof.

I'm controlling it for you at the moment, since it's obvious you've never seen it before. Dukalis sighed, seeming annoyed but relaxed now that I was out of immediate danger. We'll have to go through my magic again, once your meeting is over.

"You THINK?!" I leaped another gap, the expanding air booming around me once more. The arena was in sight, and quickly approaching, too.

Oh, look at that! The spirit seemed pleased. You're almost there. Try not to cause a huge commotion, will you?

"It's a bit too late for that, don't you think?" I replied dryly, feeling like I was starting to get the hang of Compression Cannon. I felt the air compress one last time, and I flew overhead the last stretch of buildings before soaring over the walls of the arena.

The ground hurtled towards me, and I managed to get my feet to point to it before I made contact.

Whump!

As the dust cleared, I heard a loud cheer. Looking around, I saw that the vast arena was filled with aetyrim, most of them being Black Manes. But the ones who had White Manes were mostly silent, staring on in awe.

And beside me was Prince Illesior, looking rather impressed with the spectacle I had made of myself.

"I didn't expect you to be here today, Albino." A pearly white smile crossed his dark face. "How did you happen to get here so fast?"

I shrugged. "That's something I wanted to tell you about, actually," I began, before suddenly the arena went dead silent.

As I looked around awkwardly, Queen Omani stepped forward from behind, showing no sign of emotion save for a sense of authority. "Citizens of Aetyria!" She called. "Three moons ago, in the month of Valiquir, an Assessment Ceremony was held for the three eastern towns nearest to the Capital. Now the Summer Solstice is only five sunrises away, and another Assessment Ceremony must be held, though this time we shall send for the aetyrim living west! Parties will be sent to Undergrove, Xy'kiln, and Portsbruk, and return by the dawn of the Summer Solstice."

A murmur rippled through the crowd uncomfortably, and I held my breath. I knew why now. Dukalis had told me that those cities, although maybe not on the far western side of Aetyria, were undeniably in risky territory, what with being in close proximity to Dragon's Reach.

Omani continued, "Due to the danger that this journey may pose, I am also sending Sorcerers and skilled warriors in each party to protect you in both ways. So now, we have come together to choose who will be sent to retrieve the western aetyrim, as well as their respective escorts consisting of the Sorcerers and warriors."

She looked to her son and dipped her head, signifying that it was his turn to speak. Illesior nodded and turned to face the crowd. "I will be choosing aetyrim who have come recently from Gatesborn, as well as aetyrim that I trust will prove their abilities useful. The party going to Portsbruk will be led by… my personal advisor, Vrotaz!"

From within the crowd, a familiar face shone through, and Vrotaz stepped out from among them, standing tall with an aura of regality.

"Since Portsbruk is the safest of the three cities we are traveling to, you don't need many escorts. To you I am assigning the warriors Vemarir and Strumaex. The Sorcerer will be Zenii the Stormbringer."

Three more aetyrim stepped forth, all three being Black Manes. The warriors were tall and confident, ready to face the dangers that lay ahead. One had a pale rose pelt and the other was a rusty yellow. The yellow was male and the rose was female.

But the Sorcerer took my breath away. She was tall and sleek, her black mane flowing in the wind. Her eyes were a pale gold; her fur was a dark stormy teal, like oceans tossed by a hurricane.

While the warriors bowed on one knee reverently, the Sorcerer only dipped her head, acknowledging their high position but also asserting her own dominance.

Her face made me shiver. There was a coldness lying within it, like the dead of winter rising on the God's Headrest.

Vrotaz looked to Illesior expectantly, and the prince continued. "The party going to Undergrove will be led by… Unydae!"

A short, heavyset aetyr stepped forward, her green eyes shimmering excitedly. She was a lavender-furred female, and although she didn't seem intimidating at first glance, within her eyes was a flicker of boldness.

"The warriors I am sending with you will be Ephamari, Irandor, and Owix. The Sorcerers will be Iras the Goldbearer and Shefaris the Windcaller."

Five more aetyrim stepped forward, the warriors bowing gladly and the two Sorcerers only acknowledging their presence.

"And as for the last party heading to Xy'kiln, I will be the head. The warriors will be-"

"WAIT!"

Everyone stopped to turn to me. I stood there awkwardly, but I knew what I had to say. "Illesior, wait. I want to join you as a resident Sorcerer," I said breathlessly.

Illesior's face had a small trace of amusement, but he seemed dead serious. "...You're a Sorcerer now, Aven?" He replied quietly. His voice was frightening, as this was one of the first times I heard him completely humorless.

"Y-yes," I asserted. "And I can prove to you that I have what it takes."

Illesior didn't blink. "Go ahead." He looked almost angry in a way, but that was most likely because I didn't tell him what I was up to prior.

The Sorcerers already chosen for the other two parties looked on, condescending fumes emanating threateningly as they glared. It was like they were daring an obvious rookie to try and claim themselves to be in the same profession. A WHITE MANE, no less!

"R-right." Dukalis, what magic should I use? Is it safe to use a god's magic now? That'll impress them. I willed myself to use the telepathy that we shared.

I don't think it would be wise to use the god's magic, Dukalis replied, a little nervous. You'll look awfully suspicious if you show it so soon, and the prince is taken aback as is. How about you use Illusion Beast?

We've hardly practiced that, I said. But fine. You're the real Sorcerer, after all.

Seeming pleased, Dukalis proceeded to fill my spirit with the energy needed to perform the spell, and I braced myself, getting ready to release it.

"Come forth, Beast of Illusion, and rise to my aid!" As I shouted these words, bright streaks of lightning sprouted from my fingertips and raced through the air, taking shape until a ferocious dragon of pure energy was formed. 

The aetyrim gave a collective gasp of astonishment, some even of fear and others of awe. The Sorcerers looked on, a hint of impression glimmering in their unforgiving eyes.

But the dragon I had created was far from perfect; it was rather small, only the size of my arm, and its form was unsteady and flickered like a dying flame.

It opened its mouth and the crackling of lightning could be heard in place of a majestic roar.

I turned to Illesior as the dragon flew around us, a small grin crossing my pale face. "As you see, I've been practicing," I smirked.

Illesior seemed impressed, but doubtful. The dragon soared down to us and gently pressed its nose to mine, and I gave a jolt.

Suddenly the dragon was gone, and the magic I had felt leaving my body was restored again.

Illesior laughed. "You have many secrets, Albino. You surprise me more every day." Then he turned back to the crowd. "The warriors joining the party will be Arius, Strubin, Sophi, and Kirune. The Sorcerers will be K'heali the Skyseeker, Aven the Anomaly, and I, Illesior the Dark."

I saw Arius and Strubin step forward, looking confused but excited all the same. Beside them were two other white manes I didn't recognize. I assumed they had come from another settlement three months prior and turned my attention to the Sorcerer.

K'heali was tall and broad-shouldered, a male Black Mane with sky blue fur and lemon eyes. With a jolt I realized that I was the only White Mane Sorcerer in any of the travel parties.

Queen Omani spoke again. "Vrotaz, take your party and head to the south of the city. You will be sailing down the river and around to the south coast, since that is the safest option. Unydae and Illesior, you will travel together as one until Unydae's party reaches their destination at Undergrove, in which case Illesior's party will head on ahead to Xy'kiln."

"Do we leave at once?" Unydae piped up expectantly.

Omani nodded. "Yes. I fear that you may not come back in time for the Summer Solstice, so I wish for my fears to be quelled by you taking it on sooner than later."

"Likewise, Mother, your idle chatter does more harm than good," Illesior pointed out dryly. "A simple 'yes' would have conveyed the same meaning."

She glared at him, her stance as his mother shining through in indignation. But she didn't bother reprimanding him for his poor choice of words.

"Go! The aetyrim of the west are waiting for you! And may the gods be on your side, and bring good fortune wherever you may be!"

We poured out of the arena, pushing past cheerful onlookers, and all the while I clutched my satchel tightly.

I was leaving my home behind again. But this time, I was sure I would return, albeit possibly not unscathed. Dukalis had my back, and I trusted Illesior.

I just hoped my good luck would hold once we were out of safe territory.