Cyber Mortality

Chapter 57:

"Good lord, they're like fighter jets!" Zephyr exclaims upon further analyzing our situation. "I'll bet we could still fly faster, but they could certainly outflank us with five of them."

"Should we split up?" I suggest.

"No," Zephyr replies. "If we split up we will each have to deal with at least two Pteros. We're better off trying to outrun them. Perhaps if we land on the castle they won't follow."

"I don't know," I purse my lips and follow Zephyr as he climbs higher and higher into the sky. The speed gauge reads 350 and climbing.

Below I can still make out the five forms, which are now banking in our direction.

"I think they spotted us," I warn as two Pteros break off and make a beeline for us.

"We've got enough height that we should be able to stay above them. If we can go high enough the air should get thin enough that they can't follow." Zephyr pushes our speed up to 400kph as we clear the second cloud line and reach a height of 20 kilometers.

"These can't be normal Pterodactyls right? From what I read in school they weren't nearly this fast." I gaze down at the specks behind us.

"I agree. We should be going over triple their speed, but they seem to be able to go maybe 250kph. Where as we're going around 400 right now." Zephyr pauses. "I suppose you can build whatever you want when you make a game. Not like magic is real IRL."

"True," I sigh.

"I think if we dive down and land in the castle they won't be able to catch us," Zephyr speculates. "You think you can handle a speedy drop?"

"How fast?"

"I'll bet we could hit 500," Zephyr sounds pretty proud. "If we do our best to streamline our bodies, plus the bonus lack of friction due to our suits, we could maybe even top 500."

"And what about stopping?" I inquire as we come to a halt hovering in the air.

"We will want to save our magic to cushion our fall. If we were really high up and we used our magic we could hit a Mach." Zephyr chitters excitedly.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so excited," I snort.

"Don't get used to it," I can practically hear his scowl.

"Who would have thought that the fancy pants wind magic master would be a speed demon," I chuckle.

"Grr." He growls. "We should go. Everyone is waiting for us."

"Whatever you say, oh great speed king," I giggle. "I'll follow your lead."

"Make sure you breathe slowly," he warns. "And pop your ears. We will be falling around ten kilometers. The suit can only do so much." After that he twists to face downward in the air and releases his magic.

I follow suit, twisting and pressing my arms tight to my side. My stomach twists into knots and my only point of reference is Zephyr. I stare hard at his feet as we plummet for what feels like hours. The gauge on the suit climbs until we hit 520kph and holds that number.

"We're about a kilometer out now," Zephyr's voice breaks the silence in my head. "Be ready to slow yourself when I say so."

I try to wiggle my fingers or move my arms slightly but find they are glued to my sides.

"Alright start slowing, now!" Zephyr commands and whips his arms away from his side and spreads his legs.

I zip past him as I try to peel my arms and legs away from my body but at this speed it feels impossible.

"Use magic to slow yourself then push them away," Zephyr says in my ear.

I imagine a current of air slowly wrapping around my body and forcing it out of its downward dive. After a moment my body levels out and I am able to pry my arms and legs away from my body.

A cross-hair flashes in the center of my vision as the castle appears before me. Slower. I will the air around me to slow my body more until my speed registers at 200kph.

"350 meters out!" Zephyr warns. "Keep it fast, but make sure you can stop yourself."

I twist around until I position my feet toward the ground. My speed picks up, but I slow it with air from my palms and feet.

The ground looms up to smash into me just as I push downward as hard as I can muster, while imagining a large cushion billowing out below me. My feet hit the cushion and I bend my knees. My body tips backward and I lash my arm out at the last second to catch myself from tipping backward onto the ground at 30 kph. I hover for a second before letting the magic drop. My heels hit the ground and I fall back on my butt in the grass. After such a strong use of wind magic the taste of mint hovers in my mouth for several moments after I stop using it.

Not a moment later Zephyr steps down out of the air as if it were the grand staircase at a ball.

"Not bad," Zephyr nods in my direction. He presses a button on the side of his helmet and his face materializes.

I do the same and let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding in.

"Oh, that's bad," Zephyr's eyes go wide as he looks at something behind me.

"I thought you said my landing wasn't that bad," I scowl and slowly work my way to my feet.

"Not your landing," he tenses.

Thud. Thud thud. The ground shakes and I turn to glance toward where Zephyr is intently starring.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."