Seven Lost Lords: The Anomaly

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.