Cirque Periculum

Chapter 18

           

Adam groaned in pain. Alive. He was breathing, though wracked with pain. His body felt as if it was on fire, a feeling that was all-too familiar to him.

He tried to open his eyes only to find they were swollen shut. His arms lay numb and unresponsive. He couldn't remember what happened to him.

But he was alive. He felt that that was a very lucky fact.

Connor. I need to warn Connor... about... something. It was something... important.

His thoughts lost in his groggy mind, Adam fell back to sleep.

***

Connor had been flying for what felt like hours. Partway into his trip, he found a highway that seemed to be leading to the patch of lights he had noticed earlier. Staying close to it, he flew as fast as he knew how, arms flat at his sides and head straightforward like the head of an arrow. He wished he was as aerodynamic as an arrow. The taunting, far-distant lights twinkled in agreement.

The sky paled, and eventually the sun rose above the horizon. Connor rose with it and veered off the highway, wanting to ensure he stayed out of sight of any passerby. The landscape was flat and mostly barren, though Connor could spot the occasional patch of trees or stretches of other vegetation in the neat rows of a farm. The patch of corn was too much to handle, and he was eating a hand-scorched cob, moments after passing by it. Eventually, the somewhat barren gave way to completely barren.

Though Connor was flying fast, his thoughts flew faster still. Was the key his parents gave him to unlock the Alchemist's Mirror? No, it had to be coincidence. But if it wasn't, how'd they get it? And how on earth was he expecting to stop either of the Summertins from getting that mirror? Why should he care if either got it in the first place? What did it matter to him?

Still, Eve's voice wouldn't get out of his head. "Oh my dear boy, you're as much a part of this realm as any of us. That means you're in just as much danger."

What was so dangerous about a mirror?

Too many questions and too little answers. Connor glanced around to ensure he was still following the road and saw a wonderful sight just off the road a little way ahead of him. A gas station. That meant food!

Wondering if he had money for food or if he'd have to improvise, Connor pulled his backpack off and unzipped it, still flying forward. He fumbled around for his wallet, when he felt something drop out of the backpack. Looking back, he saw his key falling to the ground!

Holding his backpack tight, he whipped around and launched toward the falling key, hand outstretched.

C'mon, I gotta make it! He thought as he bolted downward.

Breathe. Relax. Meridian's voice echoed.

Connor took a deep breath and dived faster, willing to catch the key. Suddenly, the key stopped falling and flew into Connor's hand.

What the- Connor thought. Is that part of my flying magic? That sure ain't fire!

Gaining his bearings, Connor flew close enough to the gas station before walking the remainder of the way there. The station itself wasn't much to look at. Nothing surrounded it, and there was little to no warning on the road that it was there. For a moment, Connor thought that it was abandoned, until he saw movement inside the small general store.

Bells tinkled as Connor pushed open the dirty glass door to the shop. A scruffy old man stood behind the counter, smoking a cigarette between rotting teeth. Making eye-contact with Connor, the man took the cigarette from his mouth and ground it into the nearby ash tray.