Theurgy: The Citadel of Light (Book Three)

Chapter 1 The Land of Magic

Ryan looked out to the land as it came into view below him. The thick mist of morning light restraining the early sun from greeting the sea below began to part as the day went on. He's only been flying for a few minutes, but he was glad to see secure land beneath him finally. He had indeed reached the city of Hiras, his intended destination. A port city of Torlan, though their was a spare amount of any sort of merchant or commercial vessel to occupy the narrow docks that met the unusually calm seas. Instead, there were the Ravens, the Navy of this small island nation guarding it against any and all threats. They rarely ventured beyond these misty coastlines, as for the past ten years, Torlak had shit themselves off from all forms of immigration or exchange with even their Thirians brethren. But that has changed relatively recently, as the Grandmaster has pondered recently lift this self-imposed isolation and rejoining in proper relations with the rest of Thiria. Ryan was skeptical that this would pass the council, as he's only heard how often they tend to oppose the grandmaster's wishes, but as long as they can add their powers in fighting Talon, he cares for little else.

    He glided now over the city proper, clouds just above him, looking for a decent place to land and get his bearings. The city's layout was unlike anything he's seen in another city. He's never been to the capitals of the empire, and Azure Bay was the closest he's seen of any actual luxury, but he could only guess that this put all of that to shame.It was not the strange, wide winding roads that seemed to cut the buildings into tightly organized blocks of varying heights, but the massive towers that carved through the skyline like many blades and staffs raised towards an invisible enemy. It was not the central fortress-like construct that dominated all other buildings about it. Not one of these unusual sights was what caught him off guard. It was the islands. Floating islands. These massive pieces of land suspended over Hiras, slowly floating across the skies were wonderous to look upon. Some range from a few meters in diameter to kilometers, hovering high above the air and casting long shadows across much of the city below them. And sitting atop these floating islands were even more buildings and towers, entire city blocks resting above others where residents lived out their daily lives, he could only assume. In the distance, he could see some that could be called floating castles looming like great beasts over the horizon.

    Ryan was captured by this sight, framed so brilliantly by the morning sun that he almost did not sense that he was being pursued. Those winged figures he had seen in the distance weren't all that distant for long, as he instinctively dodged a beam of light that would have collided with him from behind. Three surrounded him now, and he recognized what winged beasts these men were riding. Massive lithe bodies of lions and the head, wings, and forearms of various eagles with solid golden eyes locked onto him. Upon them were similarly dressed, assumably guards with long double-ended spears covered in runes. Their beaked helmets, not unlike their flying companions, were menacing as they still pointed their staffs at Ryan as they glided alongside him.

     "You are not authorized to fly this high without expressed permissions," one said, the tip of his spear glowing a faint blue light. "Produce proper permits or be grounded immediately." 

     Ryan chuckled. "Very well then, say, how fast can those griffons of yours go up to exactly?"

     The griffon rider seemed momentarily confused at the odd question, looking to his other two colleagues; spears still pointed at Ryan but seemed put off just as much. "Well, sir, I suppose the standard griffon can reach speeds up to 188 . . . where did he go?"

    All Three riders were baffled, they swore they had not taken their eyes off of the man, and yet, he was gone, not a trace of him in the air, not even a stir of the wind. Even the griffons, as intelligent as they were, could only give puzzled looks as the flying man suddenly disappeared from even their keen senses.