DARKLIGHT

- 9 -

After that, Kaces took me back to my cell and left me alone, which I guessed was because my sudden transformation had taken so much out of me. As much as he was testing my strength, he didn't want to injure me. It was obvious that I was being trained for a purpose, and I couldn't imagine that being a good thing.

After resting for a while to get my strength back, I decided to try my escape route, and surprisingly, it was open again. I vanished from sight and worked my way back to the main plaza that I'd been to once before. I found myself across from the lion mural wall that I had seen in my first escape attempt. My magic apparently wasn't that accurate yet. I jogged across the huge field towards the murals I recognized, but stopped when I reached the floating fountain.

It was much taller than I had expected. Without any connection to a water source, it hovered and jetted streams of cool water into the air, far above my head. They landed outside the fountain but disappeared when they hit the paved ground. I happily dipped my head in one of the streams, rinsing off my dusty hair. It had been ages since I'd taken a shower.

I wasn't being very careful. I lost myself in the magical fountain until I heard a voice behind me. "You."

I didn't dare turn around. I recognized the Master's hissing voice, and they had to recognize me, but seeing the Master with my own eyes would only prove to my conscience that I'd made a terrible mistake. I lifted my head and stood with my back to them. "You," I replied simply.

I heard the Master's footsteps move along the paved walkway towards me, and I couldn't think or move. "You must think you're clever," they rasped.

"So did you," I blurted. "And Kaces." I turned to face the Master on an impulse. They were still entirely hidden beneath a black cloak, so any facial expressions were shielded, but they emanated cruelty anyway. Their symbol was already lit, and it looked too similar to Kaces's threats to keep me calm. I drew back from the Master, but the fountain's edge cut off my retreat.

"Kaces, you say," the Master mused. "Thank you for being honest with me, Siderion. He'll be punished as well. Cezalandei." The entire world was blocked out by Dark magic and pain. I groaned and held both hands to my heart, where the jabbing was the strongest. "Let this be another lesson to you." With each word, the Dark magic drove itself into me again.

I did the only thing I could think of and thought back to how my father called Hecatus, groaning, "Surem." I shifted much faster this time, and the Master's magic did nothing to hold me back. With a fearsome caw, I leaped out of the magic's grasp and into the air.

Flying, as it turns out, is not easy to do. I had only just developed my wing muscles, so I only got a few quick flaps out of them before feeling my height drop rapidly, and I tumbled back onto the ground. Hecatus made it look so easy. It seemed as though the Master hadn't yet reacted, so I jumped yet again, and this time I got going. Deeper flaps got me higher, and I was soon well above the plaza and the fountain. The Master looked up, but their face was so shadowed that I couldn't tell what their reaction was. At the time, I figured it had to be awe.

Then, I slammed into the sky. There was a barrier just below the roofs of the buildings, and I hit it fast. The collision sent me whirling, and weightlessness took control of my huge, unwieldy body. I tried a few quick wing beats to slow down, but it did no good. I managed to glide for the last few meters before hitting a pillar at the edge of the plaza and sliding down to the ground.

I folded my wings awkwardly and bowed my head, trying to hide my embarrassment and terror. The Master had been following my progress and was already near where I landed. "That," they said sharply, "is enough."