Chapter 39 #2
“Your role is crucial: attack, defense, crowd control, battle oversight, and keeping distance between your unit and the Blackwood. You should never be dismounting during battle, unless you require healing or you have the ability to fly on your own. Remember: you’ll be soaring between various magical abilities being shot in all directions.
Your movements must be concise and streamlined, or you risk your life and that of your bonded creature.
I will take off, and you will follow my lead.
Remember your formations. Zenith will lead, Nadir will follow, Ascension on the right, and Declination on the left. ”
She leaps onto Argenta’s back, boosted by air magic.
I follow suit, and before I can even adjust my positioning, Calais is bellowing to the sky. I nearly slide off under the momentum, having to use all of my upper body strength to get my legs back in position above her shoulders.
Think happy thoughts, not cursing words, I remind myself. I’m not going to let my sharp tongue be the reason she decides not to catch me if I fall.
“Ah, so you can be trained.” Calais snickers.
She’s clearly trying to test my ability to hold my tongue with that comment. So, I don’t give her the satisfaction.
My eyes drift to see Vex to my right, Cinder to my left, and Juniper and Kissa below me. Typically, we are meant to fly in the shape of a five-pointed star, but S?las isn’t here, leaving us missing the middle of our formation. I take his position as anchor point.
Our formation was decided by Atlas, based on our various flying creatures’ sizes, wing spans, and unique abilities using his Celestial Gift of Probabilities magic. He can’t see the future like a Seer, but he can see hundreds of probabilities and determine which has the best chance of success.
Calais’ four wings tuck close to her sides, sending us plummeting towards the ground, following Argenta and Professor Reska.
She whips her tail, slinging us into a spiraling movement.
Putting on a show as the world around us spins in a blur of light.
My stomach hurls up my throat, spinning with my head.
“Stop using your vision for sight. Use your magic; sense the world around you. Quickly. I will not tolerate cleaning your vomit from my scales,” Calais hisses.
I don’t waste another second since I’ll be the one scrubbing her scales while she undoubtedly tries to eat me just for the fun of it.
My eyelids seal tight, shoving my nausea out my mosaic window.
I let my other senses take over. The wind whips past my ears, signaling our direction is still downwards, matching the stillness of her muscles while diving.
My magic crackles beneath my skin, sensing the disorder of the molecules spiraling around us.
Through chaos, I perceive the collision of atoms, the mayhem feeding my power as it reaches out further, craving even more pandemonium.
The ultraviolet radiation burns my exposed skin at the high altitude.
My magic simmers with delight, absorbing its energy, allowing me to determine our position in relation to the sun.
Shapes begin to take form under the collision of photons bouncing off objects all around.
I can now see the outlines of Vex and Cinder on my flanks.
Ahead of me, Argenta’s feathered wings flare wide, catching an updraft in an angled ascent.
I brace my body tightly to Calais’, preparing for the shift in her momentum.
In the next second, my muscles screech as I hold on, gravity threatening to claim me.
Her large muscles flex beneath my own with steady flaps as we ascend.
“Your powers are strongest when you let them flow with the natural energy of the world around you. They are not meant to be caged or tightly controlled. Just as the universe around cannot be commanded, nor can your powers of atomics and chaos,” Calais states with a steadying tone that’s almost grounding.
My heart rate lowers before spiking again with the realization there’s something off about her last sentence.
“What do you mean by atomics?”
“Your unique ability to sense the world at its tiniest level, perceiving atoms so small, they behave as not only particles, but waves, too.”
“But that sense came to me before we were bonded, so it can’t be my Arcane Glyph.”
“Nor did I say it was.” Her tone’s back to her typical raspy sharpness I’ve come to know. She’s clearly annoyed at my ignorance. It’s not like she’s the most forthcoming dragon, but I do appreciate her guidance today, allowing me to see without the sight of my eyes.
There are no texts on Chaos Magic. So, it’s up to me to explore the extent of my powers. I’m thankful to have someone much wiser than me to help me understand them.
“As much as I appreciate you admitting that I am clearly the wiser of us, we are a bonded team. I will always be here for you. I will always push you to be more, breaking through your perceived limits, because you are so much more than you know.” Calais’ voice is softer now, almost caring, a tone I didn’t know she’s capable of.
“Everyone thinks I’m more than I am. It’s starting to become a recurring theme.”
“Perhaps those around you see all that you can be, while you insist on being the one to hold yourself back. You think you’re in control, but fear controls you. When you learn to truly let go and become attuned with the universe around you, your powers will be limitless.”
Perhaps the Fates and Saool, the creator of the universe, are not my enemies after all.
“You’re going to give me a complex that gives even the Celestials a run for their coin,” I jest. A deep rumble and snort emanate from her chest that can only be described as laughter.
Argenta and Reska lead us in various movements of bobbing and weaving.
Slowly escalating the difficulty of our movements to sharp turns that have us flying parallel to the ground.
I lean my body the opposite way, trying to maintain my seat.
The screams of a rider rip through the air as they fall behind us.
Luckily, we’re so high, the Orcalia has enough time to position itself under her, catching the rider on its back.
I’m thankful to not be bonded to such a creature.
I can’t imagine it’s easy to stay mounted on its rounded killer whale frame, with only its dorsal fin to hold on to.
The rider, surprisingly, stays on for the next maneuver as we fly upside down.
Her leg muscles are giving me a run for my coin.
I hope she isn’t using her air magic to stay seated, as we can only cast one element at a time, making her a liability to her Wing.
Several others are not so lucky. A melody of screams burst out from behind me as several beasts break out of formation to catch falling riders.
I gaze down to glimpse a rider I recognize from Nadir wing, his pink hair streaming in the wind.
It’s Rizz Pinkerton, Flint’s crush. A beautiful armored Winged Polar Bear catches the nape of his leathers with his jaw.
Then, after a few wing beats, he uses his powerful neck to flip him over his head, landing Rizz on his back.
Below this, Winx and her dragon are spinning. She has her arms up, laughing and hollering with joy. Leave it to her wild nature to not even bother holding on. I envy her carefree spirit; she lives every day as if it’s her last, full of vibrance and life.
We land for lunch. They bring a banquet of food outside to refuel us, as well as various types of edible items for our winged creatures. My throat bobs as Calais snaps up an entire mooca in one gulp, like it’s nothing more than finger food.
I sneak off behind the knoll of a hill, allowing Pip to down the extra helpings. After eating, he’s far too interested in meeting all the creatures. It’s a relentless battle trying to keep him from slipping out of my hands to meet them.
The ground quakes under Calais’ presence. She lowers her head to the ground, snorting at him.
Pip quickly wraps himself around my wrist in a bracer without a second thought.
I peer into her rainbow eyes and smile, nodding my head in thanks.
I can sense her amusement down our bond at my gratitude.
I didn’t think I’d be grateful that we can already sense each other’s emotions, but it allows her to come to my aid without even asking.
I gaze over the rustling lavender leaves of the Mysticwoods, catching myself wondering: if I speak down our tether, will S?las even hear me? I keep his window open in my mind, occasionally peeking over to it, hoping to find his black velvet ribbons spilling through.
I don’t even bother trying to speak to him in my mind. Him not answering will be accompanied by a slurry of emotions I have no intention of letting myself feel. Sometimes, not knowing is easier than the truth.
I suppose that’s why Calais keeps her secrets; she knows some truths I may not be ready to face. I know I need to listen to her advice and stop trying to control everything. But growing up with so little control, I cling to it. Even if it’s just an illusion. Even if it’s hurting me at this point.
I settle on giving myself some grace. I can’t change things about myself overnight. Although, I doubt I will extend that same grace to S?las when he decides to finally slink back after disappearing on me yet again. Especially while making me actually worry about him all day.
“You should take it easy on the Shadowmancer when he returns. He has demons that are sometimes hard to escape.”
“I’m going to try and not be offended that you seem to have more of a soft spot for him than me.”
“He listens well, unlike you. Plus, I’ve known him longer than you.”
“Wait. What do you mean you’ve known him longer than me?”
“I’ve said too much. That is not my story to share.”
“Typical.” I huff as I see Argenta and Reska take to the sky. I curse under my breath as I climb the spikes up Calais’ leg and find my mounted position. Her annoyance at my attitude is evident in her tight shoulder muscles.
“You and S?las keep telling me to feel all these stupid emotions so they stop flooding me, so that’s what I’m doing.
I’m currently annoyed that you’re keeping things from me, and I’m aggravated with S?las for disappearing all day.
I am, in fact, worried about him for some Celestials-forsaken reason, even though I know he’s alive. ”
“Yes, you must feel your emotions but also have the wisdom to discern what they’re telling you, or you will be ruled by the chaos of them.”
I take the time of ascent to listen to Calais’ advice. Yet again.
I realize I’m more than annoyed she won’t elaborate. I’m hurt. She can hear all of my thoughts, but I can only hear what she chooses to share. I’m also upset that another Elarian has known my dragon before me, regardless of the consequences that entails.
My thoughts drift to the fact that I’m irrationally worried about S?las, even though I know he’s alive and safe with Scáil, and Calais wouldn’t let anything happen to her mate.
This emotion tells me I care about S?las in a way that’s more than him just being a member of my Zenith.
In a way that’s more than just lust. In a way I don’t fully grasp yet, but there’s clearly no denying it after this morning’s events.
Despite me initially being thankful that he disappeared so I could process what I had just thought, part of me hates being so far from him.
I haven’t realized how much I’ve become accustomed to him always being around me, feeling the ribbons of our tether always trying to be near me. I find myself longing for the magnetic force that always pulls us together. My chest persistently aches with him so far away.
Then it dawns on me. Those black velvet ribbons have been in my mind since before I bonded to Calais!
He’d been trying to speak to me in my mind before our dragons’ mated bond tethered the four of us together.
I was so busy trying to push him away and ignore my feelings, I hadn’t put the timeline together.
My molars grind under the tension of my clenched jaw.
I’ve clearly been given an explanation that wasn’t the whole truth.
I’m not sure what to make of Calais’ silence on my thoughts.
I suspect nothing good from my brief time knowing her.
I’m jolted from puzzling the pieces together as we hurtle downwards, as if an invisible mountain lies before us.
The ground is impossibly close as Argenta pulls up, her claws scraping against the soil in a hovered run before flying upwards again.
My guts bound into my chest as Calais shreds the earth beneath her talons before we ascend, my stomach left in the crumbled rocks below.
As we regain altitude, Professor Reska’s magically amplified voice lilts on the wind, “Now I want you to continue to follow my maneuvers while switching places with your opposing Wing. Zenith with Nadir, and Ascension with Declination.”
Roars and shrieks fill the air with near collisions in the shuffle.
It’s safe to say, we meet this challenge poorly.
Calais leads the way with grace, although a Draco almost flips over from the gust of her four wings after veering too close.
Her head whips around, snarling blue light at the poor beast, who’s struggling to find its balance, now going pale beneath her wrath.
The Draco’s color is still better than its Arabellian rider, who’s more pallid than a wraith.
I lose count of how many times we practice position changes through alternating maneuvers; each time, less accidents occur.
Yet we’re nowhere close to a fluid aerial fleet.
I look west as the sun sinks low in the sky.
Every muscle in my body burns, sore from holding my mount through all the new moves.
Even muscles I didn’t know could be sore.
A thankful sigh crescendos from lungs when Reska and Argenta head back towards Gildorea.
I slide down Calais’ leg and nearly fall, my knees bowing under the unfamiliar weight of my body. I’m not sure if my trembling legs will make the journey back up the hill to campus.
“You did well today, Nebulight. Eat quickly. I will be waiting for you when you are finished,” Calais says calmly along our bond.
All I want to do is lie down, and now I’ll need to come back out here? I’m too exhausted to argue as I will my limp body towards campus. I’m even willing to table prying information from S?las until after a good night’s rest.