by Ben Hale
Tess kept blinking throughout the lecture. Word for word it sounded like her dream, and the resemblance sent tingles down her spine. Had she seen this moment before coming to school? She'd learned enough from Hawk to know that oracles could look into the future, so was that what had happened? Had she simply dreamed what was coming?
In the first significant deviation from Tess's dream, the professor stabbed a finger toward the grass at their feet. "This is flight safety grass. It is enchanted to lessen gravity. This will both assist you, and help you to avoid injury. My assistant for this course will now demonstrate this."
The professor gestured upward, and for the first time Tess saw a figure high above them. Standing with his arms folded and his cloak billowing behind him, Drake floated casually a hundred feet up. Irritation at his smug grin warred with the surge of attraction Tess felt. A few of the other girls quietly expressed their own feelings for him, and her irritation transferred to them. In contrast, Laura and Mike voiced the opposite emotion.
"The great big-headed one," Mike said under his breath.
"Captain fire-pants," Laura said, and they both smothered a laugh.
Tess hid a smile. Where did the fire-pants comment come from? Before she could ask Drake began to fall.
As if his magic had evaporated, he dropped, eliciting gasps from more than a few in the class. Plummeting toward the ground, he seemed to strike an invisible cushion, and his momentum slowed. In twenty feet he went from falling to his death, to landing softly on the grass.
"Professor," Drake said, nodding to her.
She didn't smile back. Instead she turned to the students. "As Drake has just demonstrated, you can fall without killing yourself in this field. Outside here . . ." she let the implication hang. "Now, raise your hand if you are afraid of heights."
Mike and Laura's hands shot up first. Several others shifted their feet, and then a girl raised her hand. A moment later a boy did as well. Tess joined them as one by one they all raised their hands except for a burly boy. The professor stared him down until he lowered his gaze and raised his hand.
"Good," the professor said. "To begin you must learn why you fear. As some of you may have heard, fear of heights is typically a precursor to gravity magic. Its purpose is to tell you what you can and cannot do. In the case of flying, it tells you when you are too high, or want to lift too much.
"You must learn to acknowledge and listen to your fear, not ignore it. This goes double for you boys. It has been three years since a student died learning to fly, and the only reason he did is because he would not admit he was afraid. Arrogance will kill you first. The ground just finishes the job."
Again she stared at the students. The look was not quite a glare or a threat, but it wasn't kind and supportive either. It did inspire enough fear to dampen Tess's excitement.
"Now," Professor Lerik said briskly, "you will remain in this class until you earn your apprentice flyers knot, regardless of how many quads it takes. Once you have earned it you may enroll in Advanced Flight, or Combined Flight if you have fire or air as a secondary skill. As I am sure you have become accustomed, today we will test your ability to see where you are at. This is just like your gravity classes, except you must warp the gravity around your body instead of a rock. Drake and I will now assist you. Spread out."
Drake and the professor moved to both ends of the group and began speaking to the individual students. Tess and the others stood around uncertainly. Only Mike and Laura jumped right to it, and were already rising into the air and floating. They seemed to be betting on who could go higher. Seeing the rest of the class's hesitation, Professor Lerik frowned.
"Don't waste my time," she barked. "Do what you can until we reach you."
Tess dropped her gaze and pretended to concentrate, but watched the other students out of the corner of her eye. To be in this class she knew that they had lifted a two-hundred pound weight, but it seemed that most of the students couldn't lift themselves an inch. Most of them stood with their fists clenched, their faces turning red as they fought to rise. A few times some of them came off the ground. Each time their eyes widened and they settled back.
Several of them looked at her, and she turned away. Watching them she'd surmised that the gravity magic wasn't the hardest part of flying. It was overcoming one's fear. With that in mind she took a settling breath. Then she blinked into her sight.
Tess looked at her feet, concentrating on the energy that bound her to the ground. Her confidence did not waver as the lines of energy became clear. Drake and the teacher’s instructions lingered in her mind, and she willed gravity to bend.
At first it was reluctant, holding its shape just like her dream. Focusing harder, she felt a sense of triumph as the lines began to stretch sideways. Instantly she felt less force holding her down. Her heart stuttered in her chest, and terror threatened to overpower her. Breathing through it, Tess focused on the image of Drake's fall.
Even if I fall, it's like landing on a pillow, she thought.
Drawing a deep breath she refused to relent, and fought to ignore the fear. She felt a thrill of anticipation as more bands moved away from her body. The pressure on her feet faded. The last thread of gravity moved—ever so slowly—until it joined the crystal shape that had formed around her . . .
And she rose into the air.
She squeaked in surprise and lost her focus. She'd only gotten an inch off the grass, but it was enough to fill her with a desire for more. Bolstered by that confidence, the threw herself into a second attempt, and once again began to rise.
The panic struck again—but the sensation of joy far surpassed it. The earth had relinquished its grasp on her body, powerless against her willpower. She closed her eyes, relishing in the sensation as she climbed skyward. Just like in her dream, she swept her hands outward as her gaze lifted to the heavens, reveling in the supreme freedom. Her dream could not compare to reality.
Tess had never felt such unbridled delight, and a spontaneous laugh burst from her lips as she climbed higher. She basked in the wind on her skin. How high could she go? Depart the earth at will? Some part of her whispered that she should be afraid, but it felt like her fear had evaporated, leaving her brimming with confidence . . .
"Tess," the professor said.
Startled, she wobbled, but recovered quickly. Maintaining her altitude, she turned to find the professor at her side.
"Professor?" Tess asked, trying in vain to force the grin from her face.
"Do you know how high you are?" the professor asked, a frown creasing her forehead.
Tess looked down, and was surprised to find herself well over a hundred feet up. Tiny from so high, she could still make out the shocked expressions of the students below. Mike and Laura bore expressions of intense satisfaction as they stared at her. Looking down on them, Tess was inordinately pleased that no fear assailed her.
"Should I come down?" Tess asked, and the reluctance was evident in her voice.
Professor Lerik folded her arms, her eyes narrowing. "Are you certain you have never flown before?"
"Never," Tess said.
The professor studied her face, looking for deception. Then she cocked her head to the side, a look of puzzlement blossoming on her features. "You remind me of . . . but that can't be. He never had a child."
"Who?" Tess asked, feeling a twinge in her gut.
"Garret Flast," Professor Lerik said. "He did things in the air that I had never seen. But what is your surname?"
"I don't know my mage parents," Tess said softly. "I was auren raised."
Professor Lerik jerked as if she had been struck. "That . . . is odd," she said. Then she shook herself. Without turning she raised her voice and called down, "Take over for a minute, Drake. We will be return by the end of class."
Then she gestured an invitation. "Tess, I would like you to follow me—if you can."
Spinning, Professor Lerik soared higher in the direction of the mind building. Tess cast one look down b
efore hurrying to catch up. Grinning wide, she easily arced through the air until she flew beside her teacher. Lerik almost smiled.
Almost.
"Excellent. I wasn't sure if you would be able to fly to the side as easily as you did upward, but you do so superbly. Are you using your magesight?"
"Should I be?" Tess asked.
"No," Lerik said, "but again, it takes time for mages to master flying without it. It requires an innate sense of gravity's pull. Are you comfortable leaving the safety of the field?"
Tess searched her heart as they approached the top of the Mind School, and then shrugged. "I'm not afraid yet."
"Excited?"
"Elated." The word burst from her. It had taken every ounce of her self control to hide the passion and agitation she felt to go faster, higher, to turn and flip, and never return to the earth.
"Then let's go," Lerik said, a ghost of a smile lighting her features. "Take it slow at first, but do whatever you would like. I will catch you if you fall."
Lerik gathered herself and streaked forward. Her inhibition gone, Tess burst into laughter and followed. Following her teacher’s suggestion, Tess took it slow at first, but it was difficult to suppress her impatience. She didn't just want to fly, she felt compelled to, as if every thread of her body radiated with certainty.
At Lerik's prompting, Tess began to fly faster. Turning and twisting as she had imagined, she climbed and soared, gliding in tandem with Professor Lerik. They rose to a thousand feet above the school, and plummeted to fifty. They flipped and rolled, riding the currents of air that swirled around them like rivers of unseen might.
Many times Professor Lerik flew close to her side, watching and waiting for Tess's magic to fail. Tess hardly noticed. Never before had she felt so free, and she wondered how it would be to place her feet on the ground. When Lerik finally called for an end, she decided to voice her thoughts.
"Why would you ever touch the ground?” Tess asked. They were now gliding at a slow decline, both breathing hard at the exertion of their acrobatics.
"Are you tired yet?" Lerik asked.
"Some, but not too much."
"You will be. Flying is just like running, or in reality, more like swimming. By tomorrow morning you will find yourself exhausted and sore. It will take time for you to build up your endurance."
"But it's incredible," Tess said, throwing her arms out and turning a slow circle. "I never want to walk again."
Professor Lerik caught her arm, pulling her up short. Together, they floated a dozen feet above the roof of the Mind School.
"It is," Lerik said, her expression sober, "but never forget the danger." Her gaze was sharp, and then abruptly she sighed. "But I suppose you have demonstrated sufficient skill for me to pass you. I'm sure it would be foolish of me to try and stop you anyway, wouldn't it."
Tess's grin could not be bound, and she nearly hugged her teacher.
"If you wear a safety harness—and you can promise me you will listen to your fear, then I will give you your apprentice's knot. You will then be permitted to fly outside of the field. Promise me also that you will lift nothing but yourself. Perhaps you will be able to in the future, but for now, you need to practice. These rules will keep you safe until you have mastered your skill—and know your limits."
Tess could barely contain her excitement. "I promise."
Lerik reached into a pouch at her side and withdrew a small purple knot. Then she attached it to Tess's left shoulder. Her grin was so sudden it nearly destroyed Tess's focus.
"Excellent flying, Tess. I will alter your schedule to Combined Flight. I look forward to seeing your progress. Assuming you maintain this degree of skill there, you should be well prepared to skip a few levels at the end of the term. Congratulations."
Professor Lerik then flipped mid-air and soared back to the rest of her students, her expression once again resolute and intimidating. Tess waited only long enough to ensure she didn't look back.
Then she threw herself into the sky with a cry of exultation on her lips.
Chapter 14: Water and Rox
Professor Lerik's expression brought her back. A deepening frown darkened her features when Tess glanced back, reminding her that she'd promised to don a safety harness. Reluctantly she returned to the ground at the rear of the Mind School. Flashing her professor a chagrined look, she entered and inquired of the first person she passed where to get a safety harness.
Within a minute she was tightening the black leather belt she had chosen, grateful that it was actually a belt instead of a bulky harness. Only part of her mind listened to the instructions from the senior student that gave it to her. She caught the gist though. The belt would only activate if it detected its wearer without magic and falling. It also didn't have enough magic to stop a fall, it merely slowed it down.
Tess nodded through it, barely keeping her feet on the floor. The moment she was out of the room she took off and flew through the corridors of the Mind School. Dodging protesting students, she burst through the front doors and angled her route skyward. Gathering her power, she launched herself straight up.
Wind curled in her wake, twisting and coiling at her passage. She placed her arms at her sides and her gaze on the sky and turned in a lazy corkscrew. Without slowing she closed her eyes, and relished the sensation of the wind pulling at her hair, and the nothingness pressing against her body.
When the city became small beneath her, she settled into a swooping glide that would take her to her next class. For the first time she noticed that a handful of other flyers were in the air above the school. The ones closest grinned at her, and it seemed they were saying, I know exactly how you feel. A couple were doing air acrobatics and laughing. Another floated on his back, reading a book, while nearby a foursome seemed to be studying together. They waved as Tess made eye contact.
Tess laughed but didn't stop to chat. Turning and wheeling, she reveled in the power of flight until the last possible moment. Finally she dropped into a steep dive that brought her to the door of the water school.
For the first time she felt a wave of exhaustion assail her, so she reluctantly placed her feet on the ground. It felt tediously slow, but she walked toward the room that her glasses indicated. Upon entering, she plopped into a seat and examined the classroom.
Unlike her other classrooms, this was round, and all the seats looked down on five basins of water. Four of them were the size of hot tubs, but the one in the center was much larger. With its sides made of glass, the reservoir could have been a pool in someone's backyard. A small platform rested at the focal point of the pool.
As with her other classes, the professor tested everyone first. To Tess's consternation, manipulating the water was more difficult than either fire or gravity. She managed to make a passable shape of a lighthouse, as requested, but it was hardly more than a straight blob.
Still, her effort seemed to please the professor, who praised her skill and told her she could sit. By the end of the testing Tess noticed that she was actually near the top of her class. Only a few students had done a better job than her. The best of them sat next to Tess after completing her own testing.
"I'm Roxanne," she whispered. She kept her eyes on a student struggling at the center water basin. "But call me Rox."
"Tess," she replied.
"How long have you been doing water?" Rox murmured.
Tess hesitated, unwilling to admit that it had been her first attempt. "Not sure," she said, sidestepping the question. "You?"
"Since I was little," Rox laughed under her breath. "I used to surf in my pool when I was younger."
Tess threw Rox a sidelong glance. Of medium build and body, Rox sported a shimmering mane of light red hair. Her skin was fair, and her nose and cheeks were dusted with freckles. The result gave her a pixieish look.
"What do you mean, surf in your pool?" Tess asked.
The teacher threw them an annoyed look, and they feigned innocence together until she looked away. Rox
answered without turning her head.
"Auren born, huh? I'll show you sometime on the lake by the dorms. It’s a great way to practice your skills too."
A smile creased Tess's features. Rox reminded her of Amy back home. Brusque and businesslike, Rox seemed unaware of the subtle attention the boys displayed toward her.
"When's our first break?" Tess asked.
"Too much homework already?" Rox said, a trace of disappointment in her voice. "I suppose we can wait until the mid-quad holiday. Until then, you want to study with me? Most of the ones here look they'd have difficulty keeping up."
Tess threw Rox a sharp look, but her expression was sincere. There had been no trace of condescension in her tone, just a stating of the facts. But she'd failed to speak quietly enough to avoid the boys overhearing her. They turned away as if they were offended. Tess wondered if Rox had an issue with bluntness. She hid a smile, realizing it was probably a trait they shared.
"I'd love to have someone to study with," Tess said. She paused as their teacher added to Tess's burgeoning list of homework. "Should we start tonight?" she asked Rox in an aside. "I feel like I'm already behind."
Rox stifled a laugh, sending her hair rippling. "All the schools are like that," she said, covering her mouth to hide the grin. "Or that's what I hear. I'm the first in my family to attend Tryton’s, but I've heard the teachers all think theirs is the only class that matters."
The teacher rounded on them, and Tess jerked to face her.
"Roxanne, Tess, since neither of you seem to have the time for water now, you can have it later—in detention. I understand the pools in classroom seven need cleaning. See to it by Friday."
They nodded in unison, but grinned at each other when the teacher turned away. Inwardly Tess wondered if Rox's offer to study had anything to do with Tess's flying skills. It felt like their friendship was tentative, but real enough. She hoped it didn't have anything to do with her budding fame.