Gaelius led Elio to another secluded region in the city.
The city breathed a different kind of air in its secluded corners, always a damp, heavy scent of moss and ancient stones.
As Gaelius led him deeper into a sunless district where the buildings seemed to lean over like skeletons, the boy's heart began to hammer a frantic rhythm.
'I'm a fool,' he told himself. 'Trusting a man because of a warm meal and a few stories.'
'Now I'm being led into a slaughterhouse.'
Don't blame the kid.
He looked at the man's broad back, wondering if the mana concealment the adults were talking about was just a way to hide the stench of a killer.
Of course, he could turn away and run off, but the thoughts disappeared before he could even take any action.
Gaelius had noticed when Elio paused without having to turn. He knew when people were approaching before sighting them. It was like he had eyes everywhere.
He didn't need to be told that the man was powerful. He simply wasn't the kind to run away from.
His fear amplified when they reached a wide, shadowed area.
Gaelius raised his hand, slapping them loudly and grinding his wrists together as if performing some kind of occultic dance.
PS: Totally unnecessary. He was only performing for the boy.
His entire body glowed in a flash of a second, and what happened next made Elio stagger.
A massive beast materialized from a swirl of brown mana beside Gaelius.
It was a Griffin, standing as a monument of raw power, its massive frame draped in a dense coat of earth toned fur. It was a seamless fusion of apex predators, a hybrid of eagle and lion that towered six feet high and stretched eight feet from chest to tail.
It had the limbs and body of a lion, its neck connecting to a thick mass of brown and gold feather where an eagle head sat with a beak that protruded and curved like a death weapon.
You could see the sharp talons that also curved like tiny death blades, clicking against the stone with the sound of sharpening knives.
When the creature began to stretch, two colossal wings unfurled from its flanks. The expanse of feathers caught the light and cast a sudden, frightening shadow over the boy.
The beast flapped its wings. Once.
A powerful gust of wind blew out and knocked Elio down easily, ruffling the boy's dirty tunic and messing his hair further.
Elio struggled to his feet and his survival instinct instantly screamed. He turned to bolt, his legs already coiled to dash back into the labyrinth of the city…
But Gaelius was faster.
The man moved like a blur, appearing directly in Elio's path. Elio slammed into Gaelius' chest, the impact feeling like hitting a wall of solid oak.
"Easy, little one," Gaelius said, his voice exuding a strange warmth. He reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. "I told you I have something to show you. I am not your enemy, Elio."
Gaelius turned to the beast, which let out a low, vibrating screech that shook the loose mortar in the walls. He petted the creature's feathered neck affectionately, and the Griffin slowly lowered its massive head.
"Griffy, be nice now. Don't scare our little friend."
The beast leaned into Gaelius' touch and snuggled softly.
"Ever wanted to fly, Elio?" Gaelius asked, a playful glint appearing in his eyes. "The world looks much smaller from the clouds. It makes the problems down here look like ants."
Before Elio could protest, he was hoisted up.
The Griffin's back was broad and warm, its fur surprisingly soft despite the beast's rugged appearance.
Gaelius mounted behind him, his arms providing a secure cage that kept the boy from sliding off.
With a powerful surge of its hind legs and a deafening beat of its wings, the Griffin soared.
The stomach churning drop of the takeoff was quickly replaced by a sensation Elio had never known. They were cutting through the sky, the beast swirling through the currents with a speed that defied its massive bulk.
Gaelius held him tight as they tilted, the wind whipping past Elio's ears and ruffling his attire.
From this height, the Capital City was a jewel. Gaelius pointed out the landmarks, the glowing spires of the noble estates, the sprawling markets that looked like rivers of color, and the great white marble bridges that spanned the city's heart.
They continued that way, with Gaelius acting as a tour guide, pointing whenever he sighted something of interest.
For hours, they danced between the clouds. Elio's fears didn't just fade, they evaporated. He forgot about his misery. He didn't think about the pains.
He was just a boy in the sky, laughing loudly and enjoying the moment.
He didn't even know when he received another ping.
[Dark Constituent Stability: 70]
He was too busy watching the Central Market and humans who looked like ants going about their daily business.
They hadn't realized how long they had been spending the sky, until Gaelius saw that the sun would soon begin to set.
"The academy…" Gaelius said, his voice projecting easily over the wind. "Look ahead."
In the most guarded and luxurious part of the city, built on a land that seemed to stretch for miles without any other outside building in sight, sat a complex of buildings so vast and protected that it looked like a fortress.
This was the Serenum Prestige Academy.
The place for the best, the strongest, and the most privileged.
The Griffin descended, landing with a silent grace a few hundred meters from the main gate. As Elio slid off the beast's back, his legs felt like jelly.
"Fun, right?" Gaelius laughed. "Now, we have to meet one of the guards by the gate to grant us access."
Elio turned to speak with Gaelius. "Sir Gaelius, I don't…"
The space was empty. Gaelius and his Griffin had vanished into the twilight.
————~~~~~————~~~~~———
Like it? Drop a honest review, vote and add to Library.
Have an idea? Drop it in the comments section.
I love y'all.
LarryCashbox.