The balloon

After walking a bit further, I could see a huge white balloon in the distance being filled with gas. The base of the balloon, where we would be transported, was so large that it looked like a small house.

"ZUSsSsS~~~" The sound of blue fire pouring gas into the balloons, which grew larger and larger over time, left everyone in awe.

Elara approached the large basket, entered, and sat on a chair that looked more like a throne, positioned slightly above everyone else. She looked up, checking that the balloon was in perfect condition to fly. She snapped her fingers, and the small creatures carrying keys and mechanical parts nodded and bowed to her.

The creatures resembled gnomes, extremely small, but somehow seemed useful. Their eyes emanated a mechanical intelligence. One of the small beings, with a face dirty with something like grease, removed his hat in respect to Elara, who was sitting on the small throne above the balloon's basket, and said:

"Noble mage, we have finished the work!"

She looked at them for a few seconds, but soon lost interest and tossed a shiny crystal in their direction. As soon as they found the crystal, their expressions, previously those of oppressed workers, changed to almost demonic smiles.

The leader among them pocketed the crystal, and despite the difficulties, they left the balloon's basket, leaving Elara alone. She then turned to me and said:

"Everyone, get in the balloon and find a place to stay."

I was the first to obey and stepped into the basket with my large feet. I still hadn't managed to find suitable clothes to cover my ultra-masculine, muscular body.

Next came John, and then Benina. Thus, we all entered the large basket, which was quite spacious and seemed capable of carrying about 50 to 60 people, but now seemed empty, as if this year was one of the worst for the Sun Mountain Tower.

As we settled in, I observed the interior of the basket. It was surprisingly comfortable, with padded seats and small tables scattered around. There were even some storage compartments, probably for storing belongings of a few lucky ones who managed to bring useful things from their homelands.

Elara, still seated on her throne, watched us closely. The sound of the blue fire continued to fill the balloons, and the basket began to slowly lift off the ground.

As the balloon ascended, the basket swayed slightly when we reached a significant height. Below, the field looked like a carpet of colors and shapes, and the other camps and structures began to disappear in the distance.

While standing at the edge of the basket, looking down as the large balloon continued to rise, I sat in an isolated corner and began to think.

"This world has the technology to make balloons and airships, as well as produce iron and glass, among other things like gears. But so far, I haven't seen anything that compares to the great supersonic planes of my past life..."

I also closed my eyes and remembered Mavia. "Why was her black skin turning white? Moreover, her blonde hair was also changing. Did Raven do something to her? No... That would be foolish. After all, what mage wouldn't want to nurture and help such a latent talent as Mavia?"

The only problem is that she is a girl fused with a ghost... I smiled, remembering the crazy things Mavia did to me in the bathroom and in my room. "But I have to admit, crazy women are really incredible in intimate moments, she tried to swallow me whole several times..."

I swallowed hard. "I hope she doesn't die... after all, I haven't used her to the fullest yet, I haven't used her as a test subject for my research, I've only used her as a lover, but that holds little importance in the magical world."

As I thought about this, the sky, which had some clouds before, was now completely blue, and it began to get difficult to breathe. I held onto one of the nearby seats.

"Snif~~"

Some students began to breathe with difficulty, and I thought. "Man?! Where is this tower located? Why do we have to go up so high in the air?"

Obviously, like the other students, I didn't dare complain. Elara still looked like a beautiful fairy, sitting silently as she gazed at the horizon where the golden sun was.

"HM... doesn't she feel uncomfortable looking directly at the sun?" I thought as I watched her.

The altitude was really affecting all of us. More and more, I felt the pressure on my chest, as if it was being compressed. The students' breaths around me became labored. Some were starting to turn pale, trying to absorb as much air as possible.

Elara, however, seemed completely oblivious to any discomfort. Her posture was serene, almost majestic. The sunlight reflected on her hair, creating a golden halo around her. She looked like a goddess of light, unattainable and untouchable.

As we climbed even higher, the difficulty in breathing intensified. I looked at the other students, seeing the panic beginning to appear on their faces. But no one dared to make a sound. The fear of Elara and her reaction was greater than the physical discomfort.

"Humans... How dare you traverse this airspace? Do you not fear death?" A raspy voice emerged from the horizon.

When I looked in the direction of the voice, I almost screamed in fright. A being with the corporeal form of a hurricane, with two large glowing eyes, was approaching the balloon. But Elara remained silent, showing no fear. She rose from her throne and turned a nearby lever, causing the balloon to stabilize in the air and stop ascending.

Then she whispered, "Ah... How unlucky I am, a damn Wind Elemental. I hope this bastard doesn't belong to any rebellious Elemental group."

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As soon as the great elemental being got close enough to cause some change in the balloon, Elara raised a letter and lifted her voice, saying: "Noble magical creature, I am Elara, one of the teachers from the Tower of Mount Sun, and I have here in my hands a letter signed by the King of Storms, guaranteeing my passage through your domain. Furthermore, the great Dortival Nerkil, from the Great Tower of Mount Sun, has a contract with the King of Storms, by which, in cases of crisis, we would be allies,"

As Elara's voice echoed, the elemental being stopped moving. His eyes, which had been glowing with fury, momentarily ceased.

Then, as if embarrassed, he said: "Human, you better not be lying, otherwise I'm going to burst this balloon, and I'm sure, even if you're a wizard, you wouldn't survive a fall like that."

Elara smiled and said, "Please, read the letter!" She extended the letter forward, as if expecting the gigantic creature to take it to read.

Watching all this, my doubts arose. "Wait... How is this elemental being going to hold such a small letter? Moreover, can this weird monster even read? Where is its brain? Anatomically, how does an elemental being work?"

I took a deep breath to calm myself. After all, this monster wouldn't bring down the balloon, right? It would be tragic to come this far and be killed by something over which I have no control and am completely powerless.

The elemental being looked at Elara's small body and saw the letter. He sighed and, as if compacting his gigantic wind-made body, began to shrink.

"Zossshhh~~" The wind, once strong, began to lessen along with the creature's body, which in a few seconds was just over 4 meters tall, almost twice my size. But, compared to his previous form, he was now much smaller. Then he approached and took the white letter with some red symbols.

In an almost comical manner, the elemental pulled something from the air, which took the form of glasses in his hands, and put them on his face before beginning to read the letter.

I watched, fascinated and apprehensive. "So he really can read," I thought. The elemental read the letter carefully, his glowing eyes moving quickly over the words. The silence in the balloon was palpable, everyone awaiting the creature's reaction.

After a few moments, he lifted his eyes from the letter and looked at Elara. His eyes glowed less intensely now, as if the initial anger had dissipated.

"Human, this letter seems to be in order. I see you indeed have permission to cross this domain. However, know that any misstep will be severely punished. The King of Storms does not tolerate infractions."

Elara gave a slight nod of her head and calmly replied, "Thank you for your understanding, noble elemental. I promise we will cause no trouble during our passage."

The elemental returned the letter to Elara and moved back a bit, his body beginning to expand again, taking on the corporeal form of a hurricane. The wind around the balloon intensified momentarily before stabilizing.

As I watched the creature move away, a mix of relief and curiosity washed over me. "That was intense," I thought. "But at least we're safe, for now."

I sat back in the isolated corner of the basket, my mind still swirling with questions and reflections. "This world is full of mysteries and dangers that I could never have imagined. I need to be prepared for everything, because with each step, a new challenge seems to arise."

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