Chapter 16: Free Fall

We plummeted through the sky at a breakneck pace, the ground rushing up to meet us. There was no denying the sheer speed of our descent, and there was little we could do to change that now. The world around us seemed to blur as we hurtled toward the forest below.

As we fell, the scenery raced by the corners of our eyes. The evening sky stretched out above, appearing vast and endless from this height. The once-distant trees that had initially resembled mere shrubs now loomed dangerously close. Our fate seemed sealed, and the ground was unforgiving.

With my left arm outstretched and desperation clawing at me, I bit down on my lower lip and summoned my resolve. "Magic is our only way out of this now," I thought, acknowledging the dire circumstances that left me with no other choice.

But doubt gnawed at me, fear threatening to overshadow my determination. "What if it doesn't work? What if it works too well?" The questions lingered, tainting my thoughts with negativity. I couldn't let these doubts consume me, not in this life-or-death moment.

A voice within me nagged relentlessly, reminding me that there was no room for hesitation. "Ugh, screw whatever happens from here on..." I made a conscious effort to banish the doubts and distractions that plagued me. It wasn't an easy task, especially as we hurtled downward at a terrifying speed.

I focused my mind, clearing it of all unnecessary thoughts. My hands trembled as I prepared to cast magic, the very thing I had promised never to do again. The memory of my previous encounter with magic, where I had nearly lost control, still haunted me. But now was not the time for restraint.

With palms outstretched, I closed my eyes, blocking out the terrifying world around me. I conjured a mental image of the spell I wished to recreate, harnessing the knowledge I had gained from observing the villagers' wind vortex spell. It was a spell I had witnessed multiple times today, one that could manipulate the wind for various purposes, including harvesting their massive crop plains.

My mind's eye sharpened the image, and I listened intently to the rush of the evening winds. I envisioned the wind spiraling and gathering at the surface of my palm. As I concentrated, a tingling sensation spread through my fingers, the warmth of power radiating from the tips of my outstretched hand.

The sensation intensified, like water pushing against the walls of a dam, threatening to burst free. I gritted my teeth and fought to contain the surge of energy surging down my arm. The tingling at my fingertips expanded, creating a strange warmth on the surface of my palm.

I commanded, "Gather!" With a strange whistle, the surrounding winds began to react unnaturally. They swirled, shifted, and bent toward my outstretched palm, their pressure weighing heavily on my arm. The winds compressed, creating a dense ball of energy.

The process was draining, and each second made it harder to maintain. As we approached the forest canopy below, the pressure in my palm continued to mount.

With the ground mere feet away, I couldn't afford to wait any longer. I arched my arm and squeezed the spiraling ball of compressed air. The sensation was surreal as if I were squeezing the wind itself.

About ten feet from the forest floor, I thrust my arched arm forward, releasing the focused wind in a sudden burst. An explosive roar echoed through the air as the compressed wind unleashed a shockwave that cleared bushes and left a small crater in the ground.

Caught in the blast, Lia and I were hurled upward, just missing the forest floor. My body hit the ground with a thud, and I rolled to a stop with Lia safely cradled in my arms.

A small, involuntary grunt escaped my lips as I lay there, shaken and battered. It was hard to believe what I had just done, but one thing was clear: I was alive. With trembling hands, I checked on Lia, feeling the reassuring rhythm of her heartbeat.

She had passed out, likely from the shock of our ordeal. It was probably for the best that she hadn't witnessed me using magic. I could come up with some plausible explanation once she woke up.

But for now, relief washed over me, mingling with the exhaustion that had taken hold. We had successfully evaded our pursuers, and we were still breathing. I couldn't help but smile faintly at the absurdity of it all.

My thoughts turned to Don and the others. What had happened to them? Were they safe? I pushed those questions aside for the time being. "When Lia wakes up, I'll ask her," I decided. "But for now, we need to find a safe place to rest."

Surveying our surroundings, I realized we had arrived in a different part of the forest. The canopy above was dense, but traces of the evening sky still filtered through. The sun was on the verge of setting, casting an orange glow over everything.

Time was running out, and we needed a secure refuge before darkness descended. I carefully lifted Lia from my lap and carried her on my back, scanning the area for a suitable shelter. A cave caught my eye, and despite my reservations about caves, I had no time to be choosy.

Reluctantly, I decided, "A cave it is." Climbing to the entrance, I found it carved into a small cliff, about ten feet high, with a path leading up to it. The cave's interior smelled of damp fur, and the low ceilings and narrow walls provided only a modest amount of space.

As I peered further into the cave, I contemplated exploring its depths to ensure it was safe. However, the recent trauma of caves was still fresh in my mind. "I've had more than enough adventures and exploration for a lifetime," I muttered to myself, choosing instead to stay near the entrance.

The cave appeared uninhabited by monsters or wild animals, aside from the lingering scent of fur and scattered dried bones. Setting Lia down near the entrance, I fashioned a makeshift resting place for her using broad leaves.

Once I had made her as comfortable as possible, I decided to step outside to survey the area and ensure we hadn't been followed. It would be in our best interest if our pursuers believed us to be dead.

Returning to the spot near the cliff where we had fallen, I glanced up at the towering mountain before me. Its summit was obscured from view, a colossal obstacle that seemed insurmountable.

"I'll need to find another way back," I muttered to myself. "A quick and safe one if possible." With determination burning in my chest, I ventured deeper into the forest, racing against the fading light of day.