Page 91 of Swift Wings Shadowed Heart
Vaylen appears at my side and addresses Zephyros. “You know well no harm would have come to your rider.”
Zephyros growls again, and the sense I get from him is one of reluctant acquiescence. Lowering my hands, I give Vaylen a questioning glance.
He sighs in frustration and picks up the discarded spear. “You don’t honestly think I would hurt one of my Skysingers, do you?”
Pivoting toward the cliffside, he hurls the spear into the air. Right as it reaches the edge, he twirls his wrist and pulls back. The spear’s trajectory changes, and instead of nose diving to the bottom of the plateau, it travels upward as if headed for the sun. With another twist of his hand, the spear flips, its tip now aimed at the earth. With that, it plummets, embedding itself into the ground a foot from the cliff’s edge.
Phoebe and I exchange glances. She looks as impressed as I feel. That was an amazing show of skill.
Vaylen glances as Zephyros over his shoulder. “You know I would never hurt one of my own. Don’t use that as an excuse to stir whatever dispute is between you and Fragor.”
“What is between those two?” Phoebe whispers, leaning close.
“No idea. Maybe your dragon knows and can tell you.”
Phoebe’s eyebrows draw together. “Huh?”
Realizing my slip up, I laugh it off. “Just kidding. I’d love to know why they seem to have more drama than a periodical serial.”
Phoebe laughs at the comparison, assuming my mistake was a joke. Luckily, Vaylen didn’t hear me. He already seems suspicious of the way Zephyros and I interact.
Once the dragons settle back down, Phoebe takes some time to accomplish Wind Wall. It doesn’t come as easily to her as it did to me, but she finally conquers the maneuver, much to Vaylen’s satisfaction.
“The next maneuver is another attack… Wind Spear,” Vaylen announces. “This one is much harder.”
In our Academy textbooks, the maneuvers were presented in order of difficulty, and that seems to be the order in which we’ll learn them. That means that afterward we’ll practice Wind Dagger, Wind Whirl, Vortex Drop, Vortex Lift and all the others. This morning I wasn’t sure if I would be able to master all of them, but if all I have to do is wish things into existence, I have nothing to worry about.
This time Vaylen has us face the stone wall that rises before us to form a higher level of the plateau. Wooden targets with bull’s-eyes are nailed to its surface, something else the Claws installed.
“This one, of course, is similar to Wind Blast, except subtle andpointed. You must gather the force of your power into a straight and narrow line and hurl it with enough force to pierce the target. Like this…”
The air crackles with anticipation as he raises his hand. I watch, mesmerized, as wind whips around him, swirling at his fingertips. The air grows thick, heavy with glowing energy. With a flick of his wrist, the invisible spear is born, a shimmering projectile of wind that slices through the air towards the distant target. It impacts with a forcefulwhoosh, striking the center of the red-painted bull’s-eye. The target rattles in place. As the spear dissolves, a bare spot of splintered wood is left behind.
“Now, let’s see what you can do.” Vaylen dusts his hands, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through the air with residual energy. “Take your places.”
Phoebe and I do as he orders. We square off against the targets.
“We’ve got this,” I tell her with a cocky smile. This whole thing is proving easier than anticipated.
Phoebe shakes herself and takes deep breaths. I shrug, lift my arm, and hurl my invisible spear toward the target, except no spear materializes as I wish for it. Instead, I feel like an idiot, hurling absolutely nothing at the air. I glance sideways at Phoebe. She scrunches up her face as if saying,We can fail at this together. I’m with you.
But I’m not failing, I just didn’t prepare well. This time, I take several deep breaths and visualize the spear. I nearly feel its weight in my hand. A smile starting to stretch my lips, I sling my arm with force and throw.
Nothing.
I try again, visualizing with greater focus, imagining the spear sailing through the air and striking the wood with athunk.
Again, nothing happens.
Pacing, I stare at the ground, then at Zephyros. He opens one eye, looks at me, then closes it again. He’s no help at all.
“You seem to be getting flustered,” Vaylen says, arms crossed over his large chest as he watches me, one dark eyebrow raised. “Return to the cliffside, practice Wind Blast a few times, then come back.”
I do as he says. As I face the distant horizon and the valley below, I feel doubt creeping in. What if I got lucky during the previous exercises? What if I can’t do any of it again?
Don’t be stupid. That’s not what’s happening here, I chide myself.
Closing my eyes, I focus on the power that has always churned in my chest.
