Elevation of Mana Chapter 190 Road Trip

“Weapons?”

“Secured.”

“The doors are open, time to do this,” I intoned, nervous chills running up through my body.

Today was the first day people on this world would fly via machine. Sure, some powerful spellcasters like myself could, but this would be something else, something anyone would be able to use in time. We were ready, there would be no test flights, no time sadly, and so with a sweaty hand I waved to the people outside our craft.

As one mean heaved, and our mooring lines loosened. The exit from this structure was the first challenge, one of the most dangerous parts of this whole endeavor. We floated, almost at the same buoyancy as air, and could easily hit the sides or roof if we weren't properly careful.

Slowly, so very slowly we inched forward, watchers making fine adjustments and Chien and I sat in the cockpit, jaws clenched.

And then we were free, the lines were released and we began to rise, a slow, controlled thing. Below us there was a cheer from everyone who'd gathered, everyone who had come to see my next invention, who worried about monsters that were still so far away, but seemed so close in everyone's minds.

Isha and Adia weren't there though, they were back at home. That had been my call, for there were only two ways this could go, extremely well, or extremely bad. I was pretty sure they would go well, but if they hadn't I didn't want my daughter having nightmares for who knew how long. No, today they'd only see us as we passed by the compound, floating overhead.

As we did so I saw a flash of sparks down below, a signal we'd agreed on ahead of time, and sent my own, a farewell to my family. The home I'd built seemed so small from up here, almost like a dollhouse. Goodbyes said we lurched upward.

Far below the city shrank, falling back from us as we shot towards the clouds. I could see the walls, the fields, the homes and everything from up here. I'd never gone this high with my own magic, afraid of falling, but now it seemed much safer.

“I'm glad the crystals work,” Chien said with a smile.

“That at least was never in doubt.”

I did not yet have the tech to kludge together a proper propulsion system for a blimp, so I'd taken shortcuts. Sure, my computers didn't work yet, but I could still make crystals of kinetic energy that just pushed in one direction. A bundle of these I could aim in carious ways was our system of movement, and while it was crude it worked. Much like the heating stone that kept Icehome warm this monstrosity took us where we'd need to go.

The land moved below us at a good clip, faster than going on foot, lower than a bird, but consistent. It would still take days, but if Chien and I traded off we could go pretty quickly from here to there.

There were of course other problems, like visibility, and wind. Without GPS or any sort of ground aid we had to rely primarily on looking down and guessing. Someone from my previous wold might have been able to come up with some form of navigation based on the stars, but that wasn't me, and I'd briefly tried. No, instead we'd be going on a really basic reckoning and compass.

My craft was... well honestly it was a bit janky, pulled to the left slightly, shook something fierce whenever we accelerated, all the hallmarks of a car about to die, but it flew, and that was magnificent.

“Well boss, we have snacks, a beautiful view, and a long time to enjoy it. Maybe we should sing or something to pass the time.”

“Good old fashioned road trip,” I mused.

“There aren't any roads up here.”

“Yeah, perhaps not, but air trip doesn't sound the same does it?”

“No, suppose not. How long do you think this will go?” We'd barely left view of the city at this point.

“Less than a week? Depends on how we do it. Little worried about flying through the night though, seeing things will be a beast.” And after a bit of thinking I added one more condition. “And if you start asking me if we're there yet I will throw you out of this balloon.”

“I can fly boss, you know that, not well granted, and I puke every time I do it, but I can still fly. And why would I ask you? Don't you remember the tree? We'll see it long before we get there, and it will be painfully obvious when we get closer.”

“Just a thought,” I said with a smile.

“You're weird sometimes you know that?”

“Suppose I am, but would you have it any other way?”

“Not a chance boss, without you my life would be boring, and honestly I'd be pathetic in all likelihood.”

“That's not true Chien, I remember when we first met. You were a right little rascal, and always trying for more.”

“Well, I was a bit of a scamp wasn't I? Sometimes I miss those days.”

“Everyone feels that way about their childhood, but honestly, it would never be like we remember it if we could go back.” I spoke from experience, while I'd loved both of my youths, it wasn't like the second one was much like the first, and the creases showed more during it. I saw the failures of adults, the pain I'd missed the first time around.

“Yeah, guess not, still though.”

We spent hours chatting until night began to set. For this we really couldn't do much but try to keep high enough and going straight.

Most of our journey was uneventful, just two old friends eating snacks and talking about old times. Chien did manage to get me to join him for some singing at one point, revealing to me songs I'd never heard from him. Neither of us could hold a tune worth a damn, but that didn't matter, it was all good fun.

We both looked on in horror when we passed over the pines again. The first time we'd come we'd seen the beginning of pollen season, the explosion of color from the trees that we'd run to avoid. Now we saw it once more from above. Below us the ground looked like a roiling yellow sea, trees like rocks in shallows poking up here and there beneath the cloud of yellow. I didn't see the waterfall we'd come up as we moved, probably missing it by many miles, but that changed little, and on wards we went.

Three days in the trees began to grow in size, reaching up towards us. There were probably villages down there somewhere, looking up in horror at what must have appeared to be a massive monster flying past them.

On the afternoon of the fourth day we saw it, above all the rest of the trees one reached towards the heavens like an outstretched hand. It was no less than the last time I'd seen it, not a bit of its presence fading.

“Is it bigger?” Chien asked.

“No, just a better view, get ready, we'll arrive around sunset, assuming we're not met in the air by curious observers.”