Alex.J.Cobalt

“Come on,” Vayner hissed at the tablet at his feet, “take Gods damn you.”

The tablet, a piece of slate fifteen inches by fifteen inches, stayed stubbornly still at his feet. At the centre of the tablet was a small circular hole two inches across.

Vayner groaned, looking over at his notes. According to the transcription, the spell should take by now, creating a light at the centre of the tablet. The light would then reverse gravity, forcing the tablet to hover in the air. Not much, but it was something. If he could do this, he could demonstrate that the Ancient Words were more than just a religious chant from ages gone by, they did something.

Vayner sighed, calming his mind once more. Magic in the modern day was a natural thing, like breathing. Anyone could do it, to varying degrees, and if you went to the right School you could learn to harness the power even further.

But the Ancient’s didn’t have the luxury of Traana’s gift. They lived in a time before the Gods ascended to the mountains, before everyone was gifted natural magics-

One more try, Vayner thought. He had to give it a go it should work.

He hummed the start of the chant, placing his finger over the edge of the tablet and drawing it from one corner to the other, following the tablet’s outer edge. He could feel the magic travel through the air to his finger, following the pattern around the edge of the tablet-

There, Vayner thought. A small break in the flow, where the magic got tugged into the tablet by something else.

“Aeshv,” Vayner whispered.

This time the magic followed his command. Instead of dissipating, it flowed into the tablet, running down the grooves he had carefully carved out into slate. The slate began to shudder gently, vibrations running through it.

The magic slowly slipped out of the edges of the grooves, pooling in the hole in the centre. This time, the magic began to swirl around itself, forming a small yellow ball in the centre of the slate.

The slate itself began to lift, ever so slightly off the floor. It wobbled upwards until it was almost half a foot in the air.

It’s true, Vayner thought, the stories a real.

In a flash, the magic vanished. Vayner snatched the slate from the air as it tumbled back to the floor, lest it get damaged. It was warm to the touch, something that he’d not recorded before.

Let’s make some notes, Vayner thought, then we go for experiment number two – working out how the Ancients flew.

• We’re not going that way
  “Why not?” “Why not?!” Favian’s voice rose another octave, “because I don’t want to die, Renglat. I like all my limbs on me, not in the mouth of some gods forsaken … More We’re not going that way
• Do you recognise this song?
  “Do you recognise this song?” The words were raspy and barely formed. Marlie moved her head slowly on the bed towards Ranlen, looking up at him through gauzes and bandages. “Do … More Do you recognise this song?
• March of the Valentas
  Ashayra was taller than Miaken expected. He knew that she was from the South, and like all Southeners was always going to be tall, but he did expect her to have … More March of the Valentas
• You can’t re-write history
  “Stop this!” Vashna screamed, pulling at the ropes around his wrists, “for the sake of yourself, Maynie, you need to stop!” Maynie looked up from the alter, hair askew and magic … More You can’t re-write history
• No way I’m eating that
  “There is no way on this side of the eleven circles of afterlife I am eating that,” Tanker scrunched his nose up at the proffered sandwich. “Oh come on,” Flanks said … More No way I’m eating that
• No One of Importance
  “Who are you exactly?” Ratve’s voice broke through the silence around the campfire. He asked what they were all thinking but he was the only one brave enough to actually ask … More No One of Importance