G's Chapters

        Seeing as I had nothing better to do, (Apart from actually studying, but who wants that, eh?) now that school was closed, I found myself playing around with my Gift. I remember, back then, it seemed like such an accomplishment to mould my Mana into more intricate shapes, to create chairs, 'brick' walls, just little details like that. It felt like I was playing at God! So much so, in fact, that I took to creating wings and flying around like an Angel from on high. I remember I once circled a church spire for two whole hours on a Sunday morning just to scare the believers...

 

        Anyway, I was gliding along in the lower stratosphere one day when a stray Thundergen bolt clipped my wing. The wing promptly vanished and I plummeted a few meters before I could recover myself and pull into a hover again.

 

        The bolt came from a skyscraper’s flat roof a bit behind me, where two Chosen were fighting. One of them was obviously one of the Adonai, wearing one of their hooded cloaks, so I decided to interfere. I swooped down and landed in the middle, dispelling my wings in a blast of Mana. By the time they managed to recover from the resulting shockwave, I had them both tied up in Mana chains.

        "Okay, what the hell is going on! One of you shot my wings off! I demand an apology!"

 

        For an answer, The Adonai - she looked about my age - kicked out, and a bolt of lightning shot out of her foot at me. I summoned another one of my shields, with that gamma again. The bolt bounced off it and streaked off into the sky. At the same time, the other guy - a middle aged guy whose face seemed a bit familiar - shot an Icegen Shard at me. I dodged, and answered with one of my own.

 

        The Adonai yelled out:

        "Stop interfering! That man is a wanted criminal, and I need the bounty!"

 

        Well, no matter the Adonai’s faults, they don’t lie. Most of them, anyway. Besides, I too remembered where I’d seen that guy before - On a wanted poster. So I increased the number of chains surrounding him until he looked like a medieval Mummy, and then turned to the cultist.

        "Well, He’s not going anywhere, so; about my… What?"

​

        She was staring, aghast, at the criminal and making whimpering noises.

        "I - I need him alive! I ain't getting any bounty for a dead body!"

        "What do - Oh, nah, he’s fine. My Mana lets air through. He’s only immobilized, not suffocating in there."

​

        I brought him gently bobbing over to my side.

        "You said something about a bounty?"

        "Sigh… Yes. There’s four hundred greenskins on his head. For capture, not killing."

​

        Well! A greenskin was a lot! Half of that would set me up for at least four years of college.

        "Split it evenly?"

 

        She took the cowl off and gave me a wry look. She looked quite cute, actually, straw hair and green eyes, with skin fair to the point of pallor. I remember wondering how much Fair and Lovely™ that took.

        "Yeah, sure. I’m gonna give up two hundred Gs to an uninitiated dolt like you."

        "Okay, then. I’ll just fly off with him, then, shall I?"

​

        That was a total bluff, but she needn’t know that. There’s no way I had the stamina necessary to keep both wings and that inordinate number of chains created at the same time.

        "Oof. Fine, I’ll split it."

        "Great!"

        "60-40."

        "Screw that, I’m just taking him."

 

        I unfurled my wings and started flapping, floating slightly above the ground.

        "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! I’ll split equal – I need that money…"

        "So, you don’t get paid a stupidly large amount at Adonai?"

 

        She just gave me a confused smile.

        "Whatever made you think that?"

        "Nothing."

 

        We took the elevator down, unfortunate Mummy in tow.

        "Name’s Lyria, by the by."

 

        The doors opened, and I stepped out, the Mummy bobbing along behind me.

        "Vidyut."

        "Oh, so you’re Vidyut? Ephraim was raving on about you for a week!"

 

        She sounded amused.

        "Yes, I am. Also, shouldn’t you be attacking me now, or something? Defending the honour of your Cult, or some such bosh?"

 

        She actually laughed out loud, then, and walked out of the lift, pulling her cowl on.

        "No! It wasn’t the ‘honour of my cult’ you belittled; it was just Ephraim’s ego. And Goodness knows his ego could do with a little belittling."

        "Why do you have to wear the cowl?"

        "Adonai rules. I’m on ‘Official Adonai Business’, so I’ve got to be in full uniform in public spaces."

        "Seriously, that sucks for you."

        "I don't mind it, actually."