Aerial Adventure

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 19370

Astra 9:

Perhaps it would have been wiser for me not to have come on this mission. We could never have anticipated running into anyone who had known this world's Astra well enough to recognise my resemblance to her even through my "disguise", though. Perhaps we should have told the rangers the truth, but I don't suppose they would have believed it.

We were taken a little by surprise when it became clear that they were prepared to go to the lengths of trying to take me by force. If my appearance had been altered by sorcery, as they must have thought, then I suppose they would have assumed that magic also accounted for my odd (as far as they were concerned) behaviour, and that I wasn't a free agent.

Now there is a further complication, that Tarin Gazin has somehow found us and insists on coming with us. He said something about having experienced a Vision (you could hear him voice the capital letter), but he wouldn't reveal any details.

I'm looking forward to the flight in the flying machine, and to comparing it with the occasional trips that I've had on dragon-back. However I don't think that it was meant to carry so many, now one more than we had intended. We all manage to squeeze in, but it's rather cramped, and for once I find myself wishing that I didn't have such long legs.

Our gnome pilot - who rather improbably seems to be called Mucky - pulls on a lever, and the leather wings of the machine begin flapping. Slowly at first, and then more rapidly, the machine rolls forward. Then it takes off and slowly begins to gain height. Alarmingly slowly, in fact, for it looks as though we are going to collide with a clump of trees just beyond what I believe is called the "runway".

Fortunately we just clear the trees, and then the machine levels off and heads due south. The plan is to land at a village that the gnome knows of within the so-called "Undiscovered Country" (not quite so undiscovered as far as gnomes are concerned, apparently), some seventy miles away. After that, we will head first west, then north through Ryngaerd, and finally northeast.

We have been flying for about an hour, and I estimate we have covered about fifty miles and so are well into the Undiscovered Country, when we hear an ominous creaking sound from one of the wings. Then there is a loud crack, and the wing stops beating. We begin spiralling rapidly downward.

There is just time for one of the mages - in the confusion I'm not sure who - to cast a "feather fall" spell. There isn't time for the spell to take full effect before we hit the ground - hard, but not as hard as if the spell had not been cast.

Fortunately none of us suffers worse than minor cuts and bruises, but the flimsy machine is so badly damaged it's clearly beyond repair. Mucky is less upset about this than I would have expected. Apparently crashes are not uncommon.

"It looks like we have a long walk ahead of us," Jarlath sighs.

  1. "The best option seems to be for us to go the twenty miles or so south to the village, and try to buy some horses."

Add New Option

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree


JH

4/7/2002 5:51:04 AM

Extending Enabled

The Never Ending Quest Home

Extend-A-Story Home

21391922 episodes viewed since 9/30/2002 1:22:06 PM.

Do not click me.