A Nervous Flyer

For one thing, some of them still don't altogether trust him and want him where they can keep an eye on him. For another, against Stryke a bit of extra magical firepower is likely to come in useful. Also if Belboz comes with the Champions then Hannah should realise that they are friends rather than foes. Or will she? Now that she knows that Belboz transformed her without her consent and is not really her uncle, perhaps she will regard him - and by extension, any companions of his - as enemies rather than friends?

In spite of this last factor, most of the Champions still feel that on balance it is best to bring Belboz with them. So when the rugs take off, he is on board one of them, trying not to look down.

It's not too bad for him whilst they are still in the caves, where the limited headroom means that for most of the time they must fly only a foot or two off the ground and proceed at not much more than walking pace. But once they get out into the open air, ascend to a height of a hundred feet or so and accelerate, he becomes so nervous that before long Exotica - the mage in charge of the rug that Belboz is on (Synizn 2 is in charge of the other) - allows him to cast a "feather fall" spell on himself.

After that, he is rather calmer, and able to think about what lies ahead. Something that worries him is that the Champions haven't said anything to him about just how they intend to rescue Hannah. (And presumably the others as well, but he doesn't care much about them.) "Are you going to tell me what your group's plan is for snatching Hannah and the other dancers away from Stryke or do you intend to keep it a secret?" he asks Exotica rather grumpily. "I can't help you if I don't know what you want me to do...

1. "You do have a plan, don't you?"

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