AXIUM

CHAPTER 21

She came out floating in the air right at the edge of their territory. Verin followed her a few seconds later and pulled out the white hockey puck engines he showed her earlier.

She strapped them to her hands and feet and pushed a minute amount of energy into them. They roared to life pushing her higher into the air. "These things will take a bit to control."

"Yeah, but you should be able to stabilize yourself with your magic until you get used to them."

"I guess. You ready?"

"Yep, which way we going?"

"Further inland I guess."

He nodded and plumes of fire erupted from his engines as he shot off westward and into the vial magic of the broken Ley lines.

XRenia took off after him pouring a tiny fragment of her energy into the turbines strapped her hands and feet. They drove her forward and she quickly found the feeling unpleasant, nothing like normal flying. To control herself she had to keep her arms and legs rigid and reinforced with magic at the same time. She had wanted to just fly like she normally did but if she were to try to achieve her normal speed with these contraptions they probably blow up ripping her arms and legs off. And to make matters worse the instant she left the shielded area of the Emundans tar like magic pelted and clung to her.

"If you don't want we don't have to do this right now." Verin said in her mind.

"Naw, it's not as pleasant as I imagined but it's better than standing around stewing in my own anger."

They both fell into silence as they flew.

Soon run down villages and what looked like remains of overgrown cities slowly slid past underneath them.

As they both looked down at the sad shape of the buildings Verin noticed objects milling around on the ground. "Wait do people still actually live out here?"

She sent him a mental nod. "Yeah they do. Though I'm not sure how much you can call it living. Probably more like barbarianism. This was the least developed continent before the devour. Now I bet most of the people down there don't even have electricity much less proper magic."

"Wow. I mean I kind of knew. But I didn't really realize until just now."

"Want to take a closer look?"

"Sure."

They slowed down and descended as they came up on the next village.

"Uh. XRenia they're not dressed!"

They both skidded to a halt and she found herself trying to cover his face with her hand and almost smacked him in the nose because of the heaviness of the gathered Ley line magic and the engine pushing against her palm.

"Hey watch what you're going! You could burn my eyes out," he protested.

"Well don't look!"

"I'm not! Well I'm trying not to but why in the world are they running around naked?"

"I think they're a lot more barbaric than I thought."

"You can say that again."

"Let's go back up."

"Yeah let's."

They both rocketed skyward leaving the village far behind.

"I guess that's what happens when the entire world abandons you," XRenia said coming to stop several miles away from the village. She rolled her shoulders and tried to stretch out her back. The weight of the magic gathered on her now was starting to make her shoulder blades and elbows hurt every time she used her arms to correct her course.