u/dragonaurora4546

OCEANS OF TIME — PART I

My skin burns in the desert heat as I push my way through the crowded streets. I am not supposed to be here, and soon I am due in front of the Senate building to meet a mage who will endow me with the ability to fly, so that I can find my way back home.

Suddenly, a woman screams in the distance, followed by a rush of dozens of people as they run after a man. I see them knock him to the ground and thrash him senseless, while a few of them take something from the man and hand it to the woman. Soon a couple of legionnaires, clad in metallic armor, beckon the crowd to relax, and drag the bloodied and bruised man away. At least the people here are kindhearted. Back in my home city of Aecryptia, people would stare and do nothing if something like this were to happen.

I realize that it is almost noon, and I need to hurry. As I approach the Senate building, I can't help but gawk at the colossal sandstone structure. On its front steps, a tall man, olive skin and a black beard, waits for me, hiding amongst the square columns that decorate the front of the legislature. I open my mouth to ask him,

“Are you sure we should be doing this right in front of a government building? —” he cuts me off with a raised hand.

“Mind your manners, young man, you are the one asking for an ability which we both know is punishable by death. Only those serving in the Legions or otherwise granted permission by the Senate are allowed the ability to fly, and invisibility is forbidden entirely.”

“So why are we doing this in front of—” he covers my mouth with his hand. Weirdo. I pray those hands don't have germs on them. 

“If I grant you the ability of flight anywhere else in the city, tripwires will activate,” he tells me sternly after lowering his hand.

“Oh,” I reply, dumbfounded. Idiot!

“Oh, indeed. Let's get this over with.” He takes out a pouch of salt from his pocket, and spills the contents onto his right hand before spitting into it and closing it into a fist. He then takes out his copy of Al-Khaifus, the foundational text of all magic used throughout our empire, and orders me to place my hand on it. He starts circling his right fisted hand around the top of my body. 

“You will swear an oath, repeat after me,” he says, “I, Julius Al-Qadir…”

I repeat after him,

“Swear to use the abilities of flight and invisibility…”

Again I repeat,

“to the best of my judgement, on pain of damnation…”

Repeat.

“So may the Lord guide me…”

After the oath is complete, I feel a new ability, almost like having an extra limb. Two, actually.

“Thank you,” I say to him.

“Now go home. And remember, never disable your invisibility cloak while you are in flight. You will easily be seen and interdicted by the Sky Legions. And don't disappear and reappear in the middle of a crowd where everyone can see you. Hide somewhere so no one will notice. Unless you want us both to be crucified, you must take the utmost caution, and do not speak of this to anyone.”

“Understood.”

“Luck. Don't do anything stupid.” He touches my shoulder before making his way down the Senate steps. I follow him, and make my way to a latrine. After shutting the door for my privacy, I turn on my invisibility cloak. Soon, I lift off, and I am airborne.

A rush of air smothers my face as I fly fifty times faster than a person can run. I remember to use an ability that I do legally have, the windshield. I gawk at the sight of the capital of the Nephyrric Empire retreating beneath me, all of its grand, sandstone structures looking like toy blocks, and people looking like ants walking down the street. Soon I am beyond the city limits, flying over open desert.

After I arrive in Aecryptia four hours later, I make landfall somewhere in the bushes on the edge of the oasis, before disabling my cloak and allowing myself to become visible again. As I walk down the streets and near my apartment, I see a young woman with flowing brown hair who looks oddly familiar. My best friend Asifa. I wait for her to get closer before running in front of her face and yelling,

“HEY!! —” Fear flickers in her eyes as she startles, and with lightning speed she whips out her dagger that all off-duty legionnaires carry hidden with them, stopping her dagger just before it slices through my neck. “Oh! It's you!” She laughs in relief, “you scared me!” She then pulls me into a hug. “I’m sorry,” she tells me over my shoulder, “I didn’t mean to almost decapitate you. But maybe next time don’t scare a girl you know is carrying a dagger with her?” she releases me and laughs again. She’s so adorable.

“So, where were you heading?” I smile back at her.

“I was just going to the bazaar to buy some produce for my family.”

“I am not in a hurry to get home, let me walk with you,” I tell her.

“Sure! So how come I haven’t seen you the last few days?” she asks me.

“I was in Jhazeerah to help negotiate a trade agreement between my dad’s small business and a distributor there, but then on the way back I got lost and ended up in Oculus.” Her mouth gapes wide open.

“The capital?”

“Yes! I was so dehydrated and exhausted, I couldn’t continue my journey without taking a small break…” we enter the bazaar as I continue telling her about how grand and impressive the capital city looked, and how kind the people appear to be. I admire the way she quickly picks groceries just like my mom; unlike me, where I can spend minutes just looking for the next item.

“So how long did it take you to get back here?” she asks me, as her hazel eyes soften. “You must’ve spent days walking through the desert, haven’t you? You should have told me, I am carrying water right here with me…”

“It’s okay,” I grin at her slyly, “let me get to that. So I didn’t want to take days to get back here since I already spent days going the wrong direction. So…” I motion for her to come closer and whisper into her ear, “Let me tell you a secret. I had a mage give me the ability to fly, and to cloak myself so no one would catch me.”

“You have my word, I won’t tell anyone.” She smirks at me, the way she always does when we share secrets.

“And guess where I went invisible,” I say after again leaning towards her ear, “The bathroom!” she giggles, before whispering to me,

“Alright, silly, but… on a more serious note,” her tone hardens, “do remember that these are punishable by death. You can tell me, you can tell your parents and sister, but do not speak of this to anyone.”

“No, I won’t.” After she pays for her groceries, we walk the same direction home, my home being first along our path.

“Alright, I will go home and see my family now—do you want me to help you carry these groceries home?”

“No, it’s okay!” She says.

“Bye,” I give her another hug. “I’m so happy I saw you!”

“Love you! You should come sleep over soon! Then we can play some games!” She tells me before making her way home.

As I enter my home, I feel joy at seeing my parents and sister, but not that I have abilities for which I can be executed.

OCEANS OF TIME — PART I

My skin burns in the desert heat as I push my way through the crowded streets. I am not supposed to be here, and soon I am due in front of the Senate building to meet a mage who will endow me with the ability to fly, so that I can find my way back home.

Suddenly, a woman screams in the distance, followed by a rush of dozens of people as they run after a man. I see them knock him to the ground and thrash him senseless, while a few of them take something from the man and hand it to the woman. Soon a couple of legionnaires, clad in metallic armor, beckon the crowd to relax, and drag the bloodied and bruised man away. At least the people here are kindhearted. Back in my home city of Aecryptia, people would stare and do nothing if something like this were to happen.

I realize that it is almost noon, and I need to hurry. As I approach the Senate building, I can't help but gawk at the colossal sandstone structure. On its front steps, a tall man, olive skin and a black beard, waits for me, hiding amongst the square columns that decorate the front of the legislature. I open my mouth to ask him,

“Are you sure we should be doing this right in front of a government building? —” he cuts me off with a raised hand.

“Mind your manners, young man, you are the one asking for an ability which we both know is punishable by death. Only those serving in the Legions or otherwise granted permission by the Senate are allowed the ability to fly, and invisibility is forbidden entirely.”

“So why are we doing this in front of—” he covers my mouth with his hand. Weirdo. I pray those hands don't have germs on them. 

“If I grant you the ability of flight anywhere else in the city, tripwires will activate,” he tells me sternly after lowering his hand.

“Oh,” I reply, dumbfounded. Idiot!

“Oh, indeed. Let's get this over with.” He takes out a pouch of salt from his pocket, and spills the contents onto his right hand before spitting into it and closing it into a fist. He then takes out his copy of Al-Khaifus, the foundational text of all magic used throughout our empire, and orders me to place my hand on it. He starts circling his right fisted hand around the top of my body. 

“You will swear an oath, repeat after me,” he says, “I, Julius Al-Qadir…”

I repeat after him,

“Swear to use the abilities of flight and invisibility…”

Again I repeat,

“to the best of my judgement, on pain of damnation…”

Repeat.

“So may the Lord guide me…”

After the oath is complete, I feel a new ability, almost like having an extra limb. Two, actually.

“Thank you,” I say to him.

“Now go home. And remember, never disable your invisibility cloak while you are in flight. You will easily be seen and interdicted by the Sky Legions. And don't disappear and reappear in the middle of a crowd where everyone can see you. Hide somewhere so no one will notice. Unless you want us both to be crucified, you must take the utmost caution, and do not speak of this to anyone.”

“Understood.”

“Luck. Don't do anything stupid.” He touches my shoulder before making his way down the Senate steps. I follow him, and make my way to a latrine. After shutting the door for my privacy, I turn on my invisibility cloak. Soon, I lift off, and I am airborne.

A rush of air smothers my face as I fly fifty times faster than a person can run. I remember to use an ability that I do legally have, the windshield. I gawk at the sight of the capital of the Nephyrric Empire retreating beneath me, all of its grand, sandstone structures looking like toy blocks, and people looking like ants walking down the street. Soon I am beyond the city limits, flying over open desert.

After I arrive in Aecryptia four hours later, I make landfall somewhere in the bushes on the edge of the oasis, before disabling my cloak and allowing myself to become visible again. As I walk down the streets and near my apartment, I see a young woman with flowing brown hair who looks oddly familiar. My best friend Asifa. I wait for her to get closer before running in front of her face and yelling,

“HEY!! —” Fear flickers in her eyes as she startles, and with lightning speed she whips out her dagger that all off-duty legionnaires carry hidden with them, stopping her dagger just before it slices through my neck. “Oh! It's you!” She laughs in relief, “you scared me!” She then pulls me into a hug. “I’m sorry,” she tells me over my shoulder, “I didn’t mean to almost decapitate you. But maybe next time don’t scare a girl you know is carrying a dagger with her?” she releases me and laughs again. She’s so adorable.

“So, where were you heading?” I smile back at her.

“I was just going to the bazaar to buy some produce for my family.”

“I am not in a hurry to get home, let me walk with you,” I tell her.

“Sure! So how come I haven’t seen you the last few days?” she asks me.

“I was in Jhazeerah to help negotiate a trade agreement between my dad’s small business and a distributor there, but then on the way back I got lost and ended up in Oculus.” Her mouth gapes wide open.

“The capital?”

“Yes! I was so dehydrated and exhausted, I couldn’t continue my journey without taking a small break…” we enter the bazaar as I continue telling her about how grand and impressive the capital city looked, and how kind the people appear to be. I admire the way she quickly picks groceries just like my mom; unlike me, where I can spend minutes just looking for the next item.

“So how long did it take you to get back here?” she asks me, as her hazel eyes soften. “You must’ve spent days walking through the desert, haven’t you? You should have told me, I am carrying water right here with me…”

“It’s okay,” I grin at her slyly, “let me get to that. So I didn’t want to take days to get back here since I already spent days going the wrong direction. So…” I motion for her to come closer and whisper into her ear, “Let me tell you a secret. I had a mage give me the ability to fly, and to cloak myself so no one would catch me.”

“You have my word, I won’t tell anyone.” She smirks at me, the way she always does when we share secrets.

“And guess where I went invisible,” I say after again leaning towards her ear, “The bathroom!” she giggles, before whispering to me,

“Alright, silly, but… on a more serious note,” her tone hardens, “do remember that these are punishable by death. You can tell me, you can tell your parents and sister, but do not speak of this to anyone.”

“No, I won’t.” After she pays for her groceries, we walk the same direction home, my home being first along our path.

“Alright, I will go home and see my family now—do you want me to help you carry these groceries home?”

“No, it’s okay!” She says.

“Bye,” I give her another hug. “I’m so happy I saw you!”

“Love you! You should come sleep over soon! Then we can play some games!” She tells me before making her way home.

As I enter my home, I feel joy at seeing my parents and sister, but not that I have abilities for which I can be executed.

Hey everyone! This is a short story, the first part of a longer series, which takes place on a planet that has only islands and oceans, where naval and dragon power are supreme. It is about a war between a Medieval/theocratic island kingdom and a global, oceanic empire. This story is told from the perspective of a young boy in the theocratic kingdom, as he gets his for true exposure to the global empire after experiencing a tragic loss, and his entire worldview gets flipped in a way he did not expect.

Please let me know if you would like to swap, I am available anytime!

Premise: This story is set in a desert empire which blends elements of Roman/Arab culture, and has elements of modern dystopia where a surveillance state uses magic to carry out its functions. It follows a young protagonist is who is granted a forbidden ability, punishable by death, in order to find his way home.

Feedback I would like: 1) How is the worldbuilding? 2) What do you think of the relationship between the two main characters? 3) How curious are you to see what happens next?

I am available to swap at any time, DM me if interested!

OCEANS OF TIME — PART I

As I fight through the burning heat, I make my way through the city of Oculus, capital of the Nephyrric Empire. I am not supposed to be here, I got lost on my way home. I am due in front of the Senate building, to meet a mage who will endow me with the ability to fly, so that I can find my way back to Aecryptia, the city where I belong.

As I push through crowds of people and tolerate the sweat pouring down my body, I take in the sandstone buildings, a lot of them with columns down their front, all the same color as the desert that surrounds us. A woman screams in the distance, followed by a rush of dozens of people as they run after a man. I see them knock him to the ground and thrash him, while a few of them take something from the man and hand it to the woman. Soon a couple of legionnaires, clad in metallic armor, beckon the crowd to relax, and take the man away. At least the people here are kindhearted.

As I approach the Senate building, I can't help but gawk at the square columns decorating its front. On the front steps of the colossal sandstone structure, a tall man, olive skin and a black beard, waits for me on the steps. I open my mouth to ask him,

“Are you sure we should be doing this right in front of a government building? —” he cuts me off with a raised hand.

“Mind your manners, young man, you are the one asking for an ability which we both know is punishable by death. Only those serving in the Legions or otherwise granted permission by the Senate are allowed the ability to fly, and invisibility is forbidden entirely.”

“So why are we doing this in front of—” he covers my mouth with his hand. Weirdo. I pray those hands don't have germs on them. 

“If I grant you the ability of flight anywhere else in the city, tripwires will activate,” he tells me sternly after lowering his hand.

“Oh,” I reply, dumbfounded. Idiot!

“Oh, indeed. Let's get this over with.” He takes out a pouch of salt from his pocket, and spills the contents onto his right hand before spitting into it and closing it into a fist. He then takes out the Al-Khaifus, the foundational text of all magic used throughout our empire, and orders me to place my hand on it. He starts circling his right fisted hand around the top of my body. 

“You will swear an oath, repeat after me,” he says, “I, Julius al Qadir…”

I repeat after him,

“Swear to use the abilities of flight and invisibility…”

Again I repeat,

“to the best of my judgement, on pain of damnation…”

Repeat.

“So may the Lord guide me…”

After the oath is complete, I feel a new ability, almost like having an extra limb. Two, actually.

“Thank you,” I say to him.

“Now go home. And remember, never disable your invisibility cloak while you are in flight. You will easily be seen and interdicted by the Sky Legions. And don't disappear and reappear in the middle of a crowd where everyone can see you. Hide somewhere so no one will notice. Unless you want us both to be crucified, you must take the utmost caution, and do not speak of this to anyone.”

“Understood.”

“Luck. Don't do anything stupid.” He touches my shoulder before making his way down the Senate steps. I follow him, and make my way to a latrine. After shutting the door for my privacy, I turn on my invisibility cloak. Soon, I lift off, and I am airborne.

A rush of air smothers my face as I fly fifty times faster than a person can run. I remember to use an ability that I do legally have, the windshield. I gape at the sight of Oculus retreating beneath me, all of its grand structures looking like toy blocks, and people looking like ants walking down the street. Soon I am beyond the city limits, flying over open desert.

After I arrive in Aecryptia four hours later, I make landfall somewhere in the bushes, before disabling my cloak and allowing myself to become visible again. As I walk down the streets and near my apartment, I see a young woman with flowing brown hair who looks oddly familiar. My best friend Asifa. I wait for her to get closer before running in front of her face and yelling,

“HEY!! —” Fear flickers in her eyes as she startles, and with lightning speed she whips out her dagger that all off-duty legionnaires carry hidden with them, stopping her dagger just before it slices through my neck. “Oh! It's you!” She laughs in relief, “you scared me!” She then pulls me into a hug. “I’m sorry,” she tells me over my shoulder, “I didn’t mean to almost decapitate you. But maybe next time don’t scare a girl you know is carrying a dagger with her?” she releases me and laughs again. She’s so adorable.

“So, where were you heading?” I smile back at her.

“I was just going to the bazaar to buy some produce for my family.”

“I am not in a hurry to get home, let me walk with you,” I tell her.

“Sure! So how come I haven’t seen you the last few days?” she asks me.

“I was in Jhazeerah to help negotiate a trade agreement between my dad’s small business and a distributor there, but then on the way back I got lost and ended up in Oculus.” Her mouth gapes wide open.

“The capital?”

“Yes! I was so dehydrated and exhausted, I couldn’t continue my journey without taking a small break…” we enter the bazaar as I continue telling her about how grand and impressive the capital city looked, and how kind the people appear to be. I admire the way she quickly picks groceries just like my mom; unlike me, where I can spend minutes just looking for the next item.

“So how long did it take you to get back here?” she asks me, as her hazel eyes soften. “You must’ve spent days walking through the desert, haven’t you? You should have told me, I am carrying water right here with me…”

“It’s okay,” I grin at her slyly, “let me get to that. So I didn’t want to take days to get back here since I already spent days going the wrong direction. So…” I motion for her to come closer and whisper into her ear, “Let me tell you a secret. I had a mage give me the ability to fly, and to cloak myself so no one would catch me.”

“You have my word, I won’t tell anyone.” She smirks at me, the way she always does when we share secrets.

“And guess where I went invisible,” I say after again leaning towards her ear, “The bathroom!” she giggles, before whispering to me,

“Alright, silly, but… on a more serious note, do remember that these are punishable by death. You can tell me, you can tell your parents and sister, but do not speak of this to anyone.”

“No, I won’t.” After she pays for her groceries, we walk the same direction home, my home being first along our path.

“Alright, I will go home and see my family now—do you want me to help you carry these groceries home?”

“No, it’s okay!” She says.

“Bye,” I give her another hug. “I’m so happy I saw you!”

“Love you! You should come sleep over soon! Then we can play some games!” She tells me before making her way home.

As I enter my home, I feel joy at seeing my parents and sister, but not that I have abilities for which I can be executed.

As I fight through the burning heat, I make my way through the city of Oculus, capital of the Nephyrric Empire. I am not supposed to be here, I got lost on my way home. I am due in front of the Senate building, to meet a mage who will endow me with the ability to fly, so that I can find my way back to Aecryptia, the city where I belong.

As I push through crowds of people and tolerate the sweat pouring down my body, I take in the sandstone buildings, a lot of them with columns down their front, all the same color as the desert that surrounds us. A woman screams in the distance, followed by a rush of dozens of people as they run after a man. I see them knock him to the ground and thrash him, while a few of them take something from the man and hand it to the woman. Soon a couple of legionnaires, clad in metallic armor, beckon the crowd to relax, and take the man away. At least the people here are kindhearted.

As I approach the Senate building, I can't help but gawk at the square columns decorating its front. On the front steps of the colossal sandstone structure, a tall man, olive skin and a black beard, waits for me on the steps. I open my mouth to ask him,

“Are you sure we should be doing this right in front of a government building? —” he cuts me off with a raised hand.

“Mind your manners, young man, you are the one asking for an ability which we both know is punishable by death. Only those serving in the Legions or otherwise granted permission by the Senate are allowed the ability to fly, and invisibility is forbidden entirely.”

“So why are we doing this in front of—” he covers my mouth with his hand. Weirdo. I pray those hands don't have germs on them. 

“If I grant you the ability of flight anywhere else in the city, tripwires will activate,” he tells me sternly after lowering his hand.

“Oh,” I reply, dumbfounded. Idiot!

“Oh, indeed. Let's get this over with.” He takes out a pouch of salt from his pocket, and spills the contents onto his right hand before spitting into it and closing it into a fist. He then takes out the Al-Khaifus, the foundational text of all magic used throughout our empire, and orders me to place my hand on it. He starts circling his right fisted hand around the top of my body. 

“You will swear an oath, repeat after me,” he says, “I, Julius al Qadir…”

I repeat after him,

“Swear to use the abilities of flight and invisibility…”

Again I repeat,

“to the best of my judgement, on pain of damnation…”

Repeat.

“So may the Lord guide me…”

After the oath is complete, I feel a new ability, almost like having an extra limb. Two, actually.

“Thank you,” I say to him.

“Now go home. And remember, never disable your invisibility cloak while you are in flight. You will easily be seen and interdicted by the Sky Legions. And don't disappear and reappear in the middle of a crowd where everyone can see you. Hide somewhere so no one will notice. Unless you want us both to be crucified, you must take the utmost caution, and do not speak of this to anyone.”

“Understood.”

“Luck. Don't do anything stupid.” He touches my shoulder before making his way down the Senate steps. I follow him, and make my way to a latrine. After shutting the door for my privacy, I turn on my invisibility cloak. Soon, I lift off, and I am airborne.

A rush of air smothers my face as I fly fifty times faster than a person can run. I remember to use an ability that I do legally have, the windshield. I gape at the sight of Oculus retreating beneath me, all of its grand structures looking like toy blocks, and people looking like ants walking down the street. Soon I am beyond the city limits, flying over open desert.

After I arrive in Aecryptia four hours later, I make landfall somewhere in the bushes, before disabling my cloak and allowing myself to become visible again. As I walk down the streets and near my apartment, I see a young woman with flowing brown hair who looks oddly familiar. My best friend Asifa. I wait for her to get closer before running in front of her face and yelling,

“HEY!! —” Fear flickers in her eyes as she startles, and with lightning speed she whips out her dagger that all off-duty legionnaires carry hidden with them, stopping her dagger just before it slices through my neck. “Oh! It's you!” She laughs in relief, “you scared me!” She then pulls me into a hug. “I’m sorry,” she tells me over my shoulder, “I didn’t mean to almost decapitate you. But maybe next time don’t scare a girl you know is carrying a dagger with her?” she releases me and laughs again. She’s so adorable.

“So, where were you heading?” I smile back at her.

“I was just going to the bazaar to buy some produce for my family.”

“I am not in a hurry to get home, let me walk with you,” I tell her.

“Sure! So how come I haven’t seen you the last few days?” she asks me.

“I was in Jhazeerah to help negotiate a trade agreement between my dad’s small business and a distributor there, but then on the way back I got lost and ended up in Oculus.” Her mouth gapes wide open.

“The capital?”

“Yes! I was so dehydrated and exhausted, I couldn’t continue my journey without taking a small break…” we enter the bazaar as I continue telling her about how grand and impressive the capital city looked, and how kind the people appear to be. I admire the way she quickly picks groceries just like my mom; unlike me, where I can spend minutes just looking for the next item.

“So how long did it take you to get back here?” she asks me, as her hazel eyes soften. “You must’ve spent days walking through the desert, haven’t you? You should have told me, I am carrying water right here with me…”

“It’s okay,” I grin at her slyly, “let me get to that. So I didn’t want to take days to get back here since I already spent days going the wrong direction. So…” I motion for her to come closer and whisper into her ear, “Let me tell you a secret. I had a mage give me the ability to fly, and to cloak myself so no one would catch me.”

“You have my word, I won’t tell anyone.” She smirks at me, the way she always does when we share secrets.

“And guess where I went invisible,” I say after again leaning towards her ear, “The bathroom!” she giggles, before whispering to me,

“Alright, silly, but… on a more serious note, do remember that these are punishable by death. You can tell me, you can tell your parents and sister, but do not speak of this to anyone.”

“No, I won’t.” After she pays for her groceries, we walk the same direction home, my home being first along our path.

“Alright, I will go home and see my family now—do you want me to help you carry these groceries home?”

“No, it’s okay!” She says.

“Bye,” I give her another hug. “I’m so happy I saw you!”

“Love you! You should come sleep over soon! Then we can play some games!” She tells me before making her way home.

As I enter my home, I feel joy at seeing my parents and sister, but not that I have abilities for which I can be executed.

OCEANS OF TIME — PART I

As I fight through the burning heat, I make my way through the city of Oculus, capital of the Nephyrric Empire. I am not supposed to be here, I got lost on my way home. I am due in front of the Senate building, to meet a mage who will endow me with the ability to fly, so that I can find my way back to Aecryptia, the city where I belong.

As I push through crowds of people and tolerate the sweat pouring down my body, I take in the sandstone buildings, a lot of them with columns down their front, all the same color as the desert that surrounds us. A woman screams in the distance, followed by a rush of dozens of people as they run after a man. I see them knock him to the ground and thrash him, while a few of them take something from the man and hand it to the woman. Soon a couple of legionnaires, clad in metallic armor, beckon the crowd to relax, and take the man away. At least the people here are kindhearted.

As I approach the Senate building, I can't help but gawk at the square columns decorating its front. On the front steps of the colossal sandstone structure, a tall man, olive skin and a black beard, waits for me on the steps. I open my mouth to ask him,

“Are you sure we should be doing this right in front of a government building? —” he cuts me off with a raised hand.

“Mind your manners, young man, you are the one asking for an ability which we both know is punishable by death. Only those serving in the Legions or otherwise granted permission by the Senate are allowed the ability to fly, and invisibility is forbidden entirely.”

“So why are we doing this in front of—” he covers my mouth with his hand. Weirdo. I pray those hands don't have germs on them. 

“If I grant you the ability of flight anywhere else in the city, tripwires will activate,” he tells me sternly after lowering his hand.

“Oh,” I reply, dumbfounded. Idiot!

“Oh, indeed. Let's get this over with.” He takes out a pouch of salt from his pocket, and spills the contents onto his right hand before spitting into it and closing it into a fist. He then takes out the Al-Khaifus, the foundational text of all magic used throughout our empire, and orders me to place my hand on it. He starts circling his right fisted hand around the top of my body. 

“You will swear an oath, repeat after me,” he says, “I, Julius al Qadir…”

I repeat after him,

“Swear to use the abilities of flight and invisibility…”

Again I repeat,

“to the best of my judgement, on pain of damnation…”

Repeat.

“So may the Lord guide me…”

After the oath is complete, I feel a new ability, almost like having an extra limb. Two, actually.

“Thank you,” I say to him.

“Now go home. And remember, never disable your invisibility cloak while you are in flight. You will easily be seen and interdicted by the Sky Legions. And don't disappear and reappear in the middle of a crowd where everyone can see you. Hide somewhere so no one will notice. Unless you want us both to be crucified, you must take the utmost caution, and do not speak of this to anyone.”

“Understood.”

“Luck. Don't do anything stupid.” He touches my shoulder before making his way down the Senate steps. I follow him, and make my way to a latrine. After shutting the door for my privacy, I turn on my invisibility cloak. Soon, I lift off, and I am airborne.

A rush of air smothers my face as I fly fifty times faster than a person can run. I remember to use an ability that I do legally have, the windshield. I gape at the sight of Oculus retreating beneath me, all of its grand structures looking like toy blocks, and people looking like ants walking down the street. Soon I am beyond the city limits, flying over open desert.

After I arrive in Aecryptia four hours later, I make landfall somewhere in the bushes, before disabling my cloak and allowing myself to become visible again. As I walk down the streets and near my apartment, I see a young woman with flowing brown hair who looks oddly familiar. My best friend Asifa. I wait for her to get closer before running in front of her face and yelling,

“HEY!! —” Fear flickers in her eyes as she startles, and with lightning speed she whips out her dagger that all off-duty legionnaires carry hidden with them, stopping her dagger just before it slices through my neck. “Oh! It's you!” She laughs in relief, “you scared me!” She then pulls me into a hug. “I’m sorry,” she tells me over my shoulder, “I didn’t mean to almost decapitate you. But maybe next time don’t scare a girl you know is carrying a dagger with her?” she releases me and laughs again. She’s so adorable.

“So, where were you heading?” I smile back at her.

“I was just going to the bazaar to buy some produce for my family.”

“I am not in a hurry to get home, let me walk with you,” I tell her.

“Sure! So how come I haven’t seen you the last few days?” she asks me.

“I was in Jhazeerah to help negotiate a trade agreement between my dad’s small business and a distributor there, but then on the way back I got lost and ended up in Oculus.” Her mouth gapes wide open.

“The capital?”

“Yes! I was so dehydrated and exhausted, I couldn’t continue my journey without taking a small break…” we enter the bazaar as I continue telling her about how grand and impressive the capital city looked, and how kind the people appear to be. I admire the way she quickly picks groceries just like my mom; unlike me, where I can spend minutes just looking for the next item.

“So how long did it take you to get back here?” she asks me, as her hazel eyes soften. “You must’ve spent days walking through the desert, haven’t you? You should have told me, I am carrying water right here with me…”

“It’s okay,” I grin at her slyly, “let me get to that. So I didn’t want to take days to get back here since I already spent days going the wrong direction. So…” I motion for her to come closer and whisper into her ear, “Let me tell you a secret. I had a mage give me the ability to fly, and to cloak myself so no one would catch me.”

“You have my word, I won’t tell anyone.” She smirks at me, the way she always does when we share secrets.

“And guess where I went invisible,” I say after again leaning towards her ear, “The bathroom!” she giggles, before whispering to me,

“Alright, silly, but… on a more serious note, do remember that these are punishable by death. You can tell me, you can tell your parents and sister, but do not speak of this to anyone.”

“No, I won’t.” After she pays for her groceries, we walk the same direction home, my home being first along our path.

“Alright, I will go home and see my family now—do you want me to help you carry these groceries home?”

“No, it’s okay!” She says.

“Bye,” I give her another hug. “I’m so happy I saw you!”

“Love you! You should come sleep over soon! Then we can play some games!” She tells me before making her way home.

As I enter my home, I feel joy at seeing my parents and sister, but not that I have abilities for which I can be executed.