Free Immortal Darkness: Shadow Across the Land by Alex Rey Page B

small
pool of milk.
    Of all the fliers, none was more surprised
than Molar. That’s my grandfather! he realized, nearly
forgetting all about the notion of flight. A cringe formed in his
shoulders when he took sight of his grandfather’s shocking mask. What’s he doing out here? Why are there so many people
here?
    “Come down here!” Yofel beckoned to the
altitudinous fliers. At the sound of their leader’s voice, each and
every one of them made their way to the large balcony from which
Yofel made his speeches. Almost a half of them collapsed under
their feet when they made this attempt at landing.
    Before handing out each of the individual
fliers their rewards, Yofel personally walked up to Molar with his
two hands hidden behind his back, his gaze driven away from all the
other fliers. Such a notion caused nervousness and excitement to
drizzle down his spine. What were to be their first impressions
toward each other?
    “Molar,” he began, “I have seen your progress
in flight throughout your life. Now that you have the ability to
fly freely, I would like to award you with this cloak!”
    With outstretched arms did Yofel present
Molar with a hand-woven cape. A majority of its fabric colored
green, this cloak showed a picture with a griffin in a sunset
background. After taking a quick glance at his prize, Molar placed
the cloak upon his shoulders, looked up at his grandfather and
praised, “Thank you!”
    “As for you others,” Yofel began through a
stronger voice, “Come over here so you can claim your flight
medals!” Before even receiving a chance to admire Molar’s cloak,
all the other fliers made their way over to Yofel’s side. Each of
them received medallions—rewards with which they wore around their
necks. The medals themselves gave off a circular appearance, with
the picture of a bird crafted onto its beautiful gold.
    As the other fliers achieved their medals,
Molar walked over to the flight teacher when he asked him, “Can I
go fly now?”
    After a pause, the dignified eagle nodded in
response. “Sure. Go ahead.”
    Without another word, Molar walked over to
the edge of the balcony—once there did he spread his large wings
and set off for flight. He took not a single glance back at what
once was, the feeling of flight surging over his being.
    While freedom seemed enveloped his mind with
sheer intensity, Molar quickly found himself dodging a wave of
pillars. Such obstacles were meant to carry the planet’s magma from
below Mocrano’s ground up to Earth’s volcanoes—thus ensuring
Mocrano’s safety. Their one and only purpose in existence was to
keep Earth’s natural lava flow from seeping into the city’s core.
If it were not for these pillars, Mocrano would be empty of all
life—filled to the brim with nothing but molten rocks.
    Molar quickly came to realize how most of the
pillars were oozing out molten rock. Thinking it would hurt him to
touch this goop, he panicked in an attempt to wisp his way through
the series of pillars in front of his eyes. In order to do so,
Molar spun and squeezed his way through many tight spaces. Although
it had proven hard for a creature of his size to make his way
through such odds, he quickly pulled through.
    As he left the threatening obstacles alone,
Molar noticed a series of pictures forming in his mind; ergo, he
noticed himself experiencing a strange vision.
    In his vision, Molar took sight of himself
fighting Yofel in the midst of the Mapharaux. The grandfather and
grandson standing on one of the highest points in all of Mocrano,
the two of them strategically waited for the other to attack.
    For a reason he was unsure of, an old blue
blade protruded from Yofel’s chest. He noticed his grandfather take
hold of the blade in his chest, his knees collapsing to the ground
just before the blade could penetrate his heart.
    Using the last of his energy, Yofel took a
look up at Molar and weakly threw the blue blade at him.
Fortunately for Molar, the blade was