Soaring through the sky was always a dream of mine ever since I was a child. It was a dream that felt unreal, like aspiring to be a hero, but now it’s almost within reach. To repay those who lent me a hand, I’m determined to make it a reality.
—Zena Marientelle
“Kyaaaaaah!”
A woman’s scream echoed across the wilderness adjacent to Labyrinth City Celivera.
“Zena!”
Lilio, a soldier from Seiryuu County, looked up at the sky and called out her colleague’s name. In her line of sight was Zena, the magic soldier, spiraling downward after losing control of her magic.
“Haah, …”
In Zena’s panicked vision, the ground was rushing up to meet her. A white figure suddenly cut into Zena’s field of vision.
“Froggy, ‘Expand,’ I declare!”
Zena felt a jolt run through her body around the same time as someone’s voice sounded. It wasn’t the impact she expected from meeting the ground—instead, she was engulfed in a soft embrace, like a bed of flowers, before bouncing back into the sky again. After bouncing a few times with a gentle boing, boing, Zena felt her momentum finally slow, and Iona and Lou from Zena’s squad rushed over to catch her. As Zena’s vision leveled out, she saw the image of a Labyrinth Frog with its belly puffed up. Beyond it stood Huit, the youngest of the Nana sisters. It seemed that Huit’s summoned beast, the Labyrinth Frog, had been the one to catch Zena as she fell.
“Are you okay, Zena?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Lilio checked Zena over.
“I’m relieved you’re fine, I declare.”
“I have you both to thank, Huit and Froggy.”
“Don’t mention it, I declare.”
Zena seemed relieved to see them.
“Zena, didn’t you promise not to go too high until you got used to it?”
“That’s right, Zena. You had us in a panic because you went so high.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t control it.”
Zena shrank away after being scolded by Iona and Lou.
“Thankfully, Huit summoned Froggy.”
“I welcome your praise, I declare. Compliments help Huit grow, I inform!”
Lou patted Huit on the head as she responded joyfully, although she wore a blank expression.
“When you’re unable to control it, it’s best to switch to a different kind of magic.”
“Like Resist Fall or Air Cushion.”
Zena agreed with Iona’s advice. Normally, if she fell from a height, she would slow her descent with Resist Fall and soften the landing impact with Air Cushion. But she was so focused on regaining control of Fly that she missed the opportunity to use them.
“Or she should practice flying over safe areas like water or sand where falling wouldn’t be a problem.”
While there were areas in the current wilderness where sand from the Great Desert had accumulated, it lacked enough cushioning to soften a fall. At best, it could only reduce injuries from a rough landing.
“You’re right, I’ll give it some thought on how best to practice.”
Zena spoke, once again holding her head down in shame in front of the more experienced people with her.