“It is for the philosophic student to trace the train of thought which underlies the magicians practice; to draw out the few simple threads of which the tangled skein is composed; to disengage the abstract principles from their concrete applications; in short, to discern the spurious science from the bastard art.” - The Golden Bough

When I’m home again I don’t feel like reading. I’d rather spend more time in the Claw. So, I leave the books on the table and sit down in front of the Claw. A moment of trepidation overtakes me that I ease away with a slow, deliberate, breath. Then, I place my hand on the Claw and the world goes dark again while I float in the abyss. Perhaps it’s getting a good look at me?

I’m in the bed in the predawn light again and I’m immediately bored. What do I want to do in the time before Toric and Kacela rise?

Nothing. It’s better that I leave before then. That way they can’t be blamed for my flight. Ha, a flight by flight.

I get up and put on my shoes and head for the front door. It’s unlocked. The city is quiet and dark. Everything is still, except for one man with a cart half full of rocks. He approaches the base of one of the lit arches and opens a panel. He removes the rock inside and tosses it in the cart and the light goes out. It’s clever, small rocks, normally a waste product, are actually a fuel in this civilization.

He doesn’t see me so I focus my attention on the buildings around me to feel their relative locations to me. Then, I imagine those locations as changing. Gradually, I am lifted off the ground and as I keep concentrating on altering those relationships I rise higher and higher. It’s a strange feeling. I don’t feel weightless like at the peak of a jump but neither do I feel held or as if I’m standing on something. My body doesn’t quite know how to explain to my brain that it’s no longer supporting itself and for a moment I experience a bout of dissociation.

But I power through. I focus on the scenery now visible from my invisible perch, high above the city. I decide to stick with Earth norms and consider the rising sun to be east. In all directions east a great plain stretches to the horizon with only the immediate area around the city converted into farms. Everything to the west is dark green forest except for a large mountain (a volcano judging by the flattened top).

There doesn’t appear to be any logging going on in the forest. Maybe Shzume protects it. As the sun rises enough to light up the land I notice a silver thread extending out from the city west, over the trees. This must be the Diamond Causeway I was to work on. A well used dirt road extended back east, over the horizon.

I carefully change my entrainment from anchoring on the buildings to anchoring on the mountain and then I set off. I fly higher, into the clouds and around, marvelling at the freedom and speed possible. I can move so fast it gets hard to see. I decide to slow down before I splat myself into the mountain.

Somewhere below me, in the forest, is Shzume. And I want to meet her.

As if sensing my desire, the sun finally rises high enough to light up a steady stream of smoke coming from the base of the near side of the volcano. A camp. Maybe five or ten miles away. I’ve never judged distances from this height before. I line up a path and, like an arrow, head straight there.

I descend and land, a bit roughly, in the camp. A pot hangs over a fire and a shelter is built between two small trees. A bird screeches and takes flight from a nearby tree and my head swivels to track it.

“And so the rabbit enters the fox’s den.” I hear behind me and turn to find Shzume rather close and wearing simple leather clothes.

My heart stops as I get a good look at her face and then when I look down I see why. Shzume’s arm is sunk in my chest up to the wrist. She pulls it free, taking my heart with it, and smiles before dropping it to the ground.

“Next time, be ready.”

I collapse to the dirt at her feet and as my vision fades to black I notice she isn’t wearing shoes. Red text appears before me:

GAME OVER

“Ahh!” I spring to my feet and knock over my kitchen chair. I’m fine. I’m back in the real world. It was just a game. I bring my hand to my heart, trying to reconcile the last few moments of my life when I’m immediately disturbed and surprised. There is a large, hand sized, bloody hole in my shirt exposing my unblemished chest.

“I thought… it was a game.”