I was falling. Bursting through clouds at a speed I never knew was possible.
My lips parted for a scream, but the sky swallowed my words. Air filled my lungs, and searing pain raced down my chest.
My chest!
There was a gaping hole in my chest. That should have terrified me. It probably would have if I wasn't already terrified to death from the fall.
I turned and twisted in the air, trying to figure out where the ground was, when my eyes landed on the flying ship. It soared through the sky, its sail fluttering in the air, looking as majestic as before. But I was not on it. Fortunately.
My eyes lingered on the distant ship, imagining the figures of all those at fault for my situation standing on the deck, watching me fall to my death with unconcerned eyes.
I hope someone will take a piss in your boots! I cursed, giving the assholes what they deserved: the holy middle finger.
As satisfying as it was to show them how I felt, it wasn't like these shitheads would see it. They wouldn't see me again. Ever. That was probably the only good thing. I didn't want to see them again either.
Unfortunately, that left me with one more small issue. I was still falling.
Maybe I shouldn't have jumped.
Right. Technically, I was not falling. I jumped over the ship's railing. Dove gracefully through the air.
No. I tried to shake my head, but moving was harder than before. The flying ship's magical barrier no longer shielded me from the cold air. But who was I kidding about my jump? There was nothing graceful about it. It was stupid. So fucking stupid.
Yeah, no. I definitely shouldn't have done that.
No sane person would jump out of a flying ship thousands of meters above the ground. I certainly would have preferred something less suicidal.
But it wasn't like they had given me much of a choice. They forced me.
What now, Xavier?
Now I had to survive certain death, barely a week after surviving the Choosing.
***
*[The Choosing]*
My whole life had come down to a god's whim, yet here I was with a twisting itch rising from my bladder. If it were any other time, I'd probably have run back to the hut to take a quick piss, but abandoning the line was unthinkable. Still, what if I pissed myself?
I chuckled at the thought and glanced at my parents standing with me in line. They were only here to watch, just like the rest of town. Nosy people, waiting to see what the gods chose for me and my peers.
"Don't worry so much. You will be fine," Father said, looking even more nervous than I felt.
Was I worried? Of course I was! Who wouldn't be worried sick on the day of their choosing? I had done everything I could think of to unlock the Power I was hoping for. Grounded my body to the bones with daily workouts. Sure, I had only just started to show muscles–after I put my whole allowance toward feeding the growling beast also known as my stomach–but it had been worth it.
Mom was certain I'd grown a few centimeters in the last few months, and I thought so as well. I was taller than my siblings and stronger, too. That only made sense. I wanted a combat Power and dreamed of exploring the land outside town. Maybe visiting nearby towns, slaying the monsters of the Wilds, and meeting a few beautiful maidens. Who wouldn't want that?
A smile crept up on my lips at the thought of learning more about the realm. With a little bit of luck, nobility might even notice me. That–…
"Xavier? Xavier!?"
Pulled back to my senses, I turned to Mom. "Hmm?"
"Everything alright, darling?"
"Yeah, sure." I smiled back at her and watched Mom pat her chest to calm herself.
"I am sure the gods will choose the right Power for you." Father slapped me on the shoulder, hitting one of the fresh bruises from the training session I'd finished earlier–just to make sure the gods knew what I wanted.
"As long as his Power doesn't suck as much as Darius'," my sister murmured, pity in her eyes as she looked at the lean youth.
The blinding light that had consumed Darius earlier had faded, revealing a young man in every way and rite. He stood in a dimly lit magical circle, his hand pressed against a translucent orb.
Once a year, the Order brought the Orb of Power to each town, allowing everyone who had turned eighteen since their last visit to awaken a Power.
Unfortunately, the gods did not care which Power someone desired. They chose a path for you, and you would have to walk it, whether you wanted to or not. Darius, for one, had awakened a Power related to farming, if I'd understood the Order's Wizard properly.
"Poor sod," my brother joined the pity party.
My family was a talkative bunch. I loved them, but they didn't know when to keep their lips tight. Hence the nasty side-eyes.
Ignoring my family's antics and the shiver running down my spine, I glanced at the families spread across most of the town's plaza and adjacent streets, crowding them more than any other event would. Townspeople and nobles alike, all with children who had just turned eighteen, stood in their best clothes, waiting to celebrate the Power their child received.
Cheers resounded when a child was bestowed with a Power that paved the way toward a promising future. Applause followed when one of the rare combat Powers was acquired. And then there were those with less fortunate Powers. Still, even those were not as bad as the Curse.
Thankfully, the worst had not happened today. There had been no Powerless individual yet, and hopefully it would remain that way.
As my mind wandered, the call of nature returned, stronger than before, and it took everything in me to keep it in.
Why now? I cursed, a bad feeling creeping up my spine.
Today was not going to be my day. I felt it.
Something ridiculous was about to happen. I knew it, and I hated it from the bottom of my heart.
"Xavier Halur!" The Wizard's voice boomed across the plaza after what felt like an eternity.
My heart plummeted into my pants. I froze, only regaining control of my legs when my siblings pushed me closer to the magical circle.
The time had come. The day I'd been waiting for all my life.
Today, my life was about to change forever, and I both feared and anticipated it.