Hope

"Hold on!" Noorh snapped, pulling the reigns to control Aledir's movements as they plummeted into the unknown. "Calm down, Aledir!"

But Aledir only shrieked in pain. Kiran squeezed her eyes shut as fear petrified her. She pressed herself against Noorh's chest as she held her breath in preparation for their imminent death.

Noorh pressed his free hand on the side of Aledir's body, summoning another magic circle that dissolved into Aledir's skin.

It slowly eased Aledir's panic, bringing him back to his senses. His wings finally spread itself open and flapped slowly but powerfully to stop their descent. After swerving a few more times, he finally gained his balance and floated steadily in mid-air.

"Good boy," Noorh breathed, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Just calm down. Everything's fine," he said, more to himself than to Aledir or Kiran. He was breathing heavily from the ordeal. Casting the teleportation spell took a toll on his energy reserves. Casting