Thinking back to it, this fall, brings up an odd memory of calmness. Of course, there was screaming, at the beginning, but we soon calmed down somewhat. The only thing betraying our speed was the wind and soon we had gotten used to it and relaxed. The Professor had, in experienced anticipation, shot an orb of light ahead of us that hovered at exactly one mile distance and would shatter into colourful sparkles when it hit a solid object, according to him. Where one would gather the kind of experience that would prepare one for a situation like this, I did not know, but I tried to soak everything the Professor did up and remember it as well as possible.
The golem had been of interest to me for a while at this point, but only now did I think about asking any specifica. “So, Professor, these rods of white mineral inside Chrysita’s limbs; are they dolomite?”
The Professor shook his head. “No, Apatite, with steel wires inlaid. The apatite grants strength against compressing forces, the steel grants strength against stretching and flexing forces.”
“Of course.” I looked closer at the rods. They seemed like the columns of a grand cupola, arranged in such a neat cylinder and I recognized the fine filaments of shining metal. “They are so fine.”
“Yes. I had to ask a spider to tell me the secret of weaving such intricate threads, but it paid off. It is a wonder how well they work.”
As I looked closer at the rods, I saw between them, in the middle of their cylindrical arrangement, a rod of metal, etched with fine runes and symbols. I admired the intricate genius of this corporeal vessel for magic a little more.
I tried going over our plan for the landing again. As soon as the glowing sphere shattered, Chrysita would stem her legs, back and arms against the walls of the shaft, hopefully slowing us down significantly. The Professor would try to projected a column of dense air forward, which would slow us down further. My task would be to encase us in a bubble of extremely dense air that would distribute and disperse the force of the impact no matter at which speed it happened, as a last resort.
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For this plan to work, I had to of course repeat the formula for compressing the air and the different values which to insert into said formula. I was not very complicated, but at our speeds, we could have less than a minute of preparation.
The question as to how long we had in the end be falling and how far it was, Many guesses were made. The Professor insisted on a distance of not more than two hundred miles while Anne and I had arrived at an estimate of more than four hundred miles.
Professor Stratolith seemed determined and grim. He knew he bore responsibility for all of us and I did not see him giving up saving the expedition any time soon.
Anne-Liese grew angry. She was obviously used to her uncle’s moods, but it seemed as if she would not forgive him this one.
Brad was most distraught. The little I knew about him he had people to take care of back in the surface world, but the look of worries and shattered hopes on his face told me he was coming to grips with our peculiar situation.
A howling silence settled between us on our sled for four and I caught myself considering how I could relief myself while we were still in full motion. I quickly abandoned the thought and grew more resolute, considerate of the other members of the team.
It did eventually happen that the light of Professor Scutolith’s spell exploded into a shower of bright sparks. The sudden light below us caught my eye and a pulse when through me.
“Prepare yourself, boy!” the Professor yelled. “Everyone else: hold on tight!”
Chrysita stemmed her entire body against the walls of the shaft, a screeching of titanic proportions rose and cut through my ears like a knife, but it worked, we felt Chryista becoming slower.
In my head I gathered all the necessary information and calculation for the spell to condense the air. “EXHALE” I warned the others. As I released the spell from my mind, I felt the air get quite thick and difficult to breathe. With iron self-control taught to me by Major Colonel Corbula himself, I managed to keep up both my spell in effect, and my breathing calm and deep.
I dared to shoot a glance downward. Red craggy rock. Then the impact.
It was was... surprisingly soft. The was a bustling, being thrown about, but slow and dampened, like riding a carriage with very soft furnishings. I guess I did good work with what I had been entrusted with.