Chapter 144: There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening on a roller coaster?

My heart pounded against my chest as I listened to Gerial. He’d said that the Gesti were claiming me, but I didn't know what that meant or what repercussions there would be. There were too many unknowns.

“We need to talk about this.” I spoke.

Gerial glanced over shoulder towards the lobby door.

“We’ll do it when there aren't so many eyes on us.” His gaze shifted toward me.

I paused.

What did he mean by that?

"We can talk at the hotel." Gerial gave me a pat on the back. “Sorry if that's not what you're hoping to hear, but it's a sensitive topic and—”

His attention turned toward our friends. William was looking at me and Amanda had started to walk towards us.

This area was too public for this conversation.

“That guy tried to unlock the claim without my permission. He can’t just get away with that.” I addressed the immediate issue.

I saw Gerial’s expression and paused.

“Can he?” I continued.

“He can for now.” Gerial promised. “Just remember, never retaliate against a Gesti employee while in their territory. Not while they have a claim on you.”

Gerial brought the sphere out of his inventory. It rolled in his palm, and I hesitated as he held it out to me.

“Can’t you take it?” I asked.

“For a bit, yeah. But this one is going to be keyed to you. It probably has been since you first touched it.  I can’t keep it on me for too long or they might consider the claim rejected.” He gave me the sphere. “Keep it on you at all times, protect it, and forget it exists if you can. At least until we talk.”

I grabbed the sphere and placed it in my inventory. My granduncle had given me similar advice. He’d said to forget it existed, and never touch it.

He could have mentioned why.

Or could he?

I didn’t know what kind of pressure my granduncle was under. I could see the Gesti were strong just by looking at my surroundings. It wasn’t easy for him.

Nobody wanted me to reject the claim. First my granduncle, and now Gerial.

A head of crimson hair entered my vision.

“Hey.” Amanda grasped my attention. “Why the long face?”

The two birds were on her shoulders, looking at me curiously. Gold chirped and Agni nodded. They could tell something was wrong.

Gerial stepped away from me and Amanda gave him a curious glance.

“Umm.” I began to speak.

My improvisational skills weren't good. Thankfully, Amanda picked up on my awkwardness.

She raised a finger and poked my shoulder.

“I’ll let you tell me in your own time. When saying the words doesn’t make you look like you’re sucking a lemon.” Amanda’s lips parted into a smile. “Is there anything stopping you from having fun now?”

I shook my head and flashed her a smile.

“Only my crippling fear of fast rides.” I spoke

“If that’s all then we’re fine!” Amanda flanked my side and grabbed my arm. “The best cure is to confront your fears, preferably on a roller coaster.”

Wait.

I wasn’t joking about the crippling fear.

Amanda dragged me towards the balcony, Gold and Agni flying ahead of her.

Gerial shot me a sympathetic look. He didn't look worried, and my tension eased. I would make him tell me about the claim the moment we reached the hotel.

My chest expanded as I inhaled and put the confusion and apprehension I felt to the side.

William and Roxxy were staring starry-eyed at the view.

“Tell me this doesn’t look like fun.” Amanda spoke

She and I stopped at the head of the balcony, and I saw the entire section for the first time. She stepped back and pointed at the view.

It was an amusement park.

Crowds of people crossed over sidewalks, laughter and chatter reaching us. I spotted multiple food stands selling different cuisine, and others with novelty souvenirs.

They all paled in size as I took in the main attractions.

Reaching up further into the sky were several tracks lined with roller coaster trains. Screaming children and adults alike careened through the air in train carriages, their hands raised and smiles on their faces.

Some tracks were set aflame, others were carved from water, and I could see a tunnel of wind that spiraled into a tornado, sucking up train carriages by the dozen.

I shifted my gaze towards the other side and saw a group of screaming people. They were attached to nothing, and their bodies moved up and down, an unseen force pushing against them.

Their track was invisible.

“What are those?” My heart denied the reality before me.

Amanda looked up at me with sparkling eyes.

“Roller coasters.” She replied.

“These look different to what I was expecting.” I paled.

These weren’t the same as the ones on earth. The roller coasters on earth looked like puppies compared to these pitbulls.

This entire place was a deathtrap.

“I don’t think there’s any need to wait. The sooner you’re on a ride the better.” Amanda teased.

“Hear hear!” Roxxy cheered.

Next to the balcony was a flight of stairs that would lead us into the main plaza. William and Roxxy bounded down the steps, followed by Agni and Gold and then Gerial.

He gave me a quick glance and I nodded.

I was calm.

My pace slowed down as I felt resistance at my side. Amanda was holding me back, her hand tugging on my shirt. Her face held a hint of worry, and I could see tension in her shoulders.

“What’s up?” I stopped.

“Is that really Gerial?” Amanda asked. “I mean, you two came out of the lobby angry, so…”

Her eyes were glued onto Gerial’s back.

A smile parted across my lips as I realised why she was looking so worried. from the outside it probably looked like I was angry at Gerial.

“That’s him.” I promised. “I was angry at something else. I’d rather not talk about it until I have all the details.”

Amanda rested a hand on her hip. “You’re saying you’ll only talk after we try every single roller coaster?”

“Oh look, a food stand!” I jumped away from Amanda and down the stairs.

I could hear her amusement from the top of the stairs. Joining up with the group was easy. They had immediately stopped in the middle of the plaza. There was a fountain that shot out water in different shapes, and benches for people to sit on and rest.

“We can’t go wrong with fire.” Roxxy’s voice floated into my ears. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Riding through the heart of a storm is adventurous.” William rebutted.

I slid between the two and Gold flapped up to me, landing on my arm. Then Agni joined him on my other arm.

They chirped together.

“Gold wants to go on the fire ride.” Roxxy smiled. “That’s two for the flames.”

“And Agni?” I asked.

I hadn’t understood those chirps.

Roxxy looked at the phoenix and rested a hand on her hip as Agni chirped up a storm.

Then she pulled back.

“I can’t understand a single word she says.” Roxxy frowned. “That’s strange.”

Agni squawked and flapped her wings against my shoulder. She was an animal just like Gold, so Roxxy should have understood her.

Maybe there was something different about her.

I knew that Gold was a spirit, and so was Agni. However, maybe there was a difference between an animal that was a spirit and a bloodline spirit.

“She says she’d like to try the fire one.” Amanda stepped up beside Agni. “I’m the same. It seems like a nice warmup.”

“Good one.” I spoke.

Amanda shot me a confused look, then she smiled.

“We’ll warm up inside the flames.” She beamed. “That was totally intentional.”

William was outvoted, and our group made its way towards the roller coasters. The first eight rides were each based on a different element.

We made our way to the fire element rollercoaster.

At the front of the train there was an open fire, spreading embers and licks of orange flames across the rest of the carriages.

In the sky I could see obstacles, twists, and turns. At times the railing disappeared, or it changed into flames. At one section I could only see a bed of lava instead of tracks, and the train carriages would dip into it.

Why does a roller coaster need to loop around five times in a row while on fire?

This was a ride designed by a sadist.

My palms began to sweat.

“Okay.” Roxxy skipped forward. “These passes will get us anywhere quickly, right?”

I nodded. My grandma had gotten us the types of passes that let us skip the lines of any ride.

“Then let’s figure out who goes with who.” Roxxy beamed. “I like the front of the train. I need to feel like I’m dropping down a cliff.”

“I’m down for that adventure.” William volunteered.

From there the groups were quickly decided. Amanda and I would go in the back of the group and Gerial would go in the middle with Agni and Gold.

“Will they allow magical animals onto the ride?” Gerial asked.

We were walking toward the roller coaster, passing the line of people waiting beside us. We’d had to show our passes to a staff member, but they hadn’t said anything about the birds.

The claim sphere hadn’t acted up either. I was keeping a close eye on it.

Gold squawked at Gerial’s question and Roxxy giggled.

“He says if you’re worried that he’ll see how terrified you are, he promises not to tell anyone.” She winked.

“And I promise to tell everyone.” I added.

Gerial chuckled and we asked the staff member about the birds once we reached the end of the line.

As the guys got their answer, I spotted something from the corner of my eye. There was movement around the corner of the ride. I looked down toward a couple of walls and an alleyway.

There was a pair of bright silver eyes watching me.

Huh.

The eyes widened and the person ducked back behind the wall. I turned away but kept an eye out for any more activity.

The eyes reappeared immediately.

This time I was prepared for them. I swivelled around and looked closely at my watcher.

It was a kid.

They were peeking at me from around the corner of the wall, a small plush animal toy in their hand. It was a snow-white bird. Across their head silver hair flowed until it pooled around their waist.

I waved at them, and they jolted in surprise.

They waved back, a shy expression taking over their features. Their gaze lowered to the ground and their cheeks grew red. They were embarrassed that they’d been caught.

I smiled at the kid’s antics. They were adorable.

Amanda nudged my side.

“What’re you looking at?” She peeked over my shoulder curiously.

“That boy.” I gestured towards the corner with my thumb.

I paused.

The kid had disappeared.

He’d probably hidden behind the corner. Or left now that I had spotted him.

“I saw a kid earlier.” Amanda raised an eyebrow at the empty alley. “Back at the hotel.”

“Huh.” I tilted my head. “Did he have silver hair?”

“I didn’t get a good look at him.” Amanda shrugged. “It's not like kids aren't common. We’re in an amusement park.”

"Prepare to board.” A voice called out to us.

Our conversation was disrupted by the staff member as the rollercoaster train arrived. We got in quickly and Agni and Gold were also allowed through, much to their joy.

We were split up as the train quickly filled. Roxxy and William still got their frontmost carriage, but Amanda and I were sent further to the back, separating from the group.

To my surprise there weren’t any seat belts or bars for me to grab onto.

My heartbeat quickened and I rationalised it in my mind.

Magic would keep me in place while making me feel like I had no protection. The knowledge did not give me the comfort the attendant thought it would.

However, I had a secret plan.

Amanda slid in beside me and gave me a playful poke.

“If you feel like screaming, let it all out. I promise not to tell the others.” She teased.

The train lurched forward, and I felt my body tighten as the safety magic activated. Flames gathered around me, a swirling whirlpool of fire that we travelled through slowly.

I took a deep breath and started to act out my plan. If all went well, this ride would be a piece of cake.

“And don’t use meditation. That defeats the point.”

Amanda stared at me intensely and I gulped.

Drat. She’d seen through my plan.

I was screwed.