Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin

“Push away, kid,” came Aahz’s voice. “Gently!”

Lazily I touched the ground with my mind, only casually aware of the curious sensation of not physically feeling anything with my feet.

“Open your eyes, kid! Adjust your trim.”

Aahz’s voice came to me from a strange location this time. Surprised, my eyes popped open.

I was floating some ten feet above the ground at an angle that was rapidly drifting toward a horizontal position. I was flying!

The ground came at me in a rush. I had one moment of dazed puzzlement before it slammed into me with jarring reality.

I lay there for a moment forcing air back into my lungs and wondering if I had broken anything.

“Are you okay, kid?” Aahz was suddenly looming over me.”What happened anyway?”

“I… I was flying!” I forced the words at last.

“Yeah, so? Oh, I get it. You were so surprised you forgot to maintain the energy flow, right?”

I nodded, unable to speak.

“Of all the dumb … look, kid, when I tell you you’re going to fly, believe it!”

“But. . . .”

“Don’t ‘but’ me! Either you believe in me as a teacher or you don’t! There’s no buts about it!”

“I’m sorry, Aahz.” I was getting my breath back again.

“Ahh . . . didn’t mean to jump on you like that, kid, but you half scared me to death with that fall. You’ve got to understand we’re starting to get into some pretty powerful magik now. You’ve got to expect them to work. A surprise-break like that last one with the wrong thing could get you killed, or me for that matter.”

“I’ll try to remember, Aahz. Shall I try it again?”