night.”
Olyva wanted to argue, but she didn’t. She just followed Rafe into the gloom of the building and did her best to pretend she wasn’t afraid they wouldn’t make it through the night.
Chapter 11
Tiberius
Tiberius hadn’t thought about the fact that he might learn more about magic among the abandoned cities of the blighted lands, but he couldn’t deny that since he’d first spotted the ruins of the vast city at the foot of the mountains, his hopes were elevated. The blighted lands were supposed to be a nightmarish place where no man could survive. It was true that there were large creatures and dangers that Tiberius had never imagined, but the blighted lands were not the hellish wastes he’d always supposed they were.
Now, as he walked through the streets of what had once been a very significant city, he couldn’t help but wonder if there were hidden treasures just waiting to be revealed. For all Tiberius knew, he was the first wizard to walk through those dirt-covered streets since the cataclysm. He reminded himself that the Hoskali had wizards — they called them kujas — but Tiberius still felt a thrill.
“Tiberius, slow down,” Lexi said. “You need to be more careful.”
“Careful of what?” Tiberius asked.
“You don’t know what could be lurking in these ruins,” Lexi said. “Let’s just find some wood and go back.”
“Aren’t you even a little bit curious?” he asked. “Think of what life was like here before the cataclysm. There must have been tens of thousands of people living here.”
“And they probably all died here, too,” Lexi said. “Ten thousand ghosts just waiting to exact revenge.”
“You don’t really believe that.”
“No, but any kind of creature could be hiding here,” she warned him.
The sky was growing darker by the minute, and as much as he hated to admit it, Tiberius knew that Lexi was right. The alleys between the tall buildings were full of shadows and rubble. He spotted the remains of a wooden fence, the boards having long ago been knocked out of alignment.
“There,” Tiberius said, pointing to the fence. “We can get some wood and go back.”
“Okay,” Lexi said, the relief evident in her voice.
Tiberius led the way to the fence. The boards were thin and leaning precariously. One touch and it was obvious the boards were completely rotten. Tiberius pulled on the fence, and it came apart easily.
“This will work,” he said.
“It won’t burn long,” Lexi said. “Not like the tamaka dung.”
“No, it’s too old, but there’s plenty here, and I doubt we’ll need all that much of it.”
After a few minutes of work, they had torn the fence apart and stacked it neatly into two piles. Tiberius picked up the bigger pile, and Lexi managed to carry the smaller one. They had just started back toward the building where Rafe and Olyva were waiting when the world suddenly went dark.
“I’ll never get used to that,” Lexi said.
“It’s a bit unsettling,” Tiberius admitted.
He stooped over and set the wood down easily. Then, picking up one of the longer boards and holding it by one end, he uttered the fire spell.
“ Ingesco Exsuscito. ”
Tiberius felt the magic leach suddenly out of the dry and brittle wood. The flame at the far end, away from Ti’s body, was bright and warm. Tiberius held the board up like a torch and hoped the fire wouldn’t work its way down the rotten wood too quickly.
He scooped up as much of the wood at his feet as he could manage with one arm, and they started back down the wide street. The ground was solid under their feet but covered with fine dirt. Tiberius wondered what type of paving stones the city had utilized. There were so many questions to be answered about the ancient ruins, but they would all have to wait. Tiberius knew he had to swallow his curiosity. His first priority was to get Olyva back to Hamill Keep and then to Sparlan Citadel. It might even be possible to take an airship from the
Olyva wanted to argue, but she didn’t. She just followed Rafe into the gloom of the building and did her best to pretend she wasn’t afraid they wouldn’t make it through the night.
Chapter 11
Tiberius
Tiberius hadn’t thought about the fact that he might learn more about magic among the abandoned cities of the blighted lands, but he couldn’t deny that since he’d first spotted the ruins of the vast city at the foot of the mountains, his hopes were elevated. The blighted lands were supposed to be a nightmarish place where no man could survive. It was true that there were large creatures and dangers that Tiberius had never imagined, but the blighted lands were not the hellish wastes he’d always supposed they were.
Now, as he walked through the streets of what had once been a very significant city, he couldn’t help but wonder if there were hidden treasures just waiting to be revealed. For all Tiberius knew, he was the first wizard to walk through those dirt-covered streets since the cataclysm. He reminded himself that the Hoskali had wizards — they called them kujas — but Tiberius still felt a thrill.
“Tiberius, slow down,” Lexi said. “You need to be more careful.”
“Careful of what?” Tiberius asked.
“You don’t know what could be lurking in these ruins,” Lexi said. “Let’s just find some wood and go back.”
“Aren’t you even a little bit curious?” he asked. “Think of what life was like here before the cataclysm. There must have been tens of thousands of people living here.”
“And they probably all died here, too,” Lexi said. “Ten thousand ghosts just waiting to exact revenge.”
“You don’t really believe that.”
“No, but any kind of creature could be hiding here,” she warned him.
The sky was growing darker by the minute, and as much as he hated to admit it, Tiberius knew that Lexi was right. The alleys between the tall buildings were full of shadows and rubble. He spotted the remains of a wooden fence, the boards having long ago been knocked out of alignment.
“There,” Tiberius said, pointing to the fence. “We can get some wood and go back.”
“Okay,” Lexi said, the relief evident in her voice.
Tiberius led the way to the fence. The boards were thin and leaning precariously. One touch and it was obvious the boards were completely rotten. Tiberius pulled on the fence, and it came apart easily.
“This will work,” he said.
“It won’t burn long,” Lexi said. “Not like the tamaka dung.”
“No, it’s too old, but there’s plenty here, and I doubt we’ll need all that much of it.”
After a few minutes of work, they had torn the fence apart and stacked it neatly into two piles. Tiberius picked up the bigger pile, and Lexi managed to carry the smaller one. They had just started back toward the building where Rafe and Olyva were waiting when the world suddenly went dark.
“I’ll never get used to that,” Lexi said.
“It’s a bit unsettling,” Tiberius admitted.
He stooped over and set the wood down easily. Then, picking up one of the longer boards and holding it by one end, he uttered the fire spell.
“ Ingesco Exsuscito. ”
Tiberius felt the magic leach suddenly out of the dry and brittle wood. The flame at the far end, away from Ti’s body, was bright and warm. Tiberius held the board up like a torch and hoped the fire wouldn’t work its way down the rotten wood too quickly.
He scooped up as much of the wood at his feet as he could manage with one arm, and they started back down the wide street. The ground was solid under their feet but covered with fine dirt. Tiberius wondered what type of paving stones the city had utilized. There were so many questions to be answered about the ancient ruins, but they would all have to wait. Tiberius knew he had to swallow his curiosity. His first priority was to get Olyva back to Hamill Keep and then to Sparlan Citadel. It might even be possible to take an airship from the
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