power and use them, pull them in, let them flow through you.”
“You can do it, Skeeve,” Tananda said.
I wasn’t so sure. Each place had power lines, invisible things that all magicians got their energy from. Some places, like the area of the cabin in Vortex #6 were jam-packed with power. Back at the cabin I could have flown fifty people, but here there wasn’t much magik power. In fact, it seemed almost empty.
I stretched out my mind, holding onto the power that I could feel, and then concentrating on bringing it in and using it to lift all three of us. A moment later we all were off the ground and into the hot air.
“Not too high,” Aahz warned. “Keep us just three or four paces off the ground.”
I was glad to do that, because it was easier. And much safer to boot. I lowered all three of us back to a position just above the top of the boulders and held us there for a few moments to make sure I could do it, and then I lowered us back to where we had started.
When I let us go I could feel the energy drain away. I was sweating and short of breath and needed a drink of water, but at least I had done it.
“Nice job,” Tananda said, handing me a canister of water.
“How long do you think you could keep that up?” Aahz asked, watching me with a look that I knew meant he could see through any extra bragging I might try.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” I said after I took a long drink of the wonderfully cold liquid. “With rests, and touching each of you as I do it, maybe fifteen minutes at a time. The lines of power are weak in this area. They may be stronger in other areas and then I could last longer.”
Aahz nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. He turned to Tananda.
“Can you do a cushion spell, in case he drops us?”
“Not a problem,” Tananda said.
“What do we do if someone sees us?” I asked. “I’m not sure that I can do a bird disguise spell as well as keeping us flying.”
“We’re not going to worry about that,” Aahz said. Clearly he didn’t think I could either.
“We’ll walk when we see someone,” Tananda said, staring at the town below us in the valley. “Just keep us close to the ground and over a road.”
I nodded. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“Good,” Aahz said. “Take us down to Evade; we’ll walk through town and out the other side.”
I nodded, glancing at how low the sun was getting in the sky. We’d have to deal with where we were going to stay later. I doubted that Aahz would want to stay in Evade. With luck we’d reach Baker, and they’d have a hotel there as well.
I moved over and stood between Aahz and Tananda, putting a hand on each of their arms. Then I concentrated on taking in what power I could find and lifting us about a pace off the ground.
“Hold on to your hats,” I said as we lifted into the air.
I floated us down to the road and then picked up speed, skimming us toward Evade a lot faster than even a running horse could take us. To an outsider we must have looked very strange. Three strangers seeming to be just standing, but moving along the road at a very fast clip.
After only two minutes I was starting to feel the wear, but before I had to stop Aahz said, “I think we’re close enough now.”
What had cost me an hour of walking earlier had only taken two or three minutes of flying. Why hadn’t I thought of that this morning?
I slowed and put us down at a normal walking pace. The moment I let go of the power I stumbled, but Tananda kept me from falling on my face. It was as if every bit of energy had been drained from my muscles, leaving them weak and noodle-like. “You’ll be fine in a moment,” Aahz said, keeping us walking at a good pace toward the now close edge of town.
He was right. A few more steps and I was sweating like a dam had broken, but I was able to walk.
Tananda gave me some more water, and that brought even more of my energy back. I was starting to believe that I could do this. And flying, even
“You can do it, Skeeve,” Tananda said.
I wasn’t so sure. Each place had power lines, invisible things that all magicians got their energy from. Some places, like the area of the cabin in Vortex #6 were jam-packed with power. Back at the cabin I could have flown fifty people, but here there wasn’t much magik power. In fact, it seemed almost empty.
I stretched out my mind, holding onto the power that I could feel, and then concentrating on bringing it in and using it to lift all three of us. A moment later we all were off the ground and into the hot air.
“Not too high,” Aahz warned. “Keep us just three or four paces off the ground.”
I was glad to do that, because it was easier. And much safer to boot. I lowered all three of us back to a position just above the top of the boulders and held us there for a few moments to make sure I could do it, and then I lowered us back to where we had started.
When I let us go I could feel the energy drain away. I was sweating and short of breath and needed a drink of water, but at least I had done it.
“Nice job,” Tananda said, handing me a canister of water.
“How long do you think you could keep that up?” Aahz asked, watching me with a look that I knew meant he could see through any extra bragging I might try.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” I said after I took a long drink of the wonderfully cold liquid. “With rests, and touching each of you as I do it, maybe fifteen minutes at a time. The lines of power are weak in this area. They may be stronger in other areas and then I could last longer.”
Aahz nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. He turned to Tananda.
“Can you do a cushion spell, in case he drops us?”
“Not a problem,” Tananda said.
“What do we do if someone sees us?” I asked. “I’m not sure that I can do a bird disguise spell as well as keeping us flying.”
“We’re not going to worry about that,” Aahz said. Clearly he didn’t think I could either.
“We’ll walk when we see someone,” Tananda said, staring at the town below us in the valley. “Just keep us close to the ground and over a road.”
I nodded. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“Good,” Aahz said. “Take us down to Evade; we’ll walk through town and out the other side.”
I nodded, glancing at how low the sun was getting in the sky. We’d have to deal with where we were going to stay later. I doubted that Aahz would want to stay in Evade. With luck we’d reach Baker, and they’d have a hotel there as well.
I moved over and stood between Aahz and Tananda, putting a hand on each of their arms. Then I concentrated on taking in what power I could find and lifting us about a pace off the ground.
“Hold on to your hats,” I said as we lifted into the air.
I floated us down to the road and then picked up speed, skimming us toward Evade a lot faster than even a running horse could take us. To an outsider we must have looked very strange. Three strangers seeming to be just standing, but moving along the road at a very fast clip.
After only two minutes I was starting to feel the wear, but before I had to stop Aahz said, “I think we’re close enough now.”
What had cost me an hour of walking earlier had only taken two or three minutes of flying. Why hadn’t I thought of that this morning?
I slowed and put us down at a normal walking pace. The moment I let go of the power I stumbled, but Tananda kept me from falling on my face. It was as if every bit of energy had been drained from my muscles, leaving them weak and noodle-like. “You’ll be fine in a moment,” Aahz said, keeping us walking at a good pace toward the now close edge of town.
He was right. A few more steps and I was sweating like a dam had broken, but I was able to walk.
Tananda gave me some more water, and that brought even more of my energy back. I was starting to believe that I could do this. And flying, even
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