“Where did
they go?”
“I don’t know,” Zamna replied, ducking his head
into one of the houses. Glancing around, he added, “This one looks sturdy
enough to sleep in.”
“I suppose there’s no need for a fire in this
heat,” Taren said, setting down his gear.
“It might keep the scorpions away,” Zamna hissed
with a grin.
Taren grimaced. He hadn’t thought what sort of
crawling things might live in this sand. Waking up to a scorpion on his face
wasn’t at the top of his to-do list.
“Don’t worry,” Zamna said. “I’ll eat it if it
comes near us.”
Taren wasn’t sure whether his friend was joking.
The building they had chosen featured a small circular window facing out upon
the desert. The stars twinkled above, providing a nice view of a desolate land.
From this angle, it appeared almost serene. The light of the stars reflected off
the sand, giving it an unearthly glow.
“If the sun proves too hot, we might want to move
at night,” Zamna said, unrolling his bed. “So long as the sky stays clear.”
“That will help with the heat but not the sand,”
Taren said, removing his boots to find new blisters had formed on his feet. “I
wonder if I should go barefoot too,” he said. “The sand seems to be finding its
way inside my shoes regardless.”
“As long as you keep them wrapped to protect you
from the heat, it might help,” Zamna replied. “It might also allow sand into
your wrappings, and then you’re back where you started.”
Taren groaned, not sure what was the best course
of action. He rubbed at his calves, which were also aching from the day’s
exertion. In the thick sand, he had used muscles he didn’t even know he had in
order to keep his balance.
“Don’t you have a spell for that?” Zamna asked.
“You’re supposed to be some sort of healer, aren’t you?”
“In some situations I am,” he replied. “In others,
I’m just the person you buy your potions from.”
“You do know a few useful spells, don’t you?”
Zamna was beginning to wonder what the point of his magic was if he only
crafted potions.
“Of course I do,” Taren replied defensively. “I
just haven’t had need of them yet.” Though he had not mastered all the
elements, he considered himself proficient with a variety of different spells.
He could cast at least one spell from each school of magic, and he could cast
several involving earth magic. His main focus had been on potions, but Master
Imrit had made sure he learned a sufficient number of spells to protect
himself. This journey was Imrit’s idea, and he had trained his apprentices for
whatever they might encounter along the way. Taren hoped it was enough. He
didn’t feel particularly powerful, and Tissa and Djo would have been much
better with offensive magic. So far there had been no need for such spells, and
Taren was grateful.
Zamna sat cross-legged, leaning his head against
his hand. “A demonstration would be nice,” he said.
Taren saw no harm in casting a small spell, but he
couldn’t decide which one to perform. There could be creatures around, and he
didn’t want to disturb them. Zamna’s face grew bored, so Taren settled on
casting a lightning spell. He focused his attention on a rock about ten feet
away. Extending the fingers of his right hand, he drew energy from the sky.
With a flash of silver in his eyes, he projected the magic forward, causing the
rock to leap several feet into the air, bursting into dust. With a proud smile,
he looked over at Zamna.
Zamna nodded. “Impressive,” he said. “Let’s hope
you don’t miss your target if we find ourselves in need of that spell.”
Taren shrugged, remembering his failure to stun
the spiny hog they had encountered earlier in their travels. He hadn’t had
adequate time to prepare, and the paralysis spell was more difficult to master
than the lightning, at least for him. Next to earth magic, air magic seemed to
come more easily to him. “So what about you?” Taren
they go?”
“I don’t know,” Zamna replied, ducking his head
into one of the houses. Glancing around, he added, “This one looks sturdy
enough to sleep in.”
“I suppose there’s no need for a fire in this
heat,” Taren said, setting down his gear.
“It might keep the scorpions away,” Zamna hissed
with a grin.
Taren grimaced. He hadn’t thought what sort of
crawling things might live in this sand. Waking up to a scorpion on his face
wasn’t at the top of his to-do list.
“Don’t worry,” Zamna said. “I’ll eat it if it
comes near us.”
Taren wasn’t sure whether his friend was joking.
The building they had chosen featured a small circular window facing out upon
the desert. The stars twinkled above, providing a nice view of a desolate land.
From this angle, it appeared almost serene. The light of the stars reflected off
the sand, giving it an unearthly glow.
“If the sun proves too hot, we might want to move
at night,” Zamna said, unrolling his bed. “So long as the sky stays clear.”
“That will help with the heat but not the sand,”
Taren said, removing his boots to find new blisters had formed on his feet. “I
wonder if I should go barefoot too,” he said. “The sand seems to be finding its
way inside my shoes regardless.”
“As long as you keep them wrapped to protect you
from the heat, it might help,” Zamna replied. “It might also allow sand into
your wrappings, and then you’re back where you started.”
Taren groaned, not sure what was the best course
of action. He rubbed at his calves, which were also aching from the day’s
exertion. In the thick sand, he had used muscles he didn’t even know he had in
order to keep his balance.
“Don’t you have a spell for that?” Zamna asked.
“You’re supposed to be some sort of healer, aren’t you?”
“In some situations I am,” he replied. “In others,
I’m just the person you buy your potions from.”
“You do know a few useful spells, don’t you?”
Zamna was beginning to wonder what the point of his magic was if he only
crafted potions.
“Of course I do,” Taren replied defensively. “I
just haven’t had need of them yet.” Though he had not mastered all the
elements, he considered himself proficient with a variety of different spells.
He could cast at least one spell from each school of magic, and he could cast
several involving earth magic. His main focus had been on potions, but Master
Imrit had made sure he learned a sufficient number of spells to protect
himself. This journey was Imrit’s idea, and he had trained his apprentices for
whatever they might encounter along the way. Taren hoped it was enough. He
didn’t feel particularly powerful, and Tissa and Djo would have been much
better with offensive magic. So far there had been no need for such spells, and
Taren was grateful.
Zamna sat cross-legged, leaning his head against
his hand. “A demonstration would be nice,” he said.
Taren saw no harm in casting a small spell, but he
couldn’t decide which one to perform. There could be creatures around, and he
didn’t want to disturb them. Zamna’s face grew bored, so Taren settled on
casting a lightning spell. He focused his attention on a rock about ten feet
away. Extending the fingers of his right hand, he drew energy from the sky.
With a flash of silver in his eyes, he projected the magic forward, causing the
rock to leap several feet into the air, bursting into dust. With a proud smile,
he looked over at Zamna.
Zamna nodded. “Impressive,” he said. “Let’s hope
you don’t miss your target if we find ourselves in need of that spell.”
Taren shrugged, remembering his failure to stun
the spiny hog they had encountered earlier in their travels. He hadn’t had
adequate time to prepare, and the paralysis spell was more difficult to master
than the lightning, at least for him. Next to earth magic, air magic seemed to
come more easily to him. “So what about you?” Taren
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