Spellscribed: Conviction (33 page)

Endrance.
Gullin’s voice echoed in his head.
Wake up.

Endrance opened his eyes. Giselle was cuddled up to his side, fuzzy and warmer than even the hot air around him. The day seemed impossibly bright to his eyes.

Huh?
Endrance asked mentally.
What is it?

I need you to see this.
Gullin replied, his tone serious.

What is it?
Endrance asked, sliding away from Giselle and stepping out into the sand. The brilliant light of the suns burned against his skin immediately, but for the moment, it went ignored.

You’re right.
Endrance replied.
I needed to see this.

In the distance, light blazed out at them with the brilliance of both suns combined. The source of the light marched along the horizon. A faint rumble could be heard in the distance, a low sound like a waterfall.

What is that?
Endrance finally asked a few minutes later.

It appears to be the River of Glass.
Gullin replied, drifting closer to it.
And it is giving off immense heat.

Endrance watched his familiar float closer and closer towards it. He sighed.
Go ahead,
Endrance encouraged.
Go check it out. Come back in time for us to break camp.

Great!
His familiar sounded excited as he banked directly for the wave of light and heat.

Endrance ducked back into the tent, finished off his canteen, and lay back down.

By all the magic...
Gullin’s mental voice was faint, so he must have been a great distance away.
This is glorious!

Endrance felt a trickle of sensation coming back from his familiar. The familiar had flown into the River of Glass and was bathing in the intense heat radiating from the phenomenon.

I have been looking for a fire like this!
Gullin echoed back, ecstatic.
Yes!

Endrance sighed, closed his eyes and tried to return to sleep. He couldn’t completely tune his familiar out, in case of an emergency, but he could shove his voice into the back of his mind and try to rest up. He drifted back off to sleep, hot and sweating.

He woke hours later to find Gullin had returned. Every feather on his familiar’s body seemed to glow like hot steel subjected to a blacksmith’s fire, and the heat coming off the bird was even greater than that of the desert.

Enjoyed yourself, I see.
Endrance said, stretching. He felt stiff and dehydrated, and his skin felt hot. As he stretched he felt like the skin across his chest was going to crack. He looked down and saw he had turned quite red.

“Holy…” Endrance muttered, touching his chest. “I got sun burnt?”

You did go outside without covering clothing.
Gullin said plainly.

I thought you made me immune?
Endrance asked.

I made you immune to fire, but your human form cannot handle so much sunlight pouring on you.
Gullin explained.

Endrance ducked back into the tent. Giselle was packing up the little bag she was using to carry her things. Endrance patted her on the head and gingerly pulled a shirt on.

I’ve never gotten a sunburn like this before.
Endrance stated.
Was this because of what you showed me?

It would seem so.
Gullin replied apologetically.
You were only out in the light of that event for moments, and it was as bad as if you had been out in the suns for hours up in Balator.

Endrance had had minor sunburns before; the first few days out in the snow had earned him a minor one, since he didn’t think it was that bad due to the cold. Still, to get burned so badly for only a few seconds of exposure…

So that was the River of Glass?
Endrance asked.

Yes, it was.
Gullin said.
We’re about five more nights’ journey from the northern shore. It appears to be very dangerous when the suns are out.

That was just the sun across the River of Glass?
Endrance said, amazed.
No wonder Alana said we should cross at night. How hot do you think it got?

I do not know,
Gullin replied dryly.
Everything in this world feels cold to me. But if I were to guess, it was the hottest thing I’ve experienced here.

If you can answer this, how hot was it compared to things you experienced in your home?
Endrance asked, packing his things together while the suns were still too high in the sky. In a few minutes, they would have to get going.

It is not the hottest thing, but it is not the coldest.
Gullin stated.
I would put that in the hotter half of my home realm.

So… too hot for us to handle.
Endrance replied.

Even you would die within seconds.
Gullin explained.
The air would sear your lungs, and the light would burn you out in moments.

Endrance stepped out of his tent, and started taking it down. Within moments, Bridget and Tanya vacated their tent and did the same. Selene gave him a smile before turning to work on the tent, realized how red he was, and turned back to look at him. “What the hells…” she said, getting Tanya’s attention.

“Whoa!” Tanya exclaimed. “What happened to you?”

Endrance sighed. “I stepped outside around noon. I was only out there for la few minutes, but it did this.” He gestured to his reddened face and ears.

Selene started chuckling to herself. Tanya thought for a few seconds, and eventually spoke again.

“Well, that heals normally, so why don’t you try your healing spell?” She asked.

Endrance paused. “Oh.” He muttered. “Right.”

He slung the healing spell, tossing the gesture quickly, since his hands were burned and it hurt to bend them in just the right way. He released the spell, touching his forehead with his right hand and sliding his palm down over his face. His reddened face glimmered with golden light, and by the time the spell finished, he was no longer red. His skin had taken on a noticeable tan, several shades darker than his normally pale appearance.

Joven crawled out of his tent, Bridget following right after. “Whoa!” Joven said staring at Endrance. “I didn’t know you had an instant tan spell.”

Endrance no longer felt like a baked potato. “Okay, so no matter how hard we push tomorrow,” he started. “We stay hidden during the day. I was out in the suns’ light for a few minutes around noon and it gave me a sunburn like I had been out there for hours.”

“Ugh.” Joven grunted. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Did I mention I hate the desert?” Tanya said.

“You did mention it.” Endrance said. “Okay, let me do this spell again. You know the drill.”

They made contact with each other once again, and Endrance recast his spell. As the night grew cold, the spell would keep the air at the same cool, but not freezing, temperature. The minor adjustments he had made seemed to help deal with the constant drain that having six subjects under his spell entailed.

They set off, heading in the direction of the River of Glass. Endrance stayed in the middle of the line, letting Joven pick the best path over the sandy dunes and dips. He stared up at the night sky, watching the glowing, fire coated ember that was Gullin high in the sky.

Gullin,
Endrance said.
If we did the second circle, would I be able to fly across the desert before the suns rise?

You would be able to; our combined form is quite fast in the air.
The familiar replied.
However, we would be leaving the rest of the group behind. I am not yet able to carry more than perhaps Giselle, or you, through the air without strain.

Endrance sighed, trying to put his mind towards ways to further expedite this journey. They traveled for their two hours, and pressed forward for another hour before a buzzing could be heard in the distance. Gullin banked in midair and drifted off towards the sounds.

I can see a hive.
He reported.
You are dangerously close to it, only a few hundred yards.

Can you keep an eye on it?
Endrance asked.
We need to try to get farther away.

It seems that they have just started stirring. I believe that you have only a few minutes more.

“Is it those bugs?” Joven whispered, slowing to a halt.

Endrance pushed on his back, urging him forward. “We need to keep going.” He said. “We’re way too close; they’ll find us here even if we do go to ground.”

“Damn.” Joven grumbled, and surged forward. “Running then.”

They fled away from the hive, moving as quickly as possible over the sand. They made another hundred yards before Gullin reported in again.

They’re starting to disperse into hunting parties.
Gullin apprised.
I do not see any coming straight for you, but their movements are erratic and I may not be able to track them all in the dark.

Can you draw them away?
Endrance asked.

Gullin seemed irritated when he replied.
I could, but they can fly and will be able to catch up to me.

Gullin?
Endrance prodded.
They’re highly flammable.

Oh. Never mind then.
Gullin said.
I think I will go pester them over here.

Just be careful not to drain me too quickly.
Endrance interjected before his familiar could dive into an attack.
I’ll draw off my bracers, but I don’t want to run out.

Gullin released a tripartite cry that could be heard clearly from where they were, and Endrance, already low on power, felt a strong pull on what was left. He reflexively grasped the power in his bracers, drawing on them to feed his rapidly emptying aura.

They ran, not even once looking back to see what Gullin was doing. Several times they heard Gullin cry out, and several times flares of light illuminated the sands before them as they ran, their shadows cast far before them by the brilliance of whatever flames Endrance’s familiar was generating.

They ran until Endrance was out of breath half an hour later. His aura was still being drained; indicating that Gullin was still dealing with the hornets. He realized he was in much better shape than he would have been even a year ago. His body didn’t complain about the stress of running, and his breath came back to him faster.

Unfortunately, he was running out of power faster than he could recover it. Even drawing power from his bracers didn’t make the drain from both his temperature control spell and Gullin’s fighting any easier.

Gullin!
Endrance called.
I need you to break away, you’re draining me dry!

I will disengage, but perhaps it would be easier to instead bid me return to my realm.
Gullin advised.
There are survivors, and they will track me through the sky. I am not a subtle being, in case you have not noticed.

Endrance nodded, though his familiar wouldn’t see the motion.
Do it.
He commanded.
I’ll call you again when we are rested.

“How are you doing?” Selene asked.

Endrance sighed. “Gullin’s in too deep.”

Understood.
Gullin replied.
I will return.

Endrance felt the link sever suddenly, and some of the drain on his power abated.

“Gullin?” Joven said, surprised. “He’s even bigger than before.”

“There were a lot of bugs.” Endrance said. “I sent him home for now, so they couldn’t follow him back to us. They should be busy doing damage control for a while”

“Then we should keep going.” Joven insisted.

“Wait.” Tanya said, shaking her head. “We don’t know if that’s the only nest of them that’s out there, or if there are other hazards in this desert.”

“Yeah.” Bridget said. “I mean that many bugs have got to eat, right?”

“Dammit.” Joven cursed. He looked around the area, the night well lit by the multiple moons in the sky. “All right.” He muttered. “We set up camp over there. But make sure the tents are put up well.”

“Of course.” Selene said. “But why?”

Joven tilted his head, listening for the telltale buzzing of insect wings. “We’re going to follow their example, and take refuge underground.”

“That’s a clever idea, but we can’t breathe sand.” Tanya objected.

Joven nodded, “Yes, you’re right, but I’ve done this before and I know how to camouflage our tents so they will appear to be sand mounds and still let us breathe.”

“Can’t they hunt by smell?” Endrance asked.

“Yeah, but they can’t smell you if they don’t know where to start searching.” Joven said. “Now let’s get to work.”

They set their tents up, unable to connect them since Joven needed to partially bury them in sand. The tents were a neutral tan color, so Joven was able to hide them most effectively. This night, Endrance and Tanya were in one tent, Selene and Joven in another, and Bridget was with Giselle.