“But people also need fresh water close by. And the only river we have seen so far is the one we just passed.”
At that, Orion finally twists his head to glance at us over his shoulder. However, as if by pure habit, he turns his head to the left when he does it. A jolt goes through him when he realizes that he can’t actually see anything through that eye, and he quickly snaps his head back. Instead of twisting his head in the other direction to try looking at us over his right shoulder, he just keeps his gaze on the trees ahead.
“Suggestion?” he asks.
My chest tightens at how carefully neutral his voice is.
Isera, however, simply answers him in her normal voice, as if she didn’t notice his embarrassment. “We follow the river.”
He stops so quickly that I almost slam right into him. Throwing myself sideways, I just barely manage to swerve around him. A tree rustles in annoyance as I yank my hands up and brace myself against its thin trunk in order to halt my forward momentum.
It’s a surprisingly bland forest. In the last pocket reality we visited, the forest was so colorful that it felt like I was walking through a rainbow. But this one is just filled with normal trees.Pale green leaves rustle in the canopy above us, and soft grass covers the ground. Though I think that’s because this pocket reality has been created in the opposite way.
In the previous one, we entered a world that had been pulled into our reality. This time, I think we’ve entered a pocket reality that originally belongs to this world, but has been pulled into someone else’s world in order to hide it from everyone else on our continent.
Though I don’t know that for certain, of course, so I just push that thought out of my head as I step over a thick brown root and turn back to Isera and Orion.
“We still need to figure out how to actually get the leader of the Gold Clan to put on the dragon steel and come with us,” I say as we start jogging back the way we came. “Without access to our magic, it’s going to be difficult.”
A flash of terrible need burns through me just at the mention of magic. Goddess above, I just need a quick little boost. Just one. Then I could get my head back on straight again and be able to focus on our mission.
Flexing my hands, I try to dispel that insistent urge. It works poorly.
“We won’t be able to make an actual plan until we know what we’re dealing with,” Isera replies. “Everyone thought the Gold Clan was a myth until just recently, remember?”
“Not everyone,” Orion points out.
Isera shifts her gaze to him and arches a dark eyebrow. “Any insight on what they’re like, then?”
He grimaces before slowly admitting, “No, I’m afraid not.”
“They have shield magic, though.” I look from face to face and shrug. “So I’d guess that they’re some kind of warrior society.”
Orion runs a hand over his jaw, a considering look blowing across his features. “Like those big and stocky humans in infantry units who carry huge shields to protect the archers behind them. Yes, that would make sense.”
I have no idea what he is talking about since I have next to no knowledge of human battle tactics, but I nod anyway since I’m pretty sure that it’s similar to what I was imagining.
“Forcing someone like that to do our bidding is going to be difficult when we have no weapons at all,” Isera points out.
Before either of us can come up with some kind of answer or plan, we reach the river that we passed earlier. It runs diagonally through the fresh green woods. One end is heading back the way we came, but more towards the right, while the other one continues deeper into the island but slanting towards the left.
We start following it towards the left.
Water gurgles merrily next to us as we run along the riverbank. We’re still keeping a good pace, but Orion has thankfully slowed down slightly so that we’re not just blindly dashing across the ground. Pain still pulses through my leg with every step, but it’s drowned out by that terrible need inside me that is begging me to use my magic. I try to block out both sensations, but it’s getting increasingly difficult. I need to use my magic soon. Just to get a little reset. Then I’ll be fine again.
Sunlight falls in through the clear barrier of the pocket reality. Just like the last one we were in, the walls that separate it from the outside world are transparent but they also blur and distort the view on the other side. Like looking through a thick but clear liquid that moves and ripples slightly. So the sun is visible, but it looks a little warped.
While we continue running along the river, I cast a glance up at that distorted sun, trying to estimate how much time has passed since we entered the pocket reality. The island was bigger than I thought it would be. Though I suppose it makes sense. If an entire clan has been living here for millennia, it has to be sizeable enough to fit them all.
Isera sucks in a sharp breath between her teeth. “Stop.”
We immediately slam to a halt.
I’m just about to ask her what’s wrong when I spot it too.
Buildings.
Through the trees up ahead, tall buildings made of beige stone are visible.
