Chapter Fifteen
Florianhadnoideahowmuchtimehadpassedwhenhewaswokenbyagentlepushonhisshoulder.Jerahwaskneelingnexttohim,shakinghimawake.
“Time to go, Florian,” he murmured. “Start getting ready, alright?”
He groaned something unintelligible in reply and slowly nodded, which seemed to satisfy Jerah, who went back to his own sleeping bag and started to pack. It didn’t feel like a full night’s sleep, not at all. The shelter provided shade, and the inside had cooled a bit, but it was still uncomfortably warm.
Florian pulled his backpack over and unlatched his water jug, taking a long drink and splashing some through his hair and on his face for good measure. Jerah had shown him how to magically refill any vessel with liquid: as long as he had at least some left, he could always fill it back up again; and knowing that at least they wouldn’t die of thirst was a small comfort.
When all their personal belongings had been packed away, and their sun goggles pulled over their eyes, Jerah gathered them in the center of the shelter to put the shroud back over them.
“Darkness hides us. Darkness protects us. The Blight cannot touch us. The Blight cannot harm us,” he murmured, the now-familiar tendrils of shadow spreading from his hands across his body and reaching toward Florian and Kade in turn. Covered in the shroud and under the shelter, the temperature felt, for the first time since they’d set out, somewhat comfortable to Florian. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath of the temperate air, knowing it wouldn't last long.
“Alright,” Jerah said, releasing a long exhalation, as if he too had taken in a steadying breath. “Ready.” They started taking down the cloth panels and tarps of the shelter, light flooding in almost instantly. It was going to be a long day.
They set out in the same order: Kade leading them, Jerah in the middle, and Florian following behind. He repeated the incantation that let them travel quickly.
Florian had no idea how Jerah seemed able to keep track of time, because everything passed by in a blur for him. The landscape looked exactly the same, barren and dry. It was all one endless stretch of dirt and dust, moving endlessly under their feet with each step feeling the same as the last. The light never wavered, and the heat never changed.
After what must have been hours, Kade called out, gesturing for them to look at a shape that had become visible on the horizon. As they approached, the shape became clearer—a massive tree with no leaves, but many spiny branches spidering up into the air. Its bark was almost black, as if it had been burnt, but somehow it was still standing. Maybe it had been petrified, Florian thought.
“Careful,” Jerah said, looking over his shoulder at him. “If it's still standing, it was probably magical before. That makes it more likely that Blighted creatures live in it, or around it.”
Florian nodded, looking back toward it. Kade's eyes stayed locked to the tree as they approached; and he understood Jerah's caution, but at this distance he still wondered how it might have survived or been preserved. It didn't seem dangerous, only interesting.
“I don't see anything, but let's keep our distance,” Kade said, still looking toward the tree that had only grown taller as they'd gotten closer.
“Sounds like a plan,” Jerah agreed, and Florian nodded. Curious as he was, they were the ones who had been in the Blight before. Yesterday had been enough for him to know that it was clearly much more dangerous than he had anticipated.
They hadn't gotten far when Kade suddenly stopped and held one arm out, drawing his sword with the other.
“There,” he said, pointing with his sword. Florian could just barely make out moving shapes that looked to be emerging from near the trunk of the tree. Before he could look any closer, though, Jerah had grabbed him by the upper arm, pulling him closer.
“Stay close to me, Florian,” he said, drawing his own sword.
“I can fight," he said, reaching for his, but Jerah shook his head.
“Just stay close,” he repeated, and ahead of them Kade had taken a few steps forward, moving into a ready stance that Florian recognized. “I don't want the shroud to break.”
He frowned, wanting to protest—after all, what had all of his training sessions with Kade been for if he wasn't going to fight?—but acquiesced, hovering just a pace behind as Jerah took a few steps forward. Kade remained ahead of them, waiting in a defensive stance.
They were beetles, Florian realized with a start, but absolutely massive. The light glinted off their bodies, and he realized they were either a bright white, or so shiny that he couldn't make out their color—perhaps reflecting the brilliant rays of the Blight off their carapaces to create a blinding effect. A droning sound filled the air as they drew close, the sound of their huge wings moving rapidly.
Kade lunged at the first one to get close, slashing it open at the belly. It made a horrible squealing sound, spraying juice and guts all around them that immediately started to steam and evaporate, as its body careened past Kade and slammed into the ground. A second and third swarmed him, as a fourth turned toward Jerah.
“Fire,” Florian heard him hiss as he brought a hand up to his mouth; magic passed over his palm, erupting with flames that jetted out toward the beetle. It made a similar screeching sound as the fire engulfed it. Jerah stepped back, pulling Florian with him, as the burning creature flapped erratically until the flames consumed it, and it fell dead to the ground.
When he looked back over at Kade, one more of the beetles was dead in the dirt, while another buzzed just out of his reach, circling around to make another pass at him. Florian hadn't seen if they had fangs or stingers or something else, but figured they must have some means of attack for them to approach in the first place. And as if on cue, the beetle dropped toward Kade, a stinger emerging from its abdomen as it fell from the sky.
“Look out!” he exclaimed, but Kade had already brought his sword up, cleaving into the creature. It shrieked, but speared on the sword it couldn't pull away, liquid gushing from the wound and spilling down Kade's arm. With a look of disgust he brought his sword down and shoved it off with his foot, and it writhed on the ground for a moment before going still.
“Gross,” he muttered, shaking the viscous fluid off his hand.
“Here,” Jerah said, sheathing his sword as he stepped closer; and with a murmur of magic all the guts and fluids fell away from Kade to spill on the ground.
“Thanks,” he said, sheathing his own sword and looking down with obvious distaste.
“Good work,” Jerah continued, turning back to face Florian. “You too, Florian.”
