Chapter Seventy-three

Venturing the Plateau

It didn't take long for signs of fatigue to show on Ari'yasa and Melima. I'd been worried that might happen, but everyone wanted to head out right away, and I'd also wanted to get a good start. Jörgen offered to create a flying disk for Ari'yasa to travel on, but she insisted she'd be fine.

A long, dark streak appeared on the horizon after we'd been traveling for about six hours. As we got closer, I could tell it was a chasm, probably six or seven miles long. I figured it was about a stone's throw across. Sephra glanced down over the edge once we got there. She figured it was nine or ten stories deep.

Ari'yasa offered to turn into a giant eagle and carry Melima across in her talons. I offered to let Jörgen and Sephra ride on my broom as I sent it across.

It made me nervous to see Melima hanging from the eagle's claws, but she was hanging on as well. My control of the broom while not riding it was shaky—I was probably hitting fatigue as well—but both of my passengers were able to hang on, and all of us got across safely.

The plateau seemed to go on forever, much like the ocean had on our voyage to Fenraas. Every now and then we'd see an outcropping of rocks or a small cluster of plants. I was amazed anything could grow on this desolate plain.

The sky started to grow purple-pink on the eastern horizon. It had been about eight hours, it was time to stop. Ari'yasa and I looked around for a place that might be better to stop than anywhere else. I didn't find anything, but she flew up and spotted a small cluster of boulders that came about to my waist. We wouldn't have to camp out in the open.

Jörgen did have the ability to cast the same spell Naidaroe had used to make a dome to rest in. I was satisfied with how he made the outside match our surroundings. He made it more opaque on the inside so the bright sun wouldn't keep us awake. We were all ready to collapse into our bedrolls, but the dome would disappear in the heat of the day. Jörgen reminded us that he could cast it again, and we could wait under the dome until the sun went down.

Ari'yasa refused to change back to her Genasi form, staying as an eagle and indicating she'd keep watch. We tried to convince her that nothing could get through the dome, but she still refused. Finally, Jörgen offered to set an alarm spell that would warn us if anyone came by. Ari'yasa consented to go to sleep and turned into her normal self.

I was out like a light. We'd been awake for almost a full day. It didn't feel like I slept long, but I was completely refreshed when I woke up. Jörgen was stirring about the same time and warned us that the dome was about to end.

The bright light was jarring, but it only took a moment to adapt. It was warm, but nothing too bad. It had been warmer walking along the edge of the desert on Fenraas. Jörgen spent several minutes recreating the dome while the rest of us prepared breakfast.

I pulled out a block of wood I'd found discarded in Stillbarrow and started to carve it while we waited for the day to pass by. Melima started up some conversation. "Ari'yasa, I want to know about Genasi traditions or customs. Like, what's considered polite? What's considered offensive? What is the proper way to ask a high noble for their rare, precious stones?"

She reminded us that she hadn't grown up around other genasi, so she wasn't very familiar with them. Melima asked her instead if she was more of a morning person or a night owl. She said she was more of a morning person, she liked to wake up with the rest of the world.

Jörgen was asked if he thought money could buy happiness. "Yes. So far it's bought me all the spells and potions I've needed, which has made me happy. And I can't stand people who have freaking high prices on simple goods."

Sephra giggled and prodded Melima, "tell me about your first kiss."

Melima kind of groaned. "When I was in my early twenties—super, super young—I had a crush on my older cousin, Tristahn Rothe, Nieven's brother, who was a warrior. I always admired his ability to fight. And being coy and silly, I made a bet that if he won a battle I'd give him a kiss. He played along with it, but to me, at the time, it was a big deal. Nothing ever came of it, besides awkward family reunions."

Jörgen gave a sidewards glance. "Elves are weird."

"It's not that unusual," Melima said, "even in Human nobility. Cousin marriages have been arranged before, though this one wasn't to be. He was a flirt and being silly. I actually currently don't know who I'm arranged to be married to. It's changed a number of times depending on the world political alliances needed."

"Do you plan to honor it?" Ari'yasa asked.

"I don't know. A lot's been changing. I'm learning more about myself than I ever thought I would, and have changed a lot more than I ever have in my life with this sorcery, Draconic bloodline manifesting. There's a lot in the air."

Ari teased that she should find a guy with a thing for dragons. Melima laughed. "Or just find a dragon! They can change form. Who wouldn't want a dragon? Probably Tawariell."

"You've got that right!" I laughed.

"A girl can't help her natural inclinations, no matter how ancient that bloodline is."

"I don't judge anymore, that's just not for me!"

We all got a good laugh. Melima asked me, "Tawariell, do you think you're attractive?"

I paused for a moment, I'd never really thought about it. "I look like a freak, I don't know."

"Just in general, do you think you're attractive, or more homely?"

"I have no idea. I'd like to think I am, but based on recent revelations, I really don't know anymore."

Melima gave me that look that you get from those older than you. "You're beautiful. You're absolutely stunning in your own unique, incredible way."

"If people can get past the fact that I look like a mutt, sure."

Sephra piped up. "I've gone through a lot of the same thoughts, Tawariell, and I've come to accept myself the way I am." I appreciated that. It wouldn't be as easy for her to feel accepted as a half-drow.

General chit-chat continued, and we eventually started working on preparing a meal. The dome went away again, and we waited for dusk before we headed off. "You know what we need?" Melima asked. "Fireworks."

"I can do that!" Jörgen said.

"Jörgen, please don't," I said. "Don't make me cast a different spell." Either silence or a command spell would put a stop to the mad wizard.

We cleaned up camp and headed off, getting back to the trail. There were a few animal tracks around, and stacks of stone marked the path. An hour into our journey, just as the last glimmers of sunlight were fading, dark clouds started forming on the horizon. They got closer and closer. I realized they weren't clouds, it was a sandstorm. Occasionally we'd see a strike of lightning within it.

The wind started to pick up around us. I brought us to a pause. "Jörgen, can you cast the dome before this gets too bad?"

The wind continued to grow stronger as he drew chalk on the ground. We huddled together as we waited for the dome to form. The dust died down almost immediately, but it grew dark all around us and the sound of the wind was harrowing.

The storm hadn't passed by the time the dome fell, and Jörgen had to cast it again in the middle of the storm. The lightning around us was starting to make me nervous. Finally, the dome was back up.

The wind started to die down, and at last, the storm was gone. The sun started peeking over the horizon, we'd lost a full day of travel. Reluctantly, we set out our bedrolls to sleep the morning away.

The next evening on our journey, the terrain wasn't as flat as it had been, but would dip and rise slightly. Jörgen cast a spell that created a large disk in the air, which he sat on as we traveled. I wasn't sure how he was getting it to move, but maybe it was like my broom.

Several hours into the night, the small hills changed a little bit, opening into holes in the ground. They were too small for the bug-like creatures we'd seen on the ceiling in the Duergar cavern, but Jörgen might be able to fit into one. I started noticing tracks, whatever these were crawled on several legs. Probably scorpions. They'd be huge.

There were about a dozen holes around us. I motioned for the others to be quiet, then flew up on my broom to see how far the holes went. I could see two or three dozen from in the air. We could probably walk around the area and not disturb them.

I flew back down and told the others what I saw, and what I thought the holes were, suggesting we make our way around them. "I've got an idea," Jörgen said. "I'll thunderstep across while you make your way around!"

"Jörgen, can you try not to get us killed?" I asked.

"That's the whole point!" he said with a laugh.

Ari'yasa used her new staff to cast our cloaking spell, and we set out to get around the holes. With the darkness around us and our cushioned footfalls though, we felt we could safely go straight through and changed course.

I could barely hear any of us, then heard a slight pop behind us. Another pop sounded in front of us, accompanied by a flash of light. Jörgen stumbled onto the ground far ahead of us, but still in the middle of the holes. The light from his spell dissipated, and I lost sight of him.

I refrained from groaning. If this wizard got himself killed, I wouldn't even feel bad. He deliberately went against what I'd asked him to do. I saw a faint glow from another spell he was casting, but couldn't see him or anything around him.

I didn't dare pick up our pace, though I started hearing noises from inside the holes. Something was starting to come out of them. Sephra pointed to a shadow ahead of us. Then another. And another. Scorpions, several of them. Hopefully, Jörgen hadn't gotten himself killed.

Scorpions were walking around as we got closer, but there wasn't much activity. Where was our wizard? The hills got a bit bigger, with holes coming out the top of them. Finally, I caught a glimpse of Jörgen floating over one of the hills, using his ethereal hand to try to distract the scorpions by pounding the ground.

Seeing that he was drawing the scorpions away from us, I led us off the main trail to the left, away from Jörgen. Despite the scorpions around us, I was comfortable with how quiet we were being.

A loud crash drew my attention. It sounded like a mass of water washing over the ground. Jörgen was increasing his distraction efforts. Hopefully, the scorpions would be drawn to the sound and not see the rest of us. I had no idea how good their vision would be.

More scorpions started emerging from their holes. Melima and Ari'yasa froze and started casting spells. Dark clouds started gathering above us with flashes of light. Lightning struck one of the scorpions, making the air smell like electricity and cooked shellfish.

I started moving my hands to cast a spell in case a scorpion on a hill just ahead of us to our right became aware of us. I didn't want to draw attention to ourselves if we didn't have to, but I also wanted to be able to react immediately if we were noticed.

Something sounded behind us. I turned my head to see another scorpion coming towards us. Guess we'd been noticed. I finished my spell. "Ofdio ixen!"

Bright white fire descended on the scorpion at the same time that Sephra blasted it with three rays of fire from her hands. The scorpion struck her in the chest with its stinger, then tried to grab her and Ari'yasa with its pincers. They both dodged away, but Sephra's face was etched with pain.

Jörgen yelled from where he was floating in the air. A huge fall of fire exploded near him. It was really starting to smell like burnt fish. Melima moved around and let off a bolt of lightning, striking the scorpion attacking Sephra and another one behind it. The bolt barely missed Jörgen with the angle.

The scorpion in front of us collapsed, and bits of chitin fell off of the one up the hill. Melima sent a bolt of fire at it, but she just missed its tail as it started down the other side of the hill. At least it was heading away from us.

Another bolt of lightning came down from the sky, striking several scorpions that had gathered under Jörgen. Sephra cast a spell, causing both her and Melima to levitate in the air. That meant all of us were capable of flying and getting away. Watching Sephra move out of reach of the scorpions made me feel better.

I hopped on my broom and moved to throw a bolt of energy at the scorpion ahead of us, but it just dodged out of the way. About a dozen more scorpions started crawling out of the holes. It was time to get out of there.

One came up right behind Ari'yasa, and another behind Melima. Ari'yasa got caught by one of the pincers and was knicked by the stinger. Her delayed reaction told me she'd probably gotten a bit of poison in her system. The other scorpion grabbed Melima by the leg as she tried to fly away, stinging her as well. Both of my friends were stuck, so much for getting away.

The scorpion with missing chitin came back and hit Melima with its stinger. Evidently, it hadn't gone away. Another explosion of fire erupted by Jörgen. Hopefully, any other scorpions would be attracted to the noise and smell of cooked flesh, and leave us alone so we could escape.

Melima kicked her foot out of the grasp of the claw and flew into the air, throwing a bolt of fire at the one missing part of its shell, thoroughly cooking it. Ari'yasa morphed into a hummingbird, sliding out of the scorpion's grip. She darted into the air, the last of us were safely out of reach.

More and more scorpions came out of the holes. There must have been more than fifty of them. The ground looked like it was alive with all the scorpions moving on it.

Another lightning bolt hit a cluster of them, but there wasn't any reason for us to stick around. We all flew away, following the trail.

We all flew away. None of us had realized before that we could all do that. I laughed with glee. We might not have to do it often, but it was kind of fun to know that we had the ability to make us all fly. I was actually the slow one on my broom. The magic Jörgen and Sephra were using made them faster than me, and Ari'yasa was extremely fast in her hummingbird form.