The group gasped. The sparkling mist slowly covered over the field of flowers. Before their horrified eyes, they saw the wild vegetation shrivel and turn to dust.
"Gods!" Daja cried. "What would that thing do to people and animals!?"
With a gust of wind, Tris slammed the mist back violently, again and again. "Plan now," she said grimly, "while I try and hold it off."
Briar's glowing magic vines would grow over Emelan and Winding Circle, protecting the people inside. His thorny spikes, suspended by Sandry's net, could also spear winds and fire-spheres. The pointy sharp thorns would be used by Sandry to spin the wind in, and wrap it tightly around the spindle-like shaft, sucking more and more energy into a thread.
Daja's hammers struck at the flying lightning and power bolts, flattening them out of shape. The earth's heat also took in the extra power.
Kethan? They didn't actually know what he could do. But he was there, and that was a consolation.
"Tris?" Sandry shook the struggling girl. "Let the mist go now, we can only do our plan." Tris shuddered and stopped throwing gusts at the deathly wave.
Then the mist struck their confinement.
The utter reek of hopelessness and pain, fear and hatred, depression and every other horrifying human emotion struck them. It shrieked outside, clawing at the threaded barrier.
Suddenly, their plans seemed trivial in their instant struggle for life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dammit!" Crane screamed above the shrieking winds outside the hut. "What's happening?" he cried as swirling green sparks filled Winding Circle.
Rosethorn grabbed his arm. "Crane, be quiet!" she said calmly. Sitting back in her rocking chair, she smiled. "It's just Briar."
"Ah," he croaked, his face stricken.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dear gods!" Briar screamed. The pain of the dying plants were killing him, their anguished ache knawing at his mind.
Sandry gasped. "Briar!" she cried out, hugging him tightly around the waist. Entering his mind, she surrounded his power with iridecent strands. Taking a deep breath, she threw her magic into his. Pain exploded through her frame as she took the suffering from him by putting the burden on herself.
His eyes opened violently. "Sandry!" he shook her shoulders hard, forcing her to release some of the connection. "Stop, give it back!"
She shook her head as her face paled, and moaned, "We each take part. Deal?" Coughing weakly, she smiled and squeezed his hand. Her lip bit and bleeding, she turned back to her net of silver and prepared to bombard the fire-spheres.
Curling around her shaking body, he solidified the protection on Winding Circle and Emelan.
Tris, her eyes wet at their selfless exchange, turned back to the scene. With gusts of wind, she diverted most of the death mist from the growing plants.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then it stopped.
Everyone stared at the empty sky. "What is up with this?" Daja yelled in frustration. "One second it wants to kill us, and then bam, its gone!" She slammed her hard fist into her palm.
Turning, Kethan stared at the sky and smelled the air. "It hasn't given up yet." he announced.
Tris groaned. "Because you're a mage of animals, do you have their sixth sense also?" she said sarcaustically.
He grinned. "Actually, i do."
Daja, still in working condition, gazed at Sandry and Briar, who were trembling with exhaustion. "Tris, Kethan, let them have a break. We'll take watch."
Nodding, the two agreed. "The plant's death wore them out, and they hadn't had a chance to sleep yet."
"Thanks," Briar croaked. Sandry waved a tired hand and a boundary came up over them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The noble girl rested her head on Briar's shoulder. "Briar?" she whispered, mortally afraid.
He laughed softly. "That is the absolute last time you are doing something dumb like that!" he exclaimed. "Taking the pain."
Sandry smiled. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear, she kissed him. "I had to." Rolling over, they fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Gods!" Daja cried. "What would that thing do to people and animals!?"
With a gust of wind, Tris slammed the mist back violently, again and again. "Plan now," she said grimly, "while I try and hold it off."
Briar's glowing magic vines would grow over Emelan and Winding Circle, protecting the people inside. His thorny spikes, suspended by Sandry's net, could also spear winds and fire-spheres. The pointy sharp thorns would be used by Sandry to spin the wind in, and wrap it tightly around the spindle-like shaft, sucking more and more energy into a thread.
Daja's hammers struck at the flying lightning and power bolts, flattening them out of shape. The earth's heat also took in the extra power.
Kethan? They didn't actually know what he could do. But he was there, and that was a consolation.
"Tris?" Sandry shook the struggling girl. "Let the mist go now, we can only do our plan." Tris shuddered and stopped throwing gusts at the deathly wave.
Then the mist struck their confinement.
The utter reek of hopelessness and pain, fear and hatred, depression and every other horrifying human emotion struck them. It shrieked outside, clawing at the threaded barrier.
Suddenly, their plans seemed trivial in their instant struggle for life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dammit!" Crane screamed above the shrieking winds outside the hut. "What's happening?" he cried as swirling green sparks filled Winding Circle.
Rosethorn grabbed his arm. "Crane, be quiet!" she said calmly. Sitting back in her rocking chair, she smiled. "It's just Briar."
"Ah," he croaked, his face stricken.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Dear gods!" Briar screamed. The pain of the dying plants were killing him, their anguished ache knawing at his mind.
Sandry gasped. "Briar!" she cried out, hugging him tightly around the waist. Entering his mind, she surrounded his power with iridecent strands. Taking a deep breath, she threw her magic into his. Pain exploded through her frame as she took the suffering from him by putting the burden on herself.
His eyes opened violently. "Sandry!" he shook her shoulders hard, forcing her to release some of the connection. "Stop, give it back!"
She shook her head as her face paled, and moaned, "We each take part. Deal?" Coughing weakly, she smiled and squeezed his hand. Her lip bit and bleeding, she turned back to her net of silver and prepared to bombard the fire-spheres.
Curling around her shaking body, he solidified the protection on Winding Circle and Emelan.
Tris, her eyes wet at their selfless exchange, turned back to the scene. With gusts of wind, she diverted most of the death mist from the growing plants.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then it stopped.
Everyone stared at the empty sky. "What is up with this?" Daja yelled in frustration. "One second it wants to kill us, and then bam, its gone!" She slammed her hard fist into her palm.
Turning, Kethan stared at the sky and smelled the air. "It hasn't given up yet." he announced.
Tris groaned. "Because you're a mage of animals, do you have their sixth sense also?" she said sarcaustically.
He grinned. "Actually, i do."
Daja, still in working condition, gazed at Sandry and Briar, who were trembling with exhaustion. "Tris, Kethan, let them have a break. We'll take watch."
Nodding, the two agreed. "The plant's death wore them out, and they hadn't had a chance to sleep yet."
"Thanks," Briar croaked. Sandry waved a tired hand and a boundary came up over them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The noble girl rested her head on Briar's shoulder. "Briar?" she whispered, mortally afraid.
He laughed softly. "That is the absolute last time you are doing something dumb like that!" he exclaimed. "Taking the pain."
Sandry smiled. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear, she kissed him. "I had to." Rolling over, they fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~