okay, getting closer to the end!
~~~~~~~~~~`
"Gods!" Sandry yelled as the rain poured down. A four inch deep pool of water had fallen through her shield. Waving her hand, she made the shield water-tight. The thick line of white outside on the ground blocked any water.
Briar stepped in the water, his feet slipping in the puddle. "Ew."
Daja pressed herself to the wall. Staring out of it, she gazed at the gate of the temple community. "What's going to happen to them?" she whispered. Outside, the water level had risen to knee level.
Tris, sitting in the puddle, shuddered. "I can't move it!" she cried. Clutching her head in pain, she tried to repress the sparks that flew through her short hair. In vain, she tried to pull her magic away from the mass of glowing clouds.
Someone shook her. "Tris!" Kethan yelled in her face. Her grey eyes remained blank, staring at nothing at all.
Daja screamed for help. Seeking Tris' magic, she saw it flowing away into the storm. Reaching, her power like a hammer, she tried to reach the connection. Her glowing arm strained, unable to span the distance. Briar and Sandry tried the same, but to no avail.
"Sandry!" the metalmage sobbed. "I can't get it!" The rope of power was dwindling in Sandry's magical vision. Soon Tris' life force would be sapped, instead of her powers.
Kethan, pale with panic, gasped. "I can reach it!" he cried out. In his mind, he could feel himself shooting forward into the sky like a sparrow. His power's hand touched the cloud, but he had no means to break the tie.
Sandry grabbed his shoulder. "No time!" she yelled, drawing a bit of his magic into her hand. Grasping her own power, blended thouroughly with all of the circle's, she took a deep breath.
There was no spindle to help her now. Not a tangible one, at least.
Creating the image in her mind, she took the threads and spun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kethan stiffened. Sandry's voice echoed in his head. Kethan, i'm sorry i didn't ask you to become part of this, but we needed to save Tris. He turned and stared into her eyes, which looked back at him. They were flat, no jokes involved.
You're part of the Circle. I truly hope you don't hate me for doing this.
Trying to understand, the boy bit his lip. Experimenting, he talked in his mind. I don't mind, he said hesitantly. Is Tris going to be okay?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daja, crying, suddenly felt her blood lurch. Turning, she slammed her magical hammer into the leeching tie of power.
Tris sagged against the ground, gasping for breath.
"Tris!" Briar shook her.
"Fine," she croaked, before leaning on the wall. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, feeling like she failed her friends. "I can't stop it, I can't even offer you any strength," she sobbed. "That cloud took it all!"
Sandry, her face streaked with tears, wrapped her own shawl around Tris' shaking shoulders. Her blue eyes stared out of her shield, at the torrent of rain streaming down around them, thanks to her magic. She shivered, rubbing warmth into her bare arms.
Such a difficult magical operation, around a large area, would surely drain her down to her life force...or more...
She had to try. Winding Circle was her home, Emelan her uncle's. If she didn't at least attempt it, she would hate herself always. And if she died trying, she had done something.
"Sandry?" Briar asked, peering concered into her eyes.
Kissing him once softly, the girl stood up and shook out her skirts. Placing her hands to the wall of the Shield, she took a deep breath.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
yes, its a cliffhanger.
~~~~~~~~~~`
"Gods!" Sandry yelled as the rain poured down. A four inch deep pool of water had fallen through her shield. Waving her hand, she made the shield water-tight. The thick line of white outside on the ground blocked any water.
Briar stepped in the water, his feet slipping in the puddle. "Ew."
Daja pressed herself to the wall. Staring out of it, she gazed at the gate of the temple community. "What's going to happen to them?" she whispered. Outside, the water level had risen to knee level.
Tris, sitting in the puddle, shuddered. "I can't move it!" she cried. Clutching her head in pain, she tried to repress the sparks that flew through her short hair. In vain, she tried to pull her magic away from the mass of glowing clouds.
Someone shook her. "Tris!" Kethan yelled in her face. Her grey eyes remained blank, staring at nothing at all.
Daja screamed for help. Seeking Tris' magic, she saw it flowing away into the storm. Reaching, her power like a hammer, she tried to reach the connection. Her glowing arm strained, unable to span the distance. Briar and Sandry tried the same, but to no avail.
"Sandry!" the metalmage sobbed. "I can't get it!" The rope of power was dwindling in Sandry's magical vision. Soon Tris' life force would be sapped, instead of her powers.
Kethan, pale with panic, gasped. "I can reach it!" he cried out. In his mind, he could feel himself shooting forward into the sky like a sparrow. His power's hand touched the cloud, but he had no means to break the tie.
Sandry grabbed his shoulder. "No time!" she yelled, drawing a bit of his magic into her hand. Grasping her own power, blended thouroughly with all of the circle's, she took a deep breath.
There was no spindle to help her now. Not a tangible one, at least.
Creating the image in her mind, she took the threads and spun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kethan stiffened. Sandry's voice echoed in his head. Kethan, i'm sorry i didn't ask you to become part of this, but we needed to save Tris. He turned and stared into her eyes, which looked back at him. They were flat, no jokes involved.
You're part of the Circle. I truly hope you don't hate me for doing this.
Trying to understand, the boy bit his lip. Experimenting, he talked in his mind. I don't mind, he said hesitantly. Is Tris going to be okay?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daja, crying, suddenly felt her blood lurch. Turning, she slammed her magical hammer into the leeching tie of power.
Tris sagged against the ground, gasping for breath.
"Tris!" Briar shook her.
"Fine," she croaked, before leaning on the wall. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, feeling like she failed her friends. "I can't stop it, I can't even offer you any strength," she sobbed. "That cloud took it all!"
Sandry, her face streaked with tears, wrapped her own shawl around Tris' shaking shoulders. Her blue eyes stared out of her shield, at the torrent of rain streaming down around them, thanks to her magic. She shivered, rubbing warmth into her bare arms.
Such a difficult magical operation, around a large area, would surely drain her down to her life force...or more...
She had to try. Winding Circle was her home, Emelan her uncle's. If she didn't at least attempt it, she would hate herself always. And if she died trying, she had done something.
"Sandry?" Briar asked, peering concered into her eyes.
Kissing him once softly, the girl stood up and shook out her skirts. Placing her hands to the wall of the Shield, she took a deep breath.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
yes, its a cliffhanger.