nearer to the end!
~~~~~~~~~~~
She felt the pulse of magic as it passed through her palms, through her magical weavings, into the rich soil around Emelan and Winding Circle. Her power, glowing silvery amber, formed a thick coil.
Imagining her yarn, the same ball of red she always used for protection, she created a similar shape. Intertwining it with Briar's original gleaming vines, she regarded each one carefully. The light throbbed in her brain as her strength rushed forth, weakening her knees with its intensity.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Sandry!" Briar yelled, shaking her. The girl did not respond. Her clear blue eyes, opened wide, concentrated on a far off glowing thread.
Tris, struggling to sit up, gasped. "I feel...the water rising around the temple, around a barrier..." She coughed and spashed weakly in the knee deep puddle.
"Gods." Kethan stared from Sandry to her woven wall to the deep blue water outside. The level had already reached over his head. "Will this work?" he asked, chilled to the bone at the thought of the city swept away.
Daja shook her head. "We don't know. In theory..." she trailed off, wringing out her braid. "Sandry?" she called gently. "Sandry, can you hear me?"
The pale girl, hands pressed against her shield, showed no sign of recognition. However, the bright light glowed reassuringly, blooming from her slender palms and dispersing like a shimmering cloud to gather around Winding Circle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Lark closed her eyes. "Tell me when its over."
Crossing her arms, Rosethorn paced the floor. "What is going to happen? I dont like the thought of leaving our students out there, to fend not only for themselves but for us!" she screamed. Pressing her face to the window, she strained to see through the pouring rain.
Crane recovered from his stupor. In a semblance of his usual calm, he grasped Rosethorn's arm and pulled her to a chair. He took her hand and sat her down with sheer force. "Now, Niva," he began, his face concerned.
She cut him off. "And what is Tris doing? Isnt this her area of expertise?" she rambled on. Rosethorn glared at her fellow plant mage, but still accepted his outstretched hand. "This is awful."
Niko, wiping his face with a shaking hand, breathed hard. "I think our students are 'fending' rather well." With his damp hand, he pointed.
Rosethorn stared. "Is that...Tris?"
"No," Niko replied. "That is Sandry you are seeing." Biting his lip, he added, "Tris is drained, so Sandry is taking over."
Silvery specks, almost like stars, swirled through the rain undisturbed. Forming into a shimmery half sphere, it covered the temple grounds like a bowl. Rain streamed down its sides and flood torrents poured around it.
If any of them could describe the sight at the moment, they would have said they were under an ocean. Seeing the murky blue above their heads, the waves rolling...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
"I see what she's doing!" Daja crowed. Calling forth her fire power, she hammered on sheets of magic over Sandry's second dome, enhancing the protection on Emelan.
Creating large leaves on his vines, Briar used these to cover areas of the city. They needed all the protection they could. If this storm was powerful enough to drain Tris, then they were in damn trouble.
Crouching next to Tris, Kethan whispered, "I feel so useless."
The tired mage smiled weakly. "Don't. This is a terrible experience, you don't want to be part of it. But," she added cryptically, "in a way you are."
"What?"
She smirked. "The circle! Were'nt you listening when Sandry twined your power with ours? We're all connected." Pursing her lips, she dredged up some strength. Through magic, friendship, and minds.
The redhead grinned at the consternation on the Trader's dark skinned face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~`
~~~~~~~~~~~
She felt the pulse of magic as it passed through her palms, through her magical weavings, into the rich soil around Emelan and Winding Circle. Her power, glowing silvery amber, formed a thick coil.
Imagining her yarn, the same ball of red she always used for protection, she created a similar shape. Intertwining it with Briar's original gleaming vines, she regarded each one carefully. The light throbbed in her brain as her strength rushed forth, weakening her knees with its intensity.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Sandry!" Briar yelled, shaking her. The girl did not respond. Her clear blue eyes, opened wide, concentrated on a far off glowing thread.
Tris, struggling to sit up, gasped. "I feel...the water rising around the temple, around a barrier..." She coughed and spashed weakly in the knee deep puddle.
"Gods." Kethan stared from Sandry to her woven wall to the deep blue water outside. The level had already reached over his head. "Will this work?" he asked, chilled to the bone at the thought of the city swept away.
Daja shook her head. "We don't know. In theory..." she trailed off, wringing out her braid. "Sandry?" she called gently. "Sandry, can you hear me?"
The pale girl, hands pressed against her shield, showed no sign of recognition. However, the bright light glowed reassuringly, blooming from her slender palms and dispersing like a shimmering cloud to gather around Winding Circle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Lark closed her eyes. "Tell me when its over."
Crossing her arms, Rosethorn paced the floor. "What is going to happen? I dont like the thought of leaving our students out there, to fend not only for themselves but for us!" she screamed. Pressing her face to the window, she strained to see through the pouring rain.
Crane recovered from his stupor. In a semblance of his usual calm, he grasped Rosethorn's arm and pulled her to a chair. He took her hand and sat her down with sheer force. "Now, Niva," he began, his face concerned.
She cut him off. "And what is Tris doing? Isnt this her area of expertise?" she rambled on. Rosethorn glared at her fellow plant mage, but still accepted his outstretched hand. "This is awful."
Niko, wiping his face with a shaking hand, breathed hard. "I think our students are 'fending' rather well." With his damp hand, he pointed.
Rosethorn stared. "Is that...Tris?"
"No," Niko replied. "That is Sandry you are seeing." Biting his lip, he added, "Tris is drained, so Sandry is taking over."
Silvery specks, almost like stars, swirled through the rain undisturbed. Forming into a shimmery half sphere, it covered the temple grounds like a bowl. Rain streamed down its sides and flood torrents poured around it.
If any of them could describe the sight at the moment, they would have said they were under an ocean. Seeing the murky blue above their heads, the waves rolling...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
"I see what she's doing!" Daja crowed. Calling forth her fire power, she hammered on sheets of magic over Sandry's second dome, enhancing the protection on Emelan.
Creating large leaves on his vines, Briar used these to cover areas of the city. They needed all the protection they could. If this storm was powerful enough to drain Tris, then they were in damn trouble.
Crouching next to Tris, Kethan whispered, "I feel so useless."
The tired mage smiled weakly. "Don't. This is a terrible experience, you don't want to be part of it. But," she added cryptically, "in a way you are."
"What?"
She smirked. "The circle! Were'nt you listening when Sandry twined your power with ours? We're all connected." Pursing her lips, she dredged up some strength. Through magic, friendship, and minds.
The redhead grinned at the consternation on the Trader's dark skinned face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~`