no one has seen in two hundred years while dodging patrols searching for us…”
Rialt felt the same headache coming on. “By the wee lass, that be quite a task that we have been handed.”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” she assured them quickly. “I can sense all of the crystals, once I’m close enough and the closer I am, the clearer it is.”
“Eh, that be something,” Rialt admitted with a heavy sigh.
“Still leaves us with all of those patrols to dodge,” Sarvell pointed out.
“Come on, man, where be your sense of adventure?” Rialt chided with mock exuberance. “If there be no danger, it would no be half the fun.”
“That’s the spirit!” Jewel cheered, face lighting up with a smile.
Sarvell looked between both of them, expression growing resigned. “I’m not sure which one of you is crazier. Alright, so we’re crystal hunting. Why Ramath first?”
“It’s closest,” she explained readily, ignoring the comment on her questionable sanity. “I’m also worried about Ramath’s borders. I’d rather have their crystal in place first, that way when I do have the last crystal up in Jordia, I can charge it right then.”
It would also save them time, Rialt reflected, as Jordia was on the opposite side of Ramath and it would take almost a month to travel from one to the other. “I be for it. But we can no just scurry about the countryside until we stumble over it. Ramath be a big place.”
“We won’t need to,” Jewel assured him. “Actually, I need to go to the largest Order Temple in Ramath in order to look at their records. They should have a location written down. If nothing else, it will say which city the crystal was last in. I can’t imagine that the crystal was moved very far from there, considering how massive they are.”
“A good point,” Sarvell acknowledged. “Rialt, where is the Order Temple in Ramath?”
“Wingate.”
“The very northern edge of Ramath?” Sarvell asked in a defeated groan. He clearly knew where the city was and didn’t need the confirmation.
“I’ll also need to go to Juven’s Temple,” Jewel added tentatively. “Because I’m working in another god’s territory, I have to at least warn her of what I’m doing and ask formal permission.”
“Shards, lass, but be this the time for formalities?” Rialt objected. “We do that, and every Thornock lackey will notice us!”
“Rialt,” Sarvell said with a sort of weary patience, “we’re going to be moving around crystals as tall as a two story building. You really think we can sneak in and out without someone noticing us?”
Rialt opened his mouth to protest, thought about it, and subsided with a long sigh. “Point.”
“No one in the temples would report us,” Jewel declared firmly. Then her forehead crinkled up in an uncertain frown. “Or at least, I don’t think they will. Each priestess operating a temple is from her own country, after all. Thornock’s political reach is extensive, but surely not that extensive.”
“They will no need a plant inside,” Rialt disagreed. “Just a man watching the doors. You stand out like a sore thumb, lass.”
Sarvell nodded in agreement, although the wheels were clearly turning as he thought the matter through. “Disguises likely won’t help much, but we’ll try our best.”
“All we can do,” Jewel agreed, rubbing at her temples as if trying to stave off a headache. “So, Juven’s temple in…what’s the nearest city?”
“Denzbane,” Rialt answered immediately. “My home town.”
“Then let’s stop there first, so that I can report to Juven what I’m doing, and then go to Wingate,” Jewel proprosed.
“Sounds logical enough to me.” Sarvell stood, absently brushing dirt and blades of grass from his pants. “Rialt, I’m going shopping for her first before we start really traveling. That dress of hers is a dead giveaway to her identity.”
Rialt nodded in agreement at the sensible plan. “We will shadow you
Rialt felt the same headache coming on. “By the wee lass, that be quite a task that we have been handed.”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” she assured them quickly. “I can sense all of the crystals, once I’m close enough and the closer I am, the clearer it is.”
“Eh, that be something,” Rialt admitted with a heavy sigh.
“Still leaves us with all of those patrols to dodge,” Sarvell pointed out.
“Come on, man, where be your sense of adventure?” Rialt chided with mock exuberance. “If there be no danger, it would no be half the fun.”
“That’s the spirit!” Jewel cheered, face lighting up with a smile.
Sarvell looked between both of them, expression growing resigned. “I’m not sure which one of you is crazier. Alright, so we’re crystal hunting. Why Ramath first?”
“It’s closest,” she explained readily, ignoring the comment on her questionable sanity. “I’m also worried about Ramath’s borders. I’d rather have their crystal in place first, that way when I do have the last crystal up in Jordia, I can charge it right then.”
It would also save them time, Rialt reflected, as Jordia was on the opposite side of Ramath and it would take almost a month to travel from one to the other. “I be for it. But we can no just scurry about the countryside until we stumble over it. Ramath be a big place.”
“We won’t need to,” Jewel assured him. “Actually, I need to go to the largest Order Temple in Ramath in order to look at their records. They should have a location written down. If nothing else, it will say which city the crystal was last in. I can’t imagine that the crystal was moved very far from there, considering how massive they are.”
“A good point,” Sarvell acknowledged. “Rialt, where is the Order Temple in Ramath?”
“Wingate.”
“The very northern edge of Ramath?” Sarvell asked in a defeated groan. He clearly knew where the city was and didn’t need the confirmation.
“I’ll also need to go to Juven’s Temple,” Jewel added tentatively. “Because I’m working in another god’s territory, I have to at least warn her of what I’m doing and ask formal permission.”
“Shards, lass, but be this the time for formalities?” Rialt objected. “We do that, and every Thornock lackey will notice us!”
“Rialt,” Sarvell said with a sort of weary patience, “we’re going to be moving around crystals as tall as a two story building. You really think we can sneak in and out without someone noticing us?”
Rialt opened his mouth to protest, thought about it, and subsided with a long sigh. “Point.”
“No one in the temples would report us,” Jewel declared firmly. Then her forehead crinkled up in an uncertain frown. “Or at least, I don’t think they will. Each priestess operating a temple is from her own country, after all. Thornock’s political reach is extensive, but surely not that extensive.”
“They will no need a plant inside,” Rialt disagreed. “Just a man watching the doors. You stand out like a sore thumb, lass.”
Sarvell nodded in agreement, although the wheels were clearly turning as he thought the matter through. “Disguises likely won’t help much, but we’ll try our best.”
“All we can do,” Jewel agreed, rubbing at her temples as if trying to stave off a headache. “So, Juven’s temple in…what’s the nearest city?”
“Denzbane,” Rialt answered immediately. “My home town.”
“Then let’s stop there first, so that I can report to Juven what I’m doing, and then go to Wingate,” Jewel proprosed.
“Sounds logical enough to me.” Sarvell stood, absently brushing dirt and blades of grass from his pants. “Rialt, I’m going shopping for her first before we start really traveling. That dress of hers is a dead giveaway to her identity.”
Rialt nodded in agreement at the sensible plan. “We will shadow you
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