her location by sensing her doing more magic?
“I’m pretty sure he’ll figure it out one way
or the other. But, if you’re scared, we’ll understand,” Elenio said
gently. He reached for Galena’s hand and gripped it firmly.
Galena sat up straight. She didn’t want them
to think that she was a coward. Looking at where Tark planted the
little seed, she thought of the tiny seed and how it would look
growing a sprout. She expected something to happen immediately as
it had always done in the past, but nothing did. The seed remained
in the earth where Tark had planted it. At least she hadn’t felt
the painful shock like she had before. As she turned her head in
defeat, she noticed a tiny little sprout slowly growing right
before her eyes. It continued to grow until it was roughly three
feet in height.
“Shape it with your mind. Try to make
something with it, like a small room within it,” Tark suggested as
they watched the tree in amazement.
Concentrating harder, Galena shaped the tree
with her mind. She thought of the buildings that she had seen in
scrolls, made of several different trees, and concentrated on a
single room within that building. Instantly, she saw the changes in
the sapling. Its base widened and split in the middle, forming a
doorway. The tree continued to grow as Galena’s foot with the
tattoo of the element, earth, began to burn. The burning increased
as the size of the tree doubled. Finally, she called a stop to the
tree’s growth, her foot burning so painfully she could hardly stand
on it. The tree was almost two-hundred feet in height. Far larger
than any maple that she had ever seen. The room that she had
created inside of it, had a wooden floor, but was very plain. It
was very smooth inside, almost as if it had been carved into the
tree. It had a small, circular doorway for them to enter, although
she had been unable to produce a door for it as well. All three of
them could have fit inside easily and, with room to spare.
She slumped to the ground, exhausted,
clutching her burning foot. It wasn’t as bad as the shock she had
received, but it came close.
Looking around, and finding Galena gray with
weariness and on the forest floor, Elenio knelt beside her.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice coming
out in a rush.
Galena nodded. Her body shook from weakness,
like she had been exercising for hours.
“What’s wrong then?”
Galena smiled at him in response. She felt as
if she could fall asleep right there. “I’m really tired, and my
foot feels like it is on fire, but I’ll live.”
Tark finally turned away from the tree,
looking at her with concern. “I assume the tiredness is from the
lack of practice. Like exercising, it will take a lot of training
in order for you to be able to use your magic without that
unpleasantness. As for the burning in your foot, I think that may
be from the mark of Rau. It would seem that you are not completely
immune to his chains.” Tark thoughtfully rubbed his chin, looking
back at the tree. “I think you should continue to use your magic,
otherwise, you’ll never build up the endurance needed for bigger
magic, should we succeed.”
“Do you really think it’s safe?” Elenio
asked, his forehead furrowed in concern.
“For the time being, I think it’s necessary
if we are going to beat all the odds.”
Galena dug into her pack once again, and
removed her flask of water. She downed the entire contents in one
gulp. Elenio sat down next to her as she placed the flask on the
ground nearby. Feeling somewhat better, she leaned against him.
“I just need to rest for a moment.” She took
a deep breath, smelling pine and something sweet upon Elenio as she
closed her eyes. She could hear Tark, somewhere in the background,
declaring that he would take the first watch while she rested.
****
Galena woke up, her head on her pack, and a
blanket covering her. Bewildered she looked around, seeing Tark
lying on the ground next to her, deep in
“I’m pretty sure he’ll figure it out one way
or the other. But, if you’re scared, we’ll understand,” Elenio said
gently. He reached for Galena’s hand and gripped it firmly.
Galena sat up straight. She didn’t want them
to think that she was a coward. Looking at where Tark planted the
little seed, she thought of the tiny seed and how it would look
growing a sprout. She expected something to happen immediately as
it had always done in the past, but nothing did. The seed remained
in the earth where Tark had planted it. At least she hadn’t felt
the painful shock like she had before. As she turned her head in
defeat, she noticed a tiny little sprout slowly growing right
before her eyes. It continued to grow until it was roughly three
feet in height.
“Shape it with your mind. Try to make
something with it, like a small room within it,” Tark suggested as
they watched the tree in amazement.
Concentrating harder, Galena shaped the tree
with her mind. She thought of the buildings that she had seen in
scrolls, made of several different trees, and concentrated on a
single room within that building. Instantly, she saw the changes in
the sapling. Its base widened and split in the middle, forming a
doorway. The tree continued to grow as Galena’s foot with the
tattoo of the element, earth, began to burn. The burning increased
as the size of the tree doubled. Finally, she called a stop to the
tree’s growth, her foot burning so painfully she could hardly stand
on it. The tree was almost two-hundred feet in height. Far larger
than any maple that she had ever seen. The room that she had
created inside of it, had a wooden floor, but was very plain. It
was very smooth inside, almost as if it had been carved into the
tree. It had a small, circular doorway for them to enter, although
she had been unable to produce a door for it as well. All three of
them could have fit inside easily and, with room to spare.
She slumped to the ground, exhausted,
clutching her burning foot. It wasn’t as bad as the shock she had
received, but it came close.
Looking around, and finding Galena gray with
weariness and on the forest floor, Elenio knelt beside her.
“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice coming
out in a rush.
Galena nodded. Her body shook from weakness,
like she had been exercising for hours.
“What’s wrong then?”
Galena smiled at him in response. She felt as
if she could fall asleep right there. “I’m really tired, and my
foot feels like it is on fire, but I’ll live.”
Tark finally turned away from the tree,
looking at her with concern. “I assume the tiredness is from the
lack of practice. Like exercising, it will take a lot of training
in order for you to be able to use your magic without that
unpleasantness. As for the burning in your foot, I think that may
be from the mark of Rau. It would seem that you are not completely
immune to his chains.” Tark thoughtfully rubbed his chin, looking
back at the tree. “I think you should continue to use your magic,
otherwise, you’ll never build up the endurance needed for bigger
magic, should we succeed.”
“Do you really think it’s safe?” Elenio
asked, his forehead furrowed in concern.
“For the time being, I think it’s necessary
if we are going to beat all the odds.”
Galena dug into her pack once again, and
removed her flask of water. She downed the entire contents in one
gulp. Elenio sat down next to her as she placed the flask on the
ground nearby. Feeling somewhat better, she leaned against him.
“I just need to rest for a moment.” She took
a deep breath, smelling pine and something sweet upon Elenio as she
closed her eyes. She could hear Tark, somewhere in the background,
declaring that he would take the first watch while she rested.
****
Galena woke up, her head on her pack, and a
blanket covering her. Bewildered she looked around, seeing Tark
lying on the ground next to her, deep in
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