of the spring under the black oak tree outside the temple. It would be a safe test, and close enough in case anything went wrong.
When the magic flowed from his fingertips, Talis opened his eyes and watched silver and black energy pour into the rune characters. The rune evaporated into a dark cloud, and the spot where the rune once lay glowed a grey-silver ghost.
“Who wants to try?” Talis said.
Nikulo stepped towards the ward, pausing to inspect the ground. “If you don’t mind, I’d like the honors since I discovered the spell in the scroll. And…where does the portal go, anyways?”
“Just outside the temple…I hope. We’ll meet you there.”
Talis gestured Nikulo towards the spot, and Nikulo swallowed in response, his face contorted into a grimace. If this worked, they could use the portal spell to transport to anyplace that they’d been before. Nikulo frowned and stared at the space on the ground where the magical ward was set, and hesitantly placed a foot there.
Hundreds of streams of silver and black mist swirled up and around from the ward, spinning and churning until a portal formed in the air. Thousands of miniature lightning bolts scintillated around the edges. They stared at the portal for a moment, feeling a chill seep through from the other side. Nikulo glanced back at them with a reckless expression, and jumped through the portal.
Talis and Mara locked eyes, grinned, and Talis took her hand and they ran outside the temple to see if it had worked. Talis spotted Nikulo flopped inside the spring, splashing water on himself as if he was taking a bath.
“Couldn’t you have made the stupid portal go someplace else besides the spring?” Nikulo flapped his arms in the water and quacked like a duck.
Mara laughed freely, and glanced at Talis, who was unable to keep from chuckling at Nikulo.
“We did it, didn’t we!” She flung herself around and gave Talis a warm hug. He couldn’t help but notice she held him a bit longer than normal, and he found himself not wanting to leave. When they separated, Mara’s face was flushed, and she quickly looked away to smile at Nikulo.
“I have to admit I had my doubts whether we could do it or not.” Nikulo pushed himself up and stepped out of the spring, and wrung the water from his pants. “Now I’ll never have to worry about food again…watch out cake shop, here I come!”
Mara chuckled. “Sure, let’s use one of the most powerful spells in the world to resort to common food thievery.” She poked his belly. “Your poor, ever hungry stomach will have to starve a little longer. I think you’d do well going on another adventure.”
“As long as we can find taverns with ale, roasted pork, and apple tarts…you know the kind with fresh cream on top?” The sides of Nikulo’s mouth glistened with drool.
“What do we do with him?” Talis lifted his shoulders and let his hands flop to his side. They’d succeeded casting the portal spell and it felt amazing, like they’d discovered the key to exploring the world…and maybe even other worlds. “But thanks to Nikulo and the Tandria Scroll we now know the how to cast portal spells!”
Nikulo spread his hands apart as if to indicate he was the greatest person on earth. “What can I say? I guess I am pretty awesome….”
Mara cleared her throat and smirked. “Somebody’s head is about to explode with pride. Don’t forget Talis, and I did help out as well. Anyways, well done. But the question is, what are we going to use the portal spell for?”
Talis opened his mouth to speak, thinking of ways to use the portal spell, but the vision of Rikar being tortured on that planet suddenly flashed in his mind. Why should Talis even think about helping him? After all he’d done to harm them and their city. Rikar had been a friend once, and he did help them along their journey, but still… Maybe Rikar was just unlucky and foolish enough to be tricked by Aurellia?
“What are you
When the magic flowed from his fingertips, Talis opened his eyes and watched silver and black energy pour into the rune characters. The rune evaporated into a dark cloud, and the spot where the rune once lay glowed a grey-silver ghost.
“Who wants to try?” Talis said.
Nikulo stepped towards the ward, pausing to inspect the ground. “If you don’t mind, I’d like the honors since I discovered the spell in the scroll. And…where does the portal go, anyways?”
“Just outside the temple…I hope. We’ll meet you there.”
Talis gestured Nikulo towards the spot, and Nikulo swallowed in response, his face contorted into a grimace. If this worked, they could use the portal spell to transport to anyplace that they’d been before. Nikulo frowned and stared at the space on the ground where the magical ward was set, and hesitantly placed a foot there.
Hundreds of streams of silver and black mist swirled up and around from the ward, spinning and churning until a portal formed in the air. Thousands of miniature lightning bolts scintillated around the edges. They stared at the portal for a moment, feeling a chill seep through from the other side. Nikulo glanced back at them with a reckless expression, and jumped through the portal.
Talis and Mara locked eyes, grinned, and Talis took her hand and they ran outside the temple to see if it had worked. Talis spotted Nikulo flopped inside the spring, splashing water on himself as if he was taking a bath.
“Couldn’t you have made the stupid portal go someplace else besides the spring?” Nikulo flapped his arms in the water and quacked like a duck.
Mara laughed freely, and glanced at Talis, who was unable to keep from chuckling at Nikulo.
“We did it, didn’t we!” She flung herself around and gave Talis a warm hug. He couldn’t help but notice she held him a bit longer than normal, and he found himself not wanting to leave. When they separated, Mara’s face was flushed, and she quickly looked away to smile at Nikulo.
“I have to admit I had my doubts whether we could do it or not.” Nikulo pushed himself up and stepped out of the spring, and wrung the water from his pants. “Now I’ll never have to worry about food again…watch out cake shop, here I come!”
Mara chuckled. “Sure, let’s use one of the most powerful spells in the world to resort to common food thievery.” She poked his belly. “Your poor, ever hungry stomach will have to starve a little longer. I think you’d do well going on another adventure.”
“As long as we can find taverns with ale, roasted pork, and apple tarts…you know the kind with fresh cream on top?” The sides of Nikulo’s mouth glistened with drool.
“What do we do with him?” Talis lifted his shoulders and let his hands flop to his side. They’d succeeded casting the portal spell and it felt amazing, like they’d discovered the key to exploring the world…and maybe even other worlds. “But thanks to Nikulo and the Tandria Scroll we now know the how to cast portal spells!”
Nikulo spread his hands apart as if to indicate he was the greatest person on earth. “What can I say? I guess I am pretty awesome….”
Mara cleared her throat and smirked. “Somebody’s head is about to explode with pride. Don’t forget Talis, and I did help out as well. Anyways, well done. But the question is, what are we going to use the portal spell for?”
Talis opened his mouth to speak, thinking of ways to use the portal spell, but the vision of Rikar being tortured on that planet suddenly flashed in his mind. Why should Talis even think about helping him? After all he’d done to harm them and their city. Rikar had been a friend once, and he did help them along their journey, but still… Maybe Rikar was just unlucky and foolish enough to be tricked by Aurellia?
“What are you
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