also excited. He stood up and walked over to a piece of driftwood that had landed on shore near their camp overnight.
Traven cleared his mind and focused on the wet piece of wood. He envisioned in his mind’s eye a flame about twice the size of the ones he had created in the past. The air seemed to thicken and swirl around the large piece of wood. He could feel the flame just beyond sight and was about to pull it into existence but stopped. It seemed as easy to form the larger flame as it had been to form the smaller ones. He decided he might as well increase the size of the flame some more. He allowed his mind’s eye to let the flame grow larger and larger until it enveloped the entire piece of wood. The substance of the air began to swirl faster and faster around the imagined flame. He concentrated and pulled the flame into existence.
Traven stumbled backwards with a yelp of surprise as the entire piece of wood burst into flame with a loud whoosh. He hadn’t expected it to happen so suddenly. He plopped down on the sand feeling too exhausted to walk back up the beach to the camp and stared at the roaring flames at the water’s edge. The bright, flickering light hurt his head and he closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure whether to be excited by his success or disappointed in himself for causing a headache so early in the morning. He kept his eyes closed and laid back on the sand to rest for a moment, hoping the pain in his head would dissipate.
“Did you sleep down here all night?” Studell asked as he trudged down the beach towards Traven.
“No,” he replied with his eyes still closed. “I’m just resting.”
“Resting! Resting! You had all night to rest,” the philosopher exclaimed. “We need to get moving. There’s a lost keep to find!”
Traven pushed himself up with a groan and followed Studell back to the camp. Obviously the philosopher felt refreshed from his good night’s sleep. After eating breakfast, Traven felt a little better. His headache was only minor, but he still felt as if he had been practicing his forms all day. He was reminded of how much it had drained him the first time he had lit a candle with the ambience. He would need to be more cautious when experimenting.
“Hopefully we’ll reach the break in the cliffs by midmorning,” Studell announced when they started along the beach to the west.
As they made their way, boulders jutting out of the ocean along the beach became more numerous. The soft lapping of the waves turned into loud crashes as they slapped against all of the rocks. The boulders continued to grow larger as the morning progressed. Traven could see why the starting point of the map had been further to the east. There was no way a ship could navigate these waters without hitting the rocks. As midmorning neared, he began eagerly watching the cliffs for a sign of the fissure that would allow them passage into the interior of the land. The beach became rockier and the cliffs appeared to diminish slightly in size. Just after midmorning he spotted the break in the cliffs.
5
Traven watched at first with eagerness and then with disappointment as they drew closer to the break. It was a large gash in the previously unbroken cliffs. Instead of a sheer wall, it appeared that part of the cliff had fractured and collapsed. The resulting rock slide extended all the way from the top of the cliffs to the beach at its base. He had hoped that there would be an easy path through the fissure and into the desert beyond. However, the path before them looked anything but easy. It appeared steep and treacherous. He pointed out the spot to Studell who squinted into the distance trying to pick out the break in the cliffs. When the philosopher was finally close enough to see it, he too grew concerned.
“How are we supposed to get up that?” he inquired.
Traven shrugged in response. He wasn’t
Traven cleared his mind and focused on the wet piece of wood. He envisioned in his mind’s eye a flame about twice the size of the ones he had created in the past. The air seemed to thicken and swirl around the large piece of wood. He could feel the flame just beyond sight and was about to pull it into existence but stopped. It seemed as easy to form the larger flame as it had been to form the smaller ones. He decided he might as well increase the size of the flame some more. He allowed his mind’s eye to let the flame grow larger and larger until it enveloped the entire piece of wood. The substance of the air began to swirl faster and faster around the imagined flame. He concentrated and pulled the flame into existence.
Traven stumbled backwards with a yelp of surprise as the entire piece of wood burst into flame with a loud whoosh. He hadn’t expected it to happen so suddenly. He plopped down on the sand feeling too exhausted to walk back up the beach to the camp and stared at the roaring flames at the water’s edge. The bright, flickering light hurt his head and he closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure whether to be excited by his success or disappointed in himself for causing a headache so early in the morning. He kept his eyes closed and laid back on the sand to rest for a moment, hoping the pain in his head would dissipate.
“Did you sleep down here all night?” Studell asked as he trudged down the beach towards Traven.
“No,” he replied with his eyes still closed. “I’m just resting.”
“Resting! Resting! You had all night to rest,” the philosopher exclaimed. “We need to get moving. There’s a lost keep to find!”
Traven pushed himself up with a groan and followed Studell back to the camp. Obviously the philosopher felt refreshed from his good night’s sleep. After eating breakfast, Traven felt a little better. His headache was only minor, but he still felt as if he had been practicing his forms all day. He was reminded of how much it had drained him the first time he had lit a candle with the ambience. He would need to be more cautious when experimenting.
“Hopefully we’ll reach the break in the cliffs by midmorning,” Studell announced when they started along the beach to the west.
As they made their way, boulders jutting out of the ocean along the beach became more numerous. The soft lapping of the waves turned into loud crashes as they slapped against all of the rocks. The boulders continued to grow larger as the morning progressed. Traven could see why the starting point of the map had been further to the east. There was no way a ship could navigate these waters without hitting the rocks. As midmorning neared, he began eagerly watching the cliffs for a sign of the fissure that would allow them passage into the interior of the land. The beach became rockier and the cliffs appeared to diminish slightly in size. Just after midmorning he spotted the break in the cliffs.
5
Traven watched at first with eagerness and then with disappointment as they drew closer to the break. It was a large gash in the previously unbroken cliffs. Instead of a sheer wall, it appeared that part of the cliff had fractured and collapsed. The resulting rock slide extended all the way from the top of the cliffs to the beach at its base. He had hoped that there would be an easy path through the fissure and into the desert beyond. However, the path before them looked anything but easy. It appeared steep and treacherous. He pointed out the spot to Studell who squinted into the distance trying to pick out the break in the cliffs. When the philosopher was finally close enough to see it, he too grew concerned.
“How are we supposed to get up that?” he inquired.
Traven shrugged in response. He wasn’t
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