A World of Worlds

by ASMSG Authors

Flame 49, Slide 6 Day 4, See-Day, 415 AC

  Seventeen days on the road after leaving Trisden in search of Jenna, Ursula’s divination magic tugged her in an unexpected direction. She pulled back on the reins and her horse stopped. Dread rose in her chest and she clenched her jaws.

  Xandor slowed and turned in his saddle to face her. “We can’t stop now,” he gasped. “We’re almost to the city. Jenna might be there. You can rest after our quest is finished.”

  It was only four days past the mid-point of the Shift of Flame, the hottest days of the year. The grass beside the road had burned away, leaving nothing for the horses to eat. No wildlife roamed aboveground. For the past two days the only nourishment for either human or beast had been the salt and water Ursula conjured. Xandor’s face looked more like red metal than flesh, and Ursula could only imagine hers looked the same. Because of the heat, it had taken them nearly twice as long to come this far as it should have on horseback. They’d been lucky to even have the horses, but Xandor’s friend had insisted they not go on foot in the middle of the heat wave. Xandor had refused to wait for it to pass and would have made this trek alone if necessary or died on the way. So here they were.

  Having Willem in her possession made it easier for Ursula to work the magic to track his owner. Her divinations had led them from Trisden along the road southeast to Rareworl and from there to Mantruth, begging for food and supplies in each city. They followed the road east from Mantruth towards Hooblaport, the city of reptile men. The Hoobla Range brooded off to the south, outside Manwor and Lord Bhir’s jurisdiction. Her magic led that way.

  “We aren’t headed for the city,” Ursula said as she bolstered her courage and urged her horse towards the mountains.

  “You can’t be serious,” Xandor said, making no move to follow. “It’s one thing to visit a city of civilized hoobla. But the mountains are barbarian hoobla territory. They eat humans. There’s no way Jenna is there. If she was...” He let the sentence trail off. “Your magic is wrong.”

  Ursula pointed at a beaten path on the ground. “Well someone makes regular trips this way.” She continued on, not pressing her mount. Xandor would come to his senses and when he did, he could easily catch up.

  “It’s just not possible,” he said loud enough to be heard over the sound of her horse’s hooves striking barren rock. But he shook his reins and followed her into wild hoobla country.