Force of Magic

Midnight Desert

Chapter 32

A/N: Hey everyone! Welcome back! Glad to see y'all here again. Anyways, I know y'all've been looking forwards to the next chapter, so I won't waste too much time here. Remember, I'm just the writer, I do not own Trezac, the Mandalorian Survivors, Star Wars or TDP.

"There's the Oasis," Nyx announced as the ambler lumbered over a large dune, "It's not much, but it's a safe haven from the soulfangs and the husks."

Scrambling to their feet, the three teens leaned over the rim of the saddle to peer around the ambler's head. From the black dunes a circle of white obelisks stood, a glowing blue light passing over the sands between them, thrumming with a feeling of light that Trezac hadn't felt since they first entered the infernal desert.

"How is it protected?" Callum spoke up, almost causing the padawan to facepalm. It wasn't as if the answer was staring him in the face or anything.

"It's surrounded by obelisks that create a circle of protection. It's a magical barrier around the oasis," Nyx explained. "Anyways, here's the Wonderwall."

Trezac winced as the light passed over his skin, seeming to burn at any trace of the darkside he had picked up while in the desert. It was rather amazing to see such a small area teeming with life in such a wasteland.

Stepping onto the ambler's tail, the small group let themselves be lowered to the ground. "Seems cozy enough," Rayla remarked.

"We'll probably need to make a fire, deserts tend to be pretty cold at night," Trezac said.

"That's what these are for," a voice called and sand flew up into the air as something slammed in front of them. Wiping the sand from their eyes, they watched as Nyx landed, picking up the bag and patting it. "Now, I only have three blankets, so someone's going to have to share...unless," she looked between Rayla and Callum, "you two need one?"

It seemed to take a second for both of them to process the statement before they began freaking out. "Two! Not one, two!"

"Two!" Rayla said snatching a blanket and handing the other to Callum, as she looked away from the other teen.

Nyx gave a shrug, picking up the last blanket "Guess that means, you and I will have to share handsome."

"Uh...I can use my cloak," Trezac offered with a shy smile, patting his backpack. "And make a fire. See, everyone gets their own blanket."

"Suit yourself," Nyx sighed.

Relieved that the situation was resolved, Trezac sighed and jogged over to Sol Regem as he crouched by the edge of the oasis, water dripping from his scales as he lifted his head. Pulling out his own flask, the padawan set it in the water to fill it up; it probably wasn't the most sanitary, but he'd had worse before. "So, how far away is that temple you were telling me about?"

"Too far for you to walk on your own and be back before dark."

Trezac sighed, sitting down beside the Archdragon. He needed to check out that temple, preferably before any of the inquisitors, or worse, the Sith themselves got to it and found whatever was inside. He didn't even want to imagine what unknown ancient horrors could be lurking in its vaults.

The problem was getting there. They couldn't afford a detour, not with the Queen being as ill as everyone was saying. So it was either tonight or whenever the next opportunity was—whenever that was—and just hope the empire or Viren didn't get there first.

It was an option he didn't like, but one he had to acknowledge. Sol Regem was right; there was no way he'd be able to make it to the temple before dawn on foot, let alone make it back. And that was assuming he didn't get bitten by a soulfang on the way there.