Across the Threshold

Tracking Magic

Shade closed his eyes, and focused on the rock. He felt a resistance, something preventing him from connecting. He pushed through, forcing the connection. The rock hummed to life with magical energy.

"Yes!" Shade whooped. It had been a week since Ceris and Lance's argument, and Shade had been practicing his Tracking Magic constantly. He hadn't made much progress, but now he'd finally done it. He'd forged a connection with an object that he wasn't touching.

Shade released the magic, dropping the connection. He chose another object in his house at random, and attempted to connect with it. One of the cups in the sink started pulsing.

He smiled, and then moved on to the next step. Could he connect to objects that he couldn't see?

Shade reached out to connect with the dresser in his bedroom, but he couldn't find anything. Nothing was blocking him, he just couldn't sense anything.

He focused, creating a mental image of his dresser. It required enormous concentration, but he could feel the End Crystal giving him strength.

He suddenly felt a connection spring to life. He could feel his dresser. He'd done it.

Shade cheered, and then tried reaching for the End Crystals again. He still couldn't detect them. That barrier still persisted.

It didn't feel like the other barriers, this was different somehow. It wasn't something to do with the Tracking Magic. No, this was something external.

Shade released his magic, right as he heard a knock at his door. He opened it, to find Rain standing there.

"Hey Rain," Shade began, "What's up?"

"There's a War Meeting in 20 minutes," Rain told him. "I've been walking around, letting everyone know."

Shade nodded his thanks, and then left with Rain. He locked the door behind him, following Rain twords the main complex of Dreadfort.

"So," Shade asked, "what's this meeting about?"

"Not sure," Rain replied. "Probably has to do with locating the End Crystals." He glanced at Shade, "How's that going anyways?"

Shade considered how to reply, before saying, "I think that it would be best to wait to explain during the meeting. That way, I can tell everyone at once."

Rain nodded, agreeing with him. The two of them walked through Dreadfort in silence for a time, before Shade spoke up.

"Can I ask you something?" Shade began.

"Well, you just did," Rain replied with a smirk.

Shade rolled his eyes, "I guess I did. Let me rephrase, I'm going to ask you something."

Rain gestured for him to continue.

"How does the whole, Ender Watcher thing work? Since Ceris made you one at the Fall of the End."

Rain looked at him, more than a little confused, "How do you know about that?"

"Ceris told me when she was giving me the background of this world."

"Ah, that makes sense," he rubbed his hands together. "I'm not quite sure myself actually. It's something that I've been meaning to ask Ceris about, but she's been so aggravated with Lance recently, that I think it's best to just let her be for a time."

"You're probably right," Shade replied. "I've seen their arguments first hand." He shuddered, "It's not pretty."

"I can imagine," Rain muttered as the entered the main complex of Dreadfort. They continued there way up to the meeting room in silence, greeting the guards as they walked pass.