The Dragon's Call

Chapter V - The Dunes

The landscape around us has shifted from lush forests and rolling fields to a harsher, more unforgiving terrain. The trees that once lined our path have given way to scrubby bushes and sun-baked earth, the ground beneath our horses' hooves cracking under the relentless heat. There's no doubt we're in Sadya now.

We've been traveling for hours, the initial rush of adrenaline from our escape from the castle slowly ebbing away, replaced by the dull ache of exhaustion. My muscles burn with every movement, and my body protests the relentless pace we've kept. Despite the discomfort, I push on, knowing that we have to reach the town of Aldahar before nightfall. We can't afford to slow down, not with the growing threat that looms over us.

Rockbrow rides at the front of our small group, her posture rigid and her eyes scanning the horizon with a keen intensity. She hasn't spoken much since we left the castle, her focus entirely on leading us safely to our destination. Her silence, though comforting in its steadiness, only adds to the tension that hangs in the air like a storm cloud waiting to break.

Calix, riding beside me, has also been uncharacteristically quiet. I know he's as anxious as I am about what we'll find in Sadya and what it will mean for the kingdom.

The sun is high overhead now, its rays relentless as they beat down on us, turning the air into a shimmering wave of heat. The world around us is a blur of color, the sand and sky blending together in a haze of light. The sand seems eerily still, as if the land itself is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

As we continue along the dusty path, the silence becomes unbearable, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me until I feel like I might burst. I need to break the tension, to find some way to distract myself from the growing anxiety that gnaws at my insides.

"Dr. Rockbrow?" I call out, my hoarse voice cutting through the oppressive silence. "What do you know about the Omnicirce in Sadya?"

Rockbrow glances back at me briefly before returning her gaze to the horizon. Her eyes are sharp, her expression unreadable. "Not much," she admits, her tone clipped. "I'm not... exactly sure they exist. But if they do, we'll ask around for someone with unusual abilities. "

Unusual abilities. Could this person actually be like me? Is there actually another Omnicirce with the power to control more than one Subcirce? The thought sends a thrill of both excitement and fear through me. If there's someone else out there like me, someone who might understand what I'm going through, then maybe I'm not as alone as I thought.

"Do you think they know what they are?" Calix asks, his voice cutting through the heavy air.

Rockbrow's expression remains unreadable, her gaze focused on the path ahead. "It's hard to say. Many people don't fully understand their powers, especially if they're not trained in their use. But if this person is indeed an Omnicirce, they may be struggling with their abilities, just as you were, Seeker."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, the memory of the roof collapsing, the stones responding to my will, flashing through my mind. I still don't fully understand what happened yesterday, or how I managed to control the stone. The power I wielded felt foreign— like it didn't belong to me—yet it did, in a way that I can't quite explain.

"We'll need to approach them carefully," Rockbrow continues, her voice steady and commanding. "If they don't know what they are, they could be dangerous. We don't want to frighten them—or provoke them."

I nod, understanding the gravity of her words. The last thing we need is to alienate someone who could be a powerful ally, or worse, force them into a corner where they might lash out with their magic. But the thought of finding someone like me, someone who might understand what I'm going through, also fills me with a strange sense of hope.