Orison | Celeste Academy Series BK #3

Chapter Fifty-Three ۞ Thieves

Valeriana's back and rear end was starting to hurt. They've been riding for so long and the scenery around them has changed drastically many times than she could count.

From trees and plants to houses and finally to this extensive wilderness wherein nothing could be seen from miles out. The soil was replaced by dry sand and the temperature rocketed that the girl was sweating profusely. Her shirt got somewhat damped and sticky. It got to the point that it felt a bit claustrophobic with the two of them like this.

She never imagined they would be passing through a desert. The air lacked humidity and felt hot on the skin, not even a hint of water in the atmosphere.

"Ugh . . . I can't bear this heat." She told him. "And it's too hot to be like this, can I ride on my own? The horse is tied to yours so I'm sure I'll be okay . . ."

Corvan remained silent and just when it felt like he would never answer her, Gavin spoke in his place. "Bear with it, Valeriana." He told her. "We've been travelling in this direction for over two hours. I am confident we will be arriving soon."

The horses climbed a mountain of sand, leaving footprint marks along with the nature-induced wind wrought patterns. She wanted to faint so bad. It had grown so hot that they had to wrap cloths around their heads so as to ward off some of the heat and the particles of sand, leaving only the area around their eyes.

"This is worse than being in the oven." She commented, fanning herself and swallowing down what little water was inside her mouth. Her throat never felt so dry. "I need water."

"Alright." Corvan halted the horse. "We'll stop for a while." He slipped down his ride, landing on the sandy terrain.

Gavin dismounted his own horse and patted its head. Valeriana was helpless trying to get down as she somehow developed a trauma of falling over one more time. Instead, she remained so still over the horse, afraid of startling it again.

Corvan went to the horse that she was supposed to ride and opened the leather flaps of the bag hanging on its side. He fished out a wineskin and threw it over to Valeriana, who clumsily caught it with her fingers.

"Here. Drink." He told her. He squinted and looked around them, walking over to Gavin. "Where are we now?"

Valeriana opened the lid and drank, the cool water traveling down her throat. She then focused on Corvan and his expression.

For some reason, the garbs around his head seemed oddly fitting. It made him like some sort of Arabian prince.

"We're still in the Artlen Deserts." Answered his cousin. "It won't be until thirty minutes that we arrive. The nest of the twin-tailed lions is still far."

"In the name of Arland." Corvan muttered under his breath, using the cloth around his head to wipe off his face. "This blistering heat scorches. Isn't it hotter than the usual?"

Gavin smiled, as though it was nothing. "I've been through worse, dear cousin. But yes, it is hotter than I remember it."

Valeriana sighed in satisfaction and capped the wineskin while holding it close against her chest. "By the way . . . I think I have a bit of a problem."

They diverted their attention to her and she swore Corvan was starting to look irritated. "What now?" He asked.

"A while ago." She said, remembering the incident. "I was trying to use my connection to talk to animals. I can't seem to . . ."

"You mean you are unable to find your connection with these creatures?" Gavin seemed mildly surprised. "You really are different from when we first met. You are a Direct Controller, aren't you?"