The Dreaming Land

Chapter 15: Interest and Inquiry

The winding pass came to end, opening up to an incredible view of the Scarred lands. Far bellow the mountain's ridge, the vast plains filled the panorama. Deep gashes in the earth stretched wide across the land, like canyons, formed by the massive pieces of the moons that fell from the sky. The earth here wasn't lush and green, as it had been on the other side of the mountain, instead it was a dusty beige. There were hardly any trees for miles. Still, the view was amazing to them.

"What a view." Imara gaped.

"This is why I love my job." Dean smiled.

"I can see why it's called the Scarred Lands." Orius said, "This is way worse than the fields north of Gigas City. How does anyone live out there?"

"You'd be surprised." Dean smiled, leading them further.

"Dean I wanted to ask you something." Orius said, following him further down the path.

"Of course, ask me anything." He said.

"Did you take anyone over the mountain before us," Orius asked, "specifically a man with a scruffy brown beard. Perhaps carrying a bow?"

"I hate to burst your bubble," Dean sighed, "But I take people through this pass pretty regularly. On top of that, I'm not the only guide. If I were, then people would be waiting a couple days for me to come back through. There's maybe five of us, but I am one of two people who check the pass regularly."

"So someone like that could have come through here before us?" He asked.

"Yes." Dean nodded, "Why?"

"Just wondering..." Orius said, giving Imara a meaningful look.

Even though the ferry ride had got them here faster than walking, a man on horseback could have made the trip in half the time. All this time they'd been running, not even considering the idea that one of their enemies could have gotten ahead of them. It was a smart tactic, one Orius hadn't anticipated. Usually the hunter follows, tracks, and baits. Clearly, this man wasn't an ordinary hunter.

-

Nearly and hour had passed since Quintir had started scrying, and Misha had grown bored. The other were probably waiting for them, worried about whether or not they'd gone the right way, or if they'd even make it through at all. And here they were, just sitting around, playing with a shiny rock.

"Hey," She said, trying to get his attention, "are you almost done? I'm so bored."

He didn't answer her. Rolling her eyes, she got up to walk around a bit. Taking her dagger out, she practiced some of the tricks Imara had taught her to pass the time. It was kind of fun playing with the knife, but the idea of getting close to someone to fight them frightened her. She wondered then if perhaps archery was right for her. Orius made it look fun, picking off targets from afar.

Maintaining his crossbow looked like a lot of work, though. You only needed to sharpen a blade every so often, and keep it clean. Bows and crossbows needed tuning and replacement strings. They also used up arrows, so if you run out, you're done for. She didn't like the idea of being so dependant on ammunition.

Behind the scenes, though, was Quintir. Supporting them with the power of his moon shards. She knew so little about magic and how it all worked, but all in all it looked life fun. Except right now. Right now it was boring her to death. From what she did know, magic could do almost anything, and the mage was limited only by the powers of the stone they possessed. The possibilities were endless.

"I think I have the answer." Quintir finally said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Took you long enough." She groaned.