The Art of Rebellion

The Scorpion's Sting

Just as the sun finally starts coming out, we can see the desert. Within moments, we finally reach it, and the carpet descends. I shake Ry awake, eager to get off this horrid thing and never set foot on it again.

"Wha' issit?" she mumbles, wiping a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth. En stands up, walks over to her, then throws her off the carpet, making her snap wide awake.

"We're here, dumbass," the short blonde says, a playful grin on her face. "You finally get to make yourself useful now. Sand's your thing."

"Oh, and when shall we reach the part where you're useful?" Ry stands up, dusting herself off.

"Um, I just flew us here."

"Because the boss told you where to go."

"Because he likes me mo-"

"Girls, girls," I interrupt before things get ugly - well, uglier. "You're both equally useless." Apparently, this doesn't calm them down. I wonder why.

"Oh, sod off, you prick," En frowns as she hops down from the carpet.

"I wasn't useless to you last night," Ry points out, retrieving her bag.

"Oh, aye," En points a finger at her. "You're a damn fine pillow. Congrats, your life has meaning." They each take a step toward the other, so I step in between them. Girl fights are only fun in bars - and when they can't use lethal magic.

"Ok, enough," I say, serious this time. "Ry, so your thing."

She frowns, still eyeing the shorter girl with subtle rage, but does as requested. Walking up toward the sand, she crouches down and closes her eyes. "It's small," she says. "The desert, I mean. Only about ten kilometers until we reach Verdo." She's quiet for a few moments. "Oh."

"What is it?" I walk up to her.

"The city's underground. That must be how they handle the heat."

"And where exactly in it are the Dead Poets?" I ask, and she turns to look at me.

"Everywhere," Ry says. "The entire city is their hideout."

"Pretty sure the boss mentioned that bit," En adds, giving me a 'you're an idiot' look. I just shrug, knowing information isn't really my thing. I've always been bad at textbook stuff. Bleh. Thinking on your feet is more important, anyway.

"Do we just walk?" I ask Ry, and she hesitates.

"There are a lot of sandsnakes under the sand. I'm not even sure how we're supposed to get across. They'll feel us walking."

The three of us exchange several looks, completely stumped on how to proceed.

'Master Kol,' Shishi starts from within my mind. 'Your shadow is wider with me in it. You can take them at least halfway across.'

I don't reply, not wanting to sound like a madman in front of my companions. Instead, I pretend I'm the one who thought of it.

"My shadow," I say, earning their attention. "I can take you both into it. It won't last as long, and I'll only be able to take us halfway there, but that's still safer than walking the entire way."

"Since when could you do that?" En eyes me questioningly, being aware of my strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. "You've never done it to me before."

"Maybe he doesn't like you," Ry offers, and I groan.

"We're not starting this again." As the words leave my mouth, my shadow becomes a dark circle underneath our feet, and all three of us sink into it, along with our stuff.