Preparation. To travel into the heat, we arm ourselves with light clothing, food, and water bags. We are apprehensive about the trip. How to use the mirror? Is it witchcraft? How do we get back? How do we find our way back to the portal? Do we have enough water? We assure ourselves about each question, and while as a group, we all have answers, but individually, we do not. I especially am not convinced the travel is possible without witchcraft. When all is said, we just trust each other.
Before we leave, I again chant my prayer and draw my rune on the floor. It glows. I almost lift off my feet as the energy flows into me. I turn to the others, and ponder: are they enthusiastic like I am? I last look at Trevor and say to him: do you feel it: the emotion, the wonder, the bliss? He must, since he is a member now. But he doesn't answer, and then I add, "this is the best feeling, ever!"
An awkward moment passes, then Trevor gets out the four rings and remembers the one to operate the portal with the scene of the desert. Trevor is the first to step through, then me, Brute, Ohm Uri and Kull. I am in the desert. The trip is done before I can blink my eyes. It does not feel like we traveled far, yet, we are no longer in the attic of the mansion that I dislike so much. We are now in a foreign, hostile land. Trevor tells us about an uneasy feeling that if he dies in here, the rest of us will not be able to return by the portal. That will not happen, if I can help it.
We trudge through the sand, following Brute's innate direction sense. Step after step, the same scene, sand, sand, and sand. Sand everywhere. My mind wonders to Keith, my friend that I lost. He once said that many find it difficult to work sorcery, yet it was easy for me. But it has caused me some pain. But it gives me such a rush, however. I look again out, nothing more than sand. I look to the right, and then to the left, and then where we came from. All the same, sand.
My mind wanders again, just like my legs feel like we are wandering over the sand, from nowhere, to nowhere. I remember my first teacher of the divine. He saved me from the streets when I was young. An old man he was when I knew him. He carried with him two glass pieces that he used to read. He taught me to read, too. Although he taught me the principles of the Light, he did not show me how to pray for intervention. Again, that does not come easy for some, but for me, it has. He also had other metal devices that he used to guide us when we traveled. I was never good at those for it required memorization. If he could be here now, Brute may learn something...
Trevor grabs my arm and points to the distant city. I try to focus on it, instead of my memories. He states, rather smugly that he is correct. I look at Trevor. A feeling of dread washes over me. I feel so terrible. Trevor is doing whatever I ask of him. He is so cheerful and full of energy. He also took the vows of my faith.
We all travel slow, and the temperature is hot. I try one of my early prayers to shield me from the heat, but it does not work like Trevor's freshening cantrips. He has more enthusiasm, determinism, and resilience than Brute or Kull, on this trip. How does he do it? We press on all day, not stopping for anything. Normally we would stop for Trevor, but he does not need to rest. But we drink. And drink. The water will not last for more than a day, at the speed we drink it. I have a plan for the water.
Finally, we stop for the night. I state to the others, that we will have water soon. With complete mastery, I focus on the sorcery energy and summon a force in the air. I bend it to make a dish, the size of a small table and set it in place. I test it to make sure it stays without concentration. Next, I call to the Light, to bring water, to rain from my hands, so that the drips are caught in the dish and suspend over the dry sand. Quickly, the dish fills. When full, I reach down into the water, cup it and splash it on my face, and drink. It is very refreshing, pure, and clean. I mention to the others to fill their water bags. Then they can wash the grime of travel away.
With most of the water gone and the dish still floating over the sand, the setting sun's beam catches in the water and I see the colors of the rainbow. For food, dried meat, dried fish, and dried stuff. Yuck! If this place is not dry enough.
Then night comes quickly. An array of stars shine in the night, much more than the night sky of Aden. My old teacher taught me the names for groups of the stars, and with his tools he recorded numbers and compared to numbers from previous days. To me, it is magic, magic that I could not learn.
The others begin resting, while Trevor and I prepare for the first watch. The first day finishes with no trouble.
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