Journal Day Two
Today d'Rangon failed to return to camp. Also, Iridani came back reporting unusually high electrical activity from back the way we came. I decided that we would backtrack the way we came in two parties. Me with Lilia, Dex with Bryce. We were to return to camp in no less than two days. We each had set checkpoints so if one group failed to return, the other would know how to go after them. It is as well organized as I can make it, but this damned desert is terribly unpredictable. Here's hoping we at least come out with our bodies in tact and, Tahn willing, our minds as well.
It's hotter than yesterday. Nearly one hundred fifty degrees. At that sort of heat there's only so much magik can do for a long time. Accenians fair better in the cold. And these humans are so frail it's hard to believe they can survive anywhere. But Lilia seems to be doing fine, as long as I keep conjuring up water for her.
It's been at least three hours since our departure. We've seen no signs of any life, save a snake or two. We both were getting agitated by everything around us. It's funny what heat can do to a person. I could tell by her face she was thinking about someone. Benetio. I mean we were all thinking about Benetio, but I could read a distinct emotion from her. Fear. She seemed to be very worried.
"So you and this d'Rangon knew each other before the mission?"
"Um, yes."
"Were you close?" I asked, trying to certify my own deductions.
"I guess you could say we were. Why all the questions?"
"Just making what you would call 'small talk'. It's supposed to be calming, correct?"
"Yea. Sure. Would you mind though, I'm just trying to clear my head right now. Sorry" She walked further ahead, no doubt try to evade my admittedly prying questions.
I thought I'd leave it at that for now. When we find Benetio everyone will have a little less weight on their shoulders. And we can all get back to thinking about those electrical signs. What could be making such signs in this barren world? Heh, maybe someone was following us after all. But wait; What if we were being followed?
"Lilia."
"Ugh, yea? What do want know?"
"I know you're scared. We're all scared. But you need to pull yourself together if we're to find d'Rangon."
"And how do you plan to do that? So far all we've seen is a mountain, three cacti, and endless dunes. I don't think I'd call that progress"
"I trust you have some sort of communications device."
"Yea, here." She pulled out a small mechanism from her rucksack. It had no signal, of course, outside of the Realms. But that's not what we needed it for. "What do have in mind?"
"How long would it take you to reconfigure it to pick up electrical signals like the ones Iridani detected?"
"I don't know, maybe a few minutes. Why?"
"Because those may just lead us to d'Rangon"
Bookmarks