The Mists of Sorrow_ Book Seven of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [56]
“We don’t dare enter until we know if it’s safe,” Miko says. He wants to use the Star to locate James and the others, but the memory of how the grayness reacted when James used his magic causes him to refrain.
“Then what should we do?” Shorty asks.
While they sit there in indecision, Zyrn and the rest of the villagers run to join them. Zyrn comes to stand at the edge of the shimmering area and looks out upon it. Something is different but he can’t quite put his finger on it. Then he concentrates on the fringe to see if it’s still advancing. After a full minute he fails to see any sign that it is.
He looks around the ground near him until he finds a medium sized stone. Picking it up, he turns to face the shimmering area. Cocking his arm back, he throws it. The rock arcs through the air and lands fifteen feet past the edge of the shimmering area.
Crack!
When the stone hits the shimmering area, the area shatters as the stone passes right through it. Cracks spider along its surface away from the impact point for several feet. That was as far from what he expected than anything he could have imagined.
Shorty bends over and hesitantly touches the edge of the grayness then pulls back his fingers quickly. When nothing happens, he touches it again. Running his fingers along its surface he says, “It’s glass.”
“What?” asks Potbelly, surprised at what Shorty said.
“It’s glass I tell you,” asserts Shorty. Standing up, he steps out upon the shimmering area and the surface cracks under the pressure.
“He did it!” cries Potbelly.
“We must go to them!” exclaims Aleya and makes to ride forward.
“Whoa there,” Stig says, grabbing her reins near the horse’s head and stopping her.
“But they may need us,” she says, about ready to ride over him if he doesn’t get out her way.
“Our boots will afford us protection against the glass,” he tells her. “But the horses’ hooves will get shredded.” When she glares at him, he adds, “We must walk.”
Realizing he’s not trying to stop her, only protecting her horse, she nods her head and dismounts. Taking her bow she makes to head into the shimmering area.
Stig quickly instructs Reilin to explain that they intend to go in search of their companions to Zyrn, and to wait here to keep an eye on their horses. Then he hurries after Scar, Shorty and Potbelly as they move to follow Aleya into the field of glass.
They are forced to step slowly as they make their way onto the glass surface. Each step shatters the sheet of glass covering the ground. “You could make a fortune off of this,” comments Shorty. “Delia would love this.”
“Yeah,” agrees Stig. “Come out here and carefully cut out sections and sell them, it would definitely bring a tidy sum.
Crack! Pop!
Ahead of them the glass shatters and they can see bands of heat radiating out of the newly formed opening.
Crack! Pop! Crack! Pop!
More openings form as the heat trapped beneath the sheet of glass finds an outlet. “This could get bad,” says Miko. Already, they feel the heat rising every time their feet break through the glass.
Crack! Pop! Crack! Pop!
Most of the heat eruptions are coming from further into the glass covered area, the area closest to the center of the blast.
“Jiron!” hollers Aleya. They pause for a moment, but the only sound they hear is that of heat breaking through the glass. Turning to Miko she asks, “Can you tell if they are alive?”
Shaking his head, he replies, “No, I’m sorry. However, I may be able to tell where they are.” Taking out the Star, he concentrates on the whereabouts of James, Jiron and Brother Willim.
The others wait there for a moment before a light flares from the Star and points a little to the left of the direction they were originally traveling. “I believe they lie in that direction,” he says.
“Thank you,