Page 115 of The King of Koraha
Shyla used thedeadcommand on everyone nearby. If she didn’t, they’d notice her shaking muscles. She was beyond exhausted and had no idea where she found this energy.
“Should we bury them?” Vilma asked.
Her heart stopped. If they did, Shyla might not be able to create air holes.
“Yes, but not deep. We don’t have the time,” Xerxes said. “Everyone help and just cover them with sand until they can’t be seen. The winds will bury them deeper in time.”
It didn’t take them long. And the sand was a nice insulation from the sun. Shyla had trapped a pocket of air between them underneath the sun cloak, but she waited as long as possible before drilling an air hole with magic. But their ordeal still wasn’t over. They had to ensure Xerxes and the others were well gone before she could move the sand to free her and Rendor from their graves. Except she didn’t have anything left. She’d used everything. Her body refused to cooperate and she passed out.
Cold wetness splashed on her face. Shyla struggled to open her eyes as fingers pulled her mouth open and pure bliss filled her mouth. Instinctively, she swallowed the water, gulping the life-sustaining substance. It stopped before she’d had enough. There’d never be enough.
“Come on, sunbeam,” Rendor said. “Wake up.”
Another cold splash. This time on her head. It didn’t help. Her thoughts and body were mired in a thick resistant substance. Zhek’s goo?
“It’s almost dark,” Rendor said. “I can’t carry you. I’ve nothing left.”
It wasn’t his words that roused her but the panic straining his voice. She cracked open an eye. It required far more energy than she had. Rendor knelt next to her. He was covered with burns and blisters and fatigue lined his eyes, but his gaze turned hopeful when she focused on him.
“How?”
“I dug us out. Then fetched water.” He gestured to her. “Lots of water.”
Only then did she realize she was soaked. How long had he been trying to rouse her? According to the sun, a long time. If she was stuck on the surface during darkness and soaking wet, she’d freeze to death. She laughed. Might as well experience all the ways to die.
“Shyla?”
“Sorry, I just thought…never mind. Can you help me stand?”
With Rendor’s help, she made the colossal effort to go from horizonal to vertical. “Should we celebrate?” she asked. She leaned against him, sharing his warmth.
“How about we hold off until we’re in the shelter.”
“Good idea.” She glanced around. The colors of the desert had already faded to gray. Only a few more angles until the sun disappeared and the darkness rushed back in. Multiple tracks scored the side of the dune, which had grown to the size of a mountain while she slept.
“Yeah,” Rendor said, gazing at the top. “If that hadn’t been here, you’d be tucked under a fur in the shelter by now.”
She hugged him. “You almost died. You’re allowed to have limits.”
“I know. But I don’t have to like it.”
Typical Rendor. She gestured to the tracks. “Too bad Mojag’s not here. He could just move the dune out of our way.”
“That was Mojag?” Rendor sounded impressed.
They had a lot of catching up to do. But for now she needed to stop procrastinating. The energy required to climb the dune would not suddenly appear while she stood here. She would have to tap into the reserves of her reserves. She had those, right?
With Rendor holding her steady, she stepped forward. One. Two. Three more and they reached the base of the dune. The climb turned into another test of her endurance. Her body threatened to revolt a dozen times an angle. She suspected she’d need a full circuit of rest before it forgave her.
Shivering in the cold air, she trudged up the side. Wet sand clung to her clothes, weighing her down. She ended up crawling the last meter and rolling onto the crest of the dune completely spent.
But Rendor wouldn’t let her lie there. “Look, there’s the shelter.” He helped her to her feet. “It’s warm inside.” He kept her from tumbling down the other side. “There’s dry clothes.” He urged her to keep walking. “Plenty of water.”
They reached the entrance. A victory like no other.
Yet the final trail waited—the ladder. She almost sobbed.
“I’ll go first,” Rendor said. “Wait until I’m at the bottom.”
