Two Countries
The Depths of ReasonThe storm continued the rest of that day and into the early evening hours, leaving the caravaners restless and nervous. The dome of magic was what kept them safe and they all knew it, but, like all natives of Obarsan, they were wary of anything to do with the forbidden craft. Most Obari, anyway, Amber thought with a glance at Jinyoung. He was a native as well but apparently he had known what Jinwoo was and was complicit in... something. What, she didn't know, but she was too busy helping to keep the animals calm to ask him.
The horses were used to the sandstorms that happened this far south on the massive continent, but the dome had them skittish. It had the humans skittish, too, if they were honest with themselves. To see the wind and sand rushing by them, to hear the howl and the grating, but to not feel any of it was just so... wrong. Not that Amber wanted to be out in the storm, of course not, but she wasn't totally sure that this was better.
From the proud look on Jinyoung's face, though, he absolutely did think it was a good thing. He had all his wagons intact and his sorcerer revealed, and he stood with an almost protective air only feet from where Jinwoo was planted motionless. For almost an hour, anyway. Then he grew impatient and motioned for Amber to take his place, muttering for her to 'protect him' as Jinyoung scurried off to his wagon.
Suddenly Jinwoo's words about how he could protect himself came rushing back to her, and she glared at the stationary magician. "Why are you here?" she grumbled, but he didn't answer: instead, he stared straight ahead and kept up that monotone under his breath. She knew nothing about magic but she figured he must need to be speaking to hold the dome, and had the sudden urge to clap a hand over his mouth. She fought that off and realized that must be what Jinyoung wanted her to protect him from - caravaners who were uncomfortable with his sudden revelation of being a magician. None of them would kill Jinwoo, would they?
Even as she thought that, she had to correct herself. Several of the other guards had given dark looks at the magician and she realized that yes, they might just do so. Killing a magician just might get them a bounty from an emperor, and she felt a chill run down her spine as she realized that she might have to protect Jinwoo from her own. A magician!
She looked at him again, nervous over what he was and a bit angry that he had snuck in where he wasn't allowed, but then she saw something that gave her pause. Jinwoo's teeth with gritted, though he still mumbled the words through them, and sweat trickled down his temples. Was holding the dome taking a toll on him? Unwillingly, her ideas began to shift, and she wondered what it would be like to be him. Unwelcome in this land and yet using that power that made him an outcast to save them...
Yet some magicians could read minds, she remembered, and she shut her thoughts down immediately. Taking a seat near him, her spear across her knees, she waited out the storm as his guard. By the time they could see once again, the sun was halfway down on the horizon and they had lost all of the day's travel. At least they were already hunkered down and could set camp easily-
The dome dropped suddenly, the wind and sand that came rushing in startling Amber. It wasn't dangerous anymore but is was certainly uncomfortable, and she raised a hand to sheild her face as the last dredges of the storm passed. Then, in the calm aftermath, she lowered her arm to see a sight that left her speechless.
A wall of sand surrounded them halfway, in a perfect half circle where the dome wall had been. a bit had slid inside when the dome dropped, but it was an impressive sight, more than six feet tall and fifty feet wide. Amber turned with wide eyes toward Jinwoo, only to find the magician collapsed on the ground where he had been standing for the last several hours.
Scrambling to her feet, the woman hurried to him and only hesitated a moment before she reached out to touch his throat. His heartbeat still fluttered under her fingertips, so she knew he hadn't died, but his pale skin had taken on an even lighter cast
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