The Sage's Vow

17.2 || The Wasted Strip

Tzanach was nothing more than a speck in the sky when Cale tore his gaze away. "Let's move," he said. "We'll lose all light soon, and I want to find a safe spot to camp before we find out what this place is like at night."

Mara let out a small huff that was almost a laugh. "Tzanach had a point. This really is like the Plane of Trials. Maybe you'll Soulmerge before we meet up with the others."

The beginnings of a smile twitched at his lips, but it vanished as a small rodent-like creature scampered in front of them. It moved from one rock to the other before vanishing between a large split in the ground. One of his hands fell to a sword hilt.

"Let's hope we see much less trouble here than we did there."

After some deliberation, they followed the river but with a handful of meters between them and it. Although it was an excellent source of water and food, the river could draw other creatures to it. Cale and Mara wanted a heads up and space should one approach.

Something shifted in the bond. Ezraim growing partially alert, but not yet focusing on Cale. Keeping his own attention on watching his surroundings, Cale waited for whatever had stirred his dragon into action. It didn't take him long to receive his answer.

Xander has informed me the others are doing their best to speed their approach, Ezraim said. They believe it will be another sixteen hours at least due to the required rest.

Cale's brows furrowed. That was good news, but it was less time than he had expected.

Ezraim snorted, though the sound was more appreciative than derisive. That's because they barely rested the last two nights. Boomer told me he had to block out Josh because he wouldn't stop whining due to, well, his very sore hind end.

Cale allowed his eyes to shut for only a moment before they resumed their vigilante watch of the surrounding area. When he'd first met the knucklehead, he never imagined the day would come when he missed his overdramatic chatter. Faced with the gloom of the grey landscape spreading out before them, he decided Josh's presence would be a good mood lifter.

That would not be the only reunion, though. Over the last couple of days, Ezraim had filled Cale in on each Paladin and Sage in the Energy Realm with them. It didn't surprise him to hear his two team members were among the group—Josh and the fill-in, Mateo. Eliyana also made sense, given she had practically been his mentor at the Himalayan Sanctum.

The most surprising addition had been Kaitlyn. Cale would not have expected Joel to send his precious daughter on such a dangerous mission. From what he knew of Kaitlyn, though, she likely pleaded and spun a convincing argument. He'd have to ask her what it had been.

His father would also be among those in the party. Cale's hand flexed on his sword hilt, and it took him a moment to realize he was actually looking for monsters to fight. He swallowed. Even without the assistance of his surroundings, his mood plummeted.

Nothing would be wrong if he met his father again without achieving the Soulmerge. He knew this. His parents had never shown dissatisfaction with his performance.

Or he should know it, but his mind still ran through ways to go safely about trying to reach his goal.

Nobody had ever had a reason to be dissatisfied with his results because he didn't fail.

"The perfect son."

Cale's jaw ticked, almost as if the memory had been a physical blow there. His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath and sealed those memories away. They had not resurfaced since Peter's sudden reappearance over half a year ago. He wouldn't let them again.