After several minutes of walking, the group stepped through the doorway and back into sunlight. Tan and orange sand covered the ground in this section. Suddenly, a gentle hiss, like air escaping a balloon, whispered through the air, causing them to whip around. They watched a stone slab slid into place, sealing the exit behind them. No trace of a doorway remained.

  “Hmm, guess no going back,” Chuck mused.

  “Unless we can walk through the barrier from this side, maybe it’s only one-sided,” Brytha commented.

  “Good point, I say we go forward. The tunnel may have been a shortcut.” Chuck took three steps and then sank up to his knees. “That’s not good.”

  Brytha flailed her arms, trying to stop herself. Glyrgaph’s roots encircled her, keeping her from falling into the sand.

  “Thank you.”

  “You are welcome. Seems I am well suited for this section of our foray,” Glyrgaph responded.

  “Glad to see you get back to your thesaurus reading. Mind assisting me?”

  Roots wrapped around Chuck’s waist. Glyrgaph strained, Chuck narrowed his legs to points, and with effort, they could free him. He stepped carefully to stand next to Brytha.

  “Looks like you and Glyr have the lead on this one, unless there’s enough room for me to fly?”

  Glyrgaph floated a few feet upward, then dropped suddenly. “There is less room, height-wise. A canopy of needles is only a few feet above your head.”

  “Can you fly just above the ground?” Chuck asked.

  “With no room for adjustment, it would be a strain and seeking failure. I can try, but any anomaly could put me prone in that sand. I can’t breathe sand, so it could end up a problem.” Brytha answered.

  Chuck nodded. “See your point, no sense in risking that. Plus, if you're worn out from the strain, you may not deal with any fighting we have ahead of us. How difficult is it going to be to hug this wall until the…um…sand trap is gone?”

  “Less strain than me flying.” Brytha paused, looked down the path, and pointed. “If I designed this, I’d have something waiting for us around that bend. This whole thing feels like we’re being herded.”

  “Should I scout ahead?” Glyrgaph asked.

  “That’s not a bad idea, but I don’t like the idea of you being that far away from us being able to help you.” Chuck stared down the ravine towards the bend.

  “I will float to the other side and be careful.”

  Brytha shrugged. “I have nothing to offer, or any better ideas.”

  “Could I ride on you?”

  “For a short distance, you could, Chuck, but this would put me in an exhausted state, much like the one you told Brytha we should avoid.”

  “Afraid that would be your answer. Then I agree with Brytha. It’s better than anything else we could do.”

  Glyrgaph floated over the surface of the sand, moving to the opposite wall and down the pass. Chuck's eyes were glued to him, every muscle in his body tense, his breath caught in his throat. He muttered under his breath when Glyrgaph rounded the bend and vanished from sight.

  “That was not part of the plan!” Chuck shouted. The lack of response fed his growing sense of dread. Chuck noticed no echo either. “Going to turn him into hay when he gets back.”

  “I agree it isn’t smart, but you’d have done the same if you thought it looked safe.”

  Chuck looked over at Brytha. “You being right about this stuff is getting a little annoying.” His slight laugh took the edge off his comment.

  Without warning, a shove in the back sent Chuck flying forward. Brytha doing the same beside him. He stumbled and found himself stuck, knee deep, in the sand. Brytha was in a similar situation a few feet away.

  “What happened?” She gasped.

  “I got pushed.”

  Brytha nodded, “Me too. Who?”

  Chuck spun his head to look behind him. “Don’t see any signs of anyone. Could the wall have done it? I mean, we saw it close the doorway. Maybe it could reach out and push us?”

  “I don’t have any other ideas.” Brytha paused and then spat out, “Grundya’s Jumba I keep saying that too many times.”

  “I, for one, have never heard you say Grundya’s Jumba before.”

  She sighed, a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “You know that is not what I meant. I’m tired of not having better ideas, or any idea for that matter.”

  Chuck nodded and looked down at his legs. The sand shifted, and he moved forward, grunting as he pushed forward. “That won’t work. Way too much effort. I thought if I made my legs thin and flat, I could push through. I can, but I’d take an hour to get fifty feet, and I’d be spent.”

  “Can you do the Rockbound thing through the sand?”

  “Oh, good idea. I thought you didn’t have any of those.”

  Brytha rolled her eyes. “A little more seriousness here would be appreciated.”

  “A little humor don’t hurt.”

  “Do you want me to respond to that?”

  Chuck glanced over at a grinning Brytha. “Served up a softball, didn’t I?”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  After a few seconds, Brytha answered, “If I found the right thing in the Archive, yes, I could’ve hit a home run.”

  “Sounds like you found the right meaning. Going to try to Stone Walk.”

  Chuck yelped in pain. “Not going to work, either. This sand isn’t pure stone. Whatever else it is, it won’t let me pass and hurts like heck when I try.” He grunted and moved another step forward. “Nope, changed to a different shape for the legs, no better.”

  He put his hands on his hips and huffed. “Wonder if Glyr is coming…” His words trailed off when he looked back down the ravine. Worry colored his next words, “…Glyr is stuck on the wall. I can see half of him from here. I think his roots are squirming around. At this distance, it’s hard to tell.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “Can’t tell from here,” Chuck exclaimed, his voice rising in panic. His eyes darted around the path. "We need to break free and reach him before it's too late!"

  Brytha and Chuck strained against the grip of the sand, their legs straining with each desperate movement.

  "I'm sinking deeper," Brytha admitted, her voice laced with frustration as she ceased her futile efforts.

  "I'm not any deeper, but I'm not making any progress, though," Chuck said, his brow furrowed as he halted, his legs firmly trapped in the sand's relentless hold.

  They locked eyes, their expressions mirroring each other's uncertainty and desperation, both searching for a solution in the other’s gaze.

  Seconds of silence passed, then Chuck broke the silence, “I have a stupid idea.”

  Brytha looked over at Chuck. “Stupid ideas are better than nothing. What is it?”

  “I can try to pull you out onto a flattened part of me. Not going to feel good, but if it works, you could fly over to the safe space and we could work on getting me over there—even if I have to go skinny-legged.”

  “Worth a try.”

  Brytha twisted at the waist and reached her arms toward Chuck, who clasped her forearm. His fingers grew into thick tendrils securing his hold.

  “That is disconcerting.”

  “Maybe, but I can put more into pulling you. When we get close to getting you free, I’ll flatten out so you have a place to land. Please don’t stay any longer than necessary.”

  “You think it will hurt that bad?”

  “Imagine someone standing with their full weight on your fingers.”

  Brytha grimaced, “Ouch. Okay, when my feet get freed, I’ll get to flying, may not stand on your fingers at all. Ready, pull.”

  Chuck put everything into the pull. Sweat beaded across his body. Never sweated in this form before, feels odd.

  Brytha shifted a little, then started to come out of the sand. “It’s working! Oh, close your eyes.”

  Chuck did as commanded, then a few seconds later, he felt grains of sand peppering his body. He thinned his eyelids and made out a blur of wings flapping. The sand increased in volume and speed, forcing him to thicken his eyelids for protection. He could tell they were making progress in pulling her out—he didn’t have to strain as much and Brytha was getting closer. The sandstorm abated, and he opened his eyes. She stood ankle deep in the sand. He flattened himself out, creating a platform to pull her onto.

  “I’m going to try to fly now.” Brytha was almost out of the sand.

  She flapped slowly, freeing herself. She tucked her legs up, reminding Chuck of someone cannonballing off a diving board. Her wings rubbed against the far wall, she landed carefully, her smile growing as she didn’t sink.

  “It worked! I doubt I could have made it much further, though. ”

  “I see that.” Chuck smiled. “Keep an eye out for another push. Hopefully, we only get pushed once.” Status check.

  << STATUS

  Health: 50/80

  Magic: 48/108

  >>

  How did I get so low on magic?

  << INTERACTION — Your body used magic to fight against the paralysis venom. >>

  Crap, I didn’t think about that. I’m going to need to recharge before the big boss.

  Once again, the Structure didn’t reply. “Just did a status check. When we get done rescuing Glyr, I’m going to need to recharge.”

  “Noted, but we need to focus on the task at hand. Let’s get you moving.”

  Chuck thinned his legs and started the slow, grueling process of making his way to the wall. After about five minutes of effort, he stopped.

  “I’m such an idiot. Spatial Leap would save me all this effort—might even get to Glyr from here. That would leave you alone, though.” Chuck scratched the top of his head as he continued to think out loud. “Could you hold on and go with me? Never tried that before. Would need to get to you first. Do I have enough magic to do two leaps? I’ve never jumped with someone before, and I’ve never jumped that far.”

  “Chuck!” Brytha screamed.

  “What?” Chuck looked around to find the threat.

  “Don’t panic. You were so lost in thought, you didn’t hear my normal voice.”

  Chuck relaxed and took a deep breath. “Sorry. I’m trying to figure out if we can do this.”

  “Yes, I heard.” Brytha stepped sideways, then back again. “Trying to avoid being a stationary target.” She replied to Chuck’s unspoken question.

  Chuck closed his mouth for a second. “Good idea. What do you think of mine?”

  “I’m willing to give it a go. To save you magic points, I can fly back over and you could carry me piggyback.”

  “Great,” Chuck pulled his legs into his torso and broadened his back. “Ready when you are.”

  Brytha flew over and wrapped her arms and legs around Chuck, then confirmed she was ready to go—then confirmed a second time.

  “Alright, Spatial Leap for the win.”

  Chuck stumbled as he landed. Throwing Brytha over his head and into the wall. “Ouch,” she rubbed her shoulder. “And ugh too. I’m used to flying, but that was nauseating.”

  “One wondered if you would make it here,” Glyrgaph said in a British accent.

  Chuck looked up at Glyr and smiled, “You're welcome. And you didn’t get that from a thesaurus.”

  “I have discovered the treasure trove known as television.”

  “We need to discuss fiction and make sure you understand most of what you’re seeing there is made up.” Chuck adjusted his form back to humanoid.

  Brytha cleared her throat. “We can have this conversation another time. Glyr, are you okay, and why are you stuck to the wall?”

  “First, can one assume this side of the pass has the same footing as the other side did?” Glyrgaph asked.

  Chuck answered back with an over-the-top British accent. “You can assume anything, mate. But, yes, you’re right, no sinking if we’re standing at the base of the wall.”

  “Good, then I suggest both of you make it to the other side before we do anything. I believe I’m blocking the wind tunnel that would have pushed the two of you into the unsafe sand had you walked along the wall on the other side. By being on this side, you’ll have passed through that.”

  Brytha stood up and held her hand out, feeling for any wind. When she didn’t find any, she walked past Glyrgaph, Chuck followed.

  “Now that both of you have made it past me, I’ll provide a quick summary.”

  “Wouldn’t mind you dropping the accent,” Chuck remarked.

  “Me either, Glyr.” Brytha sat down with her back to the wall.

  Glyrgaph went back to his normal voice. “I was having fun with the accent. Anyway, how I got here. I was floating a few feet above the sand when a gust of strong wind sent me to this side, where a strong vacuum pulled me tight against the wall. There are hundreds of small holes in the rock. I surmise there is the same on the other side. A few minutes after being sucked to the wall, the vacuum stopped, but I was still stuck. My assumption is magic of a sort, but I’ve not been able to discern anything more.”

  Brytha got to her feet, pretending to grumble. “I just got comfortable. Let me check the magic. I might be able to dispel it.”

  Chuck helped her past him and watched as she poked around Glyrgaph and clicked her tongue a few times. A few minutes later, she stopped and stretched.

  “Give me a few minutes to unravel some of the magical weaving this spell was done with, and then you should be free.” Brytha went back to work. Her fingers glowed a light shade of yellow, switching to violet a few minutes later. “Get ready. I’m at the last strand and then the magic holding you will be dispelled for a day or two. However, the vacuum you talked about was not part of this magic, so you’ll want to move fast before that kicks back in.”

  “I under…”Glyrgaph flew past Brytha and Chuck as soon as the magic released him, then flew back to Chuck’s side. “Thank you. I had tried to eradicate myself but had failed.”

  “Glad to do it. Teams have to help each other…”

  A low hum cut through the air, silencing Brytha instantly. The buzz grew louder and more menacing, all three moved close to each other, their eyes fixed on the bend they had just passed. Suddenly, a massive swarm of dark, furious insects erupted around the corner, charging towards them like a living storm.

  “This isn’t good,” Glyrgaph muttered.

  “Yeah, this isn’t good.” Chuck agreed.