Adahlia finishes cinching the last strap of the harness to Diyrl’s underbelly. She pats the harness with a satisfactory air.

“All set,” Adahlia states with a small laugh.

Diyrl flaps both wings and then folds them behind her. She cocks her head and stares off into the distance. Diyrl’s concentration is so intense that Adahlia grows concerned.

“Are you okay, Diyrl?” Adahlia whispers.

Diyrl shakes her head and looks down at Adahlia. Her voice is soft and full of maternal tenderness. “I’m fine. I was…Thinking about the past. Who I used to be. Places I’ve been. I’m fine, dear.”

Adahlia studies Diyrl for another moment before speaking again. “Before…You spoke about magic. You said there are stones on your world that have magical properties. You said it was possible to use magic—to harness it. What magic can you perform, Diyrl?”

Diyrl’s brow furrows and she lowers her head almost in shame. “I…I don’t have any magick, Adahlia. Well, not much. When I was exiled to the Wandering Sands; my powers were stripped from me. I was given an elixir that works to counteract those elements in my physiology. Although, I have found that I retained the ability to teleport. If only for really…really short distances.”

Adahlia emits a soft sigh. “Teleportation? You can teleport?”

“As I said, only over very short distances. Which came in quite handy after I’d been injured. The first time I teleported, I could still see the oasis where I was speared in the distance. It takes a lot of energy out of me. So, I could only do it periodically. In the old days, I could teleport over large distances and my heartrate wouldn’t even jump a little. And my other abilities…We won’t even talk about those. It’d be like swimming in a sea of salt after having your flesh flayed off by a ghliel worm. I don’t want to talk about what once was.”

“What once was?” Adahlia utters in disbelief. “Diyrl, I come from a world where magic…Only exists in the books— Or in movies. You’ve lived it, breathed it, and you don’t want to talk about it? Magic. Real magic. Wow. I only wish I could experience it.”

Diyrl turns to face Adahlia. She lowers her head to within a few inches from Adahlia’s face. So close that Adahlia can feel the warm breath coming from Diyrl’s nostrils.

“Magick, little Adahlia…Is about more than special powers and ethereal abilities. Magick is around us all the time; every day. Magick is the three of us being here...Together…Right now. Magick is meeting each other at just the right time. You were my salvation…And I can be yours. That’s magick. Magick is what you make of the world, Adahlia.”

Adahlia wraps her arms around Diyrl’s neck and hugs her tightly. Sotet watches from a distance—a strange feeling gnawing at his heart.

Adahlia drops her arms and smiles up at Diyrl. “It still sucks that I won’t get to see any real magic.”

Sotet climbs onto the hovercraft on the left and holds out his hand to Adahlia. “Come on, Adahlia. We need to go. The suns will be setting in a few hours…It will be too bitter cold to fly then. We need to get

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moving.”

Adahlia takes Sotet’s hand and lets him help her onto the second hovercraft.

“Ready, everyone?” Diyrl asks with a sly wink.

“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Adahlia chirps with excitement.

Sotet, for his part, looks less than thrilled.

Diyrl flaps her wings rapidly and then takes off at a run. She keeps up this pace for several meters before pulling up her legs. She glides effortlessly up into the air. The hovercrafts sway a little but the harness holds them secure. Adahlia lets out a loud whoop. Sotet only sighs.

Diyrl laughs and offers Sotet and Adahlia a small warning. “You wanted to see magick, Adahlia? I’ll show you magick. Concentrating on a small dune in the distance; Diyrl narrows her eyes. In an instant, Diyrl is floating over the dune—having teleported them the short distance there. Adahlia laughs wholeheartedly and claps her hands.

“Cool,” Adahlia cheers.

Even Sotet nods agreement to that.

_

_

The second sun is just setting when Diyrl spies a small grouping of gnarled trees in the distance. She slows her flying pace and angles for the trees. Where there are trees—No matter how sickly they may appear—there’s sure to be some water.

“We can rest here. At least, until daybreak,” Diyrl says. “The largest sun won’t be going up for at least eleven hours. I’m sure there’s water here. We might have to dig for it though. I think I can smell it, but it’s under the dirt. Not too deep. But deep enough. We can fill up all of our empty water packs.”

Adahlia nods agreement and shifts on her hovercraft—attempting to see into the distance. “That’s a good idea.”

Sotet, who is still unsure of what to make of Diyrl, reluctantly agrees. “Yes. I think this is a smart idea as well. But I also think we should prepare our food cultures. Like you, Diyrl, I am omnivorous. I must have meat to keep up my strength. Which I find to be slightly waning. A little meat will do you good as well, Adahlia. You are looking somewhat pale the last day or so. If we do find water, we should be in no great hurry to leave. We have shade, and shelter, and a place to cultivate. Who knows when we may find another place equally suitable?”

Diyrl nods acknowledgment. “As you wish, Sotet.”

Diyrl drops low to the ground and allows the hovercrafts to lightly touch down. She flaps steadily and allows Adahlia and Sotet to dismount before she brings both feet to the ground and folds her wings behind her. Sotet and Adahlia immediately begin unstrapping the harness from Diyrl’s midsection. Diyrl glances around the area and sniffs the air.

“There is water here. I can smell it a lot better now. We may not have to dig that deep after all,” Diyrl

chitters excitedly.

“Good,” Sotet exclaims. “We’ll need small rocks to line the pond bottom.”

“Pond bottom?” Adahlia inquires. “What pond? We haven’t even found the water yet?”

Sotet offers Adahlia a wily smile. “The pond we’re going to create. It won’t be built in one day. And like I said, we need some small rocks. Diyrl can seek out the water, with her powerful nose, and we’ll work on making a proper shelter and building a pond for our live cultures.”

“Piece of cake,” Adahlia chimes in cheerfully.

“What?” Sotet trills questioningly.

“Not literally, Sotet,” Adahlia giggles. “It’s a human colloquialism. It means…This will be fun.”

“I can think of many ways to describe the work ahead of us, Adahlia,” Sotet trills softly. “But fun wasn’t really on my list.”

Behind Sotet and Adahlia, Diyrl clears her throat. The two friends turn to stare at Diyrl with puzzled expressions. Diyrl’s snout is covered with dirt and dust—and she waves a muddy talon in the air. Her usual wolfish grin is back on full display.

“Found the water,” Diyrl utters with a loud laugh.