Routes of a Ranger by D. Hale Rambo

Author:D. Hale Rambo [D. Hale Rambo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fiercewood Press
Published: 2024-04-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

The barred window to the food storage room was the starting point on the map for a good reason. The large gaps in between the giant-sized window were big enough for the Brix and the gnome to easily walk through. Skinny swift-stepped from outside to a cleared space she could see within. Balan winced but didn’t complain as they pressed themselves through, bending so they didn’t hit their head on the outer frame.

Deep dark wooden shelves lined the walls, twice the height of Balan’s tall frame. Zizy herself could fit on a bottom shelf standing upright, a fact she immediately demonstrated to the quiet smile of Laysa. Bags of rice and beans stacked in the corner gave the group a place to lean as they took a breath in the confines of the darkened room. The whirling noise of the sandstorm carried into the chamber, echoing from wall to wall.

“We don’t have a lot of time to get to the gallery,” Balan said.

“What makes you say that?” Pace asked, wiping gritty sand from his face.

“The base guards were alerted of a scuffle within a span of five minutes. The top island guards were alerted about a minute later. Whatever system they are using to alert each other is incredibly quick.”

“The sandstorm will let them know we’re on top but not inside. It should take a while to figure out which way we went though,” added Skinny in a hopeful voice.

“Not with the amount of sand we’re leaving around,” Zizy said, shaking her red curls. Sand scattered to the floor and she grimaced. “I’m going to need more than one bath.”

“Toss your cloaks off and spread them on the floor,” Balan said. “Fire giant or no, they’re more a hazard now than before. Now dust yourselves off as best as you can. I’ve still a few tricks up my sleeve.” From a pouch concealed under one wing, Balan pulled out an atomizer bottle. They handed it to Skinny, wincing. “If you’ll do the honors, we can get out of here.”

Skinny hadn’t seen a cleansing jar in some time. They were enchanted with liquid that would wipe away even the oiliest of spills but the ingredients needed were solely in the deserted frost mountains of the northern continent, Tovo. She raised an eyebrow at the likely expensive bottle and then gave a quick spray to everyone’s face and feet.

The liquid landed like a heavy mist on her face, cooling it, and the gritty sand feeling melted away as the mist dried. Spellwork could do quite a few things, but it was the simple things that proved their usefulness above all else.

“That’s wonderful,” breathed Laysa.

“I feel like I can smell again,” Pace said, taking a deep sniff. “Sage.” He smiled.

“Indeed. The wonders of Erto never cease to amaze me,” Balan said before clapping their hands quietly. “Alright, chop-chop. We’ve guards and undoubtedly traps to get through.”

Skinny poured over the door, looking for any of the latter before trying to tug it open.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.