The Fire Beneath Azura (The Buried Gods Saga Book 1) by John Griffin

Author:John Griffin [Griffin, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Griffin Press
Published: 2024-05-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter sixteen

The Storm

Nadim upended the waterskin he had been trying to ration throughout the day, draining its contents until nothing was left. The heat was not new to him; Sanctuary was hot almost every day. Nevertheless, on the deep water, the heat seemed to be intensified ten times over. Other than the shade from the sail, there was no shelter upon the deep water, making it difficult to escape the sun. The constant exposure had reddened Nadim’s skin, and it felt like it was on fire. The only respite came in the moments when he decided to jump into the deep water to cool off. He could not spend too much time in the water, however, as the large waves brought an exhaustion he was not accustomed to facing along the calmer beaches of Sanctuary.

Prior to that morning, Nadim had had no trouble taking the water in small amounts. In fact, at the end of the first four days, he had a small amount left over that he was able to save. Days five and six were not as successful, as his thirst became more intense, but he was still able to refrain from finishing the skin before the end of the day. From the moment he had woken that morning, though, Nadim had to fight through an insatiable thirst that made his entire body feel weak. His joints ached and his muscles strained under his weight, as if he had not walked in a moon’s turn. He could not help but wonder if another waterskin would help, but he and Tavi only had four skins left, and they had no idea when—or even if—they would ever see land again.

Eight days had come and gone since Nadim and Tavi departed Sanctuary, leaving the comfort of their home. Even though Nadim had spent many years dreaming of what lay beyond the blessing, now that he was past its border, he longed for his return more than ever. Nothing could have prepared him for the sorrow he faced watching everything he had ever known and loved suddenly vanish, as if it had never existed. Despair washed over him every time he thought about his people, his teacher, the temple, and most of all Zahrah. All were gone, swallowed by the deep water, and he had no idea how he would ever find them again.

“Do you think we’ll ever see land again?” Tavi asked from the other side of the vessel. He was sitting with his back against the inside of the hull, his legs stretched straight out in front of him. “Or do you think Eidon will leave us out here forever?”

“We will see land soon,” Nadim replied with false confidence. In reality, he was wondering the same thing himself.

“We only have four waterskins left.” Tavi looked every bit as fatigued as Nadim felt. “That only gives us two more days.”

More time to test our faith. If I didn’t know any better, I would say Eidon has forgotten us.

“Eidon has blessed us with more time to pray,” Nadim said, giving a weak smile.

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