Page 22 of Skalterra By Nightmare
Orla shook her head.
“Galahad knows all the most complex Skalmagick, but not even he could project a Nightmare across the Rift.”
A splintering snap pulled my attention behind us again.
“Did you hear that?” I whispered.
“It was probably just a deer,” Orla whispered back. “You have deer, right?”
“Yes, we have deer.”
“Do you have to feed them too?”
Another crack silenced us both. I swiveled forward, trying to find Galahad’s light on the path ahead, but it had disappeared between the trees a while ago. I hoped Orla knew the way without his help.
“We should split up,” she suggested. “I’ll flank Galahad’s team on the left, and you go to the right.”
“But I don’t have a light.”
“Make one.”
“How? I don’t have any of that magic liquid.” I glanced at the glowing bottles attached at her waist.
Orla’s gentle laugh was a quiet hiss in the night.
“Of course you have Skal. It’s what you’re made of. That’s what makes you so well equipped to fight the Grimguard.”
“What if I don’t want to fight the Grimguard?”
Her laugh was louder this time.
“Then tell Galahad to send you home! But I doubt he’ll oblige.” She stepped closer to me and held out a hand. “Try to concentrate your Skal in your palm. It should burn a bit, but not so much that it hurts.”
I wasn’t sure exactly what she meant by “concentrate my Skal”, but I stared at my hand, trying to imagine energy buzzing there. This was a dream, after all. If it was all in my head, then of course I should be able to will superpowers into existence in the palm of my hand.
I thought I was imagining the gentle tingle at first, but then it grew hotter, until it felt as if I were pressing my hand against a hot lightbulb.
A small silver flame burst in the middle of my curled fingers.
“That’s it! That’s the Skal! See, it’s silver like Galahad’s because your magick comes from him!”
“Okay, great.” I held the fire at arm’s length. My long blue hair might have been fiction, but I still wasn’t keen on the idea of burning it. “Now what?”
“You can hold it like that if all you need is a light. It won’t burn you, or Galahad for that matter, but you could still use it against an enemy. It’ll be more useful as a weapon, though, so try to shape it into something more substantial.”
A weapon. I needed a weapon. I tried to imagine a sword like the one Orla wielded. The Skal flickered and grew heavier in my hand, and the sudden weight surprised me.
“Grab it!” Orla yelped.
I clamped my hand around a warm silver handle. The blade of my sword, however, dropped and elongated in a way I didn’t expect, reminding me of not a sword at all, but rather—
“A flail?” Orla stepped away. “That’s a choice, but alright.”
Chain links made of silver light clicked together. A heavy, spiked ball swung on the end of the chain, and I was once again standing with my arm outstretched as far as I could reach.
“Do I need goggles?” I asked, watching Orla’s green light glint off the rim of her eyewear.
“Your retinas will be rebuilt tomorrow night when Galahad summons you again. We’re stuck with ours, and too much Skal-light exposure at close proximity like this can cause blindness. One night won’t hurt you.”
