Page 28 of Wizards & Weavers
Pulling the gauze tight, Braiden gave him an irritated look.
“I don’t have to lie about anything. Frankly, I didn’t even realize I could do all that. I panicked, and it just — happened. I’ve never made something that big or that thick before.”
Except hehadseen the very thing happen once in his childhood. It was the autumn festival, evening falling fast, and for whatever reason, he had refused to put on a sweater. He found them too scratchy and stifling. Instead of scolding him, Granny Bethilda had simply conjured a blanket with the same sweeping gestures.
That was how he even knew how to do it — Card No. 3 at a grander scale — because his grandmother had shown him so long ago. Braiden smiled at the remembrance even as he finished bandaging Augustin’s leg.
“It’s not much,” he admitted, “and the material won’t last forever, but it’ll help for now.”
Augustin groaned as he rose to his feet, testing his weight. “I’ll be fine. The wound looks nastier than it feels. The icicle didn’t pierce very deep. We can think about treating it later. For now, you have my thanks, friend weaver.”
Braiden shrugged. “I’m just helping where I can.”
But he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. A nervous part of him had worried he’d be useless in a dungeon, but he’d just saved them from death by icicle and tended to a wound. Maybe this wouldn’t be as disastrous as he’d thought.
“I see that grin,” Augustin said. “Proud of yourself? Or just delighted to have personally aided the great Wizard of Weathervale?”
Braiden rolled his eyes. “You need to get over yourself.”
“And we need to get moving,” Elyssandra said, smirking knowingly between them. “But only if you’re ready.”
“I’m fine,” Augustin said. “Your concern is touching.”
Then, flashing a radiant smile, he unfurled his cloak behind him in a grand flourish, looking every bit a hero of legend.
Braiden gritted his teeth.
Chapter
Eleven
The air grew colder asthey plunged onward, descending in earnest. Perhaps they would find bigger, stronger creatures down here. Despite his small victory, Braiden still wasn’t very confident about his chances against a full-sized elemental.
But he would happily sift through their remains for loot either way. The first elemental had yielded nothing of value. Even the pale blue sliver in the center of the creature’s forehead was only a piece of ice, fully melting away upon the creature’s demise.
The next two elementals they encountered were of similar stature. Their heads were shaped differently — the second with a craggier cranium, the third with a head that resembled a crude pyramid — but both followed the same attack pattern as the first, unleashing icicles from their strange mouths.
“Whatever happened to throwing stones?” Braiden muttered, nudging the remnants of the third elemental with his foot. “This is so much worse.”
“This is better than the alternative,” Augustin said. “These are lesser elementals, the least of their kind. They only get bigger, and they’ll continue to grow stronger as we descend.”
Elyssandra picked through the rubble, tossing bits of rock over her shoulder.
“Nothing here, either,” she said, shrugging in Braiden’s direction.
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure what you mean, exactly.”
She gave him a knowing smile. “I saw you examining the debris from the other two, like a scavenger picking at a carcass. I don’t know what you’re looking for, but it’s not here.”
Augustin chuckled. “Precious gemstones, perhaps? It’s good to be vigilant. These things were formed in the bowels of the earth. Some might be carrying jewels or valuable chunks of ore, among other things. I’m surprised we haven’t found even fossils or bones embedded in their bodies.”
Braiden kicked at the rubble. “Fossils and bones would at least be interesting. Knowing my luck, I’ll find a handful of wriggling earthworms.”
“But we have been very lucky so far,” Augustin said, raising a finger like he was about to deliver a lecture. “Don’t you see? The nature of these creatures tells us more about the dungeon itself. So far, all three have been combinations of ice and stone — earth and water.”
“So you mean to say that encountering a creature made of both fire and rock would be worse, somehow?” Braiden blinked at the wizard, trying to connect the dots. “That it implies even more danger in a dungeon?”
“Oh, most definitely. That would mean we’ve plumbed deep enough to find the molten veins of the earth. Worse still is when you run into one of the pure elementals. We appreciate the shields you’ve woven so far, but imagine how much good fabric would be against a greater elemental made entirely of flame.”
