Jala De’kali's Arc

Chapter 5 of 6

Jala knelt beside the Petrified Allfather Tree and traced a circle in the sand with her finger. She spoke the words from the scroll and pushed her hands forward. The sand rose in a smooth wall as tall as her waist. It held steady while she counted to twenty. Then she released it and tried again. This time the wall grew higher, reaching past her shoulders. She counted to thirty before it wobbled. She tried a third time and the sand held for forty counts. Her arms trembled but the shield stayed strong. When she finally let it fall, she laughed out loud. Three weeks ago she could barely lift the sand at all. Now she could build walls that would actually protect someone. She pulled out her knife and a block of wood she had found near one of the bunkers. Her hands needed a break from the magic, but she wanted to mark this progress somehow. She carved slowly, cutting away thin strips until a small wolf shape appeared. The desert wolves never got lost in storms. They knew every safe path and hidden shelter. She worked the details into the wood—pointed ears, a strong stance, eyes that seemed to watch the horizon. When she finished, she set the carved wolf at the base of the Petrified Allfather Tree. It would remind her of how far she had come. One day travelers would find safety behind her shields, just like the wolves always found their way home. She touched the wooden figure once more, then picked up the scroll to practice again. The afternoon wind picked up and rushed through the sagebrush near her practice area. Something glinted in the low branches. Jala walked over and found a worn leather pouch caught on the twigs. She pulled it free and looked inside. Gold coins filled it to the brim, old ones with markings she didn't recognize. Her breath caught. This had to be payment left by travelers who passed through years ago, maybe even decades. The ancient protectors must have received offerings like this when they kept people safe. She tied the pouch to her belt and returned to the tree. The wooden wolf sat waiting in the sand. The coins proved that her goal mattered to real people. They had paid for protection because storms could kill. She opened the scroll again and started the next breathing pattern. Her shields would get stronger. Her magic would grow until no storm could break through. The scroll showed a new technique that required complete focus. Jala walked away from the tree until she found a stretch of sand bordered by flowering cacti. She cleared a path through the center, smoothing the sand with her feet. The scroll said the old masters would walk while holding their magic steady. She started at one end and lifted a small shield of sand. Then she took a step forward, keeping the shield level with her chest. It wobbled but held. She took another step. The sand stayed up. By the time she reached the other end, she had walked thirty paces without dropping her protection. She turned and walked back, this time holding the shield for forty paces. Her arms burned and sweat ran down her face, but the magic answered when she called it. She sat down in the smooth sand path and looked back at the Petrified Allfather Tree. The carved wolf stood guard at its base. The pouch of coins hung at her side. Today she had built higher walls and walked farther than ever before. The ancient masters had started somewhere too. She was becoming the protector she needed to be.