Chapter 5. Speed of Light
Today we encountered the first element. It was lucky we were not killed. Or drowned, I should say. The Lorkon had placed a magical waterfall to completely bar passage from the castle and neighboring city to anything beyond. The water was totally invisible and difficult to feel. Perhaps it would be more correct to say that it was mostly invisible. When riding up to it, it appeared as a great wall of air, shimmering in the hot sun.
One of our men entered first, and he and his horse started to drown before our eyes. It took several seconds for us to realize what was happening. They were standing as if in plain air, and yet could not breathe. We acted as quickly as we could and pulled them out, barely in time.
It took us at least an hour to discover the true size of the waterfall. It rose miles upon miles into the air—Arien’s Minya was unable to reach the top—and it was at least four hundred feet thick, most likely more. We couldn’t measure. We knew the Lorkon must have created a means of escape, as they’d returned to attack Aldo and Ezra, so we searched for a way through. By trailing my hand in the water as I walked alongside it, I found a tunnel of air that led us and our animals to safety.
Once we reached the other side, we were surprised to find that Arien’s Minya was unable to go back through the tunnel, even though she now knew where the entrance was. Her magic will no longer allow her to find it. What is this the Lorkon have done, and how will we communicate with the king and queen?