Will wanted badly to see what it would be like to enter one of those portals, or pockets as Bet and Ezra called them, but he decided that it’d be best if he waited. Ezra was right. They didn’t know anything about it and couldn’t help Will with any issues he might come across. Also, they’d just used nearly ten Binders.

“I’m just gonna wait for now,” Will said. He dropped the last two pieces of Binder back into the bottle and began to cap the lid. Swoop let out a stiff and irritated cackle. “It’s okay, you’ll get to have them soon.”

The lid was sealed, but Will paused a moment.

“Should you guys have a few pieces? Just in case, I mean. The Mender said that this would be dangerous, and if it is, you may want to use Tenebrim and Pexel’s feeding abilities.”

Ezra and Bet gave each other a quick glance.

“They’re yours,” Ezra said, “but I think that’s a good idea.”

Will nodded and uncapped his bottle. They divided two for both Bet and Ezra, giving them each eight pieces to use in case of emergency. They stored them in two small tins that were likely for that very purpose. Then they snapped the lids tightly closed and placed them in their pockets.

“I think it’s time we get moving,” Ezra said. “Let’s try and get down into the canyon before we stop to rest. It really isn’t that far. Once we’re there, we can decide whether or not to enter the cave.”

The three of them set into a steady pace. They didn’t talk much, and Will’s mind began to wander about this mysterious teacher. It seemed so many of the Darkhands weren’t the nicest of fellows. Was that even true, or did Bet and Ezra just have a jaded view because of what had happened to their family?

He wasn’t bad. He felt sure of that.

What kind of training would he have to undergo? Would he fully understand how to use the pockets? How long would all of this take, and most importantly, once he’d learned whatever from the teacher, how would he finally get home?

Occasionally, as they walked, Swoop would burst into several duplicates of herself. She seemed to be experimenting with the new ability. It was really pretty impressive, and though Will wasn’t really sure, it seemed like the shadows—that’s what Will decided to call them—were staying around longer and longer.

They’d been traveling down hill for quite awhile, and after an hour or so, the ground evened out and began to break and crackle in gashes beneath their feel. The plants began to disappear, and on either side of them, a tall cliff-side began to rise. The further they went, the more nervous Will began to feel. He could tell he wasn’t the only one.

Bet left Pexel out of her backpack, and Tenebrim shifted his triangular head back and forth to scrutinize the tall walls. Ezra was the most concerning though. He kept casting long looks behind them, sometimes toward the clifftop and at others directly to where they’d been. He squinted his eyes and crunched his eyebrows in thought. After the fourth or fifth time he did it, Will couldn’t help himself.

“What are you looking at?” he said.

“Listen, I’m not sure, so maybe I’m just paranoid, but I think we’re being followed.”

“Murden?” Bet nearly whispered.

“I don’t know. But it’s not like there’s anything we can do about it. Our only real way is forward.” He paused for a moment and rubbed at his nose. “This is about where we should stop and rest, but I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”

Should the three of them stop and rest or keep moving?

Keep moving

Stop and rest

This Poll is Closed