contact with the bottom of the barrier. Back of his arms, legs and even his head all bear burns. The hair where he was burned at the back of his head is all but gone, a small red bald spot is visible where the hair once had been.
When the slave within the jar runs out, Brother Willim replaces it back in the pocket within his robe. He and Jiron put James’ shirt back on him before they lay him down. Brother Willim then settles next to James and says, “He’s sleeping.”
Jiron gets up and inspects the barrier. “His barrier is down,” Brother Willim tells him. “It went down shortly after he lapsed into unconsciousness.”
Moving his finger toward the dome that surrounds them he hesitates an inch away from touching it. “Then what is this?” he asks.
“I’m not sure,” Brother Willim replies. “This might sound funny but I think it’s glass.”
“Glass?” asks Jiron incredulously. Placing his finger upon it, he rubs its surface. “It does feel like glass.”
“Not sure if it is though,” Brother Willim tells him. When he sees Jiron remove his knife to poke at it, he says, “I wouldn’t do that.”
Turning back toward Brother Willim, Jiron asks, “Why?”
“We still don’t know if it’s safe outside of here,” he replies. “Though I can’t sense it, I think it would be wise to wait until he wakes up.”
Taking a breath, Jiron says, “The air is getting pretty stale in here.”
“I know,” replies Brother Willim. “But we should wait.”
Trusting to the brother’s judgment, he returns his knife to its scabbard and comes to sit next to him. He then takes out his water bottle and upends it for a long drink while he waits for James to awaken, which from past experiences could be some time.
Crack! Pop!
From outside the dome the sound of heat escaping by breaking through the glass covering the ground comes to them. Not knowing what it is they can only sit and wonder.
Over time the sound of the heat escaping gradually becomes less frequent. Then another sound comes to them, this one sounds like someone walking through eggshells. “Jiron!” Aleya’s voice comes to him from outside the barrier. Then, movement can be seen through the opaque glass that is the dome.
“James!” Miko’s voice hollers as one of the shadows presses its face against the side.
“We’re here!” shouts Jiron.
“He’s alive!” exclaims Aleya in glee.
“Are all three of you alright?” Miko asks.
“Brother Willim and I are,” replies Jiron. “James got burned pretty badly.”
From the other side of the dome, Stig says, “We’ll have you out in a second.” Then a shadow raises its arm, the unmistakable outline of a mace clutched in its hand.
“Stop!” cries Brother Willim and the mace stops before smashing into the dome. “If you smash it, it’s going to shatter and cut us.”
The mace is lowered as Stig’s voice asks, “Then what should we do?”
Everyone is silent for a moment then Shorty says, “We can chip around the base and lift if off of them.”
“Good idea,” agrees Jiron. Taking out one of his knives, he moves to the edge as the shadows on the other side do the same. As they chip carefully at the bottom edge of the dome, holes begin to form on all sides. As they work to elongate the holes and separate the dome from the rest of the glass, fresh air makes its way within. Jiron takes a deep breath and feels much better.
When they have chipped all the way around the bottom, those on the outside space themselves evenly around its outer perimeter. Then Stig says, “On three. We lift it off them and carry it my way.” Once the others have indicated they understand, he says. “Alright, one…two…three.” Then they begin to lift and the dome comes away from the ground.
They raise it until the bottom of the dome is above the heads of those who are within it, then very carefully begin carrying it sideways. Step by step they scoot along the glass covered ground until Jiron and the others are no longer under it. Then they set it down carefully back on the ground.
Aleya rushes forward and takes Jiron in her arms. “I thought I had lost you,” she says as she buries her head in the side of his neck.
Patting her on the back he says, “It’ll take more than this to keep me from you.” Lifting her face up to his, he gives her a kiss.
Brother Willim remains by James. As Miko comes toward him he says, “He’s okay. Just sleeping.”
Miko stops less than a foot away and stares at the burns covering James’ body. Reaching into his pouch, he removes the Star. The glow immediately surrounds him as he kneels next to his friend, then moves to envelope James.
As the others look on, the burns on James’ back gradually heal. The dead skin flakes off and new pink skin takes its place. The patch on the back of his head heals as well, though hair does not regrow right away.
When the glow disappears, James opens his eyes and rolls onto his side. Looking up, he sees everyone staring at him. “What?” he asks.
Miko gives him a smile and says, “Nothing.” Putting the Star away, he helps James to his feet and lends him a shoulder for support. A bit unsteady, he looks around at the landscape. “Wow,” he says.
“You can say that again,” Scar says.
Smash!
Everyone turns at the sound just in time to see the dome smashed into a million pieces by Stig’s mace. He glances toward them with a grin. “I just had to,” he says as the glass shards hit the ground with a tinkle.
“Maybe we should think about getting out of here,” James suggests.
“Yes,” agrees Brother Willim. “That would be a good idea.”
Leaning upon Miko’s shoulder, James nods to the others to lead the way out, though their path through the glass is easily identified by the two foot wide swath of broken glass they made on their way in.
Chapter Eleven
Once back where they left Reilin with the horses, they find Zyrn and the others already in deep discussion about what to do with the glass. In a world like this, it could turn out to be worth quite a bit.
Reilin waves at them from the edge of the glass field as they come into view. He has the horses staked out twenty yards further away where they are merrily grazing on what little there is.
Zyrn and Reilin greet them as they near the edge of the glass. “Thank you,” Zyrn says with great enthusiasm.
James gives him a nod but doesn’t reply, the trek through the glass has left him quite weakened and tired.
“Is he alright?” asks Reilin.
“He will be after he gets some rest,” Jiron assures him. Glancing to his friend, he grins. Ever since they told him about his bald spot, he hasn’t been able to keep himself from rubbing it. When he first touched it he promptly announced, “Guess I’ll have to wear a hat for awhile.”
Miko helps him to move several feet away from the glass where he assists him to the ground. “You rest,” he tells him. “The rest of us will get camp set up.”
“Camp?” replies James. “I don’t think so. Give me a few minutes and we’ll be on our way.”
“But you can barely stand as it is,” Miko argues.
“I know,” James says tiredly. “But after what I just did, any mage in the area will be coming to investigate. In ten minutes I want us ready to ride.”
“What about that?” asks Stig indicating the glass. He understands the value of what lies out there.
Shrugging, James gazes back at him. At Stig’s words, Zyrn’s attention becomes fully focused on him to see what his reply will be. “We have more important things to worry about than that,” he states much to the relief of Zyrn.
