Getting a shaeram was a very simple affair. Reaching within, Tarrin came into contact with his own Druidic ability, and formed the image of it in his mind. Then he simply willed it to appear. And it did. A shaeram appeared in his paw, one made of quartz crystal, with a sturdy silver chain. Quartz? He wasn't thinking of quartz when he formed the image. Maybe the Goddess was tampering a bit there? It was quite lovely, he had to admit, catching the light and giving off rainbow sparkles and scillinting flashes of light. He wasn't sure how she was going to use it to talk to him, but again, he had the feeling that the Goddess was going to take care of that. He knew that, when necessary, the Goddess could weave her own spells. He had seen them, in his amulet, so he knew that she could do it. He had little doubt that she'd weave whatever spells she thought necessary into the amulet… but probably when he wasn't looking. No doubt he'd see what she'd do, and try to do it hismelf. Considering the vast differences between their abilities, that would probably be a very bad idea on his part.
At least one part he did understand. She had a shaeram, and he knew her name. That meant that he could use his amulet to talk to her any time he wished. It didn't require any talent in Sorcery to be the receiver of one of those spells. All they needed was the shaeram.
"Here," he said gruffly, holding out the shaeram. "Take this."
"It's lovely," she said, holding it up and admiring it. "It's like yours, isn't it? Well, not exactly."
He nodded. "It's the holy symbol of my goddess," he told her. "It also has some extra abilities. If you need me-and only if you really need me-you can use this to talk to me. No matter where I am."
"Really? Magic again?"
He nodded. "But don't play with it," he warned in a strong voice. He decided that a bit of artful deception was required here, and Shiika's own little device gave him a good idea. "It will only work once, and then I'll have to recharge it. So make sure you don't use it unless absolutely necessary."
"Really? Alright, then. I'll only use it if it's really important. I hope Shaevan won't mind that I'm wearing the symbol of another god," she said worryingly as she slid the chain over her head and settled the amulet in place.
"It's the only way," Tarrin told her. "It won't work unless it's a shaeram."
"That's what it's called, isn't it?" He nodded, then she chuckled ruefully. "You just keep helping," she smiled. "I'm going to be in such a big hole of debt to you that I'll never get out of it."
"No matter," Tarrin shrugged. "I doubt we'll ever see each other again."
"We will," she promised. "And maybe next time, you won't be coming to my rescue. I owe you a big debt, Tarrin. I'll find some way to repay you for everything you've done for me. For me, and for my people."
"It's no matter to me, Ariana," he told her calmly.
"Well, it is to me," she said stubbornly. "I have to go, or I'll miss the afternoon thermals and have to claw my way all the way up to the city."
"Hold on," Sarraya called. "Can't let you be sleeping in an alley, in case you can't get in to see the king tonight." She flitted up and held out her hands, and he felt her use her Druidic magic. The basket around her waist suddenly dipped slightly as something appeared within it. Ariana opened the flap and looked inside, and her eyes went wide and wild as she drove her hand inside and pulled something out.
Gems!
Sarraya had literally filled the basket with all sorts of gems! Diamonds, emeralds, rubies, topaz, onyx, many kinds of jewels. Some were no larger than grains of sand, but a few of them were as big as a child's fist. There was an absolute fortune in that basket!
"Shaervan's feathers!" Ariana gasped, staring in disbelief at the handful of gems in her hand. "This is a king's ransom!"
"It very well may be," Sarraya said seriously. "Those Ruling Council bullies may not go out without a fight. This way, someone has the money to fight them on even ground."
Ariana looked at both of them, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I can never repay this," she said chokingly.
"It's nothing but a bunch of little rocks," Sarraya shrugged with a twinkle in her tiny eyes. "No bother."
Ariana looked at her, then laughed. "I really have to go, before I'm flying up there on the back of a dragon," she said with a mischievious grin.
"Hold on, let me seal that up so nothing spills," Sarraya said, touching the basket with a finger. "There. The top is lined with soft wax. Nothing's going to spill out, and all you have to do is give it a good tug to open it."
"I can't ever thank you enough for everything you've done for me," she said with a beautifully grateful look. Tarrin forgot how pretty Ariana was until that moment.
"You can thank us by getting home and putting everything right," Tarrin told her gruffly. "Now go."
"I'll see you again, I promise," she said, stepping boldly up to him. She reached up and put her hand on the back of his neck, and it startled him enough to where he didn't resist when she pulled him down. She kissed him on the cheek, then stepped back, gave them one more look, then turned and vaulted into the air.
Tarrin and Sarraya watched her go, Sarraya sitting on his shoulder, for a few moments. "What was with the amulet?"
"Orders, from someone that I'm not about to argue with," he replied. "Where did you get those gems? Someone's going to be very angry."
"I don't steal money from people, Tarrin," she chided. "I created those."
"I never thought of using it that way before."
"You're not greedy," Sarraya chuckled. "Maybe now you understand why there's such intensive training for Druids. It protects the global economy."
"I guess so."
"So," Sarraya said with a lilting little chuckle. "Where to now?"
"The same as before," he replied, turning and looking away from Ariana, towards the northwest. "That way."
"It's going to be boring without Var and Denai. You're not much of a conversationalist, and you can't say anything I haven't heard before."
"Live with it," he said bluntly, starting to walk just left of the waning sun.
"I've heard that before," she teased in an accusing tone.
"Try shut up or die."
"Heard that too. Really, Tarrin, you have to work harder if you're going to keep me entertained."
With his tail, he swatted the Faerie off his shoulder. He didn't hit her hard enough to hurt her, but it definitely startled her. So badly that she almost didn't get her wings going before hitting the ground. She began to splutter and stammer after him, obviously at a loss for words.
"Now you're entertained," he told her as he picked up into a loping run. Leaving the Cloud Spire and the city hidden atop it behind, letting them pass on into his memory. He had done and seen many things there, but now the path ahead beckoned, as did the promised reckoning with the treacherous Doomwalker, Jegojah. That was all that could find its way into his mind now.
The days blurred together after that, day after day of endless sameness. It was a quiet time of reflection, a time to practice with newly regained powers, a time to prepare for what he knew was coming.
They travelled northwest over desert terrain that grew steadily more hilly, and the vegetation that had occupied swaths of favorable ground became more common. In some places, the floor of the desert was as green as a manor's lawn, overrun with those tough, wiry bushes that were the fare of the plant-eating desert denizens. The going was relatively smooth, however, for Tarrin was tall enough to treat the bushes as little more than high grass, and his pads and fur were tough enough to resist the little thorns that armored those stringy plants. He moved in a virtual straight line over that terrain, rarely detouring from his northwest course, stopping only for a respite during the hottest part of the day, for the night and the hidden dangers it possessed, and to eat, rest, and practice.