Running at top speed, or close to it, for long distances wasn’t like sprinting in bursts. To date on the mission, there hadn’t been any need for Xerxes to engage in any sustained sessions of running.

Mage uniforms, while specifically designed to be convenient when fighting on the battlefield, were still akin to the robes they wore on formal occasions. Given the speeds that High Seers were capable of, the flapping cloth of loose garments would cause a problem long before they reached top speed. That wasn’t to mention their traveling packs, and the Swordsmaster’s bulky weapons.

As the column of troops wound its way down the mountain, Xerxes and the other High Seers took out straps of leather that they used to bind their sleeves and pants tighter. There was specialized clothing, footgear, and the like that could be used to further optimize movement. But they didn’t have such gear, as the mission specifications hadn’t called for them. Improvised measures would have to suffice.

They started running in the opposite direction as the company. They went down the mountain, and then skirted the destroyed village and headed north. Jad, as a native of Jehannemid, had insisted they take a different route back.

The path through the forest was winding, which made it impossible to reach high speeds.

But soon they were out into the open, and could accelerate.

Xerxes reveled in the feeling of the wind pushing against his face and hair, and the pounding of his blood in his veins.

The roads were empty, which was no surprise considering the Abhorrent. The emptiness was eerie.

They had to stop to rest after the second hour of travel.

Though their training had involved running, and even some long-distance running, none of it had compared to this.

“How much farther?” Kashtiliash asked.

Jad chuckled. “I bet we covered twenty leagues already. So… only a hundred and thirty to go.”

Dasi muttered a curse.

Overhead, the patchy clouds were giving way to blue skies. For some reason, Xerxes felt like it was a good sign. “At least it’s not raining,” he said.

“True,” Jad said. “Roads are clear. I say we try to pick up speed on the next leg.”

“Works for me,” Kashtiliash said.

They rested for a few more minutes, then started running once again.

After another hour, there weren’t any clouds in the sky, and the temperature started to rise. Even when the road turned straight and they pushed their speed toward the limits of what High Seers were capable of, it still felt hot.

The next time they rested, it was in the shadow of some trees not too far from the road.

They ate and drank, then took an hour to relax. Xerxes and Katayoun leaned against each other with their backs to a tree trunk, and he hovered on the brink of sleep.

“Guys,” Dasi said.

Xerxes opened his eyes.

Dasi got to her feet and stepped out from underneath the tree. She was looking up.

“What is it?” Jad asked.

Kashtiliash heaved himself to his feet and stepped over to Dasi’s side. “Shit. A meteor.”

Xerxes leaned away from the tree. “Just one?”

Dasi and Kashtiliash were looking at the sky.

“Two,” Kashtiliash said. A moment passed. “Three.”

“It’s hard to tell for sure because it’s so bright,” Dasi said. “There could be more. Smaller ones that don’t show up in the sunlight.”

Another moment passed.

“A couple of meteors aren’t anything to worry about,” Jad said. “Kind of to be expected, right?”

No one responded.

For a few more minutes, Dasi and Kashtiliash kept their eyes on the sky.

A short time later, they continued on their journey. As the sun crawled across the sky, and the shadows shifted, their speed decreased.

Xerxes spotted another falling star. Then another. They continued to appear every once in a while. They took one more break. This time, the stars were falling constantly. They found a boulder outcropping overlooking the road where they caught their breath and looked at the display overhead.

“They don’t seem to be falling into any specific area,” Katayoun said. “Some go west. Some east.”

“None to the south, though,” Kashtiliash added.

Jad swallowed a mouthful of water. “Still, they’re scattered. Not like that huge storm from before.”

Xerxes tracked a streak of light that looked like it might have touched down only a few leagues to the west of them. “I don’t like the idea that the area between us and the Gateway might fill up with the things.”

“Come on guys,” Jad said. “Focus on the positive, not the negative. As long as we move quickly and carefully, a handful of Abhorrent aren’t going to be a problem.”

“We need to find a really good place to sleep tonight,” Katayoun said. “Don’t forget they can sense us.”

Xerxes definitely hadn’t forgotten that part. Before continuing on the final run before it got dark, they found a place on the map where it seemed safe to hole up, a rocky, mountainous region where caves should exist.

They continued until evening fell.

They didn’t find a cave, but they did find a plateau that could only be reached by a narrow path. There, they pitched tents and slept. They split the night into four two-hour watches, which meant that one of their number could sleep the night through without being woken. Katayoun was selected to be that person. Xerxes took the first watch.

The meteors waned almost the moment he stationed himself at the edge of the plateau, overlooking the road and expanse of empty terrain. He found the lack of meteors heartening.

As he neared the end of his watch, he spotted motion on the road below. It was too far to make out details clearly, but it looked like a group of animals, moving at high speed.

“Abhorrent?” he murmured.

He watched closely, gnawing his lip, expecting the moving figures to slow, then turn in the direction of their camp. They didn’t.