Sands of Time
Munn scanned the horizon. This place wasn’t to his liking, not one bit. White sand covered the ground, a desert of sorts. The brutal yellow light from the sun blinded and made him sweat. He sat on the ground, running granules through his fingers, trying to think. The required magic remained hidden to him.
Without the correct chant, he’d never be free of this horrible place. He didn’t deserve such a punishment. He forced himself to his feet and walked for what seemed like miles. The spread of the plain was endless, as far as his vision allowed.
Overcome with heat and thirst, he kicked at the sand. Damn Caitrina.
Damn faerie. She meant to cause terrible trouble or she wouldn’t have flung him into the Sands of Time. Ach! What was he to do?
Hard consonants formed in his mind and he spat the related sounds from his lips. He conjured an oasis. A beautiful lush island sprang from the ocean of hot sand. In the center of the oasis, he fashioned a small pool shaded by tall tropical foliage with beautiful white flowers—a stunning flora display.
Sitting at the edge of the pool on a flat rock, he brought handfuls of pure water to his lips and drank deep. Water quenched his thirst and the fruit from a twirling vine satisfied his hunger.
Not enough. He needed to return to the earth realm.
He chanted, searching for the correct sounds and images to craft the magic required to set him free. His efforts were for naught. No matter how hard he tried, the proper sequence wouldn’t come to him. He glared into the mirror-like water.
Caitrina would pay for her betrayal.
Munn continued stringing syllables together in a sing-song chant. He’d keep trying until claimed by exhaustion. He must get back to the castle to warn the MacLachlan, to warn his master about Caitrina, to warn him about her powerful fae magic.