A strong shock wave of magic energy knocked Zann upward.
He felt himself bump against the stalactite and slam against the cave's ceiling.
"Ow!" He grunted.
He twisted around and hugged the stalactite.
His hand found a deep crack to hold onto, and he settled his feet on a small bump near the bottom of the stalactite.
Feeling secure, he sighed with relief. Then he untied the rope.
"Careful, boy!" Wyssa called up to him.
Zann lowered the rope to Wyssa.
She grabbed it, gave it a tug, and yelled, "I'm ready!"
The nomads yanked the rope, and Wyssa was lifted off the boulder.
She swung over the cave hissers, kicking furiously as claws snapped at her feet.
Up and up she went until she reached the top.
Two nomads pulled her to safety.
Next a nomad threw the rope back to Zann.
He caught it with one hand while still gripping the stalactite with the other.
Zann breathed deeply.
He let go of the stalactite and quickly grasped the rope with both hands.
Immediately he swung downward.
He used his feet to brace himself as he slammed into the wall.
"Oof!" he cried. Soon he felt himself being raised up and out of the pit.
"Wow!" Perda exclaimed as a nomad helped Zann onto the ledge.
"I can't believe that worked."
"Your bravery is inspiring, young man," the nomad said.
"Yes, well . . ." Wyssa brushed off her clothes and shot Zann a grumpy look.
"I suppose you did save my hide, boy.
It's about time you repaid me for all the times I've saved yours."
"You're welcome." Zann grinned.
But then his grin faded. "What happened to Gliss?"
Wyssa glanced around. "I assumed she was with you."
"The others are still searching," a nomad said. "We should join them."
"I can help." Wyssa pulled a handful of purple berries from her pocket.
"Are those oogberries?" Zann asked.
Wyssa didn't answer.
She crushed the berries and then rubbed them onto her fingers.
"This way," she said, exiting the cave.
"What are you doing?" one of the nomads asked.
"Is that magic from another world?"
"Yes. It senses magical sources."
Wyssa headed toward one of the hoof beasts.
"Someone help me mount this creature, and I'll lead the way."
Soon they were all riding across the desert.
Wyssa was in the lead, occasionally changing direction slightly.
"Are you sure you're following the right energy?" a nomad asked.
He sounded nervous.
When Zann looked around, all the nomads looked rather grim.
"What's the matter?" Perda asked.
The nomads exchanged a look.
"We're heading toward the Seeing Stone," one said.
"That's where Morb was last seen."
Zann looked at Wyssa.
"Do you think your spell is leading us toward Morb instead of Gliss?"
"It's possible," Wyssa said.
"But we need to be sure. Unless you wish to abandon your friend out of fear?"
"Of course not," Zann said.
One nomad soon called for a halt.
"We're definitely nearing the Seeing Stone," he whispered.
"We should proceed with caution."
Everyone dismounted the hoof beasts and tiptoed past some outcropping.
Zann spotted the Seeing Stone immediately.
It was a huge stone plateau with gently slopping sides and a flat, wide top.
No wonder the nomads used it to view long distances.
But he wasn't really thinking about that.
He was focused on the ugly contraption standing in the middle.
"Look!" Perda whispered. "It's one of Morb's contraptions!"
Zann nodded.
The contraption was an awkward jumble of bones, stones, and other things Zann couldn't recognize from this distance.
It was smaller than some of the villain's previous contraptions, but it looked just as evil.
"I don't see the girl," Wyssa murmured.
"The spell locked onto the magic energy coming from Morb's contraption."
"So how will we find Gliss?" Darb said.
"We'll have to move away from here and try again," Perda said.
"Maybe once we're away from that thing—"
"We're not going anywhere yet," Wyssa said.
"We must destroy it before Morb returns to finish it."
"How can you tell it's not finished yet?" Zann glanced at the contraption again.
"Is it because it's smaller than the other ones?"
"That, and other reasons." Wyssa stepped forward.
"Come with me. We're going to need a lot of friction."
"But what about Gliss?" Darb said.
"We'll continue looking for Gliss soon," Wyssa said.
"First we must stop Morb."
"But—," Perda began. Wyssa was already walking away.
Zann and his friends traded a glance.
"I don't think we have a choice right now," Zann said.
They all hurried after Wyssa.
Zann, Perda, and the nomads rubbed their hands together to create magic friction.
Finally Zann felt their energy sparking and buzzing around them.
Meanwhile Wyssa had climbed atop the plateau.
"Send it to me!" she called, rubbing her hands together.
They sent all the energy up toward her.
She held out her arms, and when the energy reached her, it burst into an enormous fireball.
"Wow," Perda said.
Wyssa lifted the fireball and turned toward the contraption.
Zann held his breath.
But then the old woman glanced down.
Giant beetles were swarming toward her.
"Darb, what are those things?" Zann asked.
"I don't recognize them," Darb said.
"They don't look very aggressive though."
The beetles marched in tidy lines, clicking their antennae in time to their steps.
Zann glanced at Wyssa, who was still gaping at the beetles.
The fireball was beginning to fizzle out.
"Quick!" Zann cried. "We have to send more energy up to Wyssa!"
He and the others furiously rubbed their hands together again.
But before they could get enough energy sparking, the fireball had disappeared.
A second later Wyssa snapped her fingers and zapped out of sight.