Free Wielder's Rising by T.B. Christensen

gone and much of his weariness had been chased away by the sleep.  He mostly just felt hungry and very thirsty.  He took a sip of water and began munching on nuts and dried fruit.  Beside him, the elderly philosopher continued snoring quietly.  Traven was happy to see how well the philosopher had held up so far.  What he lacked in physical stamina, he had made up for with his enthusiasm for adventure.  Traven decided to let him sleep a little longer before waking him.  It was still too hot to travel.
    He stood up and watered the thirsty horses.  He watched with a grimace as they greedily lapped up the water he offered.  He worried that the water might not even last them to the spring, if the spring even existed.  He shook his head trying to erase the depressing thought from his mind.  He had to believe it existed where the map said.  If not, their journey would be over.  He knew that if the spring wasn’t there, they might not even be able to make it back to the coast alive.  He glanced at the crooked formation rising up out of the desert to the north.  Hopefully they would reach it sometime during the night.
    He didn’t think Studell would wake up for awhile, so he reached into one of his saddlebags and pulled out the golden chest.  He opened it and pulled out the two might stones.  He had been meaning to study them again since he had discovered that he was a wielder.  The stones’ magic no longer seemed as mysterious as they had the first time he had seen them.  He took the two stones and sat back down in the shade of the small shelter.
    He set the orange one down and focused on the green stone.  He turned it over several times in his hands.  The light green might stone was interspersed with veins of yellow that were moving.  He stared at it for awhile, mesmerized by the movement.  It was so strange and different from anything he had ever seen.  He wondered what special powers the stone possessed.
    It didn’t glow like his father’s might stone had, but it did feel like it gave off a small amount of heat.  He closed his hand around it and shut his eyes.  He could feel warmth emanating from it, and it made his hand tingle slightly.  As he continued to hold it and concentrate, he felt a wave of energy wash over him.  His eyes snapped open.  He wasn’t sure what had just happened, but he had immediately felt refreshed and anxious to get moving.  He looked at the stone and smiled.  Perhaps he would have to hand the stone to the philosopher the next time he wanted to rest and see if it had the same effect on him.
    Traven set the green stone down beside him and picked up the other might stone.  It was a deep orange that glowed slightly.  He cupped it in his hands and put his eye up to it.  It didn’t seem to give off any heat, but it definitely gave off light.  He pulled it away from his eye and turned it over several times in his hands.  He then closed his eyes and focused on it like he had the other.  He didn’t notice anything different and reopened his eyes.  He had no idea what powers the stone might possess.
    He picked the other one back up and got to his feet.  He put them both back in the golden chest and returned the elaborate box to his saddlebag.  Maybe when he learned more of how to use the ambience he would be able to study them better and figure out what they were for.
    Traven walked back to the small shelter and gently shook the philosopher awake.  Studell blinked and swiveled his head from side to side, looking disoriented.  After a moment his eyes lit up and a grin graced his face as he remembered where he was.
    “Is it time to continue on?” he asked.  “How long before we reach the Keeper’s Staff?  Let’s get moving.”
    “You probably want to eat something first,” Traven said with a smile.  “If we start heading for the formation right after you finish eating, I think we should reach it sometime in the middle of the night.”
    Studell ate a quick