A "Fallen" Angel's Quest to the Coast, Act II

Awakening to the light shining right in his eyes, Maglor squinted and grumbled, getting up and mumbling again. He reached for the doorknob, rubbing his eyes and coming down to the tavern to recover from that flash of light. He sat down at a table, waiting for both Trinity and the boy to come. When they did, Maglor greeted them with a cold shoulder. Trinity ignored this and ordered food for both the elf, her and the boy. What she ordered Maglor was another Rat tail. Maglor was not pleased. After the meal and another healing spell, Maglor sulked behind while Trinity noticed the problem of going to Sentinel by foot. She decided to hire a carriage. "Another 50G out of my pocket..." Thought Maglor as he crawled in the carriage. Then Trinity entered, her wings literally taking up every pocket of air. The carriage moved. Trinity's wings literally dropped heat upon the child and Maglor, who was sweating like a pig. Trying to resist complaining, he thought of the blade. His thoughts were interrupted when bandits attacked once the carriage entered Sentinel. The driver was struck with arrows and the carriage toppled, dropping its occupants out. As the bandits scoffed, telling them to hand over the angel and their good, Maglor lost any shred of patience he had. He lashed out, lighting one bandit on fire. As the others tried to kill Maglor, he used his lightning magic to push back anyone who dared to raise his ax on Maglor. After the flaming bandit died, Maglor turned his rage on the others. Trinity entered the fight, piercing anyone who got close to her or the boy. One bandit decided to flee, unable to fight. Maglor would not let any survive. He threw an icicle at the bandit's leg, crippling him to a crawl. Maglor walked menacingly to the bandit, who was wailing and teary-eyed. Before he could even cry for mercy, the elf pulled the icicle out and began to stab the bandit, again and again and again and again until the bandit's breathing stopped. Maglor broke the icicle and screamed...

"THIS IS THE WORST TRIP EVER!!" Maglor kicked sand everywhere in an infantile fury. "First I had to endure an angel sweatbath, and now we have to walk through this forsaken desert?! I should have refused to go with the angel in the first place!!" He continued to swear and kick sand around.

"I don't see what your problem is," Trinity remarked, standing there patiently. Her dark green cloak rustled a bit in the dry desert breeze. So much sand, she thought as a blast of sandy air hit her face. The angel sputtered a little and shielded her eyes, but the taste of sand was somewhat appealing to her. "Mmmm.... warm sand...." Trinity sighed blissfully, falling backwards into a mound as tall as the little boy beside her. She rolled onto her stomach and ripped the green cloak away from her body. "Ahhhhh....... sooo warm," she giggled, blushing a little as she allowed sand to spill all over her clothing and bare legs.

Maglor still continued his infantile kicking, literally digging himself a hole. When he realized he was wasist-high in sand, he crawled out, calm, but still angry. "Bandits killing our convinient ride to Sentinel and-" Maglor let out more angrish. The boy said nothing, just walking to the bandits and rummaging through their pockets.

"Hey, come over here and lay in the sand!" Trinity exclaimed, rolling onto her back with her wings extended. "The sand is great! I think I could go for a sand bath right now~"
Hmmm.... Arani is not acting up, so we must not be in the desert of Avalon.....
"Say, where are we right now?" Trinity shouted to the grumbling elf. When he did not respond to her question, she sat upright and threw a stream of sand particles at him until he whipped around to face her.

Maglor brushed the sand away and looked around. "We look like we are almost near Sentinel. I can hear the ocean, so we are near the coast. If we follow the coastline, we can get to Sentinel in no time. I hope..." Maglor said as he wondered about their predicament. The boy finished looting the bandits and the former driver, his pockets jingling with coins and medicine and food.

"I guess that's nice and all...." Trinity remarked, scowling at him with shifty eyes, "But I don't believe you about hearing the ocean.... I don't hear it at all. And if we were that near to the ocean, Arani here would be having some issues." The angel flopped onto her back again. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to pleasure myself with this warm sand." She took a handful of sand and let it slip through her fingers onto her stomach. "It's been a long time since I've been able to sit in the sand like this."

Maglor scowled even more at Trinity. "I trust my ears. We might be at the very least, a thousand steps from the coast. I just know it." He looked away. "If you are so certain, why don't you point the way?"
The boy sat with Trinity, covering himself with the sand.

"Sure thing," Trinity stood up and brushed some of the sand off of her long white skirt. "ARANI!" she shouted, throwing the spear wildly into the air. The spear twirled a bit before striking a mound of sand spear tip first. Trinity waded over to the spear and put her hand out. "Arani is slightly inclined toward the west. We head west." She turned away from Maglor, giving him a snooty tip of her right wing, which brushed against his nose as she passed him. Looking over her shoulder, she said, "I trust the earth," as she started walking off. She realized she didn't have her cloak, but that didn't stop her from walking. The boy will pick it up for me, she thought confidently to herself.

Maglor was pissed. He almost threw another fireball at Trinity, but refrained at the last moment. He followed her, casting an ice spell to circle around his head so that he kept cool. "I swear, that angel knows no respect. How does her master even put up with her?" He grumbled as he walked.
The boy stood up and followed the two, until he realized he forgot the cloak. He rushed back to pick it up and follow them.

Trinity stopped walking for a moment. A strong gust of wind pushed her long brown braid of hair over her shoulder. Hmmm.... westward breeze.... She thought, tossing the braid back over her shoulder. Turning around a second time, Trinity said, "Westward breeze. Any trapped moisture in the warmer air is deposited from the land into the colder ocean by the seaward breezes. Since Avalon is a coastal desert all wind would be heading toward the ocean. See? I told you, elf. Better revisit your geography." She reached her left hand out and called for the boy to hold onto her hand so that he wouldn't get separated from her.

Maglor scowled. "Avalon isn't a costal desert. It is literally the barrier between Inner Sentinel and the other countries. If the breeze is felt here, then we there should be an ocean nearby. Besides, no one, whether human or elf or angel, would pass through the center of the desert directly to Bandar. The sandstorms would rip them apart. Then again, bandits swam the coastal area for land trade caravans. And what attacked us? Certainly not welcoming locals giving us wine and cheese. Your geography is impressive, but you lack intelligence in trade and sociology."
The boy looked at Trinity. "Why won't the tall man shut up?"

"You don't know anything! Avalon IS a coastal desert! My master even told me!" the angel shrieked at Maglor. "Maybe there is more to it than just the coastline, but I know there is desert along the coast! The definition of a desert is an area that lacks moisture, idiot! Why, parts of Kresnik could be considered deserts because all of the moisture is locked away in ice!" She slammed her spearbutt against the ground, sending a spray of needle-like points in all directions. She then calmed down a moment to answer the boy's question. "It's because he doesn't know what shut up means, sweetie," she said in a kind voice as she patted the boy on the head. She then looked back up and continued yelling at Maglor. Even though the elf had moved to the other side, Trinity still looked to her left when she was yelling at him because that had been where he was the last time he had talked.

Maglor raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? I said that there is desert along the coast-." Maglor rolled his eyes and silenced himself. "You know what, this isn't getting us anywhere. Just take us to the destination and I'll be happy with that." Maglor sighed, looking more tired than happy.
"He's mean..." The boy hugged Trinity.

"Hmph......" Trinity crossed her arms the best she could while holding her spear. "And this is why I don't even stop to wonder where your mate is.... It's obvious you don't have one...." She turned away from the elf muttering, "I wish my master could have gone with me.... He's much more pleasant to be around than you are...."

"And why would you even care for 'my mate?' I don't have time for trivial things like that. And what about you? I could hardly believe you have 'a mate' now do you?" Maglor derisively said, letting his rage get to him. "Ugh, this argument is doing nothing but draining our energy. We have to stop or we'll just be lost in the desert."

Trinity ignored everything Maglor had said after 'I could hardly believe you have a mate.'

"What!?" She exclaimed, stopping and whipping around with her wings fanned out at full-span so that each individual black wisp stood on end in sheer indignation. "So what if I don't have a mate!" she exclaimed shaking her head back and forth in displeasure, blushing madly. "My master is the only person I need. He is my friend!--My happiness, and my voice! No mate could ever compare to Master! Therefore, I do not require a mate!" She fell silent for a moment, taking deep breaths. She looked like she was going to stab Maglor, but a light tug on her skirt from the little boy calmed her down. ...Oh, right, I better not scare the child, she thought to herself, resting her wings in a less alarmed position. She took the cape from the boy and wrapped it around her spear, and then remained silent for a good five minutes before uttering, "Master...."

"What's with her? I merely said that I disbelieve that she would have a mate." Maglor thought to himself as he still walked. He wanted to ask more, but he decided it was wiser to drop the conversation. He decided to keep to himself until they got to Bandar.
The boy clung to Trinity, wanting her to be not angry anymore.

Trinity heard an almost inaudible noise that sounded like sifting sand, or perhaps she felt a subtle change in the ground and tied it to what she thought she had heard. The angel was the one to finally break the silence. "We should walk a little faster...." she remarked hurriedly as if she were nervous about something. She even scooped up the child in her one arm and pushed herself 5 feet off the ground where she then remained, gliding in the breeze with her wings. She said nothing else after that.

Maglor rolled his eyes, walking faster to accommodate for Trinity's speed. "Must be a sandstorm nearby..." When the sand started to fly around, Maglor pulled up his hood to avoid being buffeted by the sand.

Trinity dropped gently to the ground. Are we still being followed? Her feet briefly tapped the ground before she launched herself up into the air again. Not that I can tell.... It seems like we're--
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! A mighty worm armored with rocky scales shot out of the sand, whipping its eye-covered head around wildly. It lunged for Trinity first, aiming to take her out of the sky with one of its many drooling mouths. Trinity twirled her body off to the side, barely missing the worm's sharp teeth as it dove back into the sand and burrowed around.
Crap! It must have felt me touch the ground, she thought angrily to herself. "Elf!" she shouted, flying a little lower to the ground. "Don't bother fighting it! It's too strong and far too advantaged out here! We'll die!" She paused for a moment and then shouted another thing, "Sorry, but I bet you're too heavy for me!" and then sped off in a panic, dragging her spear in the sand as she flew. She knew the worm was following her and the child; it was better that way because at least she could outrun the beast by changing altitudes. Maglor on the other hand was not so lucky and would have to figure out what to do from the ground. That damned elf better keep walking west while I'm confusing this thing!
The worm jumped out of the sand again, this time trying to crush the angel with its armored belly.

Maglor knew what to do. He simply gunned for the west, hoping the beast would chase Trinity in all its stupidity. It didn't. Giving up after the first lunge, it decided to turn for the elf. As the sand rumbled as it chased Maglor, the only thought in his mind was a rapid-fire no.
"NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO." Was his yell as the worm chased him, jumping out to devour him in one swallow. Maglor turned and launched a fireball at the worm. Despite being much hotter than the temperature of the desert, the fireball was shrugged off by the worm. Maglor barely avoided the worm's mouth as it dug into the sand.

"You idiot!" Trinity exclaimed as she landed beside him, extending her spear out for him to grab. The angel looked at him with a scowl upon her face. "How heavy are you anyway?" She felt another rumble in the sand. "Ah, forget it! Hug me tightly as if I were your loved one and don't let go! There isn't much time!"

"I'm the idiot?! You're the one who literally told the worm to take me!" Maglor ran as he yelled. "And I won't hug you! I already know it's impossible to take all of us on those wings!"
He then slowed down. He had to take this option. Using both hands, he started to charge electricity. His hands started to arc, making snapping noises as loud as an explosion. "This is going to take all of my magical ability, so distract the worm while I put all my energy into this lightning bolt." He ordered Trinity.

Trinity grumbled. He was right, she would never be able to pick him up, and even if she could, she wouldn't be able to get higher than a few inches off the ground. Where was the worm now, the angel wondered, dipping her spear into the sand. She felt a slight vibration in Arani's handle. !!! It's directly behind me.... She did a u-turn and carefully set the boy on the ground and told him to stay very still otherwise the worm would hear him, and then she threw her spear 20 feet into the distance as a distraction. She followed her spear's path and landed beside it, panting a little from fatigue.
"That elf better know what he's doing," she grumbled as she stabbed at the sand and jumped around to get the worm's attention. "OH, WORMY!" she shouted at the ground, "HAVE YOU EVER TASTED AN ANGEL AS SWEET AS ME?"
URK! Here it comes!
Trinity took off running just before the worm ripped through the ground below her feet with its main mouth.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she shrieked as she sprinted across the sand in the sweltering desert heat to avoid being eaten alive by the hungry monster.

Maglor concentrated on his hands. The arc lightning grew more violent hitting part of the sand and melting it. His veins became more pronounced as the lightning grew, grew and grew. Sweat started to make beads on his head and was quickly vaporized by the electricity. The sparks made small burns on Maglor's face, but he didn't mind. Slowly, the lightning grew even more, literally darkening the skies above. The ball inside Maglor's hands started radiating white-blue light, crackling and sparkling. "Now Angel!! Fly above!!"