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We continued the journey south, reaching the Daviian Plateau on the sixth day Any chance I’d have to seek help from a fellow traveler or local died as we turned west and entered the plateau No one lived there The Daviian Warpers had tried, but they were long gone

The flat expanse stretched to the horizon Brown clurass dotted the cracked and sunbaked soil A few stunted trees clung to life

"Do you have enough food and water?" I asked Galen

"We’ll let Quartz lead us to water As for food, I should be able to snare a few rabbits"

It would take us ten days to cross the plateau Ten days with the sun’s heat beating down on us, and ere only halfway through the heating season At least ould be on the coast before the blazing hot season

In order to find water, I had to coic each time

Halfway across the plateau, I felt restless and craved…action When we stopped, I paced around the campfire unable to sit

Food did not help Water failed to quench the unrelenting need Pullingdifferent only helped for a second

Galen watched leam in his eyes Eventually the plateau faded froer dominated all my senses It hurt An ache stabbed deep within me as if a person squeezed a pressure point onback and forth No position eased the excruciating desire

A cool touch on e of instant relief I looked over at Galen He crouched next toon ic Letyearning flooded me I rolled into a ball Now that I are of ould relieve the pain, I felt worse

At one point, I pulledit would satisfy er It didn’t In fact, it was just another link in the chain binding me to Galen

"Opal, letwith an unstoppable desire, I nodded

"Relax your left arm," he instructed