“I was rushed,” Mira said, flustered. “Making semblances is very hard. Even the best shapers take their time when simulating life.”
“So why try?” Jace asked.
Mira shrugged. “I saw what my power can do when we fought Carnag. Remember how big it was? How well it simulated me and my father? That power is inside of me now. I just have to learn to use it. I know I’m capable of big feats of shaping. I thought maybe if I harnessed my desperation, I could shape something useful.”
The mud ball toddled over to Jace, then bumped into his leg and tipped over. The undersized semblance started to sway gently and made a garbled, squishy sound.
“Is it trying to speak?” Jace asked. “You know, it looks a little like Twitch. Was he your model?”
“Stop it,” Mira said, swatting Jace on the shoulder. She staggered, and he caught hold of her.
“What’s the matter?” Jace asked.
“The effort took a lot out of me,” Mira said. “I’ll be all right.”
“You realize we have a long way to go,” Cole reminded her.
“I was trying to make it easier for all of us,” Mira said. They watched the misshapen little semblance as it tried to rock back into a standing position. Mira gave a little laugh. “It was supposed to be bigger.”
Her comment freed the others to laugh, and they did.
“Are you telling it to move?” Cole wondered.
“I designed it to follow us when we weren’t riding it,” Mira explained. “I think it understands that part. It was supposed to have four legs. And it was supposed to obey instructions from me, but it seems mostly oblivious.”
“Can you shape it more?” Cole asked. “Improve it?”
Mira shook her head. “I’m wiped out.”
“Can you unshape it?” Jace inquired. “People might find it.”
“Probably, but it would drain me too much. I’m already going to have a hard time keeping up with you guys. I was stupid to try to make a semblance all at once. Carnag did it, so I thought maybe I could too. Projects like this are normally done step-by-step, a little at a time.”
The semblance stood up and waddled toward Cole. He backed away. It was kind of creepy.
“What’s it made of?” Jace asked.
“Looks like dirt, but feels more like cork,” Mira said. “It’s tougher than it feels, but again, not quite what I was after.”
Jace pushed the semblance over. Crouching, he ran his palms over it, rocking it gently. “You guys go on ahead. I’ll catch up after I ditch this thing.”
“What are you going to do?” Cole asked.
“Stash it in the woods far from the road,” Jace said. “It isn’t light, but with my rope I can handle it.”
“Isn’t that kind of mean?” Cole asked.
Jace gave a frustrated sigh. “It’s a walking hunk of cork, Cole! Mira made it out of rubble. It doesn’t have feelings. But it might try to walk toward us, which would be a big favor to anybody who wants to track us down.”
“Okay,” Cole said. “Makes sense.”
“Get going,” Jace said. “People might be after us. We don’t want to waste our head start.”
“Are you okay to travel?” Cole asked Mira.
She wiped a hand across her forehead. “I have to be. No other choice.” She glanced at the sky. “I just wish the star was still there.”
“It’ll be all right,” Cole said, unsure about whether he believed his words but trying to help her feel better.