Swamped

You can't think of anything to offer in negotiations, so you fall back on challenging their pride.

"Well, any of you Protectors think you can keep up with our friend here? As far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to try it."

That seems to get the particular attention of one particularly small grebling, even smaller than Sally. Looks like a knife-fighter to you, though like the rest, not actually armed right now. The small grebling steps forward, and Emilio glances down at them.

"You the best runner they've got?"

The small grebling nods vigorously. That's an unusual amount of emotion from one of these guys.

"Then let's get moving."

You're grateful for your breather mask, as they kick up a rather large cloud of sand in their haste. Ember seems oddly unconcerned, despite being far less protected than you. But then, Long's fever was treated with a spell, wasn't it? Maybe he's simply got other means of keeping the sand off him.

Not five minutes later, Emilio returns, with the tiny grebling trailing only a few meters behind. A few other Protectors seem to be following their comrade, though; the unfriendly crowd out here is getting larger, and you're not sure what to make of that.

Regardless, Emilio hands over a strange tube, with some kind of metal at both ends.

"Dominique says this one would work the best for an actual wizard," he says. He doesn't even seem tired. "Put one end in the bag and one end out, and you can basically use it for controlled ether manipulation. It doesn't matter if it touches the sphere directly or not."

Ember takes it, and starts doing something with the bag. You're not really sure what's going on.

It takes a few minutes before he says anything.

"Well, it turned out to be safe," he finally concludes. "But I'm still not sure I understand."

"What do you mean?"

"This sphere doesn't seem to open a gateway at all. Or, let me try to explain that a bit better. As far as I can tell, this sphere uses a very similar type of magic to the gateways, but I can't detect any that it's opened. And yet, it's clear to me that it's been used."

"So what in the hells does it do, then?" you ask.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. I don't suppose you have any ideas?"

"Not really," you admit. "Unless there's something else you worked out from your tests there? Maybe that would help us figure something out."

Ember looks thoughtful.

"Well, there is one thing. I had thought it unimportant, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to share it."