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Moments before she struck the top layer of roots, she tucked her legs under her chin in cannonball position and surrounded herself in a barrier. By folding up she could minimize the barrier and emphasize its strength. Thus, when the barrier struck the roots it did not pop, even as the thorns jabbed against it and pressed pointed indentations in the rubbery shield. She pinballed down the crevices between the roots, her body bouncing within the bubbly confines. She cartwheeled and rotated in air, quickly growing dizzy (she had low tolerance for these things). As she forced down nausea, she maintained the stream of magic necessary to maintain her barrier as it bashed against root after root, until the bubble ricocheted off something and fell freely until it hit a liquid surface with a wet slap.

(Chapter 11)