Hard Sands: Warlords of Atera

by Kyle, Celia

  Her face flushed red and she opened her mouth only to snap it closed and then open it once more. “I meant, what am I supposed to do today?”

  “Ahhh,” Nakan chuckled. “You may visit the humans, of course. I will arrange an aide for you to begin teaching you what will be required of you as Lady of the Hard Sands.”

  “Right. That.” She huffed and climbed to her feet. He rose with her, pulling her into his arms once she was upright.

  Their eyes met and he spied turmoil in her gaze, hesitance in every line of her expression. “I’m sorry about last night. That I didn’t reciprocate.”

  “Worry not.” He shook his head and ran one of his hands through the messy strands of her hair. “I can wait until you are ready.”

  She blushed once more, tearing her attention from him. “I suppose, even if we aren’t going to have sex, we’ve proven there are other things we can do. Other things I can show you.”

  Kalinda lifted her hands to his chest, small fingers teasing his scales.

  “Oh?” Nakan’s curiosity was piqued by his timid kode.

  Kalinda grinned and then pushed to her tip-toes, bringing her mouth to rest atop his.

  Nakan jolted, stilling for a moment while he catalogued his impressions of this strange touch. The feel of her lips against his was surprising as it was invigorating. He had never imagined such a thing. He had not heard of any Aterans engaging in such a connection. Surely it had to be a human custom. Much like the tasting of her he had done the previous night.

  The odd touch lingered for a long moment, Kalinda’s blunt tongue lightly brushing against his mouth, and a shiver burst down his spine. She repeated the move, tasting him with her tongue as if she could not get enough of his flavors. Odd. Appealing yet odd.

  When she finally pulled away, she smiled up at him, a teasing smile gracing her features. “Was that your first kiss?”

  “I have never heard of such a thing.” Nakan’s face felt warm, as if he bathed in the rays of the twin suns for a full day. “It was most pleasant.”

  She took his hand and giggled, a teasing light in her eyes. “Maybe we can do that a little more since it was ‘most pleasant.’ As long as it doesn’t lead to anything else.”

  Nakan matched her grin and leaned down, ready to try this “kiss” once more. Perhaps more than merely once.

  Yet before their lips touched, a rumbling sound came from above, the cavern trembling as dust drifted from the ceiling.

  Nakan pulled back and looked up, watching how the stones reacted to the shakes. A jolt of adrenaline shot through him, thoughts immediately going to the people of the mountain and their safety.

  “What was that?”

  It had been years since he had heard such a sound, but once it was heard, it was never forgotten. “A cave-in.” He took Kalinda’s hand in his and hurried toward the exit, all thoughts of kisses banished by the quake. “Come, we must hurry. There may be lives in danger.”

  They raced for the exit, striding down the familiar paths as quickly as they could. He only hoped they would not be too late to save his people.

  All of them.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Racing through the tunnel from the sacred cave was difficult under any circumstances. Rushing while running at top speed was simply dangerous. Nakan knew the tunnels well and he had a lifetime of experience of moving through the treacherous, dim passageways of the Hard Sands. His kode, on the other hand, seemed far less used to vigorous activity and she soon fell behind his rapid pace.

  Nakan paused for a moment in one of the wider passages—just as the deahmid stones illuminated the tunnels. He did not wish to leave his mate behind, but she was not in any immediate danger. There might be others up ahead who were injured and in need of his assistance—strength and knowledge of the mountains. Despite his concern for his mate, the wisest course of action would be to continue moving as quickly as possible.

  Kalinda reached him, bent at the waist and hands propped on her knees as she struggled for breath. Sweat peppered her brow and her hair hung in damp strands around her flushed face.

  “My kode, I must…”

  She waved at him. “Go ahead of me. I’ll follow.” She wheezed. “Just tell me how to get out of here.”

  “I shall open the entrance to the sacred cave. Then I wish you to remain in the tunnel until it ends and then turn left. Stay true and you shall end up near the dining hall. Remain there, and I will come for you.”

  She nodded and straightened. “I’ll be fine. Go.” He hesitated and she pushed his shoulder. “I mean it. Go. The people need you.”

  Those words proved that Eana had given him a true and worthy female as his kode. She thought of their people before herself.

  Nakan grumbled to himself as he raced ahead, leaving his kode behind despite his instincts that demanded he remain and protect her. He ran and climbed through the rough stone passages, intent on reaching the sealed entrance to the sacred caves. He rounded the next corner, ready to throw open the stone door and discover the source of the rumbling.

  He skidded to a halt when the door came into view. Covered in rubble and debris, it blocked the exit completely. The door itself was torn from the wall during the cave-in, broken into pieces and nothing more than part of the massive pile of rubble.

  Shock held him immobile for a moment, unable to do more than stare at the scene before him. He could not imagine what had happened so deep within the mountain, here of all places. The sacred cave was isolated and rarely visited. What could have happened to cause such an accident? Assuming, of course, that the cave-in was an accident.

  He moved forward and dug through the debris, tossing stones aside and not caring where they fell. The stones inside the sacred cave had not been disturbed for generations. Now the entire cavern had been disturbed, stones removed from where the goddess herself had planted them so long ago. He could not worry about the sacrilegious events now. He had to dig his way out and discover if anyone had been injured during the collapse.

  He grunted and pushed one of the largest rocks aside, spying the gray scales of an Ateran buried beneath the rubble. He continued digging until he reached the Ateran’s face and he recognized the male—one of the guards he had left outside the cave.

  The warrior was dead now, skull crushed by the falling rocks. Aside from the horror of the male’s death, a deeper worry creased Nakan’s brow.

  The slide of feet on stone and the soft tumble of rocks announced Kalinda’s approach from behind him.

  As she neared, Nakan muttered to himself. “What was he doing inside the cave system with us?”

  He gazed at the shattered door, scanning its position and the way the stones fell to the floor. It was hard to tell for certain, but from the angle of the stone door, it looked as if it had been open when the cave-in began. The guard must have been inside the sacred caves when the accident occurred.

  “Oh my god,” Kalinda whispered, her attention on the dead warrior. She covered her mouth with her hands and turned away.

  Nakan grimaced, hating that his kode had been subjected to the horrific sight of the dead warrior. It was not something for females to view and yet it was too late.

  “Stand aside,” he returned to digging his way through the rubble. “It is not safe.”

  Kalinda did not listen. He wondered if that was a failing of humans or of females in general. Did they never listen to the males?

  She stepped forward and helped him clear away the stones. Her delicate hands were unable to move the larger rocks, but she did well moving the smaller stones while Nakan pushed the massive boulders aside. Little by little they cleared a path, though the work was long and difficult.

  “Is anyone there?” Nakan called out when they cleared a small opening in the archway. “Is anyone injured?”

  A muffled groan came from the other side of the doorway. The second guard? He must have been buried under the rubble though at least he sounded alive. Nakan redoubled his efforts to dig through the cave-
in, working to save the injured warrior. His duty was to protect his people, but beyond his drive to care for them, he had to ensure the warrior’s life so Nakan could get some answers.

  “How did this happen?” Kalinda was sweaty and out of breath as she took a break to lean against the wall. She wiped her arm across her forehead to swipe away the sweat.

  He remained silent. Cave-ins usually occurred near the mines when unstable pockets of stone were disturbed, releasing an avalanche of rock into the tunnels. But no one would have been working so close to this sacred place. There had not been an earthquake or any other event that could have disturbed the stones.

  This… this was too great of a coincidence for Nakan to ignore. A cave-in occurred today—when Nakan and his kode were deep within the sacred caves—after thousands of years with not a single stone disturbed. That the ceiling would collapse without provocation while Nakan and Kalinda were inside seemed unlikely.

  Nakan continued to dig, not answering Kalinda’s question. It took far too long to dig a large enough opening for them to crawl through. Nakan went first, moving over the rubble before reaching back to take Kalinda’s hands and help her through. They climbed down the steep slope of stone on the other side and then searched through the rubble for the source of the groaning. They dug away at the debris as they fought to locate the trapped guard.

  Eventually they cleared enough of the stones to reveal the guard’s upper torso. His scales were covered in blood, but his chest rose and fell with the slight rhythm of strained breath. A rather large stone pinned the male and Nakan did not believe he could lift it without crushing the guard in the process.

  Nakan turned to his kode. “Get help.” He kept his eyes on the wounded warrior. “We need a healer and tools to lift the stone from his body.”

  “What?” Kalinda’s wide-eyed stare remained fixed on the blood on the warrior.

  He nudged her and spoke more harshly than he liked but he needed her to move. “Go! Get help. He has little time.”

  Kalinda gulped and then turned and ran through the tunnel that led to the center of the web of caverns. Her footsteps echoed off the stone walls until the sound faded away.

  Nakan knelt at the guard’s side. The male strained to open his eyes and look at Nakan, his expression tight with pain. He opened his mouth the speak and instead coughed up a splattering of blood.

  “Do not speak.” He touched the warrior’s shoulder. “Help is on the way.”

  The male closed his eyes and Nakan leaned closer, examining the stone that pinned the warrior to the ground. The jagged edges of the stone had pierced the male’s scales, as if the stone itself plugged the wound. Even if he could lift it from him, it would only make the injury bleed that much faster. That did not even address any hidden damage the cave-in might have caused.

  Nakan refused to let himself worry about the male’s numerous injuries until Kalinda returned. For now, he worked on clearing the remainder of the debris, careful not to disturb the largest stone that pinned the warrior.

  He only hoped Kalinda would return with help before it was too late.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kalinda raced through the tunnels, one hand clutching her side to alleviate the stabbing pain of a cramp. Her breath came in heaving pants from the long run up through the sacred caves. She slipped and stumbled on the uneven flooring, though the longer she jogged, the more the tunnel ground smoothed out. The natural stone caverns were gradually replaced with the carved pathways of the Ateran city.

  The moment she entered an area she recognized, she shouted for help. She took one turn after another, yelling as loudly as she could before she finally stumbled across the dining hall. Aterans were gathered for breakfast, the aliens in the middle of eating when she burst into the space. Everyone froze in the place the moment she entered, pleas for help on her lips.

  “There’s been a cave-in!” She waved her arms to get everyone’s attention. “A man is hurt. We need help.”

  A handful of the warriors near the doorway rushed to her side while the rest remained in place, exchanging looks of fear—confusion.

  “Where?” one of the warriors—she wasn’t sure who—spoke to her in a rush.

  “The special place. The…” Now that she had someone’s attention her mind went blank. “The sacred caves. This way!”

  She spun in place to retrace her steps, beckoning for the warriors to follow her. One of their group ran to fetch a healer while Kalinda led the way, following the path back to the sacred cave as best she could. The path took them near Nakan’s private quarters, and she’d taken two steps past them before she slid to a stop. She turned on her heel and ran back into Nakan’s rooms, ignoring the confused warriors that followed her.

  “In here?” One spoke up. “But you said…”

  “No, not here.” Kalinda crossed the room, headed for the bathroom and… “I just need to find… got it!”

  She grabbed the jar of Healing Sands Nakan had left there after he’d tended to her injury. She grasped it tightly as she returned to her race back to Nakan, where he and the injured warrior waited.

  Halfway to her destination, they ran into a small grouping of Ateran warriors. At the head of that group stood Chaze, arms crossed over his scaly chest. He lifted his chin and stared down his flattened nose at her. “What goes on here?”

  “Get out of my way.” Kalinda took a step back, allowing the two warriors with her to move forward. They positioned themselves protectively in front of her, acting as an honor guard. She silently thanked Nakan for telling everyone she was his “lady.” She wasn’t sure what she would have done if there had been no one here to step up and protect her.

  “Those sands are not to be used inappropriately.” Chaze nodded to the jar in her hands. “Where are you taking them?”

  “There’s an injured man—male. A guard. He was hurt in the cave-in and I need to get this to him. Now, get out of my way.” She issued the order as if she expected him to follow her demands. Then she prayed he’d listen.

  A few of the gathered Ateran warriors with Chaze muttered among themselves while Chaze sneered. “The Healing Sands are not to be wasted on a mere guard. They are too precious. They are for warlords, noble ladies, or gifts from Eana such as yourself.”

  Kalinda shook her head, unable to believe these people would let a warrior die just because they didn’t want to waste their precious Healing Sands.

  “Besides,” Chaze continued, “if one of Nakan’s guard dies in such a way, the blood is on Nakan’s hands and no other’s.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Chaze made a sweeping gesture with his hand, addressing the gathered Aterans rather than Kalinda herself. “Nakan is responsible for all that happens here. There are rumors he has not developed the Stone Sense. Without it, he is unable to perform his duties. He is unable to inspect the tunnels and locate areas of danger. Such has been the responsibility of the warlord of the Hard Sands for generations. Nakan’s sire never neglected his duties. Nor did the countless warlords who came before him.”

  Some grumbling came from the crowd and a maelstrom of nerves took up residence in her belly.

  Chaze raised his voice. “It should be clear to all that Nakan has neglected his duties. It is time to consider whether he is truly fit to be warlord.”

  More murmurs—some of agreement—though some voices were tinged by anger and confusion. Kalinda looked around, noting the closeness of the crowd and an anxiety-driven feeling of claustrophobia squeezed her as more males gathered.

  She shook her head. “I don’t have time for this.”

  She attempted to move past the warriors who guarded her and then past Chaze. Though he didn’t let her pass. He grabbed her by her arm and leaned close until his warm breath tickled her skin.

  “When I am warlord,” he whispered. “You will learn respect even if I must teach it to you in the bedchamber.”

  She sneered at him, a sharp curl of her lip, and yanked her arm out of hi
s fierce grasp. She continued on, her two Ateran warriors close on her heels.

  They hurried to the lower levels, Kalinda still clutching the precious Healing Sands as they raced through the tunnels. By the time they reached Nakan, a healer and several other warriors had already arrived. They helped Nakan dig around the injured guard, removing him from the rubble. They lifted the massive rock from his chest, pulling him out before placing the heavy stone on the ground. The healer, a slender Ateran female, knelt at the guard’s side, tending his wounds and fighting to stem the bleeding that had worsened after the stone was pulled away.

  “Stay back,” the healer issued orders as her hands moved over the wound. “I need room to work.”

  The males moved away, but Kalinda rushed forward, shouldering her way past the Aterans. She knelt beside the healer and held out the jar of Healing Sands. “Here, use these.”

  The healer looked to Kalinda, face furrowed with confusion, and the female cast a questioning glance in Nakan’s direction.

  Nakan remained silent, arms folded across his chest, and gave the healer a single nod.

  “Very well.” The healer took the Healing Sands and applied them to the guard’s wound. Within moments the sands clotted the injury, stopping the worst of the bleeding. The male relaxed, the tension fading from his body as the sands dulled his pain and Kalinda released a relieved sigh, thankful she made it back in time to help him.

  Once the healer proclaimed the warrior well enough to be moved, a few of the gathered Aterans stepped forward to assist in carrying him to the main tunnels. Nakan consulted with the healer before she left and then remained behind to supervise the remaining Aterans as they cleared away the debris from the cave-in. Once set into their tasks, Nakan left them to their work, stalking down the tunnel and away from the chaotic scene. Kalinda followed, not sure where they were going or what they would do now, but following him was better than standing around without a purpose.