Grains of Sand

by Varian Morn

  Hers was most likely going to profit immeasurably... while my own...

  My house...

  Changing back into my normal clothing, I stayed out of the way of both the customers and the other workers as they hustled and bustled. Everyone was ecstatic, and everyone was in a rush. I couldn't blame them, but I was in no mood to get my feet stepped on, or to be pushed over by a guard who wasn't paying attention as he hurried to and fro.

  It took longer than normal to return home, even with me choosing to use the side-roads and the ones less traveled. Oddly, even the side roads were full. The entire city seemed to be out and about, as the news spread.

  A Line had arrived.

  A thing of legend.

  Chances were it was the thing we all saw from the wall yesterday, approaching after the sandstorm. It made sense, even though it was so unlikely...

  While I walked, I tried to listen to those I passed. Their excited chatter was full of wonder and speculation.

  “Which House will get the contract?” seemed to be the most asked question... but there were plenty others.

  “What if we get seeds?”

  “What if they're here to create a new Line?”

  “Maybe they brought food and water.”

  “Medicine.”

  “Magic.”

  Strangely, only a spare few dared to ask dangerous questions. And they were all quickly hushed and ignored.

  No one dared to ask if they came in peace or not, or if they came as conquerors or tyrants.

  Though...

  Passing the House of Derri's symbol, I noticed how there were others returning home. Not many… especially compared to the crowds on the streets, but far more than I normally saw.

  Chances were the entirety of the House of Derri was going to be here tonight... and the thought worried me.

  How much of the main buildings will fill? How many empty rooms will we see...?

  “Telleya did you hear!?” Marli ran up to me with excitement, and I hid my annoyed exhaustion with a smile.

  “Yes. The whole city has,” I said.

  “Isn't it exciting? I hear the last time a Line came was almost a hundred years ago!” she shouted.

  Marli didn't seem bothered by her excitement, and I quickly found myself growing used to it. I couldn't blame the child for not understanding our situation.

  I couldn't blame her.

  “Come, we'll most likely have stuff to do,” I said to her as we headed into the main house.

  “Oh, we do! I was sent to find you and the rest. There's going to be a meeting by the elders,” she said, as if just now remembering.

  “Then we better hurry if we were summoned...” I said, putting some haste into my steps.

  Luckily the urge of staying out of trouble quelled some of her excitement, at least for now.

  Sure enough Marli had understated what was happening. Already most of the higher echelon of the House of Derri were gathered, in the middle of discussion.

  I quickly fell into the role of serving, aiding the rest like Marli and my mother.

  It's been a long time since such a gathering, and I was surprised that there were still so many of us... or at least, as many of us that were left.

  Nearly fifty people had gathered in the main room, sitting around in a haphazard circle. Some on chairs, others on the floor from the lack of them.

  “Do we have the Council's message yet?” someone asked in anger.

  “Not yet. It should be any moment now,” a guard said sternly.

  The Council? A quick glance around revealed that there was indeed an important Elder missing... alongside that older guardsman.

  Even we had been summoned? Granted the Council was made of a representative from each House... but surely the whole city knew our circumstance...

  A cook brought out a tray of drinks, and I quickly went into motion.

  Shockingly, the drinks were cold.

  If not for the feast last night, this would have been the first time in almost a year since I've felt such a thing. It most likely would have startled me enough to spill some... and I was now thankful for the feast even more.

  I had to be careful not to spill any, not because people were most likely thirsty... but because we undoubtedly didn't have enough to spare.

  If I dropped a drink, that was most likely someone who would now go without one.

  And it wouldn't be the Elders, but those like myself... What if a drink I spilled ended up being Marli's? I'd feel horrible.

  “Elder,” I whispered to get the attention of the white haired man. The overseer of supplies gave me a heavy nod in thanks as he took one of the cups.

  I made sure to hand them out in proper order. It wasn't that difficult, with there being so few elders left... though it wasn't always in the order of age.

  “Thank you Telleya,” the Grandmother said as I handed her a glass.

  It didn't take long for me to run out, and have to go and get another batch. Luckily, there was some to still get.

  “Will we have enough?” I whispered to the cook who handed me them.

  “Yes. At least, for now...” he mumbled.

  Deciding to let it be, I returned to my duty.

  At least for now, huh...

  Glancing around the circle and the larger circle around them... made of people like myself, attending to duties or simply standing in wait, I wondered how many understood our situation.

  Surely the elders did at least... But how many of the younger generation didn't? How many were like Marli, blinded by the hope and unable to see the truth.

  Surprisingly, I noticed that most of the circle was quiet... and their expressions were somber. Few were drinking, even though it was seen as discourteous to allow a drink to become warm.

  Even though a cold drink in the House of Derri was a luxury rarely tasted.

  Passing Marli, and her stoic expression as she focused on her task, I decided to join her in focusing on the moment instead of the turmoil around me.

  Since after all, it didn't matter.

  There was no point in complaining over the loss of tonight's dinner. There was no point in worrying if I'd be able to return to working at the baths or not.

  There was no point in worrying over the Line either.

  No matter why the Line was here... we of the House of Derri would probably not see a single grain of profit from it.

  After all... We had nothing to offer in exchange.

  All we had was sand.

  Chapter Six – Greeting Under a Sandy Sun

  “There's quite a few of them sir... but none are well equipped,” Sarley said.

  “They don't need powerful magic or great weapons to cause harm, Sarley,” I said.

  “Not everyone is like Yevin, Commander,” Kana retorted softly.

  Glancing at my new Medical officer, I noted the exasperated look on her face. Maybe she really would be able to replace old Tom.

  “Still, I'm firm in my decision. Only Yevin's people will meet them first with me. I want everyone out of the main entrance as well, other than the guards,” I said.

  “We should be fine... they welcomed us with open arms after all,” Sarley added.

  “I'm told they don't look sickly, but please be careful. Also don't allow any animals into the Line... no live ones at least,” Kana warned.

  “I know protocol Kana,” I said as I watched my cousin and the rest prepare to open the Front-Line's door.

  “Just making sure,” she whispered.

  “Until I return be ready for a quick departure,” I told Sarley.

  “I know protocol, boss,” she said back.

  Glancing to her, and seeing Kana's smirking next to her made me sigh. I walked into that one.

  Deciding to let it be, we stood in silence until my cousin finished preparing and then with a wave and nod to me the door started to open.

  “Here we go,” I said as I went to join them.

  “Make us rich, Commander!” Sarley shouted as I left,
and few others cheered in agreement.

  Well, that was the plan...

  “Ready Yevin?” I asked as I passed him.

  He nodded and gestured in the air with a closed fist. The few dozen guards scattered around the room went into motion. It only took a few moments to find myself surrounded as they went into positions around me.

  Although this room was a normal entrance into the Front-Line, it wasn't meant for the transference of cargo. Although it was something of a hallway, it was large enough to be considered more a room than not. I'd have to raise my voice quite a bit to be heard by someone on the opposite side.

  There were many like it all along both sides of the Line, since one couldn't always dock properly in the same position, and I had chosen it for this departure thanks to the proximity to the City of Sand's wall.

  This section of the Line was right next to the wall, and beyond that wall was a noticeable plot of empty land... or rather, a bunch of sand. There may have been something there at one time.

  I preferred this spot to one near a bunch of crowded buildings, it was much safer.

  While the door opened, the sound of the outside world became noticeable. Wind and sand... even oddly, the sound of heat. It was a strange hissing sound, as if it was some kind of animal.

  “It's hot,” someone mumbled as a gush of warm air was sucked into the Front-Line.

  “I'm told the one you're greeting is named Nervi,” my cousin said as he took his position next to me.

  “The leader?” I asked.

  “Not sure.”

  The door finally finished opening, and a large metal platform began to extend outward. It quickly came in contact with the stone wall nearby, and I flinched when parts of the stone broke off with the contact.

  “Destroying the wall already I see,” my cousin laughed as we watched the platform secure itself to the wall, at the cost of quite a bit of the wall's structure.

  “I'll pay for it...” I grumbled as I headed out of the Front-Line.

  Although I tried to be one of the first to step outside, I was only the second as Yevin crossed the bridge in front of me. It was usually customary for me to be the first off the Line, but Yevin was overprotective.

  Couldn't blame him for it though, since if something happened to me they would end up stuck here.

  Before I even finished exiting the Front-Line, I began to sweat. Not only was the air hot, but even the wind seemed unnecessarily warm.

  It was the kind of warm one noticed simply by breathing... you felt the heat going down your throat and into the lungs. Then felt it come back out, only to repeat again.

  Luckily the wind wasn't carrying as much sand as I had expected, but every so often I noticed the soft impact of it. Mostly along my face or fingers. Even my forearms, which were partly exposed, didn't feel much more than the hot wind.

  The sun above was probably the worst though. I couldn't really say why, but the sun above me now was hotter than the sun elsewhere in the world. Even though it was the same bright ball.

  Maybe it hated this place or something.

  “Down this way.” Guided down some stone stairs, I noticed how decrepit they were. Entire sections of the rock were missing, and cracks were in abundance...

  The fact there were so many breaks visible, even with half of it buried under sand, told me just how old the wall was and how lacking in upkeep it were.

  Lack of resources, or management issues? One was not like the other.

  Once we descended far enough, the sight of the open area around the wall became visible.

  At least, what was left of it.

  I had to pause for a moment to stare at the crowds, and I wondered if the entire city was here.

  “Probably a few thousand at least,” someone said.

  “Try five or six, minimum,” another corrected.

  The crowds had been proper enough to at least remain at a distance, but I could tell it might not last long. There wasn't anything really stopping them... no barriers, no warriors. It wouldn't be the first time I've been received by the masses of a town like this, but it was the first time I'd done it in a while.

  I'd never get used to it.

  “There, that's Nervi.” A soft voice said in my ear, and I followed Yevin's finger. Sure enough a small group was approaching us from the north.

  Quickly I finished descending the stairs, and chose to stop and wait a few dozen yards from the wall. Near enough that we'd be able to safely ascend and get back to the Front-Line if necessary, but far enough to not seem rude to those who were approaching.

  Yevin stayed near me and my cousin, but the rest of the guards took positions at a distance. They formed two layers of a half circle, and looked hot in their armor and gear. I made a promise to keep this as short and sweet as possible for their sake.

  It took longer than I'd have liked for the small group to reach us, but once they were close enough I realized why and forgave them for it.

  After all, if my body was that old I'd be slow too.

  Once I saw how old the woman was, I began to walk towards her in an effort to ease her discomfort. It made the rest of my people restless as I did so, but none voiced their complaints.

  “Greetings Lineman. Welcome to the City of Sand, we and the sands welcome you with joy and pleasure,” came from the old woman alongside a kind tone.

  “We of the Front-Line are welcomed, and are honored to dock here in the City of Sand,” I said, finishing the common greeting between Line Commander and city representative.

  I made a small bow, and noticed that not only did the elderly woman bow back but so did most of her entourage.

  She and the rest were more heavily dressed than we were… which wasn't surprising for desert peoples. What was surprising though was what they were dressed in.

  Unlike her, the rest that were accompanying her weren't as old. But they were all dressed in formal attire, donned with jewelry and gold... even the two who carried spears were dressed more for show than purpose. Their weapons even had gold and jewels upon them, which was an odd sight.

  They looked more like they came from a painted caricature of wealthy traders from a distant land, than some sand-buried village that no one ever heard of.

  “My name is Nervi, of the House of Hombil. As the representative of the Council of Houses, I formally wish to request a meeting between you and the Houses of this city,” the woman said kindly.

  Her words were a great indicator of where this was going. Not just financially... but peacefully as well. I couldn't ask for a better reception.

  Yet, what excited me the most wasn’t such a warm welcome… but rather was the terms she had used.

  Houses.

  This was the right place.

  I had found it.

  “I am Noth, Commander and Owner of the Front-Line. I look forward to a meeting with you and your people.”

  “Noth... Your Line is a mighty one indeed. May I ask if your Line has any relation with the Line of the Tempest?” she asked.

  Noting the name, I shook my head. “No. We possess no relation. Do they frequent your city?”

  “Not in a very long time... You've heard of them then?” she asked, and I noticed the look in her eyes.

  The look was an odd one. It wasn't concern... at least, not for the Line itself. But it wasn't for her or me either.

  Maybe she thought her people had been abandoned.

  “Yes, but not in a very long time. I do believe the Line is lost, or at least... gone. It may have gone and left our section of the world long ago, I'm not sure of its fate,” I said honestly.

  The old woman didn't necessarily calm or seem pleased with this information, but did give me a smile anyway as she nodded in thanks.

  One of her people shifted, and I noticed the lack of sweat upon most of them. Most likely long accustomed to such heat, and I was jealous of that fact.

  “So it has been some time since a Line has been to your City?” I inquired.

  “Oh yes. If yo
u'd have waited the few years needed for my death, your Line would have been known only from stories and legends,” she said with a small laugh.

  Applauding her vitality, I smiled to the elderly woman with admiration. “You've done well. I hope we live up to both your expectations, and those of the legends,” I said.

  My words caused a few of her people to shift again, but only made her smile in return.

  Well, if she was that old there was no way I could keep her out here in this hot sun any longer than I should. “It is customary to have the negotiations be done within the City, is that alright with you?” I asked, hoping to finish swiftly.

  She nodded. “Would you be willing to meet with the Council tonight at sundown?” she asked.

  “I would,” I agreed, and was thankful for it. At least at night it wouldn't be as hot.

  “We will prepare immediately. There will be people here to guide you, may I station them at the bottom of the wall's stairwell?” she asked.

  Asking me for permission? In her own city? Normally they were very strict, even if they knew it was beyond their military might to be so. It was a precedent, and usually a universal one...

  “Of course. All I ask is until agreements are made, to refrain from allowing people near my Line itself,” I said.

  “Understood, Linesman. Then I shall see you again later tonight,” she said, and promptly turned away.

  The small group around her bowed once more before accompanying her back into the city, leaving me and own people behind.

  “Well, that was easy,” Jamthi said once they were far enough.

  “They're desperate,” Yevin said.

  “Quite. If what she said is true, they've gone a very long time without any outside trade or assistance,” I said as I glanced to the nearby buildings.

  They were still a little too far to make out the actual structural conditions, but even from here I could see that they weren't as pristine or well cared for as I was used to.

  Just like the wall, most likely, they were decrepit or in need of repairs.

  “They've done well, all things considered. Out here in this desert? I've heard of cities in far more lush places succumbing to nature and death far sooner,” Jamthi said.