The streets inside the gates were narrow and the buildings loomed tall, built one on top of the other. Clotheslines were strung between the top floors, laden with various laundry hanging out to dry. After a long while, wending between the buildings, they emerged onto a clearing with a stone palace at its center. The palace was surrounded by the only grass Shey had seen so far in this strange land. A statue of a man with a curved sword stood on a stone base outside the doors where Shey imagined a fountain might be in any other land. She guessed that such a display of flowing water in a desert would be frowned upon, or even sacrilegious.
Sanmir and his tribe led Shey and her friends into the palace. The guards stood aside without Sanmir saying a word to them. Shey began to wonder if the pryus was somehow expecting them.
“The next room is the great room of the pryus,” Sanmir said. “I will stay in front where you may see me. Follow my every move and do as I do and you will not offend.” He nodded to the guards, and they opened the doors to the great pryus room.
The room was not that different from the throne rooms Shey had seen in her homeland, except instead of a throne, the pryus sat on a cushion surrounded by many other cushions. Silken curtains draped across the walls where tapestries might hang in her homeland. Vassals and various women with pitchers of wine intermingled along the sides of the room. All who were not serving wine were sitting atop plush cushions. The pryus wore baggy, silken clothes of multiple reds, purples, beiges, and tans. He clapped his hands after Shey and the rest had entered, and the doors were closed behind them. He clapped his hands again, and several of the serving women rushed cushions to the floor before them. Sanmir and his tribesmen bowed with their right hands under their abdomens and their left arms up in the air. Shey, Marella, Gondrial, and Rikard followed suit.
“Welcome, Sheyna Namear, to Darovan. I am Pryus Raamiz Molla of Saleed, friend of the great Ianthill of the First Trine. Congratulations on your triumph. You have made it to Saleed unharmed and unaided. However, your journey to adept is not yet over. You must travel to the great city of Shezuris and speak to the great pryus there. He will perform the ceremony of adeptship and send you back to Symboria aboard ship.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Gondrial whispered to Shey.
“Indeed, it does not, Gondrial, apprentice to the great Ianthill. However, to reach Shezuris from here, you must travel across the Great Scar, a vast canyon filled with dangers you have not imagined in your lands.” The pryus sat back on his cushion and smiled. He held out his palm, and a servant put a long tube with a spout in his hand. He put it in his mouth and drew a deep breath and let out a hazy smoke as he exhaled. “Shezuris is the jewel of the arid plains known as the Obsidian Steppes. Deadly snakes roam its yellow grass, and massive, hairy spiders crawl its lands.”
“He is just trying to scare us now,” Gondrial whispered.
The pryus laughed. “Ianthill has told me of your impetuous nature, Gondrial. Now I hear it firsthand. I do not frighten as much as warn. The steppes have a serpent with a rattle on its striped tail that coils up to strike unwary travelers. It can also leap into the air and inject its venom through hollow fangs. I have seen this serpent.” Gondrial postured to respond, but the pryus held up his hand. “It is of no matter. You cannot travel the Great Scar alone, no matter how much magic you wield. I also have apprentices in need of their rite of passage. Therefore, Sanmir, Asad, and Ramzi will guide these adepts through the Great Scar to meet with the great Ianthill at Shezuris. From there, you will travel to Symboria where Master Ianthill will confer upon you your next ascension. This I decree.”
“This is a great honor, Exalted One,” Sanmir said as he bowed again. Two other young elves joined Sanmir and bowed as well. One was tall with sandy blond hair, and the other had jet black hair and a stockier build.
The pryus clapped his hands. “The rest of your tribe may return home, Sanmir. You and our guests will feast tonight and leave at first light for the Great Scar.”
After they were escorted from the great room, Shey and Marella were taken to the bathhouse and pampered by servants. Shey remembered the first time she was bathed in the White Tower in Symbor, and she chuckled to herself. She assumed Gondrial and Rikard were also being pampered somewhere in the palace. After the bath, they were reunited with Gondrial and Rikard at a magnificent feast. Shey only ate the fruit because she could not recognize the meat and no one could give her a satisfactory answer as to what it was. Gondrial and Rikard had no such problem. Later she found out it was mostly lamb.
After the feast, they were taken to a common area with patio furniture and stone tables to relax. Shey had to admit, the Siladil knew how to take care of guests.
“I could get used to this,” Gondrial said as he puffed on one of the strange smoking apparatuses.
“Aye, the desert is not so uncivilized, is it?” Sanmir said to him.
“Not at all. In fact, I would not expect the same treatment when we get to Symboria, if I were you.”
“No? Why is that?”
“I can’t imagine you being treated this well at the Vale of Morgoran,” Gondrial said.
“That is truly unfortunate,” Sanmir said. “However, I am excited to travel to your lands. I have never been away from Darovan.”
“Speaking of traveling, can you tell us about this canyon we must travel through?” Rikard asked.
“Aye, I would like to know what we are getting into as well,” Shey said.
“It sounds like a breeze,” Gondrial said. “We will just skip across the canyon to your city and sail home.”
Sanmir’s face turned ashen. “I am afraid it is not that easy. The canyon is treacherous. Many wars were fought there in old times, and parts of the scar are said to be haunted.”
“Of course it is!” Gondrial scoffed. “Let me guess, there are no roads through it either.”
“Oh, there are roads, and ruins of the people who used to dwell there, but I would not guide you along such thoroughfares. To do so would be madness as the roads are rife with cutthroats, bandits, and worse. The only road we will travel will be the rim, the road that wends its way down into the scar.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Marella said.
“It’s a narrow road with sheer cliffs and drop-offs. It’s also prone to rockslides.”
“Oh,” Marella said.
The two other elves who were instructed to guide entered the patio. “Ah, let me introduce the two other Siladil who will also guide you,” Sanmir said. Shey, Gondrial, Marella, and Rikard all stood up to greet them. Sanmir put his hand on the shoulder of the tall, handsome blond sand elf. “This is Ramzi.” He moved to the stockier dark-haired elf. “And this is Asad.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Shey said. Each of her companions also greeted the elves.
After the meet and greet, Sanmir suggested they turn in for a good night’s sleep.
On the way to their rooms, Shey stopped Gondrial. “I know everything seems so pleasant right now, but I can’t shake this feeling of dread.”
“It’s understandable. We are about to head into the unknown again.”
“It’s not that. It’s this whole rite of passage. I think there is something we are not being told.”
Gondrial scoffed. “You’re serious?” He put his hands on her shoulders to reassure her. “Look, it’s obvious to me now the masters have this all planned out. We will probably be forced to use our essence to fight a few bad guys and then we will sail home as adepts, easy as can be. Try not to worry. Our masters are probably waiting in the canyon and will intervene if we get in over our heads.”
“You’re probably right.” She twirled the bracelet on her wrist with her right hand and peered deeply into the inlaid blue stone. “I thought you were already an adept.”
“Aye, I am. But . . . well . . . I was. I won’t lie to you, Shey. Ianthill took it away from me.”
“I don’t mean to belittle you, but I didn’t think that was even possible.”
&nbs
p; “Well, Ianthill found a way.”
“I suppose he did.”
“That’s our secret. Don’t go and blab that to everyone.”
She put her finger lengthwise to her mouth. “Your secret is safe with me.”
Gondrial nodded. “Now go on and get some sleep. This journey will be on foot, and you need your rest.”
Chapter 7: Heartened Heart
It was midmorning before Shey could get warm. She was surprised that the desert mornings were so cold. By midday, she was wishing for the cool breeze to come back. At this time of day, any breeze that blew at all was like hot breath, which provided little comfort. The three sand elves accompanying them walked along the scorched road, unaffected by the heat or dust. They were used to it. Shey watched her fair-skinned friend to make sure she stayed covered from the harshness of the sun. Marella gave Shey an exasperated stare before she took a sip from her waterskin. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve.
“You drink again?” Ramzi said to Marella. “Your thirst must be unquenchable. You will be out of water before we reach the scar. Perhaps your pale skin needs this much moisture? And you waste precious drops by wiping them on your sleeve!”
Marella was not amused. “Where I’m from, I could have your tongue cut out for speaking to me in such a manner. Why are you even watching me?”
“It is good we are not where you come from, then,” Ramzi said. “And I will direct my attention elsewhere. Your wastefulness will just make me angry.”
Marella was about to say something else, but she caught Shey’s gaze. Shey shook her head. Marella put away her waterskin and tapped her quarterstaff hard on the road, using it like a walking stick. Ramzi moved away from Marella, and Shey hurried to walk in between them.
“Why do you keep arguing with him?” Shey asked Marella.
“He is so infuriating, watching my every move. Why is he focusing so much on me?”
“I can’t say, but I think he is fascinated with your yellow hair and light skin.”
“He is a blond!”
“Aye, but did you see the tribal women? None of them had light-colored hair or fair skin. Just try to avoid him.”
“I hope he isn’t focusing on me because he likes my hair color and skin tone.” She looked exasperated. “Please tell me he is not interested in me. The boys back home always pick on the girls they are interested in, for some fool reason. You don’t think he is picking on me, do you?”
“I wouldn’t go that far. I think you are more of a curiosity to him.”
Marella stopped. “What is that?”
Shey looked to see the road ahead covered from side to side with something. She joined Gondrial and the rest, who had stopped a few steps ahead of her. “What can you see with your elven sight, Gondrial?”
“It’s difficult to make out even for me, but the road looks to be covered from side to side with bones.”
“Bones? Like something died and was left on the road?”
“No, like bones are laid out across the road as a barricade.”
Sanmir joined them. “This road isn’t used that often. It could be something put down as a warning. When the rains come, they wash out parts of this road. The barrier may just be something left behind.”
“No one would take that much trouble, Brother,” Asad said. “It would have to have been washed up like that from somewhere.”
Rikard started walking again. “We won’t know from here.”
Ramzi was the first to follow him. “He is right. Come.”
“Don’t just walk up on it,” Gondrial cautioned. “We all need to approach at the same time with weapons drawn. It could be a test set out for us.”
They all began to follow Rikard. Gondrial continued to walk beside Shey, and Sanmir walked on the other side of him.
“How far to the canyon from here?” Gondrial asked.
“It isn’t far, maybe a day and a half,” Sanmir answered.
“That’s not far? I think we have a different definition of far, my friend,” Gondrial said.
“You’ve not had to walk across desert lands before, then.”
“Thank the gods you’re right about that.”
A noise behind them made Shey look. The ground was moving on the road behind them. At first, it swirled as if something was shaking it from below, but then it began to heave up and down. Abruptly, it exploded as if an unseen plow churned it up. Shey waited for Marella to catch up to her, and then she grabbed ahold of her friend’s hand and bolted toward the bone pile. “Run!” she told the others as she and Marella passed them at a full sprint. Shey didn’t wait to see if Gondrial and the others followed. She scanned the area for anywhere they could take cover or hide, but there was nothing. When Shey and Marella reached the sand elves, they had turned and were facing back down the road. Shey stopped running and joined Ramzi and Asad. Sanmir and Gondrial caught up to them.
“Asad, Ramzi, to me,” Sanmir said. He waited until the ground heaved beneath him before he and his companions leaped up off their feet and jumped for the ground headfirst, stabbing their arms into the ground, almost as if they were diving into water. They all three passed into the earth easily, sliding beneath the surface. They resurfaced holding onto what appeared to be a mighty skeleton. It slung one of them off of it and roared. Now that Shey could get a good look at it, the thing appeared to be the whitewashed skeleton of a great serpent. Sanmir had his sword lodged into its colossal skull, which he was holding onto tightly as the skull twisted and turned, trying to throw him off. Ramzi hacked at it whenever it came close enough to him to do so; otherwise, he chased after the writhing serpent in vain as it moved away from him whenever he lined up a blow. Asad managed to get back up from being thrown down, and he landed a lucky blow to a rib, sending a piece of it sailing toward Marella. Shey drew in essence and blocked the bone with a shield. Gondrial must have felt the essence because he drew upon it before it dissipated and used it to send the bone shard back at the serpent’s skull. The dense bone penetrated the skull and it exploded, sending Sanmir to the ground. The skeleton fell apart in a heap. Shey rounded to check on Marella and noticed the horde of skeletons and corpses, holding up swords and spears, running for them with alarming speed from the bone pile.
“It’s not over yet!” She began to draw in essence from all around her. Out of the corner of her eye, Shey could see Sanmir momentarily freeze. Maybe he had never seen a wielder draw in essence before. “Sanmir, ready yourself!” she commanded. The sand elf snapped out of his shock and readied his sword. Shey released the essence in a barrage of essence spheres. The first wave of undead shattered as the barrage struck them, picking them apart as each sphere shattered a different body part.
“I have the next in line,” Gondrial said. “Get on with their swords.” Shey knew exactly what he meant. She concentrated on Sanmir’s sword, and it began to glow. She touched the hilt, and green flames burst out from it. Sanmir immediately dropped it as if it was burning him. Shey frowned and picked it up. She handed it back to him. “It won’t burn you, but it will slice through the unlife as easily as swinging through air.”
“The what?” he asked.
“The skeletons, the . . . undead? The things coming after us! Fight them!” She pointed.
“The undead! Aye!” He jumped next to Gondrial and swung his flaming sword at the skeletons. His blade crushed through them with incredible force. The green flames melted their bones as if they came in contact with acid. Shey enchanted Ramzi’s curved sword and then Asad’s.
“Quickly now, the enchantment is only temporary,” she told them.
Marella closed her eyes in concentration, and a moment later, Shey was surprised to see a near perfect illusion of herself sprint past, followed by an ethereal Gondrial, Sanmir, and the rest. The skeletons broke off and chased them. Shey thought Sanmir looked puzzled as he watched himself run off beside the road. Some of the undead were not fooled, and Sanmir resumed fighting. Marella led the horde as far as she could before they saw thr
ough her illusion. Before they could all return, Ramzi held his hands up high in the air and lowered them abruptly. The earth below the skeletons gave way, and they fell into it. He closed his hands, and the open ground snapped closed around the creatures, crushing them.
Shey turned her attention to the hordes still pouring out of the bone pile across the road. She noticed it was not shrinking as more and more skeletons issued forth from it. The skeletons did not comprise the pile. “We have to destroy the bone pile or the skeletons will keep coming indefinitely!”
Gondrial nodded. “To the bone pile!”
“Wait!” Shey told him. Shey concentrated on his sword and touched the hilt. It burst into green flames. For some reason, Gondrial gave her a kiss on the cheek before he ran headlong into the horde. She was glad he couldn’t see her blush. After a moment, she remembered the others fighting nearby. When she spotted them, Marella was trying to warn her about something. Her friend finally connected with her by waving her hands and pointing. Shey turned to see what Marella was pointing at. Gondrial was now running back toward her with Sanmir quick on his heels. Two undead serpents had risen from the ground behind them and were in pursuit. Hordes of skeletons and corpses, moving entirely too fast for the unlife, or undead as the Siladil called them, followed behind the great serpents. Shey’s spirits sunk. There were too many for them to defeat. Something was driving them from the nether regions of the dead. This was not the work of their masters; this was no test. Something was relentlessly hunting them and was out for their blood.
Ramzi and Marella reached Shey and Rikard. Sanmir and Gondrial were sprinting and shouting at them. Asad lagged behind Sanmir, and one of the serpents crashed down on him, slinging his body into two halves. Shey was horrified. She couldn’t believe her eyes. One of the sand elves had just been killed! Realization washed over her senses. She was in a deadly serious situation, and she might not survive. Fear set in, and she felt panic rising through her body.
Sanmir and Gondrial reached Shey, Marella, and Ramzi. “We have to go to ground, Ramzi,” Sanmir said.
Wielder: Adept: Book 2 of Lady Shey's Story (The Wielder Cycle) Page 6