Lands of Dust (The Dying World Book 1)

by John Triptych

  “So far I have used this technique against that dargon we slew as well as the occasional octapede. I had done it a few times to my brother Jinn when I was growing up, even though I was unaware of it back then,” Nyx said. “Can this be done with any beast?”

  Miri pointed to Rion’s bug that was still wriggling around nearby. “Anything is possible. There are some creatures like that crawling sand beetle over there, their minds are so tiny and alien that they resemble nothing more than simple machines, all they know is either to run away, to feed, or to mate. You can certainly try to project emotions into such a small beast, but it would be a waste of your Vis since there isn’t much use for controlling one of them.”

  “I have heard the tales of the Gorgons controlling huge herds of dargons and swarms of flying bugs, just to distract their enemies,” Nyx said. “Is it possible to control more than one mind at a time?”

  Miri shrugged. “I have tried, but it seems impossible to do. I have to concentrate to my fullest just to prevent myself from completely abandoning my body to reside in another’s. Just before I drove my spear into that sand dargon’s heart, I had to take care so as not to linger in the beast’s thoughts when it died. To do so would have brought me unimaginable pain. As a Striga, one of the first things that are taught to us is never to possess the mind of another for too long, lest you become trapped into your chosen target forever.”

  Nyx shook her head. “Oh no, I always make sure I withdraw my mental tendrils before I kill a beast. Last cycle, when I slew my first norpion, I stayed in its mind for too long and I felt my own spear pierce its heart. I was in pain for days afterwards. Do you remember that?”

  “I do,” Miri said. “Zedne and I had to hold daily visits to your dwelling in order to sooth your anguish. I hope it was an important lesson you learned about possessing another.”

  Nyx nodded. “It was as if my spear had pierced my own heart. I kept reliving the nightmare every few hours, I thought I was truly going mad. Other than timing your strike properly, are there any other safeguards to follow?”

  “If you are to possess the mind of another, then always know your way out,” Miri said. “Think of it as having one hand in your target’s mind, while your other hand is holding onto your own. The moment you sense that something is amiss, you must withdraw back to your true self immediately. You must not tarry or linger for one moment longer. Zedne taught me a trick. What she said was that you should mentally build a rope made out of mindsense, tie it around your own spirit’s body and be ready with it once you enter the mind of another. The moment anything goes wrong, the cord will instantly yank you back to your own true self. I thought she was fooling me when had she told me this for the first time, but it actually works. The key is to imagine such a strand exists in your mind when you empower your Vis. If your mind can fathom it as an actual object, then your subconscious will mentally reinforce your efforts when you need to pull yourself back from the abyss. The rope serves as both a tether point and a guide to bring you back.”

  Devos had awoken and propped his head up on one elbow, listening intently. “How I wish I too had been born with the gift of Vis. I would just like to know how powerful can one’s mind be.”

  Miri glanced at him and smiled. “Every gift has a curse of its own. Many Strigas have become mad after listening to too many thoughts. The voices multiply and become ever louder. There are times the agony becomes unbearable and you cannot silence the screams in your head. Many of those with the Vis take their own lives when they become too old and they are unable to maintain their thought disciplines anymore.”

  Devos sighed as he sat up. “You are right, of course. So many stories about the children of Vis that tell of their rise and fall. The Gorgons were probably the most glaring example of them all.”

  “I did not realize just how important it was that every tribe had a teller until now,” Nyx said wistfully. “Having listened to all the legends these past few days, it makes me realize that all these stories were not merely for amusement, they also act as important guides to explain why our laws and traditions are this way.”

  Devos nodded and smiled. “I remember when you were but a small child. Every time I would recite a story to the others, you would try to run off and play outside. I am glad you now know why the tribe required all the children to learn these tales.”

  Nyx laughed a little before she suddenly squinted and pointed towards the west. “I think I saw something.”

  Miri instantly got up as she too started scanning the horizon. “Are you sure?”

  Nyx kept her eyes focused on the silt flats. The shimmering waves of heat were like ripples in the air which would sometimes cause mirages to appear before them. “I am quite sure I saw a dark object moving closer, but I cannot see it now.”

  Miri walked forward for a few steps to see if she could get a closer look. She noticed something at the far horizon, it was a distant black dot that would appear before suddenly vanishing like an optical illusion. After silently observing for a few more minutes, the object suddenly reappeared in her field of vision, only this time it was slightly bigger. Miri immediately turned around and ran back to where her pack was. “I see it too,” she said tersely.

  Nyx and Devos had both stood up. The teen girl ran over to where her weapons were and grabbed her spear. Devos looked down and saw that Miri was putting on a leather cuirass over her torso. He wasn’t much of a fighter himself, so he just waited until the Striga attached the leather faulds underneath her armored torso before speaking. “What should I do?” he asked her.

  Miri was busy tying the leather bracers to her forearms. “Just stay here for now. This part of the rock is still hidden from sight, so you and Rion will be safe here.”

  Devos crouched down beside the sleeping boy. “Should I wake him?”

  Miri glanced down at them while readying her bone dagger. “Not yet, let him rest. If you see any fighting, then you may wake him.”

  Nyx was hiding by the edge of the rock wall as she continued to peer out into the west. “It is getting closer.”

  Miri ran over to where she was. The object out in the distance was clearly a man. He was wearing a large cloak that shielded him from the sun. The hood that drooped over his head made it hard to identify who it was. Miri was somewhat surprised and disappointed. She couldn’t fathom why the tribe would be making such an effort to go after them. She figured it was probably Krag since there wasn’t anyone else around.

  “I can only see that one,” Nyx whispered. “Where do you suppose the others are? Could they be going around to get behind us?”

  Miri shook her head. “Look around you, the sand tides are flat all over, it would take a great effort for them to move in a wide path to just to come up behind us. If there are many, then they would be following behind that first one.”

  Nyx was confused. “If they truly want us back, then why would they send out only one?”

  Miri soon realized who it was. She started taking off her leather armor. “Help me slip out of these.”

  Nyx gave her a quizzical look. “Why? Do you not wish to fight?”

  “I know who it is,” Miri said.

  “Your Vis must be very powerful indeed if you can project your mentality at such a distance,” Nyx said as she untied the leather straps underneath the shoulder ailettes of Miri’s armor.

  Miri placed her spear down beside her abandoned cuirass. “I do not need to use my mindsense to know who that is up ahead.”

  Nyx frowned. “Who is it then?”

  Miri smiled as she pulled the hood over her own cloak to cover her head. “Do not worry, you will know soon enough. Stay here, I shall go meet him.” Ignoring her protégé’s further queries, Miri drew her cloak around her and started running towards the figure in the distance.

  After a brief sprint, Miri slowed down to a brisk walk as she got out of the shade and onto the hot, burning sand. The mid-afternoon heat was murderous, and her cloak soon became slick with sweat. The tough leat
her was heating up and it felt like she was being cooked alive. Her pacing was fast, and she covered half a league within the hour.

  The figure just up ahead of her seemed to be walking slowly, it was as if each step forward was done in under the most extreme of effort. Miri could see that the man was probably dizzy from walking all day under the blazing sun. His gait was wobbly and it looked like he had been plagued by the curse of Duun. Miri shook her head as she quickened her pace, for it meant that the man ahead of her might just die before she could bring him to safety.

  With less than two hundred yards to go, the man looked up and finally noticed her approach. It was at that moment that he gave out a hoarse cry and fell on his back. Miri broke out into a run and got to him within minutes. As she stood over the exhausted figure, she shook her head slowly. “You are the biggest fool I know. To venture out into the sands like this. It is only through the mercy of the gods that you could have possibly made it this far.”

  The man was lying on his back. He turned his head and the hood partially slipped away, revealing his face. “I-I am sorry, Protector,” Jinn said in between his shallow breaths.

  Miri tilted her head back and laughed. “Come on, get up. You cannot expect me to carry you for another league back to the shade.”

  Jinn took the cup of algae tea eagerly and started to sip, the nourishing liquid passing through his parched lips and down his throat. Miri had started a small fire using a little bit of the dried manure they carried, telling the others that instead of forging ahead that evening, they would spend another day to rest in the area. Nyx had mixed feelings for her brother, while she was overjoyed that he had joined up with them, she was also angry that he nearly died for being so foolhardy. Devos and Rion were both sitting closer to the fire, as they examined more of the telling stones in order to figure out a direction for them to take the following night. The old man was particularly happy for the extended break, for it would allow him to rest his tired legs for another full day.

  Miri glanced up and saw the last glimpse of the sun dipping below the horizon. Eventide was upon them once more. She turned to look at the sunburned young man. “Are you sure they will not pursue us?”

  Jinn nodded as he put down the cup of tea by his side and started rubbing his aching legs. “They all think that you went the other way- west, towards the citadel of the Magi. Brar and a few of the other elders were angry that Teller Devos and my sister had accompanied you, but that was the extent of their protests.”

  “And Zedne? How did she react to that?” Miri asked.

  “Elder Zedne helped to support the deception that you had made,” Jinn said. “Our healer had gone out of her way to inform the other elders that she had seen you venture forth from the main sentry area towards the western dunes. I strengthened her story by telling the others that all four of you passed through my part of the watch.”

  Nyx had been handing out hot tea to the others before walking back to where her brother was. “What about your bride? I cannot believe you decided to run away and join up with us just because of me.”

  Jinn shrugged sheepishly. “We had a disagreement.”

  His sister raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  “She said she knew I was lying when I told the elders my story,” Jinn said softly. “I do not know why, but Kere always seems to know when I was telling the truth or not, and she is not even a Striga like you.”

  Miri giggled. “It is difficult to hide your true feelings to your mate. What happened next?”

  Jinn let out a deep breath. “We had an argument that raged for hours. Her parents banished me from their dwelling. As I gave her a final glance before leaving, I saw a look in her eyes. It told me that I would never be happy with her and that feeling persisted as time continued to progress. Finally I paid a visit to Elder Zedne and told her of my malady. That was when she made me realize that the most important thing in my life was not Kere.”

  Nyx crossed her arms and gave him a cynical look. “Oh? And what is the most important thing in your life then? Hunting?”

  Jinn gave his sister a serious look. “You are. When our parents died, you were still quite young to know this, but I made a vow to Mother as she lay dying with the fever. I swore to her that I would always be there to protect you. I invoked the names of Duun and Karma to strike me down should I ever neglect that task. When I spoke with Elder Zedne, she told me to look inside myself and find the real reason as to why I was unhappy. That was when I had finally realized that being with you was more important than my betrothal to Kere.”

  For the first time since their sudden reunion, Nyx smiled. She leaned over and gave her brother a hug. “I am gladdened that you joined us. When you stayed behind at first, I thought a part of me was missing. Now I feel whole again.”

  Jinn smiled and kissed her cheek. “We are now five. So have no fear for you now have a mighty hunter by your side and we shall have plenty of food with which to make this journey.”

  Miri snorted as she tended the cooking pot. “When you made your escape, you could have brought more than just a pair of empty waterskins. For when we started this journey, we barely had enough provisions for the four of us. With you here, we now have insufficient food to make such a long journey.”

  Jinn turned to his side as he confidently brought out the weapons he had taken with him. “But Protector, I have brought along a bow in addition to my spear, this gives us a great ability to hunt prey. With two Strigas by my side, we can harvest meat every day.”

  Nyx rolled her eyes. “Miri is right. You make a lot of boasts, but you could have brought more provisions with you.”

  “But I was harried!” Jinn said. “I barely had time to make my escape. I hurriedly took what I could gather quickly and made off into the Silt Sea before the sentry watch would be coming to my hut this eventide. There was also a small sandstorm that blanketed the silt farms and greatly aided my flight.”

  Nyx turned to Miri. “Do you think they will truly come after us now that my brother joined up as well?”

  Miri shook her head. “I do not think so. They would have to organize the entire tribe to do that, a major expedition would take days to prepare. I am confident that our ruse worked and they probably think that Jinn followed us to the west. Nevertheless, we will post a watch after we eat.”

  Devos gave a brief shout as he threw his hands up in the air. “I think we have found it!”

  All eyes turned to look at him. Rion chuckled.

  “What did you find?” Miri asked.

  “Well, Rion has found that one of the telling stones actually contains a passage from the tale of Kaelr, the Magus who traveled to Lethe,” Devos said proudly before turning to look at the boy. “Perhaps it is more fitting if you tell them the tale yourself, Rion.”

  Rion was in a merry mood. He shook his head. “I think it is better that you tell the story, Elder Devos, you are the teller after all.”

  Devos snorted. “Oh, very well. Kaelr was a Magus who had fought the dreaded Gorgons for many cycles and had slain a fair number of them. One of his most famous exploits was when he ventured into a forest of cedar to hunt down a powerful Gorgon named Huwa.”

  Nyx raised a hand as she listened intently. It was like being a child in the teller’s hut back in the village all over again.”What is a forest of cedar?”

  “When the world was young, there were great towering beasts called trees,” Devos said as he held his arms straight up into the twilit sky. “These beings did not move and just grew upwards until they reached out into the sky. Their bodies were cylindrical, like the spine of an animal, and instead of limbs, they had flat hands called leaves. They fed upon the soil and the sun and rain, for these trees did not need to eat other beasts. The lands were covered with them. A clump of trees growing together was called a forest, and many animals lived within these places to both feed on these things and each other.”

  Jinn closed his eyes and tried to imagine such a sight. He could picture large, tub
ular worms with the color of sand that reached out into the sky with their green tendrils. He always felt strange every time he listened to a teller’s story.

  “Kaelr had a trusted companion, a creature that was half-man, half-beast by the name of Idu. You see, Idu was said to have been created by the gods to find and murder Kaelr, but the half-man was defeated by the Magus, and instead of killing his opponent, Kaelr spared his life and the two became trusted friends. Anyway, both the Magus and the half-man ventured into this forest to destroy the Gorgon Huwa. They found her and defeated her. Huwa begged for her life, and Kaelr felt pity for the monster, such was his compassion for the ones he defeated. In the end, Kaelr refused to finish off the Gorgon, but his companion Idu slew her. The gods then cursed Idu and caused him to waste away and die while in the arms of his friend.”

  Miri looked at the teller. “A fascinating story, but what does that have to do with helping us find the city of Lethe?”

  Devos was clearly irritated at the interruptions. “Alright, alright. I shall now get to the nub as to why I recited this tale to all of you. You see, this was the reason why Kaelr had finally decided that he would no longer do battle with the Gorgons. His grief over the loss of his companion Idu had changed him. He had heard about a city called Lethe, which was said to be the first and last city of man. Kaelr had been told by many elders during his travels that Lethe could offer him sanctuary, for the gods and the Gorgons held no power over its inhabitants. Whoever managed to make it past the gates of Lethe would be granted immortality and peace. Kaelr then had a new purpose in his life, he would travel across the ends of the world to find this fabled city. Once he passed through its gates, he would finally be at peace with himself.”

  This time, nobody interrupted the story. Devos took a sip from the waterskin before he continued. “Now, the passage in the telling stone that Rion had been able translate says that Kaelr wandered through the wastes for many cycles. During one particular journey, he had come across a wadi carved from solid rock. It was huge, twisting place in which the winds howled down the cliffs and crevasses to carve out pathways through stone using sand and air. The name of this place was called the Valley of Stone. After following a marked path through this wadi for many days, he soon found another desert and across that sea of sand, he could see the towers of the Black Redoubt out in the distance.”