by Blink, Bob
“Do you think that is how the Baldari get to us?” Carif asked. “They have found a series of these protected zones and use them to span the Wastelands?”
“I cannot say, Saltique,” Kimm replied. “As far as we know, they lack the magic to make the distance spanning jumps. They would have to make the journey the slow and arduous way. The green zones would provide water and rest, but wouldn’t overcome the rigors of the journey as it has for our strangers.”
“What about the land they came from?” Carif asked. “Can you tell much without being able to hear her thoughts?”
“As I’ve indicated, it appears larger than Sedfair. It also appears to be split into multiple kingdoms. I cannot say from what we saw whether that makes them stronger or weaker or how closely they are aligned in their thinking. There are signs they have problems with the Chulls as well.”
“Explain,” Carif urged.
“Originally we thought they might have been behind the Chulls. They visited an incredibly large place where strange beings oversee the creation of the Chulls. There were images showing the strangers riding upon the normally aggressive beasts. They used them to traverse long stretches of the wilderness.
At first we took this to indicate the strangers might be the masters of these creatures, but further sorting through the woman’s memories suggests otherwise. There are memories of her killing vast numbers with her magic. Her memories show fierce battles, with magic beyond any I have seen, being unleashed to kill the creatures. It is difficult to reconcile the two sets of images.
“They also appear to have some form of magical barrier that restricts the Chulls from moving inland against their country. It is only partially effective, but it is better than our approach of sending squads of soldiers to try and stop the creatures. It looks as if far more of the Chulls are present in their lands than we have become accustomed to here in Sedfair.”
“Would it be possible for us to make our way to this production area? How about back to their lands?”
“I can see no reason why not,” Kimm replied. “The images have been captured and are stored and available for any who wish to acquire them. Once the locations are integrated into ones own memories, they should be accessible for making Doorways no differently than one’s true memories.”
“That is good. I think we need to see for ourselves what is out there. For the first time we might have been handed a means of crossing those miserable sands. It might give us a way to bring the battles to the Baldari as well.”
“We might know a great deal more if you would allow us to probe the dark-haired one,” Kimm asked hopefully. “It has been noted that he is becoming familiar with our language, so anything we looked at would be explained in a manner we could understand. Under the influence of the Reading, he could be questioned extensively and he wouldn’t be able to resist as effectively.”
“The idea has merit,” Carif agreed. “For now, however, I wish to wait. Let’s see what the information extracted from the woman can tell us. I don’t want to risk the male since he might be our access to someone who can speak.”
“I’ve been told that he is teaching the old one some of the language,” Kimm informed the Saltique. “Perhaps given some time, we might have two who can communicate.”
“That would indeed be helpful. All the more reason to leave the dark-haired one alone for now.”
“As you wish,” Kimm replied, but Carif could tell she was disappointed. Sometimes she thought Kimm enjoyed her work too much.
“Have the image crystals sent to me,” Carif ordered. “Also, have Kirin go to the border and fetch the Caster named Suline. They both already know of the intruders, and they can be useful in following back the trail to see if it is indeed possible to visit the lands of these people.”
“Of course,” Kimm said, and stood to leave.
Carif watched as her Specialist left, then making sure the doors were closed, she walked deeper into her quarters and opened a room that she never allowed others to visit. Her predecessor had warned her this place should be held close, and Carif had followed her advice.
The three objects set into supports against the far wall displayed their usual images. She had never known them to be dark, and could not detect how they worked or where they received the magic that must power them. They were old, far older than the recorded history of the Guild. The scenes they displayed were not from Sedfair. One showed a view of a vast sea, an ocean Carif was certain. What was important was that the sun set into this ocean instead of rising from it. Another showed a vast river, with a number of watercraft moving along it. There was no river as large in Sedfair. Finally, the last showed a mountain scene, somewhere along the border of the Wastelands. Sometimes she thought she could see small movements which she believed to be people in this one, which gave her an idea of the scale. She had seen powerful magic unleashed in that one some years before. Magic powerful enough to give her chills.
She believed, as had her predecessors, that the scenes shown were real. She’d never had any idea where, but had feared that the day might come where the lands were discovered, and their own existence revealed. The Queen’s insistence on finding other populated lands had been a worry to Carif for years. Now, perhaps, she had a means of learning if the images shown in the ancient objects were indeed real, and possibly the home of the four strangers.
Carif examined the two women in front of her. Kirin was a known quantity. Strong, determined, and reliable, Carif had trusted her with important tasks before. The other woman she was less certain about. Suline had done well, showing good instincts and performing well under pressure when she’d seen to the capture of the invaders. Still, she had a history. Delril had reminded the Saltique of her being sent to the border region as a result. She was ambitious, and one that didn’t always do as told. On the other hand, she obviously wished to return to Nals, and performing well a personal task set by the Saltique could be considered her best chance of achieving that goal. She had reason to do her best. Carif didn’t want to entrust this effort to a single Caster, nor did she want to bring additional people into awareness of what they had learned. Knowledge was power, and these two had already explored farther into the Wastelands than any others in Sedfair. They would have to do.
Sending just the two of them, however powerful they might be, would have been foolish, of course. Who knew what waited out in the Wastelands, despite the assurances of Kimm, who had a tendency to be overconfident. Fifteen of the Carif’s personal guard would go along. These men were part of the contingent that guarded the cells, and could be counted on to hold their tongues. If she ordered them not to speak of what they did or saw, no word would circulate through the ranks.
“Do you understand what I wish done?” Carif asked the two women.
Kirin nodded instantly, and Suline somewhat slowly, but no less positively. Carif liked that. Kirin aimed to please, but Suline was a thinker. Carif could tell she thought through the consequences of any action or task before proceeding. That thoughtfulness could prove useful out there.
“Both of you have been deeper into the Wastelands than any of us. I wish you to go farther. All the way to the homeland of the four that you captured.”
“I understand,” Kirin said although she hadn’t been asked.
“It will probably be dangerous,” Carif continued, ignoring Kirin’s comments. “There is the possibility that others are waiting out there. Do not engage unless you are certain to be victorious. I would rather you flee and come back immediately to inform us of what you learned. If you can eliminate any that you encounter, do so. It would be better they go missing than report that we are following them back home.”
“Is the primary purpose to explore each of these safe zones you just told us about, or to find a way to the outsider’s homeland?” Suline asked.
“Both,” Carif replied. “I want to know what is to be found at each way point. Are there signs that the four camped there, or perhaps even more than four? What are the Wast
elands like at each location, and do they block the use of magic once outside the safe zone? Also, is there any sign of the Baldari? Is it possible the strangers are somehow in league with them? We need to know what we might be up against.”
Suline nodded as she listened to each instruction.
“Remember, surviving and returning is the most important part of your mission. If it comes to it, one of you should defend the other’s escape. The intelligence you gather is more important than anything else.”
“Do you wish periodic reports, or shall we attempt to go all the way before returning with what we have found?” Kirin asked.
“A reasonable question. Do not continue more than a week without returning with what you have found. More than that and the concern that something unfortunate had happened to you would become foremost in my mind. If it is possible to send back one of the soldiers from where you are, that would suffice, however, I suspect that won’t be possible.”
“Specialist Kimm has the imprints for the mental images of where we are to go?” Kirin asked.
“That is correct,” Carif said. “She has selected the important images from all that were harvested from the Reading. At this time you will not need the complete set as you aren’t to venture into the homeland if you reach it. That will be for a follow-on team, which would be far larger. See her and she will implant the images in your memories so you can use them. Any questions?”
Carif was certain they had many, but neither raised them.
“The guardsmen who will travel with you are waiting outside the medical office where Kimm is waiting for you. Once the memories are transferred, make a Doorway from inside the Guild there, and travel to the edge of the Wastelands. From there, you should travel back to the place where the woman and old man were captured. Have another look to ensure no one has been there since you last explored the area. If so, return here immediately. Otherwise, continue on. Good luck. May the Guild guide you.”
Chapter 38
Less than a glass later the two Casters were back at the normal zone far out in the Wastelands. They had brought with them the fifteen guardsmen that the Saltique had assigned to their mission. None looked particularly happy to be here. They didn’t have to be told where they were. Even though the small ellipse of green was reasonably comfortable, the harsh orange sands that surrounded it made it clear what lay just outside. The oddness of the Wastelands wasn’t completely blocked inside the zone, and all could feel it invading the senses. The men didn’t know how deep into the harsh wilderness they were, something that would have left them even more uncomfortable than they already were had they known. Kirin and Suline weren’t concerned. The men would do as ordered. The future they could look forward to would be very bleak if they did otherwise.
For Suline and Kirin, this was becoming a familiar place. Two of the strangers had been taken prisoner here, and they had spent additional time organizing the careful search of the small oasis and the Wastelands immediately surrounding it. Nothing appeared to have changed. The footsteps made a few days earlier when the two were detained were undisturbed, and nothing suggested others had been here. Even so, they had the men make a search of the area looking for anything that might have been missed or that had been disturbed recently. It gave those who hadn’t been here some time to adjust to the Wastelands. That was important, because they were going to travel even deeper into the forbidden lands. Both Kirin and Suline felt a chill at the thought.
The map that Kimm had provided along with the transferred memories identified this as the last of the normal zones the four strangers had visited before making their way into Sedfair. Suline pushed back a strand of blond hair that kept being blown into her eyes by the growing wind coming off the Wastelands. There hadn’t been wind the last time she had been here, and she wondered if one of the massive sandstorms that could sometimes be seen from the border was brewing. If so, that would make their task even harder. She wondered how the sandstorms affected the oasis. It appeared to stand immune to the Wastelands, but perhaps that wasn’t so once the winds picked up. With the various magics at play here, anything was possible. More importantly, would a storm out here have any effect on their magic, and their ability to return to Nals?
Kirin was directing the guardsmen, having decided she was in charge. Suline didn’t mind. She could tell that Kirin was a favorite of the Saltique. That had been apparent at the meeting with the Guild’s leader and by the attitude that Kirin projected. Suline wondered if her own inclusion in this search was a matter of expediency because she was already involved, or if she had managed to catch the eye of their leader. Suline vowed to make an impression. It wasn’t often that such an opportunity was presented to one. At the same time she couldn’t help wondering why the Saltique wanted to keep this a secret. Clearly there were matters that weren’t being shared, something to keep in mind as they probed deeper into the desert wilderness. The Guild was known for its politics and Suline didn’t want to be caught in the middle of something she didn’t understand.
“I don’t think anyone has been here since our last visit,” Kirin said a short time later when the guardsmen had completed a careful search. “Are you ready to go on to the next location?”
Suline’s private reaction was that she didn’t want to go any deeper into this place than they were. It made her skin crawl to feel the blocking magic of the Wastelands pushing at her from so close, and she could imagine jumping into a spot where they couldn’t leave. Letting nothing of her inner turmoil show on her face, she calmly nodded to her companion.
“Let’s go. I didn’t think we would find anything here. I’ll make the Doorway.”
The mental picture of the next location on the map was crisp and clear as though she had already been there, but it was the memory of the woman who had died under the stress of the Reading. Suline and Kirin had no memories of how the four strangers had made the trip between the two locations, and Suline wondered if they had known of the locations in advance, or had somehow crossed the harsh desert finally locating the widespread oasis. Such information hadn’t been deemed important by Kimm, who had selected which memories taken from the woman they should have.
Suline’s Doorway opened without a problem, something she had wondered about. She had heard of the implanting of memories before, but this was the first time she had actually had them given to her and tried to use them to create one of the portals. It was reassuring to see it work.
Kirin led the way through the portal, still playing the leader. She was followed by the guardsmen, leaving Suline to bring up the rear. After a final look around, Suline stepped into the arch, and out into the next normal zone. Two things struck her immediately. The impact of the Wastelands was stronger here, and the oasis was smaller and had less water. She didn’t know if the pressure she felt exerted by the desert was due to being deeper into the vast Wastelands, or because the island of normalcy was so much smaller. It didn’t really matter, but she found the pressure unnerving. A quick look at the others and she could tell they were feeling it as well.
Kirin already had the men starting their careful search. Suline walked over to one of the few trees and knelt beside the base where she had spotted a footprint in the dirt. Several prints, she noted.
“Someone’s been here,” she called out to Kirin, who hurried over to verify her find.
“Only a couple of prints are clear,” she agreed. “There weren’t a lot of people. I think we can safely assume it was our four prisoners. Unless we find something else, I’d bet they didn’t camp here.”
The careful search turned up nothing else of interest beyond a few patches of grass that looked somewhat trampled.
The next location was in the Wastelands itself, except for some reason the site failed to block their magic. Kimm had made a point of checking the spot out because some kind of artifact had been discovered there. The guardsmen looked even more uncomfortable than Suline felt as they stepped out of the Doorway onto the burning sands that stretched as far
as the eye could see in any direction.
The object was huge, and clearly had been recently unearthed. The sand that was piled off to one side had almost certainly been moved by magic, and hadn’t yet been redistributed by the winds of the Wastelands. Both women laid their hands on the golden metal of the object. Kirin even tried to cut it with her belt knife, but it was far harder than it appeared. Despite the look, it wasn’t made of gold. Most of the writing was completely unfamiliar to Suline, but she could see a similarity of the runes around the base to those used in Casting. They seemed somewhat misshapen, but that was something one of their scholars could determine. She couldn’t help wondering if the strangers understood the writing and the purpose of the object. The team left somewhat sooner than planned when a large herd of Chulls appeared in the distance and headed their way.
All were anxious to move onward, and while not spoken aloud, all were relieved when they emerged from the next Doorway into a large oasis with a substantial pool of water. It was clear immediately that this place had been used by the four. Empty food sacks were found adjacent to where they had camped. The signs suggested the site had been used for a number of days, but a careful search turned up nothing else. All evidence they had found thus far supported the belief that the four had traveled alone.
The next jump took them to another large oasis. They were impossibly far from home. Suline couldn’t help realizing that they were deeper into the Wastelands than anyone from Sedfair had ventured in recorded history. As in the case of the previous oasis, this one showed clear signs of having been used as a camp. The area showed more signs of being disturbed, and the remains of a number of cloth bags that probably had contained supplies were stacked at the base of a large tree not too far from the pool.
“I think this was their base camp,” Suline said, when Kirin walked over to see what she had found.
“Looks like it,” Kirin agreed. “I think we should follow suit and make our camp here. It’s getting late.”