The Gauntlet ( A Fantasy Novella)

by Michael Diack

  “In a bit, I’ll just check the surroundings first. I want to make sure it’s safe.”

  “It is, we can relax here. You can relax here. It’s like the valley of peace we were in, a reward for our hard work and a place to replenish our reserves.”

  “Or just a natural feature. Water gives life, I want to make sure we and the trees are not the only ones living round here. This could still be a trick.”

  Ugg didn’t argue any further and, smiling, waded into the water to join Ash. It was relatively cool, despite being scorched under the sun.

  “Where is she going?” enquired Ash.

  “To scout the area. She takes a long time to trust anyone or anything, no matter how tranquil it appears on the surface.”

  “The water will do her good, but it’s probably best us two give her some space if she wants to bathe. When we set off to the dunes we can go earlier than her and wait for her to catch up, if that sounds reasonable?”

  “It does. By the way I noticed your reaction to her back in the maze, after we’d eaten that thing. She’s not completely heartless, at least I don’t think so,” smiled Ugg.

  “No? I get the feeling she would kill me if I was a hindrance to her completing this quest, or test, or whatever it is.”

  “She likes you, I think. Remember she dragged your sorry ass out of the water back at the fall. She’s just a realist. Strong, focused and not obsessed with the woes of the dead like you. I think the mundane life of being a guard has shielded you from the cold, hardened reality of our world. The world outside the citadel. One which Janna and I are, sadly, all too familiar with.”

  “I know all about death, believe me, but that doesn’t mean you have to get used to it. I’m not a religious man, but I want to believe that we all deserve better than lying on a ground somewhere as a meal for the next person or animal to come along.”

  “It’s obvious to me that your duty in the citadel has changed you. You should have been with me on patrol, we sure could have had some fun together slaying bears, boars and bandits! We’d have made a great team.”

  The two men were so engrossed in conversation they didn’t notice Janna had returned from her scout.

  “Well, gentlemen, it is safe here. Now, do I have to ask or can I just presume?” said Janna.

  “She knows us so well. Let us go for a walk and dry off, Ash. Those sand dunes look like they need exploring, what do you say?”

  “We’ll wait for you by the highest dune, enjoy the water!”

  Ash and Ugg collected their possessions, while their water and food pouches had already been restocked by Janna with what little scraps she could forage.

  “See, she does like you or she wouldn’t have refilled your food and water. I’m still her favourite though, she gave me a few more dates,” laughed Ugg.

  The two men walked away to leave Janna to bathe alone. They reached the edge of the desert after a short distance and gazed up in wonder at the crescent dunes, both majestic in their shape and equally daunting in size. Wisps of sand blew from the peaks and off the dune crests.

  “They are beautiful. I have never seen such a wondrous landscape before,” said Ash.

  “Going to be a pain to walk up though. I’m tired just thinking about it, the small ones on the beaches were tough enough.”

  “In the maze we were physically confined, but once we are deep in those dunes we will also be their prisoner.”

  “Nothing new. We have been prisoners since we first entered that devious chasm between the rocks.”

  Ugg sat on the floor, his back cracked as he did so and his knees popped. He let out a small groan and said: “My body is breaking. I hope there is a masseuse at the end, I badly need one. My shoulder’s not too bad though. It could have been much worse.”

  “I have thought a lot about the end, if there even is one. I’ve concluded that there is probably just a sea, with a small boat on the beach and another horizon waiting to be explored.”

  “That sounds terrible. I’d prefer a dead end, then at least we have closure. I hate mysteries.”

  Janna was approaching the knights, her distant figure gradually transforming from a vertical, blurry line into a slender, tall woman. She looked radiant and reborn, the oasis had done her the world of good. Ash noticed that Janna, looking very comfortable as she approached the men, looked like she had always lived here. Like she could have been a native of, what were to him, anyway, strange and exotic lands.

  “Well, here we are again, on the verge of entering another unknown,” Janna said.

  “Let’s get to the top of this dune first and see what we’re facing. You look good, Janna,” said Ash.

  Janna was taken aback by the compliment and only nodded back to Ash in response, before beginning the ascent of the sand dune. Ugg winked at Ash, suspecting Janna had secretly liked what the knight had said.

  They trudged up the imposing dune, quickly becoming exhausted as their legs sunk deep into the orange sand. The hot, desiccating wind that rolled down from the crest fought against their ascent and made it even more difficult.

  “I’m knackered, you two go on ahead and I’ll meet you at the top,” said an exhausted Ugg.

  “I’ll wait with you, there is no rush,” replied Ash.

  Janna continued and reached the crest, although she collapsed onto her knees at the summit to regain her breath.

  “Well, what do you see?” shouted Ash a dozen metres below her.

  Janna took a moment to eye the landscape and her gaze fixed on one particular feature. She was stunned by what she saw, before finally responding: “I could describe it to you, but you would not believe me until you saw it with your own eyes. I suggest you get up here as quick as possible if you don’t want to wait any longer to find out.”

  Ugg’s energy and spirit was renewed upon hearing Janna’s exciting words and, together with Ash, the men reached the summit.

  “I think we’ve found our ending. Yes, it has to be,” said Janna.

  In the far distance glistened a clear, crystalline tower that twisted upwards from its wide base and gradually spiralled out to a single, golden peak.

  “It’s magnificent,” declared Ash.

  “It can’t be more than a day’s walk, but it is difficult to fathom the true distance,” said Ugg. “Look, down there, there are tracks in the sand.”

  “It was a snake, I saw it make them while you two were climbing. This desert is probably riddled with snakes, most likely the venomous kind.”

  “I wish we had our leg guards on. If we don’t interfere with them they will leave us alone,” said Ash.

  “This is not like the maze, darkness will be our ally here. The sun will only boil us and make us sweat. We should go back to the water and wait for dusk, then begin the journey,” said Ugg.

  “The snakes will be harder to spot at night and perhaps more active,” said Janna.

  “I agree with Ugg. We should not underestimate the sun. If this is the final challenge, then we must assume it is the most difficult,” said Ash.

  “We will wait then,” said Janna.

  “Uh, I forgot that means we have to climb this dune again,” said Ugg.

  The three of them turned around but immediately noticed something blurry on the horizon, not far from the exit of the maze.

  “Quick, get down,” shouted Janna.

  They hurriedly collapsed to the sands and lay flat, with just their heads peeking out over the crest.

  “There are four of them, I think, maybe more. It’s those green things, it has to be. Unless there were others also in the maze?” said Ash.

  “Hmm, if it’s the green things they may know we ate their friend. They are going to be aggravated,” said Ugg.

  “I cannot tell if they are armed but, regardless, there are more of them than us. Do we risk fighting?” said Janna.

  “No. We are ahead of them. Let’s keep it that way. They will surely stop at the trees before continuing, it would be suicide to not. I say we take our
chances that the tower is the end and get to it first,” said Ash.

  “Me too. We are already wasting our lead the more we talk,” said Ugg.

  “What are we waiting for then? Come on,” cried Janna.

  All three of them scuttled down the dune and, with a fast pace, traversed the sands heading towards the gleaming spire – their guiding beacon. The dunes undulated up and down but none, thankfully, were as large as the first they had climbed. The sand sapped their energy but they were spurred on by the unsettling knowledge that they had strangers behind them, most likely pursuing their footsteps.

  The wind was dry and suffering as it blew the sand grains around them. It slowly washed away faint snake trails and the tracks of other creatures – beetles, scorpions and spiders.

  “I remember when I first stepped into The Gauntlet I was picturing myself fighting huge monsters with multiple heads or worse. Yet here we are, keeping our distance from beings which are, in many ways, very similar to us in shape,” said Ugg.

  “They are not similar to us, they are green. We are all heading to the same destination after battling our way through a series of physical and mental challenges. The end, if that spire is the end, I am certain is not a prize to be shared equally,” said Janna.

  “They will undoubtedly see our footsteps in these sands, if they haven’t already picked them up across the gravel plain,” said Ash. “They know we are ahead of them and judging by our footsteps, they too will know that they are not chasing monsters. They are probably just as confused as we are.”

  “How do we know we will be the first to arrive at the spire? We could just be the next in a line of hundreds who have made it over the years?” said Ugg.

  Janna stayed silent, she hoped Ugg wasn’t right and her gut feeling told her no one had made it yet. She wanted to win.

  Ash laughed out loud and proclaimed: “It wouldn’t surprise me if we got there and only one person could enter. If The Gauntlet was only ever meant to be conquered by one. That would be good news for you Janna, as you were first. But the short straw for Ugg and myself. Let’s just hope it isn’t death for second and third place!”

  “We are speculating too much, just like before. We’ve got so far because we’ve always kept our heads level, focusing only on the present danger and obstacle ahead. I would suggest a break but sitting down does nothing for our lead,” said Janna.

  The three knights continued and, more than they realized, kept checking behind them for their pursuers. There was no further sight of them, however, that did little to remove the growing feeling of unease that they all shared.

  Chapter 9: The Suffering Sands

  The peak of the midday heat had passed and the cooler air gave some welcome respite to the three knights, although there was zero shade available. The rationed fraction of water they drank from their flasks did little to quench their parched mouths and headaches booming within their skulls. The distant tower loomed ever taller but it still appeared more than the expected day’s walk away. All three knights suspected they would die of thirst before reaching it but none shared their thoughts.

  The three of them had dispersed out in a line, separated by short distances. Ugg was feeling the worst. Janna and Ash could hear his heavy breathing behind them.

  “Let us stop to rest. Or we will collapse from exhaustion and our pursuers will catch us anyway,” said Ash.

  “Very well,” said Janna, concerned for Ugg.

  All three were suffering but Janna looked in better shape than the two men. They passed around the knife and popped the numerous blisters on their feet one by one.

  “Perhaps the green things took a different route to their friend, if it was their friend, and didn’t see the body? Maybe we have no reason to fear them,” queried Ugg.

  “Are you saying we should wait for them and make friends? What would we do if we saw footsteps ahead? We would quicken the pace and make sure we didn’t arrive last,” said Janna.

  Ash agreed with her logic.

  “Let’s face it, even within our own kind we are robbing, murdering and raping each other. What chance is there of peace with others when we are at war with ourselves?” declared Ash. “I can carry on again, I just want to get there now. There is nothing in this desert, and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. It is a landscape of nothing - a test in itself.”

  Ugg grabbed a handful of hot sand and let it flow out in between his fingers, he sighed deeply and said: “I am in pain, my shoulder and my legs are aching and my heart is weak. I cannot continue. You two would be much faster without me. I have great respect and fondness for you both and I cannot bare to be your burden any longer. You two know I am dragging you back.”

  “You are not a burden, my friend. I will not leave you behind even if there was an army behind us. The sun has fried your brain and made you forget you are in the company of friends. If your legs have failed then I will simply drag you to the end. I’m a stubborn man and won’t take no for an answer,” stated Ash.

  Ugg laughed. “You are not that strong, I am far too heavy. You would soon pass out lugging my fat ass across these sands! No, I shall wait here and make friends with our green folk. Stall them to give you two more time. It is precisely because I consider you two my great friends that I want to do this. There is no higher respect you can bestow upon me as your friend and compatriot than to leave me to give you two a better chance. Please, I beg you.”

  Ash could see teardrops beginning to form in Ugg’s eyes and in his heart he knew that this was the outcome for his dear friend, but he tried again to convince him otherwise.

  “Stop being so damn noble and stand up. The tower cannot be more than a night away. At least come a little further, your legs still work and while they do you shall not martyr yourself in our honour. Say something, Janna, talk him out of his foolishness.”

  In truth Ash didn’t expect Janna to display any great feeling of emotion given her track record.

  “I would do the same for you two if I could go no further. You are the only two men I would happily die for and that is the biggest honour I can bestow upon you.”

  Ash frowned and Ugg smiled.

  “Farewell, my friends. I hope when you get to the tower you find your answers. This need not be the end. Perhaps you two could even come back for me if the tower does possess a power to conquer the lands? I may even be here relaxing with my new best friends, I was always pretty good at socialising.”

  Janna kissed Ugg on the forehead and embraced him tightly with a hug. She then walked away with her focus on the tower, as always, mindful of the job in hand.

  “That’s it? A farewell kiss and then walk away?” shouted Ash to Janna, rather angrily.

  “Like I said, Ash, you are too damn soft for your own good,” said Ugg. “I hope that won’t be your downfall. You think about death too much but Janna, and myself included, know that when we die we simply go back to the sands and dirt from which we came. It’s fitting this be my grave! But I’m hopeful as well because if a higher being did make all of this, which looks likely, then death might not be the end.”

  “She is getting further away,” muttered Ash anxiously.

  “Just go. I have already lived more years than I should have. Old men were not meant to survive this passage, it is on the support and companionship of good friends I have got this far.”

  “Take some of my water, at least.”

  “On the contrary you should take mine. If those green things kill me before I finish it all, then what use is water on a dead man? Even worse, I don’t want my water helping them. No. Take my water, all of it. I insist.”

  Ash reluctantly accepted the water Ugg handed to him.

  “Go. You don’t need to kiss me.”

  Ash smiled and embraced Ugg with his arms, patting him firmly on his back, before departing to catch up with Janna. Ugg watched his friends disappear into the distance and turned away from them, waiting for the pursuers to show up on the horizon.

  The sun had set
and the darkness of the night crept in. The temperatures plummeted very quickly and Ash and Janna found themselves shivering as they walked.

  “I didn’t expect this at all,” commented Ash. “Give me the heat of the day back.”

  “You’ll be saying the opposite thing in half a day. With Ugg’s water we should make it to the tower, he has saved our lives. He was a true hero.”

  “He was…still is a hero, you should say. He’s still alive, I can feel it. I know you might be annoyed at me for saying this, but tell me: do you feel any compassion at all?”

  “Not in the same way you do. I am different, I know, but I am not completely cold-hearted. I would not have left him if I thought he would make it, but he had given up – you could see it in his eyes. The life was leaving him and I saw the way you looked at him, you knew it to be true. I’d do the same and so would you if either of us were dying. It was an honour to know Ugg and I’d rather remember and embrace the time I had with him than drown in sorrow for his loss.”

  Ash stayed silent. Janna always spoke so logically even if they weren’t always the easiest words to hear.

  “Watch out, a snake to your right,” said Janna.

  The snake lunged at Ash but the knight dodged it just in time.

  “Thanks, that was close. Damn things are too small to get close to with the knife, otherwise we could kill it and eat it.”

  “I agree, they are not worth the risk. To be bitten by one would mean death. There are many other tracks marked by creatures I do not recognise, but I am willing to guess they are as dangerous to us as the snakes. In this harsh environment it is kill or be killed.”

  The moonlight reflected off the golden peak of the tower ahead of them, like a bright star in the sky, guiding them towards it. Meanwhile Ugg was staring up at the same golden light, his thoughts on his friends and what they would find upon reaching it. But then Ugg heard whispers on the wind and his attention immediately switched to the sound. There were six, not four, of the green folk approaching him, following closely the footsteps created by Ugg, Ash and Janna. Ugg decided to stand up and raise his arms, to reveal to the strangers that he was no threat, as he could clearly see they were carrying spears in their arms.