by Liv Daniels
Of course she had heard whisperings and fragmented stories about the Desert, but it was not the kind of place that one assumed was real. She had thought that it was only something out of a fairy tale, albeit not a very nice one. Images of burning sands, terrible beasts and fire spewing out of bottomless pits arose in her mind. She wondered how many of the stories were true.
There was only one way to find out.
Perhaps it was only naive curiosity that drew her in. She probably could have gone around the Desert and only have lost a few weeks. But since she left the dell, she had begun to feel alone, more alone than even she had ever wished for. Somehow it seemed to her that if she was to venture into the loneliest place in her reach, she might sooner find its cure. And it drew her, that she couldn't deny. It was almost as if a voice was calling her from within, "Come. See me for yourself."
Had she known it, there was another tale, more secret, more furtively related, that had never reached her ears. That tale spoke of the Desert's seductive pull, of countless travelers who had entered it and were lost within, never seen again. Some great evil, it was said, slept within, waiting. But she did not know, and no such idea entered her mind. In the end, she simply resolved that though the Desert lay before her, she was not going to alter her path for that reason alone.
She took a deep breath and stepped past the cover of the last trees of the forest. At that moment, the ground underneath her gave a great convulsion, as if the very earth trembled at her breach of the Desert's border. She was thrown to her knees, and remained there for quite some time after the quaking had stopped. She almost turned and fled, but with no little effort forced herself to keep her eyes pointed straight ahead until her heartbeat slowed. Then she got up, and began to make her way forward into the Desert.
There was nothing here that moved. Even the air seemed to have sunk to the ground, limp and lifeless. Immediately upon entering, the girl had felt some spirit of hostility pressing upon her. She was an intruder, something that moved in a land that had been still and silent for countless years. Her feet left marks in the thick, untouched layer of dust that covered the ground. In this place, her footprints were permanent, irrevocable. It did not seem that there was any reason that they should not remain for a thousand years. She had entered the Desert.
Something about that thought frightened her more than the earthquake had. She turned around, half determined to go back. It was only then that she discovered that the tremor had torn the earth behind her, creating a gaping fissure. But she hardly noticed this; it was what was beyond the fissure that drew her eyes. There was only flat desert. The border of the forest was nowhere to be seen. And yet she was sure that she had not walked more than ten steps.
Chapter 4
For a moment she did not move as if in a stupor. Finally she took a deep breath. Just go on. You’ll be out in a few days at most. And so she added to her trail of footprints, and did not look back again.
She quickly lost a sense of her own size in the vastness of the Desert. Every desolate valley, lonely rock formation, and flat expanse seemed to have been formed on a scale quite beyond her own power to imagine. Once she came upon a vast salt flat, an expanse of at least several miles in breadth, devoid of anything but a caked layer of cracking salt and an occasional stagnant pool of what may have at one time been water. On that stretch she felt helplessly small. What power could she possibly wield against such massive things as existed here?
But sometimes she would come to an especially large shoulder of stone or packed earth, and would climb to the top. When she was there, looking out over miles of emptiness, she felt that she could hold the whole World in her hand.
She must have walked for several hours. The feeling of being unwelcome had worn off, but with that came another onset of dreadful loneliness. It was odd, because she had rarely felt any need for human companionship in her life. And yet, now when it was farthest, she began to wonder what it was like to be truly understood by someone else. In this empty place, her thoughts seemed to grow large and engulf her. They were exhausting, a being of their own. She began to wish that someone would show up and chase them away, reassure her. The voice of reassurance inside herself had lost its potency.
A field of spire-like rock formations appeared in the distance. Beyond it, there were two shapes that could have been human figures. She stopped and rubbed her eyes, certain that she was hallucinating. But the shapes remained. She advanced, and sure enough, they appeared to be human figures, one significantly shorter than the other.
A surprising franticness came over her. She waved uncontrollably to the two shapes on the horizon. She couldn't tell if they saw her, so she took to yelling and took off running toward them. It crossed her mind that it was rather reckless to reveal herself so readily to someone that she could not even see clearly, but she couldn't make herself care anymore. Either way, it was too late now. The figures began to advance in her direction.
She slowed down, forcing herself to be cautious. The distance was longer than it seemed in this empty land, and she walked for a full ten minutes. The spires of stone, which had looked so small from a distance, were now before her and rose well over her head, blocking out the sun. At length the two figures disappeared from her view behind the spires. She immediately stopped. They couldn't see her anymore. Should she run away? She had no way of knowing if they were friendly. Maybe she had been too rash. She hesitated, toying with the question in her mind. In the end it was answered for her; before she had given any thought to moving, the wanderers appeared in front of her.
She took a sharp intake of breath when she saw them. One was not human at all, a monstrous and ugly creature with long curved horns. Its eyes were squinted and it kept them tilted away from the sun. It was deviously tall but stocky and looked quite capable of overpowering her with a mere flick of its clawed fingers. It was the other figure, however, that drew most of her attention.
He was short and only a boy, probably no older than herself. But he carried himself with all the overt confidence of a sultan who has never been struck down. Uncontested power was in every sinew of his face. The monster was obviously under his command; it stopped at a signal from him, and it looked to him for instruction like an obedient puppy. His long black cape would have looked ridiculous on anyone else, but one couldn't help but take him seriously. She disliked him immediately.
"Who are you?" she asked.
His eyes widened and he studied her with cool disdain. "Is that how you are accustomed to addressing emperors in your land?"
"Well, no, but I don't see how that pertains to this situation."
"I sincerely hope you are joking. Even so, that would be a dangerous joke. Surely you must be aware that I am Dangerman, dictator of all this land? Furthermore, you are a trespasser here. It would serve you well to be careful what you say; I may yet find it in my heart to have some degree of mercy on you, however little you may deserve it."
She only scoffed. "Dangerman? A dictator? Why, you can't be any older than I am." She was a bit shocked at herself for being so blunt, but then she had never felt such severe dislike for anyone in her limited experience. This boy was absolutely ludicrous and she was convinced that, whoever he really was, he deserved being spoken to in this way.
Now he seemed to be truly taken aback. Spasms of rage flashed across his face. The monster at his side let out a low growl. She stepped back, almost regretting her rash words.
"I am every day of seventeen," said the so-called Dangerman proudly.
The regret left her as quickly as it had come. "I'm eighteen. In fact, since I'm an adult and you’re not I could probably confiscate your whole country."
"You know you can't prove that."
"Not any more than you can prove you are a dictator. Do you even have any subjects?"
"Of course I do. If you want to know I'm only in this uninhabited area because I am surveying it for trespassers."
She let out an exasperated sigh. "And what does it matter to you th
at I'm—trespassing?"
"I've had enough of this idle talk. I won't subject myself to such blatant disregard. I'll make you a slave for the rest of your sorry life, and maybe you will learn to regret it yet." With that he motioned to the monster, which swiftly stepped forward and laid a scaly hand on her shoulder. "You will accompany me to my fortress," Dangerman said, "and then you will see my power before your own eyes."
She was forced to march before the monster for many miles. She soon lost any sense of distance. The land became increasingly desolate and unearthly. Often she thought of trying to escape, but any extraneous movement, however subtle, brought a warning out of the depths of her hideous escort's throat.
She could have tolerated that, but the short figure at her side, cape trailing in the sand, haughtiness in every step, made the march unbearable. At all times his countenance silently trumpeted, "I've won."
She refused to speak and kept her gaze straight ahead of her. You haven't won yet, she replied in thought.
They approached a range of low mountains just before the setting of the sun. At their feet was a large round crater. It seemed at least a mile in diameter, and she shuddered to think what force had carved such a massive depression in the earth.
The monster forced her to the crater's brink. Far below, at the very center of the black void that opened up beneath her feet, there was a red glow. "What is it?" She asked under her breath.
Dangerman came up alongside her. "My fortress, of course. Starting to believe me?" He did not wait to see the contempt sweep over her face, but only laughed and swooped onto a narrow stone stairway that descended to the bottom of the crater. The monster forced her after him with a harsh jab in the back.
When they reached the bottom, the darkening sky was only a pale circle above their heads. Dark walls stood over them on all sides, their shadows obscuring all but the devious red glow ahead. A long stretch of barren, rocky ground lay between them and the glow, but she thought that she could feel heat coming from that direction.
They advanced, and soon she could see the source of both the glow and the heat. A red, molten river churned before them. A river of fire. So the stories were true.
Like a moat, the river encircled several fortified structures. The structures themselves were very large, and gave the appearance of a small city. There was only one bridge across the fiery river, and it was narrow. Here was a place that could stand against thousands.
As they crossed the stone bridge, the intense heat that emanated from the molten lava seared her skin. She wanted to close her eyes to shield them from the heat, but she didn't dare block her vision for fear of falling. She put all of her focus on putting one trembling foot in front of the other, trying to ignore the churning abyss scarcely a foot's length away from her on either side. To add to her unease, the creature behind her was constantly prodding her on, and she feared that at any moment it might knock her over the edge.
Dangerman had long since reached the other side, and now stood at the brink of the molten red moat, watching. The lava's glow revealed a smug expression on his face. When she finally reached the other end, he leaned toward her and whispered, "Afraid?"
She glared at him, but quickly withdrew her gaze and marched on. The fortress loomed ahead.
They reached a gate guarded by two more monstrous creatures. They were intelligent beings; that she had been able to tell from the first. Her escort had even made grunts like to her own speech, and once she had been sure that she had heard words among them. But she also perceived that they were not like her. There was nothing human in them. Human eyes, though they do not seem to visibly change, are wells of expression, constantly in motion under the surface, creating ripples that can be seen and felt and connected with. But the eyes of these creatures were utterly static. They took in what was going on around them, but their only response was physical. Nothing changed their eyes. She wondered what it would be like not to have any sense of happiness, or fear, or conscience.
At a signal from Dangerman, the brutes opened the two-paneled gate in perfect unison. Then, with a sweep of his cape, he was through, and the monster at her back forced her to follow. The monsters began to close the gate behind her, and, despite the protests and prodding of her escort, she turned to look. She saw her footprints stretching past the lava’s glow and fading away into the darkness beyond. She wished she could follow them back. The gate closed, and they were lost from her view.
“Hurry up, will you?” Dangerman called irately. The monster gave her a shove, and she fell to the ground with a cry. Before she could move, it had hoisted her roughly onto its shoulders and was running at a frightful speed. She clung to its grimy back for her life, and closed her eyes. How long the creature ran, she didn’t know. She kept her eyes shut. She heard the grinding of a large stone door, and felt a wave of cool air. It did not bring any relief from the stinging heat of the lava, but seemed to bite, as if the steaming beads of sweat all over her had suddenly turned to ice. There was talking and shuffling of feet and loud noises and jerks, and then she was tossed like a bag of flour onto something that must have once been soft. She heard the monster’s raspy breathing and heavy footfalls recede and a door click shut.
She opened her eyes. She was in a small stone room, lying on a ragged mat that appeared to be plastered to the rough stone floor. It was directly opposite a barred window, whence came a red glow that singed her face. Already the sweat was melting again.
She got up, shakily, and leaned against the wall farthest from the window. The stone was slightly cool, and she pressed herself against it, breathing deeply, closing her eyes again. What had just happened?
The long day of walking in the Desert had exhausted her. She cast herself down again on the thin mat and laid there with a face as blank as a sheet. Now that she was left in stillness, the river that had been held back by the floodgates of movement burst upon her.
She wondered if all the World was like this. Was this the darkness that Grandmother had spoken of? But more pressing, was this what she herself had wished for? The World had always seemed so vast and beautiful, but now it seemed cold and hard. Small. And she was trapped in it without much hope of ever getting out. She had never felt true despair before, but now it engulfed her heart.
Her thoughts turned to the boy who called himself Dangerman. How odd that this fate should come to her by way of a seventeen-year-old! When she had met him in the Desert, certainly she had sensed his power, but she had underestimated it. As it was, his dominion and strength were no illusion, and neither was her place in them. She would be a slave for life, he had said, and now at the first bitter taste she believed it. Too late. Now she would have to swallow the whole cup, down to the very last drop. She felt certain it would destroy her.
Resolve is a strange thing. Often in our darkest moments a calm will come upon us, as if the heavy curtains of perspective are for a moment drawn aside, and we see reality for what it truly is. Such is what she experienced that night, and when she should have been crushed she found herself lying in peace without any more thoughts to trouble her mind. Yes, tomorrow would come, but it wasn't here yet. And maybe it wouldn't even matter when it was.
A melody came to her mind, some song that she had heard long ago. At the time it had been too sad for her taste, but she saw it in a different light now. It spoke to her of hope where there was none, a ray of light where none could be found. She hummed it aloud to the silent room. Something kindled in her heart, and remained there forever after.
Chapter 5
She awoke suddenly, feeling very hot, and yet shivering. Her head was ringing as if she was dizzy. With a sharp intake of breath, she shot over to the stone wall and then sunk to the ground. She sat for a long time, her head against her knees, staring at the opposite wall through the hazy red glow, thinking of nothing. At length her head cleared. She straightened her legs out, stretched her arms, and stood up.
The room was still dim, but it was a little lighter than it had been the night
before. Some light, at least, made its way down into the crater. She felt inclined to risk the heat and look out the window. Across the way was a formidable stone building with a tower spiraling from its center. Monsters stood guarding every entrance. One brute wielding a whip was herding a group of people just past her window. They looked haggard, tired, all hauling huge lumps of stone. One of them, a little boy probably no older than ten, fell behind, and the monster’s whip bit at his heels. He yelped and ran to catch up with the others. Is Dangerman really that heartless? the girl wondered.
The thought of escape had not occurred to her before, but now, suddenly, the idea took hold of her. She left the window and began to examine the room. There was only one door, and it was securely locked. She began to feel the wooden panels that lined one wall of her prison, but they all appeared secure. She was not disheartened; she had known from the beginning that this room was unescapable. Trying to find a way out had only been an outlet for her sudden onset of energy. But someday, surely, she would find a way to escape. She wouldn’t stay here forever. All she had to do was watch, and wait for the right opportunity.
The door burst open abruptly, and she jumped against the wall in surprise. In the doorway was the monster that had escorted her through the Desert yesterday. “Dangerman wants to see you,” it said in an expressionless voice that sounded like a low growl. She nodded, and walked past the creature out of the door before it could prod her. She found herself in a low stone hallway lined with wooden doors. The monster took a rough hold of her shoulder and forced her down the hallway and out of a door at the end. She was met with a burst of heat. They were outside.
They followed a dusty footpath to the entrance of the building with the spiraling tower. It was easy to guess that this was Dangerman’s residence. It was certainly a formidable building. Its doors were easily twice her height and engraved with carvings of harsh shapes. Dangerman, she supposed, must have thought it grand, but to her it seemed only a parody. All its effort to appear magnificent only distorted it. Neither beauty nor grandeur could be achieved in that manner.