Flashes of that evening came back to Samuel,when his family had been killed,when he had witnessed the two men standing over his mother. Samuel had absorbed Bardick’s memories just before he had killed the man, and he knew Cang’s words were true. Cadin,indeed,was the man’s name and somehow his face shone in Samuel’s memory as if he were standing now in the room, standing over the body of Samuel’s mother and drenched in silver moonlight.
‘Suit yourself,’ Cang said upon Samuel’s silence. ‘I am sure he is not enjoying my attention and perhaps he will even be grateful for a quick end at your hands. Whatever you decide, I will keep him safely for your return.’
Despite his attempts to think otherwise, Samuel could not help but relish the idea.
Cang looked at them one by one, as if waiting for any of them to say more. ‘If no one has anything to add, then I shall assume the matter is settled. Balten will continue with you to Hol, the Paatin city. He will assist you however he can. Do not blame him for any ill feelings you may have for me. He is only a humble servant and knows little of my plans-for practical purposes. Master Celios will stay with me and I will use him to keep track of your progress.’
With that, the spell around them dropped away and Samuel found he could move his legs freely.
‘Horse!’ the Koian woman commanded and the warrior exploded from his seat, unleashed like an arrow. Cang made no attempt to move or cast a spell, for he had no need to. The Koian warrior’s fate was sealed as soon as he left his seat-he fell dead at Cang’s feet with his clenched fist still held out before him.
The god-woman hurried up and stood over her fallen protector. Her emotions were hidden within her hood, and she hoveredabove himmotionless.
‘Such foolishness. You see?’ Cang told them as he stoodup, ignoring the ruined corpse. ‘Everyone in this room has a purpose. His was to demonstrate how you should choose carefully from this point on, and not take any rash actions. His life would have been better served in the Desert Queen’s city, but now you will have to make do without him. It would be wise for you to remember your wits whilst within her realm, for she has great power and a short temper. Go now. Return when you are victorious.’
The door opened once again and Balten could be seen, waiting obediently on the other side.
‘Let’s go,’ Eric said and led the way out.
‘Come,’ Samuel said, stopping beside the god-woman. He placed one hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged away from his touch. She stood as if frozen above Horse, staring down at his body as if it could somehow bring him back to life. ‘Suit yourself,’ he said and went on without her.
Not even Cang noticed the tiny,wet drops that had fallen onto the dead warrior’s cheek.
There was little else they could do but continue on their way, riding on a string of horses provided by the temple workers. Although it was apparent they had all been tricked onto their current path, their goal remained the same. If they could retrieve the second relic while saving the Empress and her son, then so be it.
‘Why do you follow him?’ Samuel asked of Balten, as theytraversedacross the waste. ‘I have never met such a repulsive man.’
‘To save the world,’ wasBalten’sresponse.
‘Do you really believe he means for that? He seems more like a heartless devil himself.’
‘Sometimes it takes a devil to beat one, Samuel.’
‘Yes, I think I’ve heard something like that before.’
‘I know, in his own way, Cang still has some form of compassion for us. It’s just that he has walked so long upon the earth that he finds it difficult to remember being human. Every mote of his existence has been directed at freeing us from our fate, so I cannot blame him for being the creature he has become. He sees people in terms of lifetimes and events,and finds relating to us as individuals difficult. In the end, we shall be grateful.’
‘He seems to have forgotten that people dislike being used. If he had really known us so well, we would all be following him willingly, not tricked into submission.’
‘Yet here you are, Samuel. I see little difference.’
‘Then perhaps that is the difference between us,’ Samuel replied. He looked up momentarily and noted the comet was still present in the clear evening sky, grown in brilliance since the last time he remembered examining it. ‘Perhaps this is an omen of what is to come,’ he noted. ‘The comet follows us into the desert.’
Balten barely raised his gaze for a moment. ‘Perhaps-but there are both good omens and bad; we shall see which this turns out to be.’
‘What about him?’ Samuel asked, gesturing back towards Canyon, with his god holdingontightly behind him, her arms wrapped around his belly. ‘What need do we have of him now?’
‘Perhaps, none-I don’t know. I spoke to the woman and she didn’t want him left behind. And I know something about Canyon-if there is one thing he is terrified of, it is that girl. Since his plans have been revealed, he is living in fear. I think that is how she likes it.’
‘So be it,’ said Samuel. ‘He deserves whatever he gets.’
And they rode on in silence after that, into the dark desert night.
The rocks and flats turned back to sand soon after that, and they traded their horses for camels at a small Paatin trading post. Once again, the owner knew Balten and there was no need for payment.
The tall animals handled the uneven terrain with ease, but the ride was lurching and turbulent. Every motion from the beasts had their riders holding on for dear life. Only Balten seemed at ease upon them and he kept his eyes to the horizon. They travelled for many nights, sheltering by day in huts and hovels that marked the way. When the scorching sun went down,they headed due east, lighting their way with mage-lights when required, each throwingitsghoulish light upon the dunes around them. When the sun rose, they sought shelter once again. They measured their travels by flasks of water and the hours until they could next quench their thirsts.
‘I don’t think it’s rained here in a thousand years,’ Eric noted.
Samuel observed the skies. There was not a drop of moisture to be felt and he wondered if he could change the weather here, even with the power of his ring. He doubted it.
The desert soon became great waves and hills of sand, utterly devoid of life. They rode the crests of these dunes when they could, and dipped down into them when required, mindful of all the warnings that Balten recited for them on each occasion.
‘Do you remember what I told you in the mountains, Samuel,’ Balten remarked, ‘that we would miss the cold of the mountains once we entered the desert?’
Samuel smacked his parched lips. ‘Unfortunately, I do and,unfortunately, you were right.’ He rodeonin silence before posing a difficult question to the man riding beside him. ‘How long have you known that I have no power-that I am dependent on the ring?’
‘I am not blind, Samuel. When you first told me the Argum Stone had been destroyed in the battle with Ash, I had no reason to disbelieve you, but I am also not a fool. I can sense the ring in your pocket and I can see it on your finger when you cast your spells. It is not such a feat to work out what is happening.’
‘Then perhaps there are others who know about this?’
‘Perhaps, Samuel, but I would not worry about it if I were you.’
‘Oh?’
‘You are amongst friends here-mostly-and after,our task has been completed,the ring will be destroyed. Perhaps you will have no power when that is done, butultimately,you will have little choice in the matter. We cannot let you keep your power if it costs the lives of the world.’
Samuel knew the words were true, but still they worried him. He could not imagine living without his magic and found himself contemplating his actions if that moment truly arrived. He was not sure that he could face living as a common man. If he was calleduponto destroy his ring for the sake of humanity, he only hoped he would have thecourageto do it.
They passed the days without anyuntowardevent or sign of another soul, until one m
orning at dawn, as they were just preparing to find shelter, a dark wave began to approach from the east. Balten held his hand over his eyes and peered into the distance. He pulled his scarves tightly around his face and the others mirrored him, ensuring their features were hidden.
‘What shall we do?’ Eric asked.
‘Ride straight past them,’ Balten commanded. ‘Do nothing. They have no wizard.’
The host of black-robed men, all on foot,approached.They marched thirty abreast and five hundred deep. They did not waste energy marching in the regulated manner of the Empire, but sauntered casually beside each other, walking lightly on the shifting sands. True to his word, the entire host of men passed them by as if they did not exist.
Looking back at them, Canyon asked, ‘Are they magicians?’
‘No,’ Balten replied. ‘Black is the colour of the Aalatan,one of the larger tribes. The desert people’s only weakness is that their tribes have always been enemies. But their queen has united them now, and they have reluctantly banded together in vast numbers. They all fight for her.’
‘Where do all these people come from?’ the Emperor asked. ‘How can a land so empty produce so many soldiers?’
‘There are clusters of settlements here and there, but this desert is bigger than ten empires. Moreover, the Paatin are fanatical towards their queen, even more so than the Koians and their god.’
‘And what of their magicians…these wizards. Is all their magic so tainted and strange?’
‘Not at all,’ Balten returned. ‘Their wizards have always had magic akin to our own, but it is Om-rah who has tainted them of late. He has delved into magic of transformation and changed himself piece by piece until he is little more than a monster. I suspect he has found some snippets of the Ancient Lick, for his spells stink of such perversion. He hascreatedspells that change men into abominations of nature-granting them the aspects of other creatures-but the toll on them is high. They only live for minutes once the spell has done its work;then they die. Unfortunately, with the Paatin being more than willing to sacrifice themselves for their queen, he hasunlimitedsubjects willing to give themselves for his rank experiments.’
Samuel nodded in understanding and,as he rode on the back of the heaving animal, he considered ways to combat such a fiend. Slowly, they trod their way across the sands, leaving nothing but footsteps to mark their passing.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Lair of the Desert Queen
Far ahead, they saw something glittering between the dunes. At first, they thought it was just another mirage but,as they came closer,it became evident that, almost unbelievably, there was watervisibleamongst the sands.
‘Well,look at that!’ the Emperor exclaimed and,as they neared,they could see that it was,indeed,a lake in the middle of the desert.
It was only ankle-deep, but they could scarcely see the other side, and they ran and splashed in its shallows, enjoying the coolness on their skin. Even the Koian woman trod in and pumped her feet up and down in the mud, looking intrigued at the feeling of it between her toes.
The water seemed to pool into a great basin here, running in from the northwest. All around it,the hot sands blew and the dunes clung to its banks.
‘Incredible,’ Canyon said with awe, breaking his long silence. ‘Here, the desert swallows everything. Even rivers disappear into its infinite belly.’
‘You are correct,’ Balten responded. ‘As the rocks are porous, the river drains underground here, and does not emerge until far to the south, nearer Kabush.’
They began following it upstream, letting their feet splash along its edge and,with each step,the river grew deeper and narrower, until they could actually see the water in motion, flowing down towards the vast flat where it spread out and sank into the earth. At the same time, the dunes around it grew firmer and flatter, with the odd clump of yellow reed nestled along the banks.
‘What is this?’ Samuel asked.
‘This is the River Edij,’ Balten revealed. ‘They say the Desert Queen summoned the waters from the barren stone of Mount Karthma and her city was built upon its source. In reality, I doubt the story is true, for it seems the river has been here for all time. She simply may have organised some proper farming and constructed some dams further upstream so that the flow could be managed. It allowed the population to multiply a thousandfold and settle in one place. Still, the river is prone to drought and has been dwindling in recent years. The people are worried that this is the time of Ajaspah, when the sands return to engulf the city.’
‘You seem to know a lot about the Queen’s affairs,’ the Emperor noted.
‘Cang keeps his eye on everyone and everything, especially here, so near to his home. He has often sent me to scout these parts and that is when I first encountered Om-rah, her servant. I suspect Cang may even have had a hand in spinning the rumours of Ajaspah, sowing the seeds of discontent amongst her people to fuel her war. And that blasted comet does not help. It does nothing but further the idea.’
‘Perhaps she is right. It does seem quite a coincidence,’ Canyon said, but Balten only scowled back in response, for he was anything but superstitious.
Wondrously, they soon spied green fields: crops of corn, wheat and vegetables, growing on both sides the river. Workers in wide-brimmed,woven,reed hats-Paatin men with their chests bare and women in rolled-high skirts-were tending them. Others were standinginflat-bottomed boats and scooping into the river with long-handled nets. They passed pastures of grazing animals: goats, cows, pigs,clusters of ducks, chickens and all manner of fowls. Peacocks wandered and called freely, flying up and gathering on the many small pavilions dotting the landscape,which seemed to mark rest areas to escape from the sun.
The river stretched on, with irrigation strips leading off from its sides until the greenerywasspread in every direction for as far as the eye could see and there was no sign of the desert or its blasted sands. There were even orchards and vineyards, row after row, and clumps of tall,wide-leafed trees, sporting strange,enormous fruits.
They followed the river for hours, until Balten led them to a jetty on the riverside. He chatted with the boatmen there and they were soonsailingupstream on a flat-bottomed vessel, leaving their dusty camels behind.
Ahead, a range of great stone hills came into view and,clumped at its base andbuiltall over its sides was a city, large enough to rival any of the great metropolises of the Empire, bar Cintar itself.
‘Hol,’ Balten remarked. ‘City of the Desert Queen.’
The river ran straight on into the city, seemingly devoured by the buildings that crowded out on either side of it. Space was obviously a precious commodity, for the houses were tightly packed and builtuponeach other in a way that seemedat oncehaphazardandyet appealing to the eye. The white-walled houses at the edge of the city gave way tolargerdomed buildings, each coloured blue or green, each one more majestic and more opulent than the last. Sails of coloured cloth and lines of flags hung between every possible building and they undulated slowly in the hot desert breeze. Peacocks sat perched on the rooftops even here, calling out and fanning their feathers, while flocks of tiny birds darted about in erratic clouds. Aqueducts, fountains and cascading water features criss-crossed the streets and there was no lack of greenery, with potted plants and trees sprouting from everypossiblebalcony and rooftop and vacant space. If the intent had been to create an oasis city, it had truly been successful.
The sight was breathtaking. Every mote of space seemed built upon and crafted in a way so as to be aesthetically pleasing. The waterways themselves seemed a part of the architecture, with bridges and crossings spanning them like bangles on the wrists of a many-armed dancer. Finally, crowning the head of the mount around which the city was huddled, was a vast palace, equally as splendid as the city itself, with enormous statues erected around it,chiselled into the stone of the mountain. Columns and towers rose all around the white-walled buildings, wrapped in vines and bristling with vegetation. It was a stark contrast to the
naked,red stone of the mounton which they stood.
‘So this is where they come from,’ Eric noted.
‘Only a small number,’ Balten revealed. ‘Most come from the deep desert, but the city acts to unify them into one people of many colours. They come and offer themselves to be trained in war. The city is proof that their queen can perform miracles. While it remains, her position as their god is without question.’
‘Another god?’ Eric groaned.
‘Not in your sense of the word. They know she is flesh and blood, but they respect her power. They still worship a pantheon of old gods, based on the stars and beasts of nature.’
The barge reached the side of the river and they disembarked, continuing into the city on foot. They passed the workers and villagers without incident, tightly wrapped in their desert clothes. Each passer-by nodded to them and clacked at them in their guttural tongue, and Balten replied in the same. The people were varied in the colour of their skin, from lightly tanned to coal-black, and there were not only men, but women and children, all moving about according to their wants; from hurrying labourers to idling merchants and scampering children about their feet.
One of the robed men called out and started towards them. He had a cloth wrapped around his face, but his arms and legs, down to his sandals, were bare. His skin was moderate in tone compared to many of the others around him. He called back to a group of others that he had left standing, and they darted off quickly.
Balten called to the man as he neared, but the fellow would not cease his excited chattering, and he continued motioning for them to come nearer. They did so and he finally pulled his veil aside to reveal his face, and he gave a great broad smile.
‘Thank goodness. I thought they would never leave,’ he said.
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