Tandrea crossed her arms over her chest. “You really should Challenge.” She nodded. “I agree. Challenge, so that The Lord of Salt can stomp you into the ground and we can be on our way.”
The women started to yell at each other.
Tzadok continued eyeing the man.
Jairo was obviously silently debating whether or not to Challenge.
Tzadok was getting angry now. He HATED dealing with this kind of shit. All he wanted to do was reach the path which led into the mountains and The Great Nothing beyond, so that he could reconnect with Xiphos and get Tandrea to safety.
Ultimately, nothing mattered but her. Not his position, not his honor, not his lands. He only cared about keeping her safe. Unfortunately, these clan-less dog-fucks were keeping him from doing that at the moment. They were trying to delay him, which simply put her more in danger. And when Tandrea was in danger needlessly, Tzadok got pissed off.
His temper was on the verge of snapping now…
Not that he really had anything against these people. He would be equally angry if they had appeared in his village one day, demanding to have safe passage.
In fact, he probably would have killed them by now, had the situation been reversed.
He paused to consider that, his anger lessening a degree.
Yes, he would have slaughtered anyone who would dare say the things that he had said to this man.
The Saltmen weren’t really the best at considering the trivialities of other people’s feelings. But as Tzadok stood in the canyon, looking at the ragged men and women standing before him… he didn’t really want to kill them anymore. All he could think about was Tandy and getting her back to his lands, where she’d be safe.
His anger slipped away.
It was an odd feeling.
Instead, he began to consider her “diplomacy.” Not the terrifying brand she frequently suggested, but the genuine kind which she liked to give inspirational speeches about around campfires and at mealtime. The kind which made her eyes light up in wonder, as she went on and on about the many horrors which could be avoided if people just talked about their problems honestly.
So, it wasn’t his anger talking when he started speaking to Jairo… it was the part of him that loved Tandy.
“Our women want to kill each other.” Tzadok informed him, gesturing to where the ladies in question were still yelling at each other in a language Tzadok had never heard before.
“My woman wants to kill a lot of people.” Jairo assured him. “Yours isn’t special in that regard.”
“I do not believe that is what either of us want, however.” Tzadok shook his head. “My woman may not be special to yours, but she is special to me. I won’t allow her to come to harm.” He gestured to the man, making sure the action was slow, so as not to be seen as aggressive. “I imagine that you feel the same about yours.”
“Are you threatening my woman?” The man’s temper flared.
“All I want is to be on my way with my Keeper of Heart.” Tzadok told him honestly. “I want her safely off of your lands. In peace. And to go on with my fucking life. That is all I want at the moment.” He met his eyes. “What do you want?”
“I’m not exactly thrilled to see you at my door either, Wasteland Butcher.” Jairo agreed. “I want you gone. And I want my people safe. Right now, it’s looking like the best way to do that is to kill you.”
“You will lose that fight.” Tzadok told him flatly.
“Probably.” The man agreed. “But I am not afraid of dying for my lands and my woman.”
Tzadok nodded, respecting that answer. “The Lord of Salt has much power in The Wasteland.” He offered. “I think we can come to an agreement, Jairo. One which will not require your needless and painful death.”
“You’re offering to… surrender?” Jairo seemed absolutely shocked by that.
“On the contrary,” Tzadok reached out to hold Tandrea back before she got into a fistfight with the scraggly warrior-woman she was quarrelling with, “I am offering a situation where we will both win.”
“That… that doesn’t make sense.” Jairo’s brow furrowed in bafflement. “How can we both survive a fight to the death?”
“My people are depleted.” Tzadok pointed to the far horizon. “I am at war with the Coastal People now, who are also enemy to you. As such, I am in need of allies in our mutual homeland.” He arched an eyebrow. “How many warriors do you represent?”
Jairo looked suspicious. “More than your Saltmen clan has, Tzadok.” He threatened. “If you intend to…”
Tzadok walked closer to the man, cutting off the threat. “I will place you under the protection of my people. You would become a 4th clan of The Wasteland. You will keep your own leaders. Your own lands. You will make your own decisions. But will join with your Wasteland brothers as equals. Trading goods and searching among our clans for your own Keepers of Heart. In return, you will not attack The Lord of Salt’s other people. They will not attack you. And we can all live in peace, each determining what is best for ourselves in life.” He nodded. “That is what I want the future to look like. That is the future I would have for my Heart.”
Jairo squinted slightly, processing that. “What… what is the catch?”
“I would call upon you to aid me in my battle with the Coastal People. You could die.”
“We’ve been at war with them for decades anyway.” Jairo admitted. “I… I don’t understand. What do you want?”
“I told you what I want.” Tzadok reminded him. “I want my Heart safe, I want my people strong, and I want to destroy my enemies. Our enemies. They deserve to die like plump swine at a bountiful feast, slaughtered so that we may gorge ourselves. The quickest way to do that is to join forces.” He shrugged. “Or we can simply slay each other, right here, while our women watch. And our unborn sons and daughters will never know of our names and deeds.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “So, I’ll ask you instead, brother: what do you want?”
****
“I can’t believe that worked.” Tandy exclaimed again, still amazed.
“I don’t know why you seem so shocked.” Tzadok said, helping to guide her through the darkness. “Aren’t you the one who always stresses the need for diplomacy?”
“Well… yeah.” She admitted. “But I didn’t actually think it would ever work here.” She paused, a new thought occurring to her. “Are you sure he’s on the level?” She pointed back over her shoulder, where they’d left the man. “How do you know he’s not going to sell us out to the Coastal People or something?”
Tzadok shook his head. “He won’t.”
“And you know this for a fact?”
“Yes.”
“How?” She arched a quizzical eyebrow. “Because, to me, it looks like you’re taking the word of a complete stranger.”
“The man is a warrior of The Wasteland.” Tzadok informed her with complete confidence. “His honor and his woman are at stake. He will keep his word, no matter the cost.”
Three hours before, Tzadok had somehow managed to broker a deal with the gang of Wasteland… refugees? Tandy wasn’t actually sure what to call them at this point. But whoever they were, Tzadok had added them to his army.
At the moment, Jairo’s men were supposedly making their way to The Great Nothing, to inform Xiphos where Tzadok was.
Personally, Tandy still thought it was probably a trap. Not that she wasn’t very impressed with Tzadok’s ability as a dealmaker, just that… well…she was amazed by how easy he’d made it look. She’d never seen anyone able to turn a crowd of enemies into enthusiastic friends so quickly before, and he didn’t even look like he’d been trying.
Tzadok… was a natural leader. And not just at warfare.
Tandy had always suspected it, obviously, but it was still quite a thing to see firsthand. And there was a piece of her which continued to doubt that anything could be that easy.
“So, what’s the plan now then?” She asked, stepping over one of the
sharp rocks on the way back to the River People camp. Jairo had suggested a different road because it was quicker, and surprisingly, Tzadok had agreed to it.
“We will return for my uncle, then make our way towards the pass.” Tzadok shrugged. “The plan is the same, we just have additional allies now.”
“Even if we can trust them,” she began, “do we trust their information?” Her brow furrowed in thought. “Because they’re saying that the Coastal People are camping along the border with Galland, not this far east.”
Tzadok shrugged. “I don’t care where they are, they’re dead either way.” He reiterated. “If they’re to the east, then that is my next stop. If they lurk to the north, then I will head north. If they’re behind the next rock in front of us, then it saves me a trip in either direction.” He shrugged. “Their location is meaningless, I have already set their deaths in stone. They will die by my hands. I swear this in your name.”
“Huh.” She nodded, trying to think of something else to say to that. “Well… good.” She finally got out. “And for what it’s worth… I was very impressed with your leadership back there.”
“Thank you.” He seemed pleased by that. “I simply thought to myself: what would Tandrea say?”
“I… I probably would have just killed them.” She admitted. “Strange people scare me.”
“No, you wouldn’t have.”
She nodded. “I don’t really…” She trailed off. “I don’t really want to risk you.” She said softly. “If they’re a danger to you, I’d rather you just kill them.”
He didn’t respond to that.
They walked for another hour in near complete silence, before Tandy saw something interesting off to the right. “Can I just pop my head into that cave for a second?” She asked, pointing to an opening in the rocks. “It looks like there’s a chamber inside.”
“That is where we are going anyway, yes.” Tzadok obediently led her towards the cavern in question. The inside was pitch black and Tandy couldn’t make out anything.
A moment later, Tzadok struck a piece of flint and lit one of the ancient torches at the entrance, illuminating the long-forgotten chamber.
Inside was a wonder! Golden walls, topped with a domed roof of lapis-lazuli!
She strolled into the space, getting a better look and trying to determine its purpose. Along one wall, unknown writing was intermixed with a mural which featured some kind of demon and a group of gods. Gemstones and tiles surrounded the painting, accented along the roofline with ornamental golden decorations. Towards the far wall, a low bench was set up, apparently for some kind of ancestor worship, since silks were piled on top of it so that visitors would be comfortable.
The floor was covered with treasures of all kinds. Jewelry and coins and ancient weapons. Everything that a long-dead ruler would need on the other side, although she saw no burial chamber of any kind.
Whatever reason the room had been built for, it was… breathtaking.
“Why is this still here?” She whispered. “Why has no one stolen it?”
“We do not steal from the gods. It is trade only.” Tzadok informed her, standing at the entry and looking towards the sky for some reason. “Plus, we are in the middle of nowhere. No one has been here for dozens of years.”
“Isn’t the entirety of The Wasteland ‘the middle of nowhere’?” She teased.
“Our current location makes The Great Nothing look like one of your grand cities.” He responded. “This place… not even I have ever seen before, although I know of it.”
“So, is this one of your ancestors then?” She pointed to the mural and the tiny human shapes clustered below the god figures.
“Likely.” He shrugged distractedly. “I can tell you about them.” He told her, still focused on the sky. “They were warriors, who conquered this land. They fought many battles with the Adithians, who invaded in an attempt to colonize us. We bled the ground red, but ended up victorious. And when our leaders died, we built them places like this, so that people could come and remember their deeds. Celebrate their lives.”
She nodded. “Interesting…” She started trying to diagram the words on the wall and translate them. It was a weird mix of proto-Wastelandi words and a jumble of Adithian verb structure.
More treasures were scattered below the mural, and she bent down to sift through them.
“You are allowed to take one object.” Tzadok informed her. “Those are the rules.” He pulled an expensive-looking gemstone from his pocket and tossed it onto one of the golden platters on a shelf next to him. “Something goes, something stays.”
Tandrea considered that, looking around the room at the priceless objects which littered every surface. All of them must have once been deposited here then, left in trade for some other treasure. And as the millennia went on, the newer tribute items became ancient. More valuable. And then switched out for something else, as newer pilgrims arrived. A constantly renewing cycle. It was pretty amazing to think about.
Tandy continued sifting through the treasures, unsure of what she was even looking for. At the bottom of the pile was a small box, constructed of a metal like copper. It looked as old as the room itself, inscribed with the same language which was found in the art covering the walls. Tandy flipped the lid open to find a ring, made in the form of a scaled serpent, coiled in three loops with its tail in its mouth. Its body was bright yellow gold, with tiny black jade scales arranged in a pattern along its body. Its eyes were yellow gemstones she couldn’t identify, but they shone in the dim torchlight like a cat’s in the dark.
Tandy stared at it for a long moment. Generally speaking, it was a bad idea to put on strange rings you found in ancient mystical places. But in this case, Tandy was relatively certain that nothing horrible would happen if she tried.
To be on the safe side, she looked at Tzadok for an assurance. “This okay?”
He nodded. “From The Time Before the Stars Fell. It was already ancient before this site was even constructed.”
Tandy looked down at it again. “So… I can put it on then? It won’t like… zap me into another dimension or turn me into a frog, right?”
“No.” He shook his head. “This is a place for celebrating life, not taking it. The only magic here is the gods. And you.”
She slipped the ring onto her finger, pleased that it fit. “This doesn’t really seem like the kind of place someone would want to have a party.” She looked around. “Not much room.”
“That is not how you celebrate the life of a god-king, Tandrea.” He shook his head. “They want life, not drunkenness. The Land of Ghosts is part of a cycle with The Wasteland. We live in each other's deaths and die in each other's lives.”
She frowned. “I don’t understand.”
He abruptly turned around and pointed over his shoulder, towards the stars. “It is tomorrow.” He informed her, stalking towards her. “Take off your clothes.”
Her eyebrows soared in surprise. “Huh?!?”
“Take. Off. Your. Clothes.” He looked down at her, his eyes dark in the firelight. “Now.”
Oddly, she kinda liked his tone.
“I don’t…” She stammered. “I don’t really think…” Her eyes cut to the platform in the corner. “Wait… when you say ‘celebrate’…”
“Not ‘watch,’” he corrected, “don’t worry. Just share in the power of this place.” His eyes skimmed down her body. “We are alone. But it is sacred. That is why it is here.”
“Uh-huh…” She swallowed. “And… you want me to…”
He nodded. “It is tomorrow.” He reminded her. “I can prove it to you by showing you the stars, if you’d like.”
“No, I believe you.” She let out a breath. “I just…” She gestured to the corner. “There could be bodies on the other side of that wall…”
“You’re in The Wasteland.” He reminded her. “I seriously doubt if you’ve been more than ten feet from a body the entire time you’ve lived here.”
“That
doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“This is not a burial chamber. We can go outside if you would be more comfortable, however.” He offered, putting his hands on her shoulders. “There is nothing here which is in any way frightening…”
“I’m not frightened.” She lied. “I’m just…” She swallowed nervously. “I just want to focus on my translations…” She tried weakly.
“You focus on the translations,” he agreed, starting to kiss her neck, “I’ll focus on you.”
“This is a bad idea…” She warned, taking a step back. “There could be like… bears or something out there! Another scorpion monster!” She pointed to the entryway. “We should keep watch!”
He met her eyes. “You’re afraid.” He told her softly. “I know that. If you’d like to wait until another day, I can. I swear to you, I won’t be angry. I will say nothing more about this, if that is your wish.”
Tandy swallowed again, her mind racing. It wasn’t that she was afraid, it was… No. No, she was afraid.
But at the same time, she knew she really wanted this man. She was utterly sure of that, now more than ever.
“I’m just…” She began weakly. “I’m not used to…”
He nodded. “I know.”
She let out a long breath. “But I gave my word. I said we would sleep together today… so we will.”
“This is not a deal I will hold you to, unless you want me to hold you to it.” He said softly. “If you want to…”
“I want you.” She blurted out, interrupting him. The words were almost desperate. “We’re doing this today, I’m just…” She trailed off, feeling lost in his dark gaze. “Fuck, you’re a pretty man…” She breathed.
“I love it when you swear.”
She nodded. “I know.”
He stood straighter. “You’re still dressed.” He looked down at her body, then met her eyes again. “The Lord of Salt ordered you to take off your clothes.”
She blinked rapidly, feeling lost. “Oh... okay.” She started to shrug off her clothes while he watched. “Yes, of course.”
Captive of a Fairytale Barbarian Page 43
