The women laughed. The sound snagged Ivo’s attention, and he smiled. What had Jadeth said to make Emaranthe’s eyes sparkle? Blonde braids glinted in the meager shade where Emaranthe sat at the base of a cliff beside Jadeth. The redheaded Elf lounged against the wall, her arms crossed beneath her head. Eyes closed, she grinned at something her best friend said.
Ivo tuned out the women and squinted against the glare of the midday suns. Sweat slid down the back of his neck as he surveyed the landscape beyond the small village. The desert stretched in all directions for at least three days.
“Tell me why we are looking for a map and a missing kingdom again?” Jaeger asked. He appeared at his brother’s side, scowling. He dragged his helm off, smearing dirt and sweat along the way. “And where the hell is this map supposed to be?”
“Rodon’s spies indicated it was in the far south and most likely in the hands of a mercenary,” Ivo said. He sighed and looked up at the hazy blue sky. No clouds were in sight and the heat waves rippled off every surface. “And apparently not even our leaders know the answer to that question, brother.”
“Well, a map isn’t going to be found here in this glorious shade,” Jadeth called out. She stood, brushing dust from the hem of her tunic. Emaranthe followed suit, her hooded indigo cloak a wad of fabric in her arms.
“Let’s see if we can find a map of the desert around us,” Emaranthe said. She pulled her sweat-slicked braids behind her shoulders, revealing a pale face flushed by the heat. “We’ve never strayed this far south. We need a better idea of where we’re headed, and I’d rather be prepared.”
“We should stay together; I don’t trust this place,” Jaeger said. “And I don’t know if I like the irony of getting a map...to find a map.”
They moved through the crowded market, dodging chickens, unruly children, and peddlers. Heat waves swirled off the colorful stalls. The stench of food, unwashed people, animals, and offal blended into a nauseating constant.
At a stall with a green canopy, scrolls of all shapes and sizes spilled out of overstuffed crates and unfurled over the rickety boards that served as a table. Ivo and Jaeger dug through the scrolls one by one until a small, tattered parchment depicting the landscape surrounding Sand Lake was found at the bottom of a crate. The sour-faced merchant reluctantly accepted their silver. His rotted teeth hadn’t dented the large oval coin.
They made their way back to the foot of the cliff. The suns had dragged the shade farther away, leaving little room to study the map comfortably. They knelt in a tight circle and Ivo unrolled the brittle scroll. One corner had been torn off and the opposite corner looked like a rodent had chewed on it.
In silence, they studied the map. It revealed little other than the topography of the nearby area and the location of only two places by name in tiny, jagged handwriting. Sand Lake was a speck on the map near the upper edge, and the other location, near the center, was difficult to read. The two points were the only scraps of civilization in a desert known for its deadly nature. Outlaws, rebel Immortals, assassins, and roving Dro-Aconi minions were just some of what lay beyond the grimy outpost.
“Drag? Dragoo? I can’t read the letters; can you, Ivo?” Emaranthe asked. She leaned closer and pointed with a gloved finger at the faint script. She sat up and clawed sweat-dampened streamers of hair from her forehead with a frustrated exhale.
Ivo tugged his helm off and dropped it beside him. He leaned closer and stared at the nearly illegible writing for a long moment before glancing up. Emaranthe had leaned close as well, and he found himself nose to nose with her. For a long moment, he forgot what he was going to say as he hesitated, studying her.
She had freckles on her nose.
He inhaled, struggling to force away the ache building in his chest. Wide golden-brown eyes studied him back, waiting for his input on the map. He swallowed and forced himself to look back down.
“I think it says Dragon Bone Outpost. Shed-Akr,” Ivo muttered. He sat up and let Jadeth and Jaeger lean in to see. Green eyes flickered with despair as they returned to Emaranthe. Somehow, the freckles made her even more beautiful. Freckles he hadn’t noticed in nearly three hundred years of companionship.
“…Well, that’s a start, we could head there first, right, Ivo?” Jaeger asked. He glanced up at his brother and frowned. His brother’s face was tight with pain, his eyes shuttered.
“Ivo?”
“Uh, yeah. Let’s ride,” Ivo snapped. He climbed to his feet, slammed his helm on, and moved away from the group. “We head for Shed-Akr to get a feel of the landscape before venturing farther.”
Jaeger nodded in silent agreement and glanced over at the women, but they were busy trying to roll up the map without ripping it.
“I’ll go get the horses,” Ivo called over his shoulder. He vanished into the crowded market without waiting for a reply. Jaeger scowled after his retreating back.
Confused gold eyes followed as he walked away.
THE IMMORTALS PART TWO: ALLIES & ENEMIES is AVAILABLE HERE: https://goo.gl/Dk4OJH !
A mortal who believes in a different god.
A spy who betrayed his tribe.
Allies…or enemies?
Ivo, Jaeger, Jadeth, and Emaranthe must locate a lost city and to find it they need a map held by their enemies. When they are joined by a spy seeking redemption,
and a mortal seeking his destiny, the quest becomes one of life and death, love and loss, deceit and hope. Will they find the map in time? Or will they discover enemies among allies?
If you enjoyed this novella, don’t worry more is coming! As of now, there soon will be at least 4 books total to continue Ivo, Jaeger, Jadeth, and Emaranthe’s story. If you read and enjoyed THE IMMORTALS PART ONE: SHADOWS & STARSTONE please read THE UNKNOWN SUN, which is set in the distant future of Ein-Aral, one shaped by the characters and events of this prequel and its companion books! You can find THE UNKNOWN SUN here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K1EL76Q
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The Immortals Part One: Shadows & Starstone Page 14
