by Callie Kanno
The former apothecary sighed in relief. “I am anxious to be moving again.”
The L’avan queen couldn’t have agreed more. “We should begin our preparations to leave. Mar’sal, would you check on the horses and make sure that they are ready to travel? Than’os, would you go over our supplies and see what we need? We will barter with the Henka for any supplies that we lack.”
The two L’avan soldiers got to their feet and bowed in acknowledgement. Faryl also stood and smiled shyly.
“I will go with Than’os and make sure we have all the medicinal supplies that we need.”
Adesina kept her face casual. “That is a good idea.”
Kendan and Maizah approached as the other three were leaving.
“Did you find any helpful information about Daemon Mount from the Henka scrolls?” inquired Kendan.
Adesina shrugged. “Not really. There were a few tales of those who have tried to enter the mountain, but it seems that Nayati the Scholar was the only one to ever return from such a venture.”
Maizah gestured to her ear and then towards the entrance to the caves.
Adesina smiled warmly. She was glad to see the young woman finally starting to interact with others of her own accord. “Yes, the winds have stopped. I have sent the others to begin our preparations to leave as soon as the last storm ends.”
Kendan grunted in approval. “That is wise. Basha will do the same.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “I hope you do not think this presumptuous, but I have made inquiries concerning the distance between this settlement and Daemon Mount.”
Adesina wasn’t surprised that he had taken the initiative. “What did you find?”
“It is an eight day journey from here, assuming that there are no unnecessary delays.”
She gave a discouraged sigh. How long had it been since she had last seen her husband? “Well, at least that gives us time to try and catch up with Basha. Perhaps we can intercept her before she reaches the mountain at all.”
Kendan didn’t look confident at the prospect. “Perhaps. Also, I thought it would be a good idea for us to have a guide for the remainder of our journey. I would not like to be delayed again, like we were with those parasites.”
Adesina agreed immediately. “Yes, that would be wise.”
“Good,” he said with a slight smile, “because Savir has volunteered to take us to Daemon Mount.”
She barked a short laugh. “I see. Well, that is ideal.”
“I thought so, too.”
“Is there anything else that you can think of that needs to be done?”
Kendan looked surprised but pleased to be asked his opinion. “It seems to me that all we can do now is wait for the storms to end.”
***
The final storm did not last three days—it only lasted a day and a half. Adesina awoke from her midday nap to the sound of peaceful silence.
Faryl’s excited voice whispered in the dim light of their sleeping quarters. “Listen!”
Adesina could not help but feel excited as well. “Yes, I know. The storms have ended.”
The older woman gave a noisy sigh of relief. “I cannot wait to see the sky again.”
As the Henka tribe members also awoke, the realization spread through the settlement, and it became noisy with the bustle of preparing to return to the surface. The young men were sent to clear away the sand from the entrances, and the children were sent to begin cleaning all of the caves that had been used.
Adesina made her way to where the elders stood waiting. It was tradition for them to be the first to emerge on the surface after the annual storms.
“Gauri le Jaya,” she addressed the Chief Elder, “please forgive my ignorance, but I do not know the ceremony for leave-taking. My companions and I would like to resume our journey as soon as possible.”
Gauri nodded sagely. “Adesina le E’rian, it is good of you to be so considerate of our honor.”
The other elders murmured their agreement.
“Our farewells are simple, because we always hope that the separation is brief. It has been a great honor to shelter the children of Layfan. You and your fellows may leave as soon as you are ready.”
Adesina pressed the old woman’s hand between her own. “Thank you, Gauri le Jaya. You have saved our lives, and we owe you a great debt for your kindness.”
Gauri waved her free hand in denial. “It is nothing, child. Truly, it is nothing.”
Adesina walked back to the common area and found her companions waiting there with their horses. Savir was also with them, and Adesina was surprised to see that he had a horse as well.
“You are not going to transform into a hawk?” she asked curiously.
He gave a small smile. “No, not on this journey. It would be safest for you if I am close by to show you the way.”
“Is the path so perilous?” inquired Ravi.
The young man looked uneasy. “The deep desert is unforgiving.”
At last the sand was cleared away, and the Henka elders climbed the stairs that led to the surface. With a great cheer, the members of the tribe followed their leaders.
Adesina could feel a gentle breeze touch her face as she ascended, and she was startled to find that the air was cool. The sky was bright azure, and there were no clouds to be seen. The air smelled fresh and clean, unlike the dusty and heavy scent that was usually found in the desert. The day was only just beginning to wane, but the outside temperature felt more like evening.
Faryl closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “At last,” she whispered to herself.
Kendan frowned. “I am surprised at how cool it feels. It does not seem like the desert at all.”
Savir merely nodded. “The storms cleanse the skies and bring the winds from afar. We will have a day or two of pleasant weather before the heat returns.”
The Henka elders came to bid them farewell, along with Savir’s mother and sister. As it had been said, the ceremony was simple and brief. The women kissed each of the travelers on the forehead and wished them safety and success.
Adesina felt the warmth of gratitude in her heart. These people had given them shelter without any thought of reward. The Henka had fed the L’avan and protected them, even if it meant making sacrifices in their own comfort. Adesina was happy to know that there were such people in the world.
“Goodbye, Adesina le E’rian,” said Gauri, as she kissed the young leader on the forehead. “Our shelter always welcomes you.”
“Goodbye, Gauri le Jaya,” responded the L’avan queen. “If there is ever anything that my people can do on your behalf, do not hesitate to ask.”
Savir led them eastward, and Maizah confirmed that Basha was on the move as well. The Shimat kidnapper had taken cover from the storms in a location slightly south of the Henka settlement, and it seemed that the two groups were both aimed toward the same point in the desert.
The Henka warrior chatted amiably while keeping a watchful eye on the terrain. He gave useful advice about desert travel and pointed out signs of possible danger.
“Do you see that circular indentation in the sand?”
It was faint, but Adesina could make it out. “Yes.”
“That is a nesting mark. We need to give them a wide berth, or we will run the risk of sinking into the sand and being attacked by the creature living there.”
They turned their horses to the side and rode around the mark in the sand.
Than’os studied it with interest. “I fell into one before we had the fortune of having a proper desert guide. It was inhabited by a hideous monster, like a giant insect.”
Savir nodded. “Yes, that is one of many predators that live beneath the sands. It is a miracle that you did not lose your life.”
The L’avan soldier gave a broad smile to Maizah. “No, it was an act of bravery.”
Maizah fixed her eyes on the ground, but Adesina could sense how pleased she was with the acknowledgement.
Savir pointed again. “Do you see th
ose slightly darker streaks in the ground over there?”
It was a rocky patch among the sand, and some of the stone appeared to be stained.
“Yes.”
“In the normal desert heat those spots look like pools of water, but in truth they are sections where the rock is weak. Even the weight of a small animal would cause it to crumble, giving way to jagged rocks below. Many unwary travelers have been fooled and rushed forward to their deaths.”
“It amazes me that anything can live in this cursed place,” muttered Kendan.
The Henka quirked an eyebrow in amusement. “The desert is certainly not for the weak. It is a testing ground for those who wish to know the deep truths of life.”
“What sort of truths?” Kendan asked testily.
Savir shrugged. “I do not know yet. I am young, and it has not been my privilege to seek for answers.”
“How does one seek for answers?” inquired Faryl.
The young man smiled. “That depends on the question. My father is seeking right now. He took his journey into the deep desert to cleanse his mind, so that he may know the proper way to search.”
“How long has he been gone?” asked Ravi.
“Just over a year.”
Mar’sal frowned. “How do you know he is still alive?”
Savir’s exterior was calm, but there was an anxious tension underneath. “I do not know. If he returns, we will celebrate his journey. If he does not return…”
There was a heavy pause.
“What, then?” urged Faryl gently.
“Then, we will keep waiting,” concluded Savir.
They rode up an unsteady slope, and the Henka guide signaled for them to stop when they reached the peak.
“There,” he pointed. “There in the distance is Daemon Mount.”
It did not look like a mountain yet. It appeared to be a dark, smoky haze on the horizon that was contained in a single point. Adesina considered using her vyala to enhance her vision, but she decided against it. She would see it clearly soon enough.
The young queen and her guardian exchanged glances.
Only eight more days…
Chapter Forty-five: Approaching the Mount
Adesina and her companions were less than a day away from Daemon Mount.
They had been pressing their pace as hard as they could in hopes of catching Basha before arriving at the mountain, but it had all been in vain. Basha had pressed just as hard, as if she could sense she was being chased.
Dusk was approaching, and Adesina welcomed the cooling air with a sigh of relief.
“How much farther, Savir?”
The young man twitched when his name was spoken, and he rubbed his hands together nervously. “I am not certain, Adesina. I have never been so close to the mountain.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Is it dangerous?”
His expression became apologetic. “I do not know. We stay away from it out of respect for the great magic.”
“And due to tribal superstition as well,” assumed Kendan.
Savir made no excuses. “Perhaps you are right.”
His hawk was circling in the air above them, and it gave a high-pitched cry. Savir glance upward with a frown, and then he dismounted and hurried to the south.
“She sees something over here.”
Adesina also dismounted and gestured for Kendan and Ravi to follow.
“The rest of you stay here.”
The travelers had been in low land for several days now—almost like a sandy valley. Savir started up a slope, leading the others along the easiest path. Adesina spotted a dark object half-buried in the golden sand and she pointed it out to Kendan.
“Yes, I see.” His voice was grim.
It took Adesina only a moment longer to recognize it.
It was a human hand.
Savir jerked to a stop when he realized what he was seeing. “Oh,” he said in surprise.
The heavy weight of dread settled in Adesina’s chest as Kendan moved forward and began uncovering the body. Adesina struggled to breathe as he worked, unable to force herself to help him.
It cannot be…
No, Ma’eve, I do not believe so.
Adesina wasn’t comforted until she saw the face of the corpse.
It was not L’iam.
The face belonged to a Zonnese man, but Adesina did not recognize him. He had been dead for about a day, judging by the stage of decomposition. The stench of death filled Adesina’s nostrils, and she placed a hand over her nose and mouth in distaste. The dead man’s throat had been slashed, and he had bled to death. Most likely, while Basha watched.
“This must be Basha’s guide,” said Kendan stonily. “He outlived his usefulness.”
The young queen felt a deepening disgust for her lifelong rival. Basha had never been one to value something unless it served her purpose.
That means we are close enough to the mountain that a guide is no longer necessary.
Adesina and Ravi looked at each other, and then continued up the slope. The ground became more firm as they reached the top, and they found that they were standing on a rocky ridge.
A gust of wind caught Adesina’s breath, and she paused to take in the sight before her.
Daemon Mount rose like a jagged tooth out of the relatively flat desert terrain. The rock was reddish in color, and in the fading light it took on a bloody appearance. The base was encircled by a wall of fire—easily a hundred feet tall—which seemed even wilder and more ominous as the sun descended.
An image came to Adesina’s mind of a gory specter rising from the depths of the underworld.
She shuddered.
The only time she had seen this mountain in its entirety was in her Dreams, and it had been vastly different then. She felt as though she was looking at the rotten carcass of the battle that had taken place centuries ago.
Adesina suddenly felt suffocated, and she turned her back on the terrible mountain.
She could feel the death of that place, as if it were crushing her soul.
Kendan walked up to join them, and his expression twisted at the sight of the lonely peak.
“It almost makes me believe in the powers of Darkness,” he said in a strained voice.
In Adesina’s mind, however, it removed any traces of doubt.
She was about to walk back down the slope when a surge of energy stopped her in her tracks. The young queen whipped around and stared at the mountain in horror.
Nothing was visibly changed, but the aura of the peak had transformed beyond recognition. Only moments before it had been a vacuum of life and light, exuding a bleak sense of desolation. Now, it was a beacon of vyala.
Kendan could sense that something had changed, even without magical ability. “What has happened?” he asked.
Adesina struggled to form her words as a wave of terror washed over her.
“The ritual has begun…”
***
Adesina’s heart was pounding and her thoughts were racing. If the ritual had already begun, how much time did they have before it was completed?
A flutter of knowledge from an unknown source entered her mind.
At least a day. Perhaps two, if the vyala is sufficiently weak.
The travelers were still a day behind Basha, which meant they might not catch up in time to stop the ritual from being finished.
She nudged her horse to go faster, wishing to gallop through the night in order to reach her destination. Her desperation to reach the mountain flooded every corner of her being.
“We are traveling as quickly as we can, dear one,” reminded Ravi. “We cannot be reckless with our strength if we are to succeed in rescuing L’iam.”
She could understand his logic, but her heart still rebelled against any delay.
The oppressive sense of foreboding grew stronger as they drew nearer to Daemon Mount. The added heat of the fiery barrier made the journey seem almost unbearable, even though it was still early in the day. Even Savir seemed un
comfortable with the growing temperature.
“We cannot take the horses with us when we enter the mountain,” pointed out Ravi, “and they would not do well waiting in so much heat.”
Adesina agreed. She had shared the thought with Ravi before he spoke it.
The horses meant that they could travel faster, but it was equally important that the animals be fit for the return journey.
They were about a quarter of a league away from the edge of the barrier when the horses began to shy nervously. Adesina did her best to restrain her impatience as she brought Torith to a halt and patted his neck in reassurance.
“We will walk the rest of the way,” she announced to her comrades. “Bring enough food and water for three days, but leave everything else.”
“What about the medical supplies?” asked Faryl.
Adesina knew it would be foolish to leave those behind. “Assemble a standard pack.”
She turned to their Henka guide. “Savir, I want you to take the horses back to our last campsite and wait. We will send a signal when we need you to return for us.”
He was clearly relieved that he would not be asked to go any nearer to the mountain, but he also looked concerned for their safety. “Are you certain I can be of no more assistance?”
The L’avan queen smiled. “You have already done much for us, and we are forever in your debt.”
Savir waved his hand. “It is nothing, Adesina. I wish I could do more. What is the signal you will send?”
Adesina held up her hand and summoned a trickle of vyala to shoot off a few blue sparks from her fingertips. “I will send an explosion of blue light into the sky.”
The Henka warrior nodded and gathered the reins of all the horses. He tied them to one another in a long line and climbed onto the lead horse. “I will wait for your return for as long as I have life,” he vowed fervently.
Adesina immediately shook her head. “Wait for us until there are only enough supplies to get you back home. Promise!”
Savir pursed his lips together is displeasure. “It would be cowardly to abandon my task.”
“You must promise, Savir,” insisted Adesina. “If we have not returned by then, our lives are most likely lost.”
