Lands of Dust (The Dying World Book 1)

by John Triptych

  Zedne kissed her on the forehead and tilted her chin up so their teary eyes met for one last time. “Let there be no more goodbyes. Only love.”

  Miri nodded as she finally let go of the old woman. She turned and picked up the remaining leather backpack and slung the war shield over her shoulder. The protector stood by the entryway while looking out into the cold evening. “I wish I could return someday and see you again. For just one more time.”

  “We will see each other again, perhaps in the next world. Then we will talk, be merry and sing songs for all eternity. Go now, lest my heart breaks,” Zedne said.

  By the time Miri had walked to where the old well was, she could see Nyx was already there, talking with Devos and the boy. Her protégé was carrying her own leather pack, and had been prudent enough to bring her own war shield as well. The sun would not rise over the horizon for another few hours at least, and all three of them huddled in their cloaks to fight off the eventide chill.

  Despite being mostly in shadow, they all could see Devos flashing a toothy grin. “By the gods, I did not think we would have another companion with us, but Nyx has told me everything, Miri.”

  Nyx giggled as she placed an arm over Rion’s shoulder. “How could I not be a part of this adventure? The four of us will be trekking into lands that are only recalled in legends. This is such an exciting time to be living in.”

  Miri could sense a mixture of apprehension and eagerness. “Then let us go forth. There is no time to…” Just as she said those words, Miri sensed an approaching presence. The protector turned and readied her spear while she used her Vis to send out mental feelers to try and identify who it was.

  Jinn came out from the shadows of a nearby street. The young man had been on sentry duty for the evening and he was wearing his cloak and carrying a spear. “Nyx, what are you doing out here? I came by your hut and it was empty, then I heard some voices in this direction.” Jinn immediately stopped talking when he noticed the large amount of equipment the three of them were carrying.

  Miri looked at Nyx. This was an awkward moment since she had told the elders that she would be leaving at dawn, and it would be from the other side of the perimeter. She had hoped Jinn’s sister would find the right words to alleviate this situation.

  Nyx walked up to her brother. “Jinn, I am sorry, but I must tell you that I am leaving. Please do not tell the others you saw me.”

  Jinn took a step back. He was in shock. “What?”

  Miri sensed that there would be no hostility, so it was better to let him know the truth. “I am taking the boy out into the Great Silt Sea. I realize that this is a surprise to you, but I cannot abide by the elder’s wishes.”

  “I will be going with them,” Nyx said. “They need the support and I wish to explore the places where men have not traveled in for eons. Please do not call out to the others, Jinn.”

  Jinn looked down into the ground. “You are all …leaving?”

  “Yes,” Devos said. “We cannot go along with what the elders have decreed.”

  “Please understand us,” Nyx said to her brother. “I think Rion is a good lad, and I do not want to return him to those horrible Magi either.”

  Rion bit his lip. He could hardly believe they were going through all this trouble just for him. The boy held back his tears while gripping Miri’s hand tightly.

  Jinn’s head twisted back and forth listlessly. “I did not like what the elders have said either. But we have to abide by their ruling, or else we are lost as a people. Anyone who disobeys their words is cast out of the tribe.”

  “I have lived a full life with this tribe,” Devos said. “It is time for me to move on.”

  “There is nothing left for me here, and Rion needs my help,” Miri said.

  Nyx took her brother by the arm and held him close. “You have always looked out for me, and I am forever thankful for it. I would like to ask one last thing from you. Please keep this to yourself. The people will find out soon enough, but many will think that we have gone the other way. I am sorry that I will not be able to attend your marriage ritual, and I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me for that.”

  Jinn placed a trembling hand on her neck as he kissed her cheek. “There is nothing to forgive. I have always kept you safe. There were many times that I dreaded losing you, but I never imagined that it would be like this. Do not worry, I will not alert the other sentries.”

  Nyx’s chin trembled. It was her turn to start crying. “Farewell, Jinn. I know you will have a happy life with your mate. Whatever happens, you will always be my brother.”

  Jinn turned around and started walking back into the alley. “Farewell, Nyx. Do not worry, the others will not be told.”

  Miri turned to look at Devos. “Take Rion and lead him down to the edge of the silt bank.”

  Devos nodded as he took the boy by the hand and started to lead him on a downward sloping path near the edge of the vast plains of sediment. Miri walked over to where Nyx was standing at. She could see the silver glint of tears on the girl’s cheek. Just as she was about to say something, Nyx turned around and walked past her while heading towards the pathway. Miri stretched her legs for a few minutes before turning around and following her protégé.

  When Miri got down near the edge of the grey silt flats, the others were waiting for her. She looked at each and everyone’s faces. “Alright, we shall go forth at single file. I will lead. Nyx, you shall follow behind me, then Rion, and finally Devos. Try to step in my footsteps. The pace will be fast, for we must cover the edge of the horizon before daybreak. Are there any questions?”

  Devos peered out across the sands. “What is our destination?”

  “The farthest we have been in all my memories was the well at the land’s end. It is a pile of rocks that marks a small covered basin of water a few leagues from that horizon.” Miri said as she pointed eastwards. “Once we are past that, we venture forth into the vast unknown. I hope that the gods will at least give us a sign to where the Black Redoubt is in the coming days.”

  Devos nodded. “It is a good plan.”

  Miri turned around and walked onto the sandy silt. It was hard packed due to the black algae underneath it. “We really have no other.”

  For the next several hours, all four of them moved briskly across the barren plain. Miri would occasionally glance back to make sure everyone was keeping up. She could see that the boy was doing well while he moved rapidly wearing his new leather boots that Zedne had carefully sewn for him. Devos was the slowest due to his age, but he was so far able to stay in formation. The silted ground was hard and smooth, and their soft-soled footwear hardly made an impression on it. The only sounds that were heard were their rhythmic breathing and the slight squishing noise on the ground where their feet were hiking on. There was an occasional wheeze coming from Devos, but he didn’t look distressed at all as he lagged behind by only a few steps.

  Miri kept up a relentless pace. She could occasionally see dark veins on the grey ground beneath her and she always sidestepped away from the ones with the darkest patches. The black algae was known to clump together and stepping on a large bloom might mean getting one’s foot stuck in a knee-high morass of black, sticky goo. The last thing they needed was an accident or a delay while they were still within visual sight of the settlement. It was a testament to their respect for that everybody else was closely following her footsteps, as they finally got to the edge of the silt flats.

  Everyone was breathing hard while Miri paused for a minute, then she used her hands to traverse up the edge of a dusty slope. She had figured correctly as her hands grabbed the hard edge of the crusted sand and rock. Using the strength in her arms, she pulled herself up almost immediately, despite the heavy pack and waterskins that she carried over her shoulder. The moment she got to the top, Miri turned and crouched down as she helped Nyx to climb up. The teen girl thought the short climb was easy, until the heavy pack on her back made her lose her balance as she tilted backward
s and was about to tumble back into the dried silt flats before Devos was able to push her forward into Miri’s waiting arms.

  “That was close,” Nyx muttered under her breath as Miri pulled her up.

  Devos shook his head silently while Rion made a short chuckle.

  Nyx turned and glared at the boy. “You should try climbing with a heavy burden on your back, you troublesome child.”

  “Save your words, for you will need your breath again,” Miri said while pulling the boy up. “There shall be another long walk ahead of us.”

  Now it was Devos’s turn. The old man grunted as he tried to pull himself up, but his frail arms couldn’t take the load. His pack was heavier than the others because of the telling stones that he carried with him. Miri and Nyx each took him by his arms and after a serious effort, managed to get him up and onto the gradient. Everyone was breathing heavily as the first light began to break out across the horizon. It meant that the settlement behind them was about to wake up and the sentries were going to be replaced by a fresh batch. They needed to hurry.

  Miri readjusted her carrying packs so they were level with her shoulders. She pointed towards a small mound somewhere out in the far distance. “The next few hours will be difficult, for we shall have the sun in our eyes and the heat around us will increase. Wear the hoods over your cloaks and move as fast as you can. Once we have reached the well at the land’s end, then we may rest until the next eventide.”

  Nobody said anything. Devos was still catching his breath while Nyx nodded eagerly. Rion’s face was unreadable as he replaced the hood of his cloak to cover it. Miri turned around and started moving again, this time her pace was much quicker as she spurred them all to go faster. Devos made a brief sigh before continuing. There was no turning back now.

  Chapter 12

  The well at the land’s end was a flat piece of brown stone surrounded by an endless sea of flat sand. A pile of smaller rocks had been arranged into a man-sized mound in order to mark it as the outermost territory of the tribe. A jagged cleft near the center of the boulder had been dug deep into it, and there was a small pool of warm water near the bottom. When the tribe had first ventured into the area over a thousand cycles ago, the well was already there. Some of the oldest stories that were passed on by succeeding tellers stated that it was the god Duun who had placed a small spring of water at the bottom in order to aid his people as they wandered across the wastes, trying to find a place that would serve as their permanent home. When the Arum Navar came across the well, it was a sign from their deity that their new homeland would be founded nearby.

  Miri sat near the edge of the well as she pulled up a second filled waterskin from the leather rope that was tied to the rocks. The others were resting by the western side of the boulder, away from the sun. A slight wind had come out from the north, and it carried particles of ash that had already begun to obscure their tracks. As she placed the bone stopper on the waterskin, Miri slung it over her back and stood up. Her spear was leaning along the side of the mound and she took it while making her down way to the others. She was still on guard, just in case the tribe was attempting to track them down here.

  She found the others by the side of the boulder, underneath the shade of the overhang. Devos lay flat on his back, fast asleep. Rion had found a sand beetle, and he was crouched down while playing with it. The little four-legged bug was desperately trying to crawl away while the boy kept poking at it to make it move back towards him. Nyx was sitting cross-legged beside the old man with her eyes closed, her rhythmic breathing indicated that she was doing mental exercises to strengthen her Vis. Miri sat down beside her and placed her spear along the rock wall.

  Nyx opened her eyes as she turned to look at her. “I know what you are thinking. Jinn would never tell the others about the direction where we went to.”

  Miri gave a faint smile while looking out towards the west. Their vantage point was excellent since it allowed them to notice any incoming intruders from the settlement, while at the same time allowing them to stay hidden. “I trust your brother, Nyx. What concerns me the most is Krag. He is an experienced hunter, and if he finds our tracks near the silt farms, then he may very well surmise we have been going in this direction.”

  Nyx’s demeanor instantly changed from an excited confidence into a palpable worry. She quickly reached over and grabbed a bone spear that was leaning on the rock wall beside her. “This is not good. Do you think the chief hunter will force my brother to come with him once they track us down?”

  Despite her fatigue, Miri smirked. “Do not feel hopeless yet. Even if they knew our destination, they would think twice about going after us. If they were to mount a search party, having to move out here in the middle of the day will be enough to drain most of their strength. The sun’s light upon the sands will make their journey quite slow and painful. By the time they get here, it will be late afternoon and we shall already be gone. Other than Zedne, we are the only two Strigas they had, so even if they had brought along three dozen men, the odds would still favor us, for the gift of Vis grants us an edge in battle.”

  “I am not worried about the others,” Nyx said softly. “Only my brother.”

  “Calm yourself,” Miri said. “Jinn is a capable young man. The elders will not do him any harm. They will soon realize that they need him more than ever now that you and I are gone.”

  “If they do come, then I hope I will not have to fight him,” Nyx said. “Please spare him if he tries to fight you.”

  Miri shook her head. “It will not come to that. Last eventide, I had already laid out some tracks just past the main perimeter that mimicked our own. I used Rion’s sandals near the edge of the dune if any of them tried searching in that area. When Zedne made those new boots for him, she never showed it to anyone. I am also confident Jinn did not tell, so that is another point in our favor.”

  Rion had picked up the beetle by its back and it wriggled helplessly in his hand. The boy walked over to them and sat down. “My foot hurts.”

  Miri frowned as she gestured at him to sit closer to her. “Why have you not taken your boots off?”

  “I liked the way they looked,” the boy said softly as he threw the bug away and sat closer. He pointed to his left foot. “My ankle hurts here.”

  Miri pulled off Rion’s boot and examined his feet. Right on the base of his left ankle was a blister. “You need to take your boots off whenever we rest, that way the skin on your feet can breathe.” She leaned over to her side and took out a bone needle from the flap of her backpack.

  Rion’s eyes opened wide as he tried to wriggle away, just like the beetle he once had in his hand. “What are you doing? Please, do not hurt me!”

  Nyx sighed. “Be calm, Rion. Miri is just going to pierce your blister.”

  Rion’s breath became labored. There was terror in his eyes. “No! Please do not take my essence again!”

  Miri frowned. The sight of the needle must have recalled terrible memories within him. “Rion, it is alright, I just want to prick the blister and drain out the fluid.”

  Tears flowed down the boy’s cheeks. He curled up into a ball while lying on the sand. “The pain! The pain!”

  Miri instantly concentrated, channeling her Vis and expanding them out into waves towards the whimpering boy. The mental feelers etched themselves into Rion’s brain, as Miri began a soothing, telepathic song that calmed the boy’s anxieties. In less than a minute, Rion opened his eyes and blinked slowly. Miri crouched down beside him as he gently took the boy’s head in her lap. “Everything is well now,” she said softly.

  Rion took a deep breath. “I am sorry. I do not know what came over me.”

  Miri smiled down at him as she stroked his silvery blonde hair. “You had been through a rigorous ordeal in the past. The vicissitudes you endured has left scars in your mind that will take time to heal. I shall sing you a song of sleep so you can rest in peace for now.”

  Rion gave a faint smile and nodded. Miri used
her Vis on him for a second time, only now she channeled a gentle, rolling wave of cerebrations that completely relaxed the boy’s body and Rion was soon fast asleep. She took off the other boot before finally pricking Rion’s blister with her needle. Then she laid him down beside the still snoring Devos.

  Nyx had watched it all in mute amazement. Only when it was over did she say something. “That is one skill you have yet to teach me. All I know at this point is how to increase my pain threshold to withstand against wounds.”

  Miri grinned. “The technique is very similar to the mating thought ritual that we use for hunting large prey. You must be aware of the different kinds of emotions that men and beasts are capable of. Once you can comprehend one’s distinct feelings, then you can work on controlling the mind that you choose. You already know what pain is like, and you know how you feel when you are weary. It is a matter of connecting the paths, so that you can guide your chosen mind towards the direction you wish for them to behave. There may be times when a forceful push is required, or there may be an opportunity for a gentle coaxing. The willing subject will always be easier of course, while a mind trained in thought defenses will be the toughest to overcome.”

  Nyx thought about it for a moment. “So the means to do it is to determine your host’s feelings and then guide them to the state you want them to be in?”

  “Exactly,” Miri said. “You must remember that all feelings are but the sides of a sphere, all are intertwined. You can make things easier for yourself by knowing how each mood is related to the other. Fear is the twin brother of worry, while serenity and confidence are but distant cousins. Therefore, it is easier to mold one from sadness to grief, than it is to transfigure a mind of an enraged beast to one of docility. To go from one extreme of feeling to the other takes more effort, but all is possible.”