“We can spare a party of swordsmen to protect the expedition,” said Garen Storm. “From each of the Royal Houses.” He glanced shrewdly around the table.
“Then it’s settled,” Regent Merillia said, and faced Talis. “Leave us now-to settle the details. Time is of utmost importance. I say the party must leave before daybreak tomorrow.”
The other Elders voiced “ayes” in agreement. Talis bowed, and shuffled out of the chambers. Leave Naru tomorrow? Leave his home and family, perhaps never returning…tomorrow?
10. THE FIRE SWORD
After Talis left the Elder’s chambers, he searched around the city for Mara but couldn’t find her anywhere. He finally gave up and returned home at twilight. His house was dark and warm, shadows dancing on the walls. Mother sat by the fire, knitting a wool scarf, and Father glanced at Talis and sighed, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.
“Where have you been? Looking for that Lei girl?”
“It was her prayer that summoned the champion. The Goddess Nestria heard her.”
“Well her father has her locked up good now. You saw his face when you mentioned his daughter’s name. Vellar just about threw a fit.” Garen chuckled, as if amused at his own private joke. “Serves him right, I suppose. She’s a wild one, that girl. Lady Malvia faces an impossible task containing her.”
“You used to be friends with Mara’s mother?” As soon as Talis said it, he knew it was the wrong thing to say. His father’s face darkened, brooding on some old wound.
Father sniffed, lifting his head as if leaving everything unpleasant behind. “Tomorrow then, it’s all settled. Do you require help from the servants on packing for the voyage? I imagine traveling lightly is the way to go.”
Talis noticed the color drain from his mother’s face as Father talked. Wrinkles formed hard crevices on her forehead, and her breath went shallow. She sighed, her body rigid, eyes glazed over as she stared at the flames.
After a long silence, she whispered, “Where is he going?”
Talis grimaced as his mother lowered her head in a gesture of defeat.
“Far away, dear…north across the desert, past the barren lands, to an island, I suppose. Not on any of our maps, but there nonetheless.”
“But he’s so young.” Her hands shook, then she calmed herself and put down her knitting.
“He’ll be protected by our soldiers.” Garen narrowed his eyes at Talis, puffing on a carved, wooden pipe. “Now then, go on, rest awaits you. We’ll see to everything, just you see.”
Talis turned and shuffled off, lost in thought. Would they really be protected by their soldiers, out there in the cold lands north of the Nalgoran Desert? And how could he leave Naru without Mara? There had to be a way to see her…
Early the next morning, before any light touched the sky, Talis stared out his window. A hard lump clenched his stomach as he thought of leaving home for the first time. Would he make it back safe? Or even if he did make it back alive, would there even be a home to come back to? He held the map case, still sensing the warmth inside.
Downstairs, he gazed at his mother’s face, memorizing every curve and line. He hoped she’d be alright. As if she knew exactly what he was feeling, she reached out and hugged him, and choked back the tears.
“Nothing will keep us apart for long…you’ll come back to us, I feel it in my bones.” The weight of her words made him even sadder to leave.
His father ambled down the hallway, carrying something wrapped in silk. “I’ve something for you. I’d hope to give this to you when you came of age. It will prove valuable for your journey…”
His father handed him a sheathed short sword.
Talis withdrew the sword, gaping at the red-tinged steel and ghost patterns and smoky lines running along the blade. A tremendous weight rushed up his arms from the sword, as if imbued with some terrific power. He tensed his arms and winced. Father was giving him this treasure? The sheath was made of blackened leather, and elaborate swirling patterns ran down the spine, with silver studs lining the edge. Talis gasped. It was immaculate. Why would Father give him such a priceless gift?
“This…this is for me?” He gazed at the ruby-studded hilt, a puma’s face with ruby eyes shaping the hilt’s edge.
“It’s the finest sword in Naru.” Father narrowed his eyes at the expression on Talis’s face. “What is it, what are you feeling?”
“I’m not sure,” Talis stammered, fighting the power.
His father’s eyes sparkled. “You’re sensing the power within the sword-”
“It’s magical?” What did his father know of such things? He was a man of commerce and trade.
“The magical gift runs deep in our family history.” Father took the sword from Talis and raised it to the firelight. “This is no regular sword…it possesses great power. The red color is not from blood, there's Fire Magic within.” Fire Magic…Master Viridian said his element was fire.
Father returned the sword, and Talis stared at his father, tears welling in his eyes. “I never imagined I'd have a treasure like this.”
“Take care of the sword, it’s part of you now. There's an old saying, 'As the bearer wields, so he holds his life in his hands.' So beware, I don't give you this gift lightly.”
“Thank you, Father.” Talis reached out and shook his hand, still not believing Father had entrusted such a gift to him.
“Are you truly willing to embark on such an important mission?”
It was the question Talis had been waiting to hear from Father for many years. A chance to prove himself and make his father proud. Of course he’d go; of course he’d do anything to protect Naru and his family. This adventure was what he’d been dreaming about his whole life.
He simply gazed into his father’s eyes and said, “I am.”
“Good, don’t fail to make me proud, son. Much rests on your shoulders.”
Talis embraced his mother again, then stepped out into the dimly lit streets. Down through the upper and lower city and out past the northern gates, he followed a soldier that led him north until they reached the first traces of the Nalgoran Desert. Torches illuminated the area where men loaded supplies onto the horses. He was really leaving. There was no going back now.
He stared back at the city, the massive stone walls were painted in a surreal orange glow from the torches. Those ancient walls, designed by men of science and magic to withstand the strongest physical and magical attacks. Over twenty feet thick, those walls scintillated with the power of warding runes.
But as he studied them, a cruel thought struck him. Will those walls hold until I return?
Talis turned north and stared at the faint glow lining the horizon. A meteor flared across the field of stars. He shivered at the cold and gazed up at the sky, wondering what was out there. He didn’t feel alone when he looked at the stars, but tonight, and for how long he didn’t know, he would be alone. He didn’t even get to say goodbye to Mara. Just like that, he was leaving.
“Star-gazing?” Rikar swaggered over and covered his head with a black hood. “The desert holds a chill.”
“What are you doing here?”
“What? Your father didn’t tell you?” Rikar laughed. “I suppose Master Viridian failed to mention that Nikulo and me are coming. Did you honestly think they’d leave the task all up to you?”
“The map was given to me.”
“A mistake. Must have meant to give it to me instead. Maybe out in the desert, that mistake will be corrected.” Rikar turned and strode away, humming a dark tune, a song of jealousy and the fate of the blade. Why did the Elders invite them? Talis felt his face flush as he clenched his hands. The politics of the Royal Houses…
The men preparing the horses finished cinching down the packs, whistled, and waved everyone over. The soldiers came first. Talis recognized a few men and women from his father’s company. He strode over to the horses, admiring their fine sheen. Talis stroked his mare’s grey mane and inspected the packs. Scanning the horizon,
he felt a presence out to the northwest. Like a hand searching the desert.
Something was out there.
Talis turned as Nikulo waddled towards the party, wiggling his fingers in his pockets.
“Did I miss anything exciting?” He scanned around. His eyes had a playful, mischievous look.
“Ah, good company for the long ride.” Rikar clasped Nikulo’s hand. “A shame about all the lovely ladies we’ll be leaving behind.”
Nikulo yawned and covered his mouth. “Ladies you say? Look here, they’ve invited a girl on the expedition.”
“A girl with an ugly face,” Rikar said, and flicked a pebble at Talis.
Talis ignored the jape, and instead pictured his sword slicing through Rikar’s armor at the Blood Dagger competition. He grinned and turned away.
Master Jarvis Numerian tromped over to the group, his long black hair swinging back and forth. He glared at them. “Who invited you?”
Talis swallowed and glanced around. “The Elders-”
“Am I to play wet nurse to these saplings?”
“Will you change our diapers too?” Nikulo said, grinning.
Jarvis grunted and scraped a boot against the sand. “This isn’t the practice arena. You’ll have no healer to save you from your own stupidity.”
“Nikulo knows the art of healing,” Rikar said. “We’ll be fine on our own.”
“We’ll see about that.” Jarvis gestured at Talis. “So you’re supposedly the one leading this little jaunt into the northlands? A fool and his magical map?”
“He claims the gods gave him-”
“Was I talking to you?” Jarvis scowled at Rikar, then faced Talis. “Well then, what are you waiting for, lead on…”
The wind shifted and came up from the south, a warm wind, blowing against their backs as they faced north. Talis mounted and gazed at the shimmering horizon. He withdrew the Surineda Map, allowing it to light the dark way. The path was clear, but the way unsettling. Something was waiting for them.
11. THE NALGORAN DESERT
The cold wind blew unceasingly from the north: a violent wind, a merciless wind, a wind that crept inside your ears and pressed hard against the back of your neck. The desert sands swirled, leaving a lingering haze. Talis lifted his head and stared. The afternoon sun blurred over the horizon. The day had turned sour, and now a sand storm pelted them mercilessly.
He bent over his horse and clung to the reins, searching the horizon for signs of life. The journey across the desert was unlike anything he’d experienced. The wind left him feeling exhilarated yet also exhausted at the same time. They’d ridden long and hard that day, the desert growing colder each mile as the party rode north over the white sands.
Talis rode up to Jarvis. “When will we rest for the day?” He could barely stay on his horse and his tailbone was numb.
“Quit complaining. Did you think your mama was coming?” Jarvis kicked his horse, trotting farther ahead.
An hour after twilight, the storm cleared and the party reached a ghostly oasis, dimly lit under the four moon sisters. The soldiers slumped off their horses, jostling around and joking with each other. Jarvis grunted and ordered them to collect wood and start a fire. The party bustled about, unloading supplies from the horses and setting up camp.
Talis was starving and couldn’t wait for the soldiers to cook dinner. He rummaged through his packs and found a bag of dried meat. He smiled, and thanked the gods for giving him such a wonderful mother. He ate a few pieces until his stomach stopped complaining.
“What’s this?” Jarvis said, eying the dried meat. “No acting the noble brat out here with the troops hard at work. Pull your own weight… Do something useful like starting a fire.”
Withering from his harsh words, Talis nodded and marched over to where several soldiers were assembling wood for the fire. The men regarded him suspiciously, but moved away as Talis raised his hands at the wood, attempting to cast Fire Magic again.
But before he even had a chance to try, a spidering flame illuminated the dark night and engulfed the wood in a whoosh, then the magic disappeared, leaving only the brightly burning campfire.
“Can’t even cast a simple flame to start a fire?” Rikar said, his voice filled with contempt. He emerged from the shadows, chuckling with Nikulo.
“That’s what I was about to do…” Talis muttered.
“No, what he was about to do was lose control of magic and kill himself and everyone else around him!” Rikar said, his face turning suddenly wrathful. Talis knew he was still furious at him over Cassis’s death.
The soldiers went silent, staring at Rikar and Talis like they were about to fight. Some even stepped back into the shadows, as if wary of wizard duels.
“I ask you to start a fire, not start a fight!” Master Jarvis marched up and glared at them. “Now do something useful…preferably in difference places, you hear me?”
Talis nodded, and Rikar skulked off towards his horse, Nikulo trailing gloomily.
“And did I give permission for the rest of you to just stand there gaping at these fools?” Jarvis shouted.
Soon the soldiers went back to bustling around, setting up a cooking pot over the fire and preparing dinner. Talis helped them unload the food bags and one of the soldiers thanked him and said they could do the rest.
After eating dinner, Talis retreated with his blanket to a place behind several bushes, shielded from the northern wind. He thought about all that had happened…had it only been two days since the Jiserians had attacked Naru? Where was Mara now, locked up someplace in the Lei mansion, furious at her parents?
Talis let his thoughts drift away, and he leaned back to stare at the stars flickering in the sky. He dozed off to sleep, but was awakened by a rustling sound in the bushes. He tensed, finding himself completely awake in an instant. When the sound came closer, Talis gripped his short sword, feeling the fire crawl up his arm.
“It’s me,” Mara whispered, holding her hand out to stop him. “Put your sword away.”
“Mara? But…how did you get here?”
“I’m in disguise.” She pulled her hood down and grinned. “Proper soldier of House Lei… Did you miss me?”
“Of course! I can’t believe you escaped from your father. Everyone said he locked you away.”
“He did…but he doesn’t know I can pick all the locks in the house. I sneaked out in the middle of the night while everyone was sleeping…including the guard at the front gate.”
“Good secret to keep.” Talis grinned. “I’m glad you came-”
“Somebody had to keep you from getting yourself killed. When I heard Rikar and Nikulo were selected for the party, I was furious. I couldn’t let you go alone…especially not with grumpy Master Jarvis and those two fools…”
“Did you eat?”
Mara shrugged. “I packed chocolate and sweet bread.”
“That’s not food!”
“I didn’t want Rikar or Nikulo or Master Jarvis to recognize me by the fire…”
“Here, eat some dried meat.”
Mara nibbled on the edges. “This is delicious… You know, I really love your mother’s food. Why can’t I have your mother? My mother never cooks. Can we swap?”
“Not in a million years,” Talis said, and grinned.
They went quiet for awhile, listening to the droning sounds of insects in the oasis. Talis’s mood darkened, knowing that sooner or later someone would recognize Mara. “But what are we going to do when they find you’re here? You know they will, eventually.”
“Worry about that when the time comes.” Mara lay next to him, pulling his blanket over her, and stared at the stars. Twin meteors shot across the black sky, sending a pulsing thrill shooting through his body. Mara was really here with him… For the first time since leaving on the trip, hope blossomed in his heart.
After three grueling days north through the desert, Talis stared out across the stormy horizon, wishing they’d leave this bleak place. How far was it to th
e northlands? Jarvis was sullen and quiet, refusing to answer his questions. They’d stopped to rest in a gully underneath a massive sand dune.
Rikar was entertaining the soldiers-again, at Talis’s expense-telling stories about Xhan, Talis’s older brother, and what a tremendous fighter Xhan was (as opposed to Talis). It didn’t matter that Talis had beat him in the Blood Dagger competition, Rikar always chose to tell stories about older fights in which Talis lost. Rikar whispered something in a younger soldier’s ear, and they both scoffed and shook their heads at Talis.
This was the worst expedition possible. Talis wished he’d gotten to know his father’s men better, as they seemed to have the same challenging attitude towards him that his father had had for all these years. Especially the younger ones.
Mara kept quiet, keeping her face covered in disguise; she wasn’t about to get escorted back to Naru by one of the soldiers. Talis caught her gripping her dagger as Rikar was deep in ridiculing Talis. This wasn’t easy for her either.
Talis opened a pack and withdrew more dried meat from his dwindling supplies. He was getting sick of dried pork and dried beef. With the wind and storm as strong as it was, they didn’t even attempt to start a fire. He knew he couldn’t expect much in the way of variety on the expedition, especially the farther they went north and the colder it got. But still he missed the ovens of Naru filled with sweet bread and pies, dumpling soup from Fiskar’s Market, and most of all, his mother’s cooking.
But after an hour or so of waiting out the storm, the wind slowed and the clouds dissipated. An eerie calm possessed the desert as the soldiers stared around in wonder. Then one of the soldiers let out a shrill whistle, and Talis turned and noticed that the others behind him were staring at the western horizon.
“Raiders,” shouted Jarvis.
Talis squinted. Far away, a dust cloud swirled towards them.
“Prepare to ride!” Jarvis yelled, charging around his men. They gathered their gear and mounted up. “Battle formation, but keep it loose and fast, I’d rather not engage whoever is out there.”
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