The City of Pillars

by Joshua P. Simon

  Rondel’s mouth turned into a frown. It seemed he was supposed to ask Shadya something about the mask, but all he could think about was how his life had just changed once again and how he’d have to figure out who he was once more.

  I was just getting the hang of being Rondel the Adventurer.

  * * *

  Inside his tent, Captain Melek removed the traditional gutrah from his head, setting it on his bedroll nearby. He rubbed his hands through his dark hair matted against his skull and began pacing.

  At the tent’s center, Khalil knelt over a bowl of water taken from the lapping Madacan Ocean mere steps from his quarters.

  Around the bowl rested five small stones, etched with powerful wards. The stones sat in the pattern of a star. Khalil dipped the index finger of his right hand into the water. The sorcerer began a small chant while his finger skimmed the surface. The wards on the five stones glowed a pale blue, much weaker than usual.

  Khalil muttered a curse.

  Melek paused in his pacing. It was unlike Khalil to show his frustration. The sorcerer’s chanting increased in volume, and for a moment the stones grew brighter. Sulphur lingered in the air. Sweat beaded on Khalil’s forehead. His lips quivered. The man clenched his jaw, arms shaking. A grunt came from deep in his throat and the stones went out, void of any color except the natural orange and tan the great Hubul saw fit to bless them with.

  Khalil hunched over, shaking his hand slightly.

  Melek knew not to say anything. Khalil would speak when ready.

  Khalil took a deep breath and rose. The sorcerer wiped sweat from his brow, then smoothed out his long salt and pepper beard. “Troubling news.”

  “I assumed as much.”

  “I still can’t commune with Bassam. I can sense that they made it to the watering hole where they planned to ambush Shadya. But that’s it.”

  “Are they dead?”

  “I . . . I don’t know. Something is blocking my ability to divine in that location.”

  “Perhaps it’s not something, but someone. Can you sense Shadya and her companions there?”

  “No.”

  “But you’re sure they were there before?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then we assume that Bassam and the others are dead. Shadya, Rondel, and Andrasta are probably heading our way now.”

  “Then we attack?”

  “No. We have a stronger point of defense here than we’ll find anywhere else.”

  Khalil’s mouth twisted. “I don’t like this. We are Hubul’s Host. We’ve defeated entire armies. Two vagabonds and a she-devil should not be feared.”

  “You know the annals better than I do. How many times would a little fear have helped my predecessors? A lack of fear usually results in higher casualties. Besides, are we truly the same Hubul’s Host that the Erban legends sing about? Those that defeated entire armies?”

  Khalil’s face went slack.

  Melek continued. “I hate to say it, but our name will only take us so far. We are still mighty in skill, but no longer in number.”

  “Don’t sell us short. We did manage to take the Mask of Halves back. With you leading us, I might add.”

  “Yes, we did. But how long did it take for me to plan the attack? The better part of a year. It was timed beautifully and still a huge gamble. An all or nothing effort to ensure we could regain the mask before Shadya’s power began to increase as it always does around the alignment of the heavens. And we still took heavy losses. Perhaps I’m wrong, but we can’t take the same risks over and over and still expect to have the men capable of completing Hubul’s mission by destroying the mask.”

  “We should have faith in Hubul.”

  “I do. He blessed us with victory before. But he also blessed us with minds to use. On this, I’m positive. We’ll let them come to us.”

  Khalil bowed his head. “I’m sorry for questioning you.”

  Melek frowned at the man before him. It still felt odd to command someone who had helped train and raise him. “You have nothing to apologize for. I will never turn away your council, so don’t think to hold back.”

  The old sorcerer chuckled. “I won’t. Orders?”

  “Extend the patrols and double the watch. Ensure the entire perimeter of camp is protected by your wards. They’re coming for us and we must assume that the woman’s power has grown.”

  * * *

  Tracking Hubul’s Host was not an easy task. For a group of dozens, perhaps more, they left little evidence of their presence. If Andrasta had not known their current location, she might have missed some of the tiny signs they had left behind.

  Even as she slowed to follow those signs, ensuring she pinpointed the exact location of their camp, she arrived hours ahead of when she intended. Pushing the pace earlier had worked to her advantage.

  The clouds above inspired confidence in their mission to steal the mask. She hoped the overcast sky would continue into the night, allowing little light from the moon or stars.

  It might even rain. But that would be asking too much.

  Andrasta secured her mount a safe distance away from where she estimated even the most cautious leader would send scouts.

  She continued on foot slowly toward the camp. Careful not to draw the attention of sentries or sorcerers probing the area, she covered her tracks. To the untrained eye, her disturbances in the dirt would appear to match those of a side-winding viper.

  After clearing over two miles in her approach, the flat land near the tributary of the Undis River changed into a rocky, gray limestone near the coast. Because of all the doubling back on her trail she estimated she had walked more than twice the distance she actually covered.

  She hid near the top of a hill, one of many covered in small shrubbery and thin grass. Through the spyglass she had purchased from Fikri in Hegra, she took advantage of the fading daylight. A narrow beach below held a camp of about fifty men. The number was lower than Shadya’s previous references to their strength, but she assumed that Shadya’s numbers had included those they killed at the oasis as well as sentries and scouts patrolling the area.

  That would bring it up to seventy or so.

  Similar to those that had attacked them, each man wore black robes with a silver marking on their sleeves. Andrasta noticed that the design was not consistent from person to person. Few wore no symbol at all. Many wore a crescent or half circle.

  Some of the men worked around small cook fires. Others tended to the horses. Several more kneeled on the sandy beach, prostrating themselves while facing the ocean, raising their heads upward toward the advancing night. A man stood before them with arms held high.

  Probably their priest leading them in prayer. She recalled Shadya and Rondel saying these people were not a cult, but Andrasta thought they had many of the same trappings. Isolation. Elitism. Zealousness.

  And a “holier than thou” mission.

  She moved the spyglass away from the outskirts of camp, searching for where the Host might be hiding the mask.

  Tents made from old pieces of mismatched cloth sat in a circle at the camp’s center. A narrow gap on two sides of the circle remained open so to allow individuals passage in and out of it. A large, white, square tent sat in the middle of the circle. Four men held a conversation in front of it.

  Three of the four men wore three-quarter circles on their sleeves. They listened intently to the fourth man, the only one she had seen with a full circle. That man spoke with a calm but intense face. Staring at the man’s troubled brow, she couldn’t help but admire the chiseled lines of his face and the way the neatly trimmed, forked beard added to the power of his presence.

  For a small moment, jealousy of Rondel’s companionship with Shadya washed over her.

  The man with the full circle dismissed the other three. She realized the symbols must signify rank.

  The cycles of the moon. Shadya said that many associate Hubul with it.

  The man with the full moon ducked inside the small center
tent.

  It must be there. She’d want something important like the mask as close to her as possible.

  She took in the rest of the area.

  The men prostrating themselves near the shore finished their ritual and left for other duties. Six more took their places before the one dressed as a priest. The first six drew scimitars and began sparring. She watched them for some time, admiring their skill and grace.

  A group this small could make up for a lack of numbers with skill, but Rondel said they once killed thousands? Their numbers must have been greater then.

  Andrasta saw nothing from those fighting that made her question her ability to defeat any in single combat. However, no single warrior, no matter their level of skill, could defeat so many alone.

  Not two warriors either.

  She examined the terrain once more.

  How are we going to get inside undetected?

  When the last hint of day finally gave way to the inevitable night, Andrasta slipped away.

  * * *

  Rondel and Shadya located Andrasta’s mount hidden near the predetermined meeting place behind one of several outcroppings of gray limestone near a tributary of the Undis River. It represented a stark, yet welcome, contrast from the orange sandstone they left behind. After caring for the horses, they settled in for Andrasta to return.

  If she returns.

  Rondel couldn’t shake the nervousness for his partner.

  At Shadya’s urging, he had eaten a small meal of flatbread, dried horse they had obtained from Hegra, and a handful of dates. The way his nerves wreaked havoc on his digestive system, the last thing he wanted was to introduce food. However, he also knew it would be foolish not to eat anything. He’d need energy if fighting broke out when they stole the mask.

  His stomach settled slightly with food inside it. However, the sweating, racing pulse, and constant need to pee remained.

  Gods, this is worse than when we broke into the museum. He cursed Kamal and Wabu.

  I wouldn’t even be here risking my life if they hadn’t stolen the flute. But then, I wouldn’t have met Shadya.

  Shadya bent over at the foot of the small stream. She had stripped off some of her outer garments to wash off the sweat and grime from their travels. Rondel noted that she no longer carried herself in the same manner since their night together. She seemed more relaxed and comfortable, less guarded and reserved.

  Like we’ve known each other forever.

  Rondel forced himself to look away. His heart had begun to race for new reasons.

  He began running through a series of stretches to loosen his limbs. Next, he did some weapon drills to help clear his mind. When finished, he was breathing a bit heavier, but felt more in control of his emotions.

  “Good,” called Andrasta. “You’re getting ready. I thought I’d find you sleeping.”

  Rondel smiled as she jumped down from a small boulder. Relief washed over him. “How could I sleep considering what we’re about to do?” he asked, walking toward her. “I was worried something might’ve happened to you.”

  Andrasta walked past Shadya without addressing her, went to the small stream, cupped her hand, and drank. She rubbed fresh water on her face, letting the residual run down her cheeks and neck. “I needed to take my time returning. The Host knows what they’re doing. I almost ran into sentries twice.”

  “I bet you hated leaving them alive.”

  “Picking them off one by one would be a much more favorable solution than trying to sneak into camp. They’re good. Really good.”

  “I know. I fought one remember?”

  “Those they sent after us weren’t their best.” Andrasta explained her theory on the rankings of the cult based on the moon sequences.

  “Do you have a plan for us getting inside?” he asked.

  “I have a few ideas, but wanted to hear what you thought.” Andrasta squatted and started drawing in the dirt with her dagger again. “This is what we’re dealing with.”

  Rondel studied the detailed sketch of the low mountains leading to the coast, the beach, and the actual camp itself. The horses were grouped on the west side, close to a hundred feet away from the tents at the camp’s center. The tents sat in a circle with a larger one in the middle where Andrasta believed the mask was being kept. Openings into and out of the circle were on either side of the circle, parallel to the coast. East of the tents sat a small shrine that members of the Host took turns prostrating themselves before. A small training area was beyond the shrine. As Andrasta pointed out the location of the sentries she found, she also noted any routines or tendencies.

  He scratched the scar at his throat. It bothered him some days more than others though he often wondered if the behavior hadn’t become habit.

  Andrasta looked up. “What do you think?”

  Rondel gestured to a small space between two of the lower hills that opened up to the beach. “This looks like the easiest way in.”

  “It’s the only path nearby that would allow horses to pass through the hills. However, four sentries guard the area.”

  “Only four? We could take them.”

  She shook her head. “No. Given their position and the angle we would have to approach, it would be like fighting a dozen. Even if we can take them without raising an alarm, we’d still have to sprint a good hundred yards through open space before reaching even the edge of camp.”

  “That’s obviously not going to work then.”

  “We could always sprout wings and fly in I guess.”

  He chuckled. “I have an idea. Why don’t we come around this way on the west side.” He made a wide, sweeping motion with his hand. “I know it’s a good mile out of our way but we can just start out earlier. We hug the water line and slip into the ocean during our approach. Then we make our way through the water until we’re behind the tents near the shore. That way we avoid the sentries patrolling the beach. The run from the water to the back side of camp isn’t far, and based on what you said is the only part of the camp not guarded.”

  “It’s not guarded because no one would survive by coming in that way. Despite the heat of the day, the water will be freezing at night. We’ll come out shaking and useless at best.”

  “I can do something about that,” chimed Shadya.

  Andrasta sneered over her shoulder. “Such as?”

  “I can ward a spell on an amulet that would regulate your body temperatures. I can also make sure it will mask your movments and keep you invisible from sorcery. You’ll need that as well as I expect their camp to be surrounded completely with wards. Even by the water. Just remember, the naked eye will still be able to spot you.”

  “Are you certain your wards can overpower theirs?” asked Rondel.

  “Yes,” she said, confidently.

  “How long will that take?”

  “Not long if I start now. Less time than the confusion spells I placed on those rocks I made on our way from the oasis.”

  “Confusion spells?” asked Andrasta.

  Rondel smiled and opened the pouch at his belt, pulling one free. “They’re pretty simple to use. You just touch your finger here at the center of the circle and then toss them. Shadya said whoever is in the vicinity will feel like they’re drunk. The radius is only about eight feet, but she’s made quite a few. We can toss them under the tents after coming ashore. That should make it easier to sneak around.”

  Andrasta grunted. “All right. We can use the stones.” She paused, twisting her mouth. “And the amulet as well.”

  “I’ll get started on them then,” said Shadya.

  After Shadya left, Andrasta continued. “I’d rather not wear anything warded again though.”

  “Why? Aren’t you still wearing the amulet she gave us in Zafar?”

  “No. I got rid of it after we left the city.”

  He jerked in surprise. How didn’t I notice that? “Why would you do that?”

  “It didn’t feel right.”

  “That’s ridiculous
.”

  “Is it? I’m not the one scratching my chest all the time.”

  Rondel paused. I guess I am. “That doesn’t mean anything. Probably a rash I picked up somewhere. We have been covered in sweat and sand for awhile. Even if it’s from the amulet, what’s a little scratch of the chest when it means staying safe?”

  Andrasta rolled her eyes.

  “Look, I’m not going to argue with you. The amulet before helped us get out of the city. I see no reason to not wear a different one now.”

  Andrasta grimaced, the scar on her face puckering. “Let’s finish going over the plan.”

  * * *

  Andrasta stared daggers at Shadya as she placed the new amulet over Rondel’s neck. The small stone clicked against the one already there. Rondel wore a goofy smile that spoke almost as loudly as Shadya’s lack of attire. Andrasta didn’t need another sign to know where the two had taken their relationship.

  I guess that’s it then. She’s got the last of her talons in him. He isn’t going to leave her now.

  After this, I’m back on my own.

  Her master’s old lessons berated her internally.

  She set her jaw when Shadya came over with arms lifted, hands parting so the leather strips used to secure the amulet made a circle. Reluctantly, Andrasta lowered her head and allowed Shadya to slip the amulet over it. She braced for something, not sure what, when the small rock pressed against the outside of her clothing.

  But there was nothing.

  Have I been too paranoid this whole time?

  Shadya raised an eyebrow and then turned away.

  Of course . . . why would she do anything to me now? It will be after we get the mask.

  “Whore,” Andrasta whispered.

  “What was that?” said Rondel.

  “Nothing. We need to go.”

  “Wait,” said Shadya. “I don’t have my things together.”

  Andrasta snorted. “You aren’t coming.”

  “Why not?” she asked Rondel.

  “I’m sorry, but you’ll slow us down,” he replied, softly.

  “No I won’t.”

  “Yes, you will. We’ll be working hard enough to keep ourselves alive without having to worry about saving you too. You’ll be safer here. Just keep the horses ready so we can take off the second we return.”