Chapter 2 - The Winds Begin to Blow
Talia continued to run, even though the sounds had long since dissipated and her legs ached from the effort. Talia knew that she was in no immediate danger and that she should conserve her energy in case she needed it later,"No one knows what secrets tomorrow brings", Talia repeated in her head. She heard the saying in the voice of her grandmother who had said it to her every night before placing her in bed. The thought of her grandmother slowed her down, back to a brisk walk, she thought of how heart-broken Jaddah would be when she awoke and went to wake Talia, only to find a bare bed and a pristine blue sheet billowing out the window.
"I was going to tell her, but she wouldn't understand. She couldn't" Talia reminded herself for the thousandth time, still not truly believing it.
Talia wanted to tell Jaddah why she was running away, she wanted to tell her, tell someone, about what had happened to her since the day in the gardens. That fateful day where she had found a note addressed to her in the tomb of the royal poet Sahadi. She had gone in there to think, as she often did, and to see if she might catch the eye of any of the wealthy bachelors who came there to recite the poets works, all thinking that only the privileged knew of the more sensual undertones of the revered poets later pieces. Although she had shared a few quiet words with Haftez, all thoughts of courting left her head when she saw the small scrap of parchment at the foot of a mulberry bush. Even though Talia could not read the note, just knowing that she alone, out of all the people in the gardens, had seen it, filled her with an excitement and exhilaration that was almost completely foreign to her. Talia had given a poor reason for excusing herself from Haftez's ever tightening embrace, and slowly, indiscreetly made her way over to the note. As the current speaker, a self involved, son of a low ranking advisor to the sultan, was reciting a particularly saucy verse, concerning tunnels used to attack the fictional city, Talia reached down and picked up the note. Without giving it a single glance she placed it in her pocket and listened dutifully to the rest of the poem, before making her way home. Talia moved as quickly as she could without drawing attention to herself, which was difficult, because she was well known in this area of Byzantir and her good nature and striking looks had made her more than her share of friends.
When she got home Talia placed the letter under her bed, not daring to read it while her grandmother was up, although getting on in years Jaddah still had the uncanny ability to appear from nowhere, right when Talia was sure she was far away. Late at night, after fetching herself a carafe of water, and checking that Jaddah was well and truly sleeping, Talia lit the smallest oil lamp in the house and took the note out to read.
As Talia was reciting the contents of the letter to herself she noticed two lights coming from a house at the far end of the lane she was currently slinking down. She knew this was the house. Talia continued towards the house, and when she arrived she moved to the back of the house. She could see the doorway leading to the basement, which is where she was instructed to go. Talia paused and wondered if the answers she was promised really lay within this house, she wondered if all the mysteries that Jaddah wouldn't talk about might unravel if she pushed open the door. Part of her wanted to run back to her house, thinking that not knowing what happened might be safer for her, that if it was secret, there must be a reason. Talia realised that if she did not go through the door she would never forgive herself and with a curious push, opened the door.
Private Denik'Rane moved his pike a little further forward. He was still trying to find the sweet spot where it would stand up, yet also be angled enough that he might lean against it. He looked over at his companion and saw him standing stoically with his pike firmly by his side. Rane, as he was called, was relatively new to the Republican Guard and despite the rigorous training did not quite have the discipline expected of a soldier, which explained why he had been selected to do the graveyard watch shift of the main gate, yet again.
"Still" considered Rane, "I'd prefer middle of the night rather than middle of the day, especially with the summer we've been having". The Private then let his mind wander to earlier in the day. He was waking from his sleep at about the same time the locals were making their way to the baths. He had stood at his window and watched the parade of young women come and go. Rane was re-living this moment, when he noticed movement at the top of the sand hills to his left. He focused on it and could make out a camel, slowly wandering in the direction of the gate.
"Hey, Raktesh" called Rane to the guard on the other side of the gate, "See the camel over there, I'm going to go and herd it in".
"Careful Rane" scolded Raktesh, "It could be a trap, I have heard of the sand warriors sending out wounded animals, to lure our guards away. Those who go to investigate are never seen again".
"I'll take my chances" Rane said as he walked towards the lumbering beast. As Rane got closer he could see that the animal was not walking evenly, that every step brought it considerable pain. He could also make out the shape of a rider, apparently dead, slumped against the side of animal.
"What a terrible companion to have in your final hours" said Rane to the night air.
"He did his duty" wheezed Captain Kneering, raising himself up just enough to see the approaching figure, "and now my brother, I ask that you do yours, I must see the Sultan & the Commander of the Guards at once"
"Easy soldier, first we must get you to the doctor, You need healing, and quickly" replied Rane, not quite sure yet what to make of this distraught arrival. Using all the energy he could muster Captain Kneering pushed himself up in his saddle, giving Rane his first real view of the once imposing figure before him.
"Listen to me child, I am Captain Dubruck Kneering of the Sultans Royal Elite Guard, I have traveled from the doors of hell to bring information to the Sultan, and no third rate gate watch men will stand in my way. Either show me, directly to the Sultan or I shall remove you from my path once and for all". With this last surge of effort Captain Kneering fell forward, losing his balance and falling off his mount, collapsing to the sand. As the camel lowered itself to rest Denik'Rane realised that if this man was who he claimed to be then the best thing he could do was deliver him to the Sultan, and hope that when he wake he would not remember any details of the young guard who had stopped him at the gate.
"RAKTESH, RAISE THE CAPTAIN" Rane screamed, as he reached down and lifted the shoulders of the prone figure in front of him, "THEN COME AND HELP ME", he added, realising that he was unable to drag, let alone lift the Elite Guardsman.
Satisfied that all was right with 'his' city Abbubwah made his way out of his private study into his bedroom. He saw the outline of two bodies in his bed, both resting peacefully after the activities earlier in the night.
"I must remember the brunettes name" the prince mused to himself, a little too loudly as one of the shapes propped herself up and stared in his direction.
"Come back to bed O Prince of War", she whispered loud enough for him to hear.
"At least she knows what I am to be called" the prince thought, remembering the last of his colleagues who had managed to go two whole days referring to him merely as "His Royal Highness", a name he despised for its association with his father.
Abbubwah made his way towards the bed and laid down between his partners.
Although sleep came quickly to the young Prince his dreams did not let him rest. He had visions, first, like he had had for years, of him being hailed as a conquering hero by the masses, for ridding the city of his fathers oppressive rule. However this time as he was standing in the city center, soaking in the applause of the masses another figure made is way into the square. He was twice the size of any of the well wishers, and covered in tattoos of the darkest red, as if had been cut, and the wounds refused to heal. He made his way through the crowd and past the Prince, now Sultan, without even glancing at him. He continued to the palace and knocked down the gates as if he was batting away a horse fly. He continued inside, not stopping when the guards, those who were not cowering, got in his way. He simply continued over them, crushing them under his bare feet. As he continued into the palace the tattoos shifted, peeling off his skin, leaving no mark they were ever there, and forming a billowing cape, of the same deep red. This monster continued deeper into the palace, reaching the door of the throne room. Prince Abbubwah, who had followed, from some distance, watched this figure knocked the door down and made his way to the throne. By now he no longer looked monstorous, he appeared quite handsome, and was now wearing not only the cape, but pants of a dark silk, and a sword the size of a large man on his side. He turned to face the Prince and sat down heavily on the throne, which cracked under his weight, but did not fall.
"You look amazed little Prince of War, that I have taken what is due to me. You placed me on this throne, Prince. All that has happened, all that will happen is because of the deal you made. Did you think I would forget my reward, did you think I would forget what was owed to me?" the brute asked the cowering Prince.
"I made no deal, not with an animal like you", the Prince said racking his brain to remember which deal he could have possibly have made with an agent of this warrior, for he was sure that they had never met.
"AHAHAHA" bellowed the warrior, who was now wearing a helmet of a dusty gold, that covered his head, and reached down past his ears, almost to where his neck met his shoulders.
"You do not know yet what deals you will be forced to make. Before this is all over you will have allys you never dreamed of, and enemies that you could not possibly imagine. You are willing to risk everything for your city. You will lose Prince of War, you are playing a game with beings beyond your comprehension. This city is more important than you realise, but it will be lost. Events have started and cannot be undone. It will be reclaimed by the sand that it is built upon". With this final statement the entire palace seemed to melt away, but the Prince could see that it was not melting, it was turning into sand, and was slowly sinking into the ground.
"Now Prince of Nothing, Sultan of Sand, reap your reward", the figure said. As the last words left his mouth the Prince began flying backwards out of the throne room, before leaving the room however he saw a figure appear from a rip of darkness next to the hulking colossus, like he had torn his way into the Princes dream, this figure leaned in to the ear of the brute. The Prince strained his eyes but could not make out who the figure was before he was thrown out of the palace and into the air.
