Chapter 5 - The Burning Sun

Kneering had managed to get home, and in bed before the sun was up. He knew his wife would be relieved to see him in their bed when she awoke. He also knew that she would not wake him, she might even be able to keep the children out of the room long enough for him to get a few hours sleep. Kneerings sleep was restless, he was walking in the desert again, feet sinking with each step, but he could hear the cries of his enemies behind him, growing louder and louder, now screaming.
Kneering woke up, realising that the screaming was coming from his own house. He sprang to his feet and grabbed the sword he had placed on the bench next to his bed. He raced out of his room and realise immediately that the scream was not the only noise coming from down the stairs, he could also hear his son crying and his wife doing her best to calm his wailing daughter. Kneering returned to his bedroom to replace the hastily drawn weapon, then got dressed and splashed some water over his face, his wife had the fore thought to place a jug next to the bed, knowing his morning routine, and perhaps sensing that he may be interrupted as he slept. Kneering went downstairs to check what was happening with his children and wife.
"Papa, I didn't mean to. We were just playing and..." his son started his defense as soon as Kneering appeared in the doorway.
"Shhh Alter, your father has not even had lunch today and already you start with him. Go to your room, I will come and get you when we have decided its time to talk." Kneerings wife, Aleze was cradling his daughter with one arm and pointing to his sons room with the other.
"Papa..", Alter began.
"No, Your mother has spoken, we will talk later", Kneering said firmly, knowing that he could not take sides against his wife. As Alter walked slowly back to his room Kneering walked over and kissed first his wife and then his daughter, who by now was just sobbing heavily, having run out of energy for any more screaming.
"You were gone along time, I hope everything went well while you were away?" Aleze asked, knowing that at best she would get a vague answer.
"Things went very poorly indeed. I must meet with the royal family tonight to discuss in detail my visit. I fear that this will be part of a much larger operation than we first thought. I will be gone for a long time, I do not know when, but I can feel it coming. I promise though, once this is finished, I will spend my days staying home, helping you and looking after the children. I have been fighting these wars for far too long." Kneering picked up his daughter and sank down into a chair.
"Far to long...But If I can make things safer for my family, I must." he added, staring first at his daughter as she sat playing with his shirt, and then at his wife, hiding the disappointment over her husband leaving again so soon.

Talia awoke slowly, letting her eyes take in her room, seeing it for the first time in the light. As soon as Talia remembered fully where she was, and what had happened last night, she jumped out of bed. She noticed immediately that someone had been into her room while she slept. There was a shallow dish of water and a wash cloth on the bedside table, a jug of drinking water and a glass were also layed on a table, next to the contents of her knapsack, just some of the papers she had taken, as well as her mothers bracelet, and some of her finer scarves. Talia felt overwhelmed, she tried to comprehend everything that had happened last night. Sneaking out, meeting Jioseph, the fire across the way, the agent of Jioseph, it was all to much. Talia went over and had a glass of water. She wondered who it was that had been through her things and prepared her room. Did they move softly or had she just slept heavily? Talia was frightened, and then thought of Jaddah, who by now would realise that her grand daughter had run away. What would she be doing now? Crying in hysterics, talking to the guards, or tracking Talia herself with the help of any of the young suitors that would have come round to call on her this morning. All these thoughts seemed to be too much for her to deal with, Talia decided that she could not undo what she had done, the best thing now was to push forward as much as possible. With that in her mind she washed up and headed out the door.
She had only started pushing it open when Jioseph pulled it open for her.
"Good Morning Ms Al Gazul, I hope the events of last night did not prevent you from enjoying a whole nights sleep." Jioseph stepped back and waved her down the corridor to the stairs.
"I must say Talia, now I see you in the light it is clear, You are your mothers daughter. It is more than just the way you look, as I am sure your grandmother has told you that many times. I can see your mind working behind your eyes. I can see the apprehension inside, even though you are doing well to hide it from your body." Jioseph continued as he lead her downstairs, to a dining room, with a table covered with fruits, nuts, warm bread and everything Talia could possibly think of having at breakfast.
"There is so much here Jiospeh, are we to be joined by someone?" Talia asked, not sure how someone who lived in such a, modest, area of the city could afford so much for breakfast.
"No, no. We will eat our fill, and then my men will finish it off as they clean it up."
"So you share this house with some servants? or are they family of yours?" Talia said, hoping to gather what exactly the setup Jioseph had for himself.
"Ah Talia, If you wanted to know who the man was that reported to me last night was, you had but to ask. Please sit, I will tell you everything over breakfast.". Talia sat, knowing that at the very least she must listen to his story, then she would know if she had made a mistake running away, and if there was any way to undo it.
"Many years ago, back before you were born, when your mother and father had only just met, they were standing in the same park in which I first messaged you. They were there under the pre-text of listening to the newly arrived soothsayer from the city of the Sun God. He was rattling on, about how his city was a marvel beyond our imagination, and for a small fee he would escort a chosen few to live amongst the gods. He turned out to be a rather inventive slave trader, but that is for another day. As usual there was more than one speaker in the park at that time. I myself had a small corner, and a loyal following of three or four who would turn up and discuss with me, the future and how our city must work with others to advance the world as a whole, not remain isolated letting our own affairs over shadow the larger problems in the world. Your parents wandered over and joined the small group around me and listened for a while, and like any intelligent listener, they soon began questioning what I was saying. Not disagreeing with it, just seeking clarification on some points, or offering alternatives to others. I could tell instantly that they were much smarter than the average scholar who would come down and argue with me, merely throwing at me quotes from a mind much greater than their own. Your parents knew a lot, educated as they were, but more than the knowledge they had the over looked quality of being able to see through lies and deception, they were able to remove themselves from their thoughts, they were able to analyse much more methodically and accurately then even I was. My cabal welcomed them in, and invited them out to dinner. This, my dear, was the beginning of a wonderful time in my life."
Jioseph closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, Talia could see in his face that he truly treasured these memories, the color seemed to rush to his face, and the lines of age seemed to fade away. Then just as quickly she found herself looking at the same middle aged man she first met, looking into his eyes and seeing the pain within them, mixed with something else she could not identify.
"For a year and a half, your parents were the greatest friends I ever had. They would stay here, sometimes for weeks on end. We would talk and plan, and act. Unlike the others I had known, your parents were the first to truly spur me on to action. We soon had the ear of a court vizier, and soon, we had his mind. Your parents spoke with such passion and conviction that no one could hear them talk and deny the merit of thier ideas. As our influence spread however, there started to develop a rift between your parents and I. It started with your grandmother. She was concerned that we were too concerned with the world as it should be, that we could not see it for what it is. She admired our devotion, but insisted that it blinded us to the problems that were here and now. Your mother took the advice to heart. She left us for many days, she said she needed to see what was happening to the heart of this city. She returned to us later, resolute that we must use our influence to fix the inequities in this city before looking to fix the rest of the world."
"I was outraged. This was the exact thinking we had been rallying against for the past year. I told your mother how she herself had moved past such petty issues, but she said that she had merely been caught up in the romance of the idea. She said she still wanted great change, but that it must not come at such a large price. Upon hearing this your father immediately sided with his wife. To this day I believe that he did not agree with her, but he loved her too much to take a final decisive stand against her. He said that if that was what she believed needed to be done, he would help her do it."
"Here young Talia, is the part I most dread telling you. For it shows me as the foolish, stuborn man I am. I could not take this apparent act of betrayel and so cast them out. My anger was great at the time. I raged at both of them as they stood here in this very room, I tried to reason with them, that they had done so much, that we were days away from influencing one of the royals, that within a month our plan could be realised. Your mother would hear none of it. She received my anger, my rage, my harsh words without feeling the need to defend herself. She merely waited till I had finished and then said that she wished me the best, and she hoped that one day I would find happiness of my own making."
"I have already told you Talia of the best time of my life, the year with your parents. The months that followed after were without compare the worst of my life. I was furious for a month straight. I could not focus, and so without your parents involved, or me with all my faculties, our movement slowed, our followers became lost. Many were not happy with what had happened, they, rightly so, attributed the majority of our success to your parents. Soon my leadership was called into question, then openly challenged, but by this point I did not care. I did not want to change the world any more. I just wanted to change your parents mind. I gave up my position, keeping only a few followers loyal to me, the men and women you will see in this house."
"I tried to use my influence within the royal family to show them that the city's problems could only be fixed with larger reforms. I wanted to scare them, I wanted to force them to realize that the danger to the city comes from without. They would not listen to the courtisan, they said he was just a puppet. I should have left it at that. I never wanted..."
Talia was watching Jioseph, watching his head sink lower and lower, watching the tears fall freely down his face, his whole body heaving his heavy sobs.
"They were going to address the citys council, in the hope of beginning some small changes. I had hired some men to, ... to come in and act as Imperial Guards, hoping that your parents would realise that their changes would never happen while the corruption was running unchecked. The men were... not who I thought they were. Your parents defied them, they stood thier ground, refusing to ... They were killed, in front of the whole city council, by mercenaries dressed as Imperial Guard, that I had sent there."

Chapter 4 - Promise of a new Day.

Talia walked into the basement, straining her eyes to see around the room, looking for a door, or a person, a note, anything to show her that this was the right house, that this was where she was supposed to be. She walked further into the room when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder,
"Welcome Talia, ward of Jaddah, welcome to the truth". Talia swung around to see who she was talking to, but seeing the speaker did not help. The figure before her was clothed from head to toe.
"Who are you?, What.." Talia stammered to a stop, hoping that she would get some answers soon enough.
"Do not be worried Talia, you have come to the right place. We will show you what you have always wanted. We will teach you the truth, just as we did your parents."
"My parents?" Talia blurted, immediately wishing she hadn't.
"Yes. They too once came looking for us. We taught them as best we could, then sent them out to enlighten the rest of the world. What happened to them was a tragedy, that should never have happened, I blame myself for not watching over them close enough"
"What do you mean?" Talia interrupted, "My parents were killed in a robbery, my father would not hand over his silks and some thieves killed him".
"I know that is what you were told child, but it is not the truth, it is a cover designed to protect you from the truth. I always wanted to tell you the truth, but your grandmother would never allow it, she did not want you to worry"
"This doesn't make sense" Talia said, with a cloud of confusion creeping into her mind, "she may have been protecting me at one point but why would she never tell me the truth?"
"Because she knew, just as I do, that when you find out the truth, you will be want to seek justice, and that will lead to vengeance. What I am offering to you is so much more, it is the knowledge of what happened to your parents, but more than that it is the training, resources and direction to truly avenge their death, I can give you the same lessons I gave your parents, although now the lessons are refined. Experience, particularly with your parents brought to light how inadequate my training was. I have spent years going over all that I knew, so that one day I might pass it on to those who could use it, so that they might accomplish that which I only ever dreamed of."
"I don't...How can I trust you, all I know of you is from a note in a park and the stories you're telling me now. Why should I believe you? Why should I trust you?" Talia said, slowly realising that she was in the basement of a house owned by someone she didn't know, talking to a person she met only minutes ago who claims that her parents were murdered.
"Talia, when your mother died she left behind a gold bracelet. I gave it to her on her wedding day, I gave one similar to your father, he wore his everyday, your mother only on occasions that called for it. Your fathers was stolen from him the day he was murdered, to make it look like he was robbed. The bracelet your wearing now has the initials: R.A.G on one line, C.A.G on another and on the inside is From J.O. The first two, I'm sure you know are your parents initials. The J.O. is me Jioseph Orfarre". Talia reached down and felt her bracelet, she knew the letters were there, she just needed to feel them once more.
"Oh Allah" Talia said, faintly.
"You must tell me all about them, there are so many questions I have, so much I need to know...", Jioseph cut off her babbling mid sentence.
"Do not rush young Talia. Yes you have much to learn, for there is much to know, but you do not need to learn it all tonight. The light of day will help you see things better, so please, follow me to your bed and try and get some sleep, for the sun is almost upon us and you will need your rest".

Ak'ash was almost home when the earliest of merchants made their way onto the streets to begin to set up shop, just as they had done their entire lives. Ak'ash gave polite nods of recognition to those merchants he had seen before, although none were willing to start a conversation, at least notuntil their store was up, this suited Ak'ash perfectly as he was tired, and still pondering the nights events. He reached his house, and as always went to the rear door to make his entrance. He did this out of paranoia, constantly afraid that someone would be waiting for him if he ever used the front door. Ak'ash unlocked the backdoor and opened just a sliver, peering in to make sure that no one was waiting, when hisparanoia was satisfied he pushed the door further open and stepped inside. No sooner had he taken three steps inside, he heard a footstep behind him. He turned to look but found himself restrained with a blade to his throat.
"Jeez 'kash, getting sloppy" said the voice into his ear,
"Hardly" came his reply as he knelt down and kicked backwards, sending both back out the open door.
"For the love of Allah, Hes" Aka'ash said as he helped the other man up,
"Could you at least pretend that what we do is a secret?"
"Calm down Kash, just play it off", and with that he stumbled inside, looking for all the world like any other drunk that has been thrown out into the morning sun.
"So what brings you to my neck of the woods" Ak'ash asks, as he follows suit into his house.
"Rumblings my friend. You weren't the only one with a busy night, our entire thing has been going flat out for the last day and a half. I came hear to bring you up to speed and collect your report, we need all information as soon as possible. Yours is not my only stop this morning"Hesta said gravely.
"Why, what the hells happening? How does she fit into all of it?" Ak'ash asked, letting his mind race, trying to figure out what could be wrong.
"Someone was waiting for me" Ak'ash said, as his mind retraced the action of the night. Ak'ash then told his entire story to Hesta, who listened intently to every word.
"This... This does not bode well." Hesta said, carefully choosing his words.
"That's all you're going to say? I want to know whats going on? I was almost injured tonight, I want to know why." Ak'ash said, forcefully, but not once raising his voice, or his temper.
"I can't tell you much right now my friend, and for that I am sorry. I can tell you that it looks like one of our numbers has betrayed us. However, we do not know who it was, or who our mysterious enemy is. One of ours was lost last night, and word comes in that another has been compromised. We haven't ever had something like this happen, however we are not unprepared, and that is why I am here. A plan is in motion, wait for your orders, they will come as normal, however, and I tell you this as a friend Ak'ash, as a close and dear friend. Be careful." Hesta said as he placed his hand on Ak'ashs shoulder.
"What about the girl? Does she fit in with these dark times?" Ak'ash asked, himself considering if there was a link between the girl he followed and the trap left for him.
"I do not think so. She may be of no great importance, we know who she is, and who she met. Do not spend any more time worrying about herKash , there are matters at hand which require your full concentration. Now I must go. I have to consult with others and bring your story back. For now relax and wait but do not let any fear or anger guide your hand."
"Don't worry about me Hesta, I know how to survive" Ak'ash said trying to lighten the mood.
"So did our fallen brother" Hesta replied, further trying to reinforce the importance of his words.
"Peace be Upon you, Ak'ash my brother" Hesta said as he stumbled out the door.
"And on you be peace, Hesta" replied Ak'ash, still stunned by the information he had been delivered.

Talia had just closed the door to her room, and had only begun to try and process all she had been told when from the street she heard a low, booming growl. She swung her door open andJioseph was already moving slowly towards the window at the end of the hall. Talia followed his gaze, out the window and across the courtyard, where flames were erupting from the windows and leaking down the walls of the house. She watched mesmerised by the flames when someone ran past her up toJioseph
"We do not know how it started,. but we will have an answer soon enough" said the stranger to Jiospeh, then without waiting for a reply he turned and ran back down the hallway, turning to head downstairs and out of sight. Talia began to walk closer toJioseph , who turned and held out his left hand, signalling her to stop, while keeping his right hand on his side clasped around something hidden within his robe.
"We do not know what is happening down there, please for your own sake stay away from the window" Jiospeh said, sounding just like the father she had constructed in her memories.
"But there might be someone in there, and that man who was he?" Talia said, pressing for answers she knew she would not get.
"He works for me, he assists me in many ways, you will meet him tomorrow, now please I implore you. Get some rest". Jioseph then took her hand and for the second time that night guided her to her room.
Once the door was closed, Talia waited a moment then edged it open again, ever so slightly. She watched Jiospeh return to the window and look out at the fire. After a minute of watching she realised that there was nothing she could possibly do right now, and decided that sleep would do her well.
Jioseph knew that he was being watched, but he also knew that the young lady had not slept, and would have been running on excitement all night, which would take a large toll on her, so he only had to wait a moment before he heard her fall down onto her bed. He then looked out at the crowd until he saw someone staring back at him. However as soon as there gaze met, hedisappeared, turning away and being swept up in the gathering crowd of people. Jioseph turned back to his room realising that although this was a most unwelcome addition to the night, it had been an immensely profitable one, none the less.

Chapter 3 - The Rays of Dawn.

Ak'ash watched as the covered figure entered into the basement of the modest house.
"Hmm", this was not what he expected of the figure.
"What could he have promised to you? What does he have that you would walk into his lair so easily?" Ak'ash knelt down and prepared to meditate on the rooftop, when some movement in a window, opposite that just entered by the figure, caught his eye. He was caught by surprise at this, a potential third player in this little game piqued his interest. Ak'ash made his way up slowly, pulling his robe tighter around his waist, feeling for the two small daggers kept at his side as he did, he had no love for them, they were merely the tools of his trade, a precaution against whatever the sands might sweep across his path. Ak'ash kept his eyes on the window while making his way as close as possible along the roof tops. He drew level with the roof and saw that it was covered with a thin layer of small pebbles, placed specifically to alert those inside of any movement above. This caused Ak'ash to stop and think through his situation. He had achieved what was required, he seen where his quarry ended up, now he was supposed to report back, after all the sun would be up in a few hours, and that meant that he would be required for other duties.
"I can't leave like this though" thought Ak'ash, knowing that if he did he would be sent back here tomorrow night to investigate, and by then it could be too late. Ak'ash saw that although the roof was covered in pebbles, the one next to it was clear.
"Almost too easy" though Ak'ash, which immediately raised his suspicion, "but my hand is forced", and with that he leapt to the open roof. Landing heavily Ak'ash went straight into a roll, too soften the jolt in his legs. As soon as he was on his feet he was examining the pebbles. He could see that there was a trapdoor to the house below, which explained the heightened security measure on the rest of the roof. Ak'ash paused for a moment then swung himself off the edge of the roof.
His feet hit the side of the building with a light tap, and immediately he was moving, hand past hand along the roof towards the open window. He turned the corner so his back was now facing the building he had seen his target enter moments before. He inched closer to the window and prepared himself for what was about to happen, he knew that swinging in from the window would draw the attraction from anyone inside, however it would also give Ak'ash the element of surprise, which he knew he could use to his advantage. Ak'ash kicked off and to the side allowing himself to enter the room and immediately roll out of the light coming in through the window, however he quickly realised he had made a mistake. He looked up to see a torch being thrown up the steps, time seemed to slow to a crawl as the light from the torch revealed to Ak'ash that he had seconds to live. The room was full of jugs of oil, and he could see it glistening off the floor as well, he knew without feeling it, yet, that he was also covered in the flammable liquid. As the torch came down Ak'ash got to his feet as quickly as possible and turned to run, however because of the slick oil covering his feet and the floor below them he slid back over. The torch landed and the fire spread out with terrifying speed. Ak'ash braced his feet against the nearest jug and pushed off, with this effort he was able to complete a roll and approach the window. The jug he had propelled himself off titled backwards then crashed down to the floor, on its way down it knocked over another, dumping liters of oil onto the ever expanding fire. Ak'ash got to the window and pulled himself to his feet, even in this situation he still remembered his training though and he knew that if heleapt to the ground he would be seen by the crowd that would soon emerge, half asleep from their houses. Ak'ash pulled off his gloves andleapt for the roof, just as the jugs contents reached the flame, sending a fireball through the window, lighting the entire alley. Ak'ash struggled to find a footing on the side of the wall, then realised that he wouldn't be able too. He pulled himself up and onto the roof moments before the first face appeared at a neighbouring window. Ak'ash began pulling off as much of his outfit as possible, unwrapping the hood from his face and peeling off the arms of his robe, he raised himself to a crouching position and knew that he could not be seen, so he made his way silently to the trapdoor, which was now billowing smoke, as well as the occasional flame from between its boards. He took one dagger out and jammed it into the burning wood, with this he opened the door and threw the unneeded parts of his uniform in there. He stayed low and made his way across several more roofs until it was safe to climb down onto the roof of a nearby market stall. Tired and concerned following the nights activities Ak'ash turned from the glow and noise behind him and made his way again into the darkness of the night.

Captain Kneering awoke and saw a vaguely familiar face before him.
"Where am I? Who are you?" he said, repeating aloud the thoughts running through his head.
"Its OK, Captain Kneering Sir. I am Private Rane I found you near the city gates, you were almost dead, so I brought you here to the gate house field hospital, the nurse has just been trying to get some of the bruising down, and patch up some of the larger cuts. I can go and..". By now Captain Kneering had heard enough. He knew that he was not where he should be, he needed to get to the palace and he needed to do it quickly.
"You simpering fool, get out of my way I'm leaving" Kneering said as he rose cautiously to his feet. Pushing past the Private he retrieved his belongings from the bottom of the cot.
"Has anyone gone through these?" Kneering asked, moving in towards Rane, until their faces were barely an inch away.
"No, no sir no one. Thats why I've stayed here I knew that it was important too you",
"I see, well then. I owe you an apology. Come you will follow me to the Palace immediately. Once there I will have no further need of you, we are to leave at once" Kneering ordered.
"But, I have duties on the gate, the captain of the gate..."
"Would not dare question me, so who do you think you are?" Kneering said, again looming over the terrified private.
Private Denik'Rane followed the Captain through the city streets always moving, as directly as possible towards the palace. The sun was just beginning to appear as they neared the castle, and PrivateRane observed that the Captain had slowed, and had begun to favour his right side, no doubt still in a considerable amount of pain from whatever had delivered such a brutal attack. Several times the private considered suggesting a rest, for the Captains sake, however he knew that this man would not be stopped again until he had completed his mission, and right now that meant getting to the Palace.
As they approached the Palace Captain Kneering stopped and turned to face the private.
"Private Rane, do not think that I am ungrateful for the assistance you showed me last night. You recognised the importance of my mission from only our brief exchange and ensured that the items I had were kept secure, for this you have done a service to not only me, but to our great city. You will be rewardedDenik'Rane. For now, go home and rest, I will call on you soon".
"But the captain will expect me back at the gate tonight" Rane replied, afraid of the anger that might be unleased for such insolense.
"Rane, my brother, you misunderstand me, you no longer work for the Republican Guard, from answer to me. Your captain will not come for you, In time he will forget you had ever worked there. Now go. Get some rest, I assure you, when I call for you, rest will be a distant, comforting memory." And with that the Captain turned and walked straight to the mighty Palace gates, waited till they opened and slipped inside. For a moment PrivateRane stood there wondering if it was true or not, then deciding that even if it wasn't he could not be punished any further he turned and headed home, stopping once for meal on his way.

Captain Kneering made his way directly towards the Palaces dining room. He was sure that the Sultan would be taking his breakfast at this time, which meant he would not be alone. This fact almost caused Kneering to reconsider, part of him wanted to rest, make himself more presentable to the Sultan and wait until he was alone before delivering this information too him. No, Kneering thought, even if it means exposing the situation to those around him, the Sultan must be told immediately.
As he approached the door to the dining room Kneering could see two guards moving towards him, leaving only four at the door.
"Ah Kneering, looks like you bit off more than you could chew" said one that Kneering had met before, safe in the knowledge that in his obviously weakened state Kneering could not fight back.
"Maybe now the Sultan will see that he trusts you a little too much, and that his Palace guards are more worthy of his attention and praise", added another guard.
Kneering opened his mouth, as if to respond to the two jibes, but instead launched his palm at the throat of the first guard. The guard immediately grabbed his throat as he struggled to breath through his crushed windpipe. The second began too pull his weapon, but Kneering jammed a finger into each of his eyes, before throwing him into his gasping comrade. By now the other guard at the gate had their weapons drawn but were unsure of what to do next. Kneering put both his hands up to try and placate the guards,
"Please, I must see the Sultan".
"Its OK Captain", said Captain Tycho, walking up the corridor behind him, his second in command at his heels.
"I saw the whole thing, I was loathe to leave these two alone. They should never have been assigned to such an important post, but they were friends of the Prince and I put them here as a personal favour to him". He turned to his right, the direction of his second in command,
"Have these two taken down to the garden, they can go back to sentry duty around the Palace fountain".
"Actually" Kneering interjected, " I had to take a guard from the Captain of the Gate, send one of these men down to explain to him that he is too replace PrivateDenik'Rane".
"The Prince won't be happy about you sending away one of his friends" Captain Tycho cautioned,
"After my meeting with the Royal Family it will be the least of his worries, I assure you" Kneering said, sadness and anger both showing through in his voice.
Kneering opened the door and walked into the Royal Dining Room. Although most visitors, even on a repeat visit look around in awe at the splendor of the room, and in particular the table in the center Kneering kept his eyes down. He walked towards the Sultan, moving his eyes up, only meeting the Sultans gaze as he approached his chair.
"What is the meaning of this? This is the Royal Throne Room, it is not to be intruded upon by a simple soldier. What the hell is the meaning of this?" the Prince asked toKneerings left.
Kneering stared over at him masking perfectly the overwhelming contempt and anger he could feel rising.
"A thousand apologies young Prince, I have information that is of unparallelled value, and i needed to share it with your father immediately" Kneering said, bowing to the Prince to hide the look of disdain he was showing at having to explain himself to such an unworthy successor to the throne.
"Please Abby" the Sultan said, using the nickname that he, and he alone, used with the Prince,
"Captain Kneering has obviously been through a lot to talk with us, the least we can do is listen. Bring a chair for the Captain, and some food, and some water" the Sultan said, knowing that one of his many attendants would be willing to answer the call.
"Now please, Captain, tell us. What grave news drives you here with such urgency?" the Sultan inquired.
"As you well know my Liege, for the last several months I have been conducting a check on the far reaches of your kingdom, and those neighbouring us. We have all heard the stories of the great conqueror, who has declared his intention to march over the world, and my mission was to ensure that if needed we and ourAlly's would be able to defend ourselves against what ever assault may be lead against us. After my extensive campaign across the many cities of the sands I was assured at length by your fellow rulers that we would be able to defend ourselves, even against the might of this great leader. However on my last night staying in the City of the Sun God I was awoken, late at night by a figure who had found his way into my room. He gave me a warning, that the great warrior was not our largest threat. Another power was rising, one that would plunge the whole world to darkness, and send our great city sinking into the sand"
At the sound of this last sentence the Prince gagged on his breakfast, and needed a glass of nectar to clear his throat,
"Sorry Captain, please continue" the Prince said.
"This figure told me that he knew of forces that are capable of destroying the civilized world well before this Great scourge arrives. He said that there are members within the ruling courts who have been working for years to try and sway the course of events to lead to our destruction. This news troubled me greatly. I asked the figure if he would be able to tell me more, that I might be able to expose these conspirators not only in our court, but in the court of their God King."
"He assured me that the first night after I left he would meet me where-ever we made camp. I travelled out of sight of the city, but did not do a full days hike, lest he was unable to keep up. Late at night one of thesentry's alerted me that a figure was approaching slowly on a horse. When he got closer I called out but there was no reply. When I could see him I realised that it was too late. He was clearly dead, being propped up by a spear tied to the horse. I ordered my men to prepare for battle, but the sands themselves came alive as the faceless hordes of the God King appeared. They had surprise, but we had the numbers and I truly believed we might be able to win the war, however these were no ordinary men. I had an entire battalion of men with me, and these creatures cut through them like you would cut through that peach", Captain Kneering said, gesturing to the peach the Sultan was currently dissecting. When the last of my men fell I turned and ran, however they pursued for days on end. I know I shrunktheir numbers before they gave up the chase, but these men fought unlike anything I had ever seen."
"This is most distressing" the Sultan said, a look of concern on his face " you believe that the God King ordered his troops to attack you?"
"Not me personally your Highness, there certain points I must convey to you too complete this story."
"First, the figure who was tied to the horse was not the same that approached me that night. This tells me that my mysterious advisor is still alive, and that he had some Ally's in his belief. Second, I do not believe the God King sent those troops after me. He would not have used such methods of concealment, he would have had me killed at first light before leaving his city and had my head put on a pike on his throne. I believe that someone within his court, someone with great authority sent those men, possibly the same dark force my messenger warned me about".
"Very well Captain" the Sultan said "I must consider this. Please come back to my throne room tonight, you too Abbey, and you as well Galzathar" said the Sultan looking at his vizier, who had the look of a man deep in thought.
"If the problem is as drastic as you warned I may need you to assemble the.. No, I am sure it won't come to that. Thank you Captain, I will send someone for you tonight" said the Sultan, gesturing to the door.

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.

Chapter 1 - Hot City Nights

The warm night air, moving the curtains of the house beneath him, were comforting to Ak'ash as he sat on the rooftop, watching the last few drunks stumble back to their houses. He knew that if the winds were to have risen tonight it would have made his vigil a torturous affair. He saw the village grocer leave with one arm wrapped around Danir the spice trader, they were singing a song from their glory days as defenders of the city. The loud, emotional and off key singing thundering up to Ak'ash's hiding spot was almost enough to drown out the scuffling of sandals coming from the opposite end of the alley.
Before even seeing what had made the noise Ak'ash was on his feet, vaulting from rooftop to rooftop, and, where the gap was too long for even his powerful legs to send him across, running along the boards laid down by the owners of the houses, so they would be able to escape, should they ever earn the wrath of the sultan or his court. His eyes darted towards the alley, and, although the light from the oil lamps was waning he could make out someone slipping into the shadows. Ak'ash was not worried that his prey was out of sight, because he knew how to cross this city like few others, any difference would be eradicated soon enough.

Captain Kneering knew that if he could stay conscious for another few moments he would cross over the last of the ereclit sand hillnulls and be seen by the royal guards. Captain Kneering hung on to his mount and silently urged him forward, knowing that every second they were away from the city was another second that its enemies had to prepare themselves, and the weapons of annihilation they bore.
It was the scent of ... humanity, he noticed first. Although it was as too subtle for the people who lived & worked there everyday to notice Byzatir had a smell that was overpowering to one who had ridden through the desert's empty expanse for three weeks, with only the sun and his camel to keep him company.
At first Kneering thought it may have been an mirage, he had seen one earlier, and nearly fallen off his camel to get to it, but he had never heard of an mirage that existed only as a scent.
"No, this is it, this is Byzantir", Kneering said softly, for that was all he could manage, to his steed.
They passed over the last sand hill and there it stood before them. A wall stretching out for such a great distance that although it curved around the width of the city it appeared to run in both directions forever. Kneering could see the torches at the gate, and at the regular intervals along the wall. He looked further into the city, although he could make out the occasional torch the rest was lost to the night. As her citizens slept Byzantir looked just as beautiful as he remembered her, only now he saw her as a desert flower, with a mysterious, dark, gardener looming just out of sight.
"Praise be", thought Captain Kneering, "I am home".

Talia checked over her knapsack one last time. She did not know what she would need, but she knew what she could not leave behind. The gold bracelet of her mothers, the one Talia had admired as a child sat on top of her other cherished memories, and stood out, shining in the little light being let in through her window.
"That will never stay safe like that" Talia thought, and picked it up, placing it on her wrist.
She looked around her room, seeing if there was anything else she could take with her, but truthfully she knew she was already carrying as much as she could safely take with her. She lent down and picked up her bandhana, tying her hair back with it. She placed the small necklace, that her sweetheart had won for her so many years ago at the market, into the solid confines of her parchment and tied her knapsack together.
Talia tiptoed across to the window, although she knew unless she was jumping her grandmother below would never hear her, the walls were feet thick, for stability, which meant that her getaway would go unnoticed. She fastened one end of her bed linen to the window frame, and gently slid down its length. Although she had used the largest sheet in her house Talia found that she would still have a drop to the streets below. Securing her knapsack deep within her robe Talia let go of the sheet and dropped, gracefully to the sand & stones of the street.
Talia began to move from shadow to shadow, doing her best to pass undetected through the silent night. She continued on not realizing how foreign the city looked at night. As she was approaching a rather large alley, she could see it contained more than its share of light, then she heard the cry of men, men who, she was sure, would be only interested in what use they could get out of her at this hour of the night. She began to run as fast as she could, not stopping to look down the alley at the voices, which were getting closer now. She just ran, hoping that what she was running towards was as important as she had been lead to believe.

From high up in the sultans personal tower Prince Abbubwah watched all the events of the city.
"My city" he thought, "At least it will be mine soon enough".
Thanks to the powerful eye of Tiga-riath that the vizier had given him the Prince could see much further and with more precision than anyone else in the kingdom,
"I can see further than you father, I can see into the future with this. I see my future, and your end".
The Prince saw the camel slowly wander over the distance and approach the city, he could not clearly make out the rider, but he was sure he knew who it was anyway.
The Prince then turned his gaze to a window, where a single figure was descending a sheet and beginning a journey into the night. He followed her for as long as he could, and as she disappeared he saw another figure following along the rooftops. Had he not known exactly where this figure would be, and where he was headed the Prince wouldn't have noticed him even with his powerful Eye, as it was the Prince lost him to the shadows several time, even though he was running across open roof tops.
"Excellent. All my agents are in place, now I merely await what is mine by right".