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
