It soon becomes apparent that all is not well here, people are heard crying and wailing. The group by the oasis has their attention focused on a man in robes speaking animatedly to them. As they pull closer to the town, James asks someone what’s going on but no one understands him, they speak the Empire’s language.
“Something’s obviously got them upset,” Delia comments as she pulls her wagon closer to James’.
“Wonder what?” he replies as he watches those gathered over by the oasis.
Tinok pulls up close to them and says, “That guy they’re listening to seems to be some kind of priest or leader or something.”
“I think you’re right,” agrees James.
As they enter the town, a man comes out of a store and stops when he sees them. Gesturing animatedly, he tries to tell them something but no one understands him.
“We don’t understand what you’re saying,” James explains to the man.
The man pauses a moment and then continues in their tongue, “You must leave this place!”
“Why?” James asks.
“We are cursed,” the man says tragically. “We have lost the favor of the gods and bad things are happening.”
“What do you mean?” Delia interjects.
“At first, we thought nothing about it,” the man explains. “One of Azrahn’s ewes went dry and several people took sick, but we just thought they were normal occurrences, these things happen from time to time you see. Then last night, our oasis, the oasis that has sustained our people here for a hundred generations, went dry.”
James feels a shiver go up his spine as he remembers tapping the underground water the day before.
“Zalim, one of our town leaders has sought the counsel of our clerics but they all say the gods are not doing this, that we have not displeased them.” He stands there, wringing his hands as he continues, “But most of our people feel an atonement of some sort will bring back the water, I fear what they may do in their fear.”
“James…” Tinok starts to say when James shushes him quickly, shaking his head indicating he should say nothing.
“I must go,” the man says. “Please leave before anything should befall you!” With that, he turns and hurries over to where all the people have gathered by the oasis.
When they are once more left alone in the street, Tinok asks James, “Did you do this?”
Nodding his head miserably, he replies, “Most likely.” Feeling ashamed for the pride he felt earlier at his accomplishment, he looks to the people whose lives he’s ruined.
“Can we do anything to help these people?” Delia asks from her wagon.
“I wouldn’t even know how to fix this,” admits James. “This is what happens when you use magic on the natural order, people suffer. Trying to quench our thirst, I have inadvertently destroyed this village and hundreds of lives. We weren’t even that bad off. Had we simply continued down the road another few hours, we would’ve come to this town and had enough water. No one would’ve been hurt.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Delia says, trying to console him. “You didn’t know this would happen.”
“That’s right,” adds Cassie. “You were trying to do what you believed was right.”
“They may find the other water down the road and move their town there,” suggests Tinok.
“Maybe,” says James, not feeling any better about the situation.
From near the oasis, James suddenly hears a woman begin to wail, while at the same time, several others begin shouting. Jumping down from the wagon, he runs over to see what is happening.
“James!” Delia shouts to him. “Come back!”
But he pays her no heed, as he continues on toward the oasis.
Everyone gets down, except Cassie who stays with the wagons, and follows behind him.
As he draws near the gathered crowd, he can see the same man is still addressing the people. In front of the speaker, kneeling on the ground, is a man whose hands are tied behind his back. A woman at the front of the crowd looks to be crying and pleading as she attempts to go to his side. Two men hold her arms tightly to prevent her from reaching the bound man.
Seeing the man he talked to earlier, James works his way through the crowd to his side. “What’s going on?” he asks him.
Glancing at who is addressing him, the man says, “Roland there,” indicating the man being held, “is going to be sacrificed to the gods come sunset.”
“Why?” James cries incredulously.
“To appease them,” the man explains. “He’s an outsider that came to live with us a year ago. He took a wife,” he says as he indicates the wailing woman, “and now has a son, very sad.”
“Why are they sacrificing him?” he asks. Looking over his shoulder, he sees Tinok and Delia are moving through the crowd toward him.
“Because he is odd,” the man says. “Always has strange notions and makes the weirdest things you ever saw. When the oasis went dry, people began talking and have come to the conclusion that a lot of unusual things have happened since his coming. So they believe his presence among us has angered one of the gods and that his sacrifice will bring back the water.”
“What do your clerics say?” James asks.
“They say it will make little difference, that the gods aren’t angry,” he explains. “But the people are scared, they must do something.” The speaker continues talking and James watches the crowd around him as they hang on every word that he is saying. “Hassin there,” the man says, pointing to the speaker, “has been the one convincing everyone to sacrifice Roland.” He leans closer to James and quietly says, “There’s been little love lost between those two.”
“I see,” says James, understanding coming to him.
“The people here,” he says, gesturing to those around him, “are really a quiet, peaceful lot. But they’re scared and need an outlet for their fear, and I’m afraid Roland will be that outlet.” James can see a tear begin to roll down his cheek.
James stands there a moment and looks at Roland, then at his wife who’s beside herself with grief. He then comes to a decision and says, “Thank you for explaining things to me.”
“You’re welcome,” the man replies.
Turning, James heads back toward the wagons just as Tinok and Delia reach his side. Moving to follow him, they ask what’s going on but he tells them to wait until they’re back at the wagons.
Upon reaching the wagons, he gathers them all together and explains to them what the man told him. “They’re going to sacrifice that man for something I did. I can’t allow that to happen,” he says with determination.
“What are you going to do?” Delia asks.
“At sunset, they’re going to kill him. I mean to stop it,” he explains. “I can’t let his death be on my hands.”
“How?” asks Tinok, as he once again mounts his horse.
“Let’s go down the road a ways,” James says as he takes his seat on the wagon, taking the reins. “Then I’ll tell you.” With a flick of the reins, he gets the wagon rolling and soon they’re past the town and heading south down the road again.
Once they’re a mile out of town, James calls a halt and everyone gathers around him once again. “I plan for us to travel until a couple hours before sunset. Then I’ll return on horseback in an attempt to rescue him while the rest of you make camp for the night.”
“I’m coming too,” Tinok says.
“You need to stay with the girls,” James tells him, “in case there are bandits or something.”
“I’m sure we’re going to be alright,” Delia says. “Besides, we need you to make it back. We should be okay for a few hours.”
“Alright,” James agrees, “I definitely could use the help in this venture.”
Grinning, Tinok says, “Better than just riding guard on a bunch of wagons.”
“We’ll see,” he says as he flicks the reins to get the horses moving once more. For the next several hours they roll on down the road until the sun begins to descend to the horizon and it’s time for them to head back. They pull off the road and while the girls set about making camp, James saddles one of the spare horses. With a quick goodbye, he and Tinok are off as they race back toward the oasis.
