Chapter Nine
Since parting with Hedry, James and the others rode throughout the night with hardly any breaks. At one point during the night they came across a major road running east and west. Wishing that it ran more north and south so they could follow it, they crossed it and left it behind. Now hours later, the sun is beginning to peek over the horizon. James calls a halt. “Let’s give the horses a break and I’ll see what I can find out about Tinok,” he tells the others.
Dismounting, he and Jiron move away from where the others are getting a quick bite to eat. Removing his mirror from his belt pouch, he holds it in his hands as he concentrates on Tinok.
Jiron watches the mirror with keen interest but after several minutes of trying, its surface fails to do anything. “What’s wrong?” he asks.
“I don’t know,” replies James. “It could be he’s too far away, the drain of magic for the spell continued to increase which is an indicator that what I’m looking for is nowhere close.” Giving up, he puts the mirror back in his pouch and pulls out the piece of cloth. “I wish I had my compass back,” he says. The compass in question is the one he made way back when he first arrived in Trendle after coming to this world. Fashioned from wood, it would turn and indicate the desired direction when he used it in conjunction with magic to try to find something. Not for the first time he wishes he would have had the good sense to have another built while he was at The Ranch all last winter.
Jiron nods. He remembers how well it had worked. But the cloth works fairly well, though it will most likely attract the attention of anyone close by when he uses it. After all, a cloth that all of a sudden rises and moves to point in a certain direction, who wouldn’t do a double-take if they saw that.
Sighing, James holds one end of the cloth in his hand and concentrates on which way Tinok lies. Letting the magic flow, he opens his eyes and watches as the cloth rises until it’s pointing in a rigid line. Based on the position of the sun, it’s pointing off to the south.
“We figured that,” says Jiron, James nods his head in agreement.
Stopping the spell, James returns the strip of cloth to his pouch.
“Wish it would tell us how far away he is,” Jiron says, and not for the first time.
“Maybe in a day or two I’ll get a better idea where he is,” James says hopefully. “Eventually we will be close enough for the mirror to pick him up.”
The others have finished their meal of dried beef and water. Brother Willim brings James and Jiron over a portion. “Did you find him?” he asks.
Shaking his head, Jiron replies, “No. He’s to the south, but James is unable to determine how far.”
“We’ll find him,” Brother Willim says matter-of-factly.
They eat their less than appetizing breakfast and then return to the saddle. In no time they are once again racing across the desert.
This section of the desert is uninhabited, its proximity to the border of Madoc probably accounts for most of the reason. Whatever the reason, James is glad they are able to move into the Empire without being noticed.
They ride for awhile when Shorty hollers out, “Rider to the east!”
Slowing down, they see a lone rider moving at a leisurely pace. The direction in which he’s moving will cause him to cross their path further to the south. “Should we see what he’s about?” asks Stig.
“No,” replies James. “The less who knows we’re here the better. Still, keep an eye on him.” It takes the rider several minutes before he’s even aware they are there. When he does, he immediately alters course to intercept. No longer moving at his leisurely pace, the rider is practically flying across the desert toward them.
“Damn,” curses James. “Reilin!” he hollers to the Raider who is there to translate for them. When he has his attention, he says, “Go see what he wants before he gets here.”
“Yes sir,” Reilin replies. Kicking his horse into a gallop, he moves to intercept the rider.
The rest of them continue along their original course while they keep an eye on Reilin and the other rider. By the time Reilin reaches the rider and they stop, the rider has come to within a hundred feet of the rest of them.
Before Reilin has a chance to say anything, the rider begins talking quickly. What’s being said is lost to the others but the rider is obviously agitated about something. Finally quieting down, the rider listens to Reilin for a moment before once again launching into another animated speech.
When it doesn’t look as if Reilin is getting rid of the man, James says, “Jiron, go see what’s taking so long.”
“Right.” Nudging his horse in the sides, he makes his way over and joins them. Reilin turns at his approach and the other rider grows silent again as Reilin talks to Jiron. Jiron asks a question and waits for the translation and then again for the rider’s answer.
By this time James has brought the others to a stop. Surprised it has taken this long, he pulls out a strip of dried beef and chews on it absentmindedly while he waits. He doesn’t have to wait long before Jiron leaves Reilin and the rider where they are and returns to the group.
“What’s going on?” James asks as he nears. The look on Jiron’s face says it’s anything but something simple.
“The man’s name is Zyrn,” he begins. “He’s a leader of a nearby village. He wanted to warn us not to go west.”
“Why?” asks Potbelly.
“I didn’t get the whole tale, but the gist of it is that it’s death for anyone to go there,” he explains. “Also, he says there was a big battle there not too long ago.”
“A battle?” asks Miko. “As in the battle we barely survived?”
“I think so,” he replies with a nod.
They all remember the mammoth explosion and then the fire that coated the outside of the barrier for a time. “What is it that’s killing them?” James asks. Visions of radiation fallout run through his mind.
“Now this is where it gets kind of strange,” admits Jiron. “In fact, if it wasn’t for all I’ve seen and been through since I first met you, I would discount it as the man has lost his mind.” He glances around at the others a moment before continuing. “He says the sand is killing them. That the sand is turning into a shimmering carpet of gray and whatever it touches, dies. He says it’s growing.”
Everyone but James and Miko, who had been unconscious at the time, remember the gray sand they traveled through when they left the battlefield. Which only lends credence to what the man is saying.
James has never heard of anything like this. Though he wasn’t conscious when the bubble exploded at the end of the battle, he’s heard plenty of accounts from various people as to its effect. Could he have caused this? In a world with magic, gods and other planes of existence, it’s possible.
Nodding over to where Zyrn waits with Reilin, Jiron asks, “What should I tell him?”
Sighing, James knows what he’s going to have to do. If nothing else at least go and see for himself what this man is talking about. “Go and ask him if he’ll take us there,” he says.
Turning his horse back toward where the man waits, Jiron hurries back over to him. As soon as he reaches the man and tells him what James said, Zyrn begins shaking his head. Then he kicks his horse and rides toward James and the others with Reilin and Jiron right behind.
“No, no, no!” he cries out. “You must not go there!” He waits for Reilin to come and translate. “It is a cursed place. Too dangerous!”
James waits for the translation then says, “Regardless, we are going to see this thing for ourselves.” The pain on Zyrn’s face is evident when Reilin translates for him. “Where can we find it?”
“Hey, aren’t those Parvati swords?” Scar suddenly asks, indicating the handles of the swords sticking out of the bundle behind Zyrn’s saddle.
“Yes,” replies Zyrn. “After the battle I and many from my village came and scavenged what we could.” He can see their disapproval stares directed at him and adds, “Our lives are hard. This is the only way we can survive.” Lowering his eyes, he says, “Of course, there may soon be nothing left anyway.”
“We’ll see about that,” James states. “Now, will you lead us there?”
Realizing they plan to go despite his warning, he nods his head. “Yes,” he says, “I will show you. But be
