Zendar, page 13
She had nearly reached the shade cast by the mountain when the sun’s light spread out like a great halo. Azel stared at it for a moment too long and as she turned back to check for any oncoming projectiles when a cannon collided with one of her right gliders. Instantly her ship rocked forward and she began to dip to the right like a wounded animal. She entered the mountain’s shadow as she began a slow decline.
The ground was coming up to meet her faster than she had anticipated so she spun the ship around. The Airship passed overhead of her and she pulled the hatch as it rumbled by. Her dress pulled back in the rush of air as her hair danced around her face. Strands of it swept across her vision as she braced herself for the jump. The sand looked as ridged as stone. Azel jumped from the ship, her arms and legs ready for the unforgiving ground. She rolled in the sand, the world spun around and around until she was on her stomach. She pushed herself up just in time to see her ship crash and one of the sun panels ignite with residual energy. Fire erupted and Azel dropped back to her stomach as debris was ejected in all directions.
Standing, she began to run towards the mountain, her arms and legs pumping as the airship turned around to inspect the wreckage of her ship. She had used her airship as a distraction and she hoped it would detain them long enough for her to reach the safety of the small mountain. She heard the ship rumble as it began to turn about, and Azel looked back to see the ship start to sweep the sands for any sign of her.
She could feel the sweat bead on her forehead as she ran. Her breath was coming in rapid pants. She was a daughter of a Liege; she had no stamina for running. Even with her life depending on it she could feel herself slowing as the first shots rang out. Suddenly her energy seemed to double as her adrenaline kicked in and began pumping through her veins. She had nearly reached the first part of the mountain, where boulders stood like protection.
She gave a startled cry as one of the lightening blasts ripped through her side. She fell forward; her hand instantly went to cover her wound. Blood dripped on the sand, and she watched it pool; it was likely the only concentration of liquid that this part of the desert had seen in some time. She pushed herself up and stumbled towards the rocks; she just needed to reach them so she could heal herself.
Her feet dragged as she stumbled against a rock. Her hands shook as she tried to focus her energy on the wound. She could feel it closing but she was also losing consciousness, and fast. It was nearly closed as she fell forward into the sand, and she fell into the darkness of unconsciousness.
--
A very large man came from a nearby rock as the great ship passed overhead. He was built like a statue and he looked at the injured girl with curiosity. Unperturbed by the blood staining most of her clothes, he tossed her over his shoulder.
Chapter 26
“Broken Heart”
Her brain couldn’t seem to focus on who or what she was. The only things she could sense was the strange way one of the hearts in the room seemed to beat. She could hear its strange rhythm and she didn’t like it. It was keeping her awake but she tried to ignore it.
“Her skin is so light.” A little girl with dirt on her face and a lopsided braid was speaking. “It reminds me of the copper coins my papa trades when he goes to Burtanian,” a little boy said. He was holding a piece of dried meat in his hand.
“Think she is going to die?” the little girl asked, turning her eyes on her companion as she absentmindedly played with a little scab on her arm.
“Don’t know,” he answered with a shrug. “She is kinda pretty though.”
“That’s gross.” The little girl made a face.
“Nu-uh,” the boy retorted, sticking his tongue out.
“Uh-huh!”
A dark-skinned man with his head covered entirely in small braids entered the tent. He had a long face that told of a long life and many stories. They children immediately turned to him and the little boy ran up to him.
“Rolond, you think she is pretty, right?” the little boy asked.
“Now who let you in here?” Rolond asked, feigning anger.
“We just wanted to see the stranger,” the little girl said with her eyes wide and without blame. “We wanted to see if she was going to be all right.”
“It was lucky she came to me as she did. She will make a full recovery,” Rolond informed them before taking them by the shoulder. “It is time you children went for lunch.”
“How much time have I lost?” Azel asked. She sat up on a cot-like bed.
The one called Rolond seemed startled by her voice, and the little girl peered around him with complete curiosity. Azel had never seen sand people before and their skin seemed so dark in comparison to hers. As though they could blend in with the night sky and only the white of their eyes would betray them.
“Half a day,” the older man answered. He was turning around to put himself between Azel and the children. “Who are you?”
“You’re sick,” Azel said, tilting her head to the side. “I can fix that.”
“I am perfectly healthy,” Rolond responded, pressing the children back as he moved away from her.
“Not you,” Azel answered, pointing at the little girl. “Her.”
He pressed the little girl behind him. “Ivar!”
A large man entered the tent. He seemed to be double the size of a normal man and had to duck in order to join them. He dwarfed the other man and the children seemed to be like kittens to his tiger. The children didn’t seem to fear him; their attentions were entirely focused on Azel.
“Is our guest giving you trouble Rolond?” Ivar asked. He had to bend his knees as he stood in the tent. “Shall I dispose of her?”
Azel’s head began to hurt at the sound of the dysfunctional heart. “I have no time for you.”
She stood and when Ivar tried to move in front of her, she threw up a hand and he fell to his knees. Azel stopped when she got to him and looked down at the kneeling man. “You were granted size, not power.”
Rolond was frozen; sand people were rarely gifted with any of the Bloodline. By the time he returned to his senses she already had her hold on him. He tried to move, tried to stop her, but she was holding him in place. “Come child, let me see you.”
The little girl was now afraid but at Azel’s words she walked around Rolond and forward. “Why are you being mean to Rolond and Ivar?”
Azel stepped forward and put her hand on the child’s chest. “I am fixing your broken heart.”
“How can you know of her heart?” She heard Rolond demand of her but she ignored him.
She spread her fingers out upon the child’s chest, keeping them at bay while she focused on the heart. Azel could feel her energy draining as she repaired the damage of the child’s defective arteries. She mended the last artery before she stumbled back, releasing the two men from their hold.
Ivar came up to her and put his hand on her. “You will not do that again.”
She glanced up at him. “I can sleep now.”
Upon those words she immediately fell to the ground; completely unconscious.
--
White flower petals rained down, and she was dancing in a white dress. She was dashing in and out of trees, laughing when the man caught up with her. When he finally captured her, his lips kissed along her back. He bent her head back and when his lips touched hers, her entire body caught fire. She couldn’t see his face, only the darkness of his eyes. He felt familiar but part of her didn’t want to remember as though she feared her own memory. Azel tried to focus on the feeling of his lips and the intensity of his gaze.
His gaze had been so full of want – an insatiable desire for everything he didn’t already possess. How could she know that when the look in his eyes as he looked down at her was only love for her? His fingers trailed down her naked flesh and she felt her own desire bubble just below the surface.
She didn’t fear when he pressed himself against her, tugging her womanhood to open to him as his hands caressed every inch of reachable flesh. She was his and his alone. Whatever her promises had been, she had promised herself to him. Fire began to burn around them, as though their very lovemaking had caused a spark. Her mother’s face appeared, and at the same time her brother cut her head off.
He held it up for her to see. She screamed as her father appeared and looked back at her. His throat had been slit from ear to ear and blood dripped out of his mouth as he spoke: “Traitor.”
Her eyes opened slowly, and at first she could not fully recall what had happened. Shaking the nightmare from her mind she began to sit up when she noticed that her wrist was bound to the cot and her ankle to a post. Strange that she would be treated in such a hostile manner; she had thought the sand people a suspicious but hospitable group. She tugged on the ropes and they strained against her wrist, refusing to budge.
Azel pressed her fingers gingerly to a bandage on her hip, and she cringed as she realized she had not been able to fully heal it. She began to inspect the room. For some reason it seemed vaguely familiar as though she had seen it once before. She licked her lips – they were chapped and her throat was dry. She had a sneaking suspicion that there was something she had forgotten, as though her memory was just outside of her range of vision.
Throwing her legs over the side of the cot, she cringed as the skin around her wound stretched. She took a moment to take a few deep breaths as she tried to concentrate her powers on the slightly open wound. Her power seemed strangely drained, but enough remained to close the last of it and repair the internal damage. It would be slightly tender for the next day but she should expect to be fully healed shortly.
Azel began pulling at the rope around her wrist, her other hand working at the knot. She pulled her arm free after a few unsuccessful attempts. Silly they should allow one arm to remain free, she thought. Reaching down to start on her ankle she froze as she heard talking outside the door. She doubled her efforts as she kept glancing at the door; shadows were cast on the curtain.
She pulled the last of the ropes free before standing and sneaking over to the side of the tent. Picking up a knife she snuck back over, lay upon the bed and waited. It was not long until she heard one of them enter; she heard them move around until she opened her eyes slightly to see where he was.
She opened them completely as he bent down over her. She raised the knife to his throat and put her hand across his mouth as she whispered, “don’t make a sound.”
He nodded and she glanced behind him to find them alone. His skin was as deep a brown as his eyes. At any other time she would have found him fascinating, and wished only to learn of his culture. For now, she needed to know their intentions.
“I thank you for rescuing me, but I must know what your intention is now that I am your captive.” Azel let the knife press slightly against the skin of his neck.
“We are grateful for what you did to Medline,” he answered. “There are members of our tribe that are sick and wish to see you.”
“How do you know I can heal?” she asked suspiciously.
“You healed a child of our tribe, Medline,” he said. “Do you not remember?”
Azel’s eyebrows pressed together in concentration before she shook her head. “I do not. What was wrong with her?”
“Her heart. She was born with a weak heart and it would cause her to convulse on occasion.” His voice was still low.
“I cannot heal illnesses that are not physical,” Azel said, taking the knife from his throat. “Nor those involving certain diseases. My abilities are limited but I will do what I can at a price.”
“A price?” he said. “We have very little to give you.”
“I must get to Burtanian. I will need transportation and provisions. Who must I speak with?”
“I will get our Chief Enan.” The man said took a few steps back. “He will likely grant your request.”
“Do you fear me?” she said, tilting her head to the side.
“Yes,” he answered wearily. “You held Ivar and me in place while you healed something that is beyond a normal wound. I have never seen one so powerful.”
“Yes” she said, glancing down a moment before meeting his stare. “I fear myself at times.”
Chapter 27
“Carnival”
Chief Enan was a tall man that had a tattoo above his eyebrow and an earring in his left ear. The tattoo was for thieves, and the earring was for men who had become servants of a Liege’s concubine. They were castrated because of their crimes and set to serve in a capacity to which would serve their crimes for all time. She had always thought the severing of men’s genitals a cruelty that should not have survived into her generation.
He looked up from where he stooped over a set of maps. His back straightened as she entered, she now wore a simple robe that Rolond had provided to her. Her arms were tucked in the long sleeves as she entered, her head held high.
“I am Azel, and it is my intent to offer you a deal” she said, coming to stand before him. “In exchange for free passage I will offer my ability to you. I am sure Rolond has told you of the child I healed.”
“He has” the man said, stoking a well-trimmed beard. “I believe we can come to an agreement, daughter of the Liege Kaheron.”
Azel jerked in surprise. “If you plan to sell me back to my father, I will take my chances in the desert.”
He waved a hand in the air. “I simply wish to inform you that you will have to be a little more than our guest. You must become part of our act.”
“Act?” Azel raised her eyebrows.
“Come with me, Princess,” Enan said, leading them from the tent. “I have much to tell you.”
“Do not call me ‘Princess,’” Azel retorted as she fell into step behind him. “Azel will suit nicely.”
“Where have you been all this time, Azel?”
“It is my hope that my whereabouts before now will not concern you.” Azel answered, hoping that the crashed ship would deter Aleron.
“I only ask because there have been rumors that the Liege Corvinus planned to take a wife whose beauty and powers were beyond reproach,” Enan commented almost absentmindedly. “There is word she escaped.”
“I seem to have no secrets left,” Azel commented. “I would not wish to place you or any of your people in danger. It would be best if I left before my family or my future husband attempt to find me.”
“How far would you make it in the desert before they found you?” Enan asked, glancing back at her.
“Nothing will deter me from my undertaking, not capture nor threat of death.” Azel met his inquisitive stare head-on. “I will never be at peace until I have resolved myself to the truth.”
“You are a very interesting woman Azel,” Enan said as they turned a corner. “Welcome to my home.”
He drew back the heavy drapes from a large tent in the belly of the mountain. She entered slowly to see men and women practicing all kinds of shows. Two sets of men passed flaming torches across one another, creating a flaming X. A woman and man jumped from a single bar to another, far above her head. A young woman fed a sand cat through its cage, its mouth wide enough to fit a human head.
There was laughter, almost manic as though everyone within the walls of the tent were not entirely sane. A beautiful woman did tricks with ribbons that came from the ceiling, and she looked like a butterfly to Azel. The large man, Ivar, lifted a boulder from the ground and lifted it over his head. He roared with satisfaction as he dropped it back down.
“What is this place?” Azel whispered awe.
“We are a performance group that travels from place to place and hold shows that people pay to see” he said, sweeping his hand out. “We are the Carnival of the Sands. I am called the Wizard Enan.”
“I was never allowed to see these,” Azel said in amazement. “My father would always have a personal audience but only a few were allowed to perform for the Liege. They are beautiful.”
“Someone who calls such oddities beautiful cannot be an evil person,” Enan said, walking with her through the ring. “You heal those you can and we will find you an act so that you can travel with us in plain sight. Have you any talents?”
“I believe there is something I can do,” Azel said, walking the short distance to the center of the ring. Enan followed her after a moment.
Some turned to look at her as she walked past but her entire focus was on the eating sand cat. The young woman looked surprised and tried to protest when Azel put her hand through the cage. The cat lay down and she was able to pet across its head; the Vandi had always had influence over animals.
“Sorcery!” the woman cried as she covered her ears to ward out any evil incantations Azel may utter.
When she was a child, animals would gather to her as her playmates whenever her sisters would not play with her. She could call them to her like her little aids, and her mother had known instantly that Azel would be special. A slight thought of her mother changed her mood and her mindset. Sensing her mood, the feline yowled a sad little sound.
“Is it magical what I do?” Azel said, glancing back at Enan and Rolond.
“There are so few of your kind,” Enan commented. “Rolond’s ancestry can be traced back to the Vandi Bloodline but his ability is so slight it is hardly recognized.”
Azel set her gaze on Rolond “In the city we would be family by our connection to the Bloodline but here we are little more than acquaintances. Tell me Rolond, do you believe that Enan’s plan will be successful?”
Rolond glanced at Enan before answering. “He puts us all at risk by harboring a princess but your abilities are far beyond my own, and I have seen up close their effectiveness.”
Azel pulled her hand back through the bars. “I will accept your offer and I insist no one calls me Princess.”
--
Aleron stood by the wreckage. The hull was nearly burned beyond recognition and the glass was melted back. When he had first seen the debris he had nearly cried out from the pain of Azel’s possible death. He feared he had been too late to save her. Now that he stood next to the destroyed craft he found it free of any human bones and it appeared that the hatch had been open at the time of impact.
