Chihon did feel relaxed. She could hear the sound of the waves rolling in. Soon the voice of the Master started to fade into the background. Chihon watched the slowly changing lights and listened to the sound of the surf. It was very soothing. She felt herself fading away, the cares of the journey slipping away. There was just the surf and somewhere off in the distance someone was speaking softly.
She was vaguely aware that the person speaking in the distance was asking her questions and she was answering, but she was so relaxed that the effort to pay attention was just too much, so she let it go.
Softly, the voice told her that she didn't want to go to Amedon. That there was no Sorceress, that the Wizards were just a dream and that she wanted to stay here. Right where she was. She would be a student of the sciences and eventually become a Master herself. She wondered why the voice was saying such things, but it was far off and the surf was so relaxing that it was too much bother to pay attention. She let the thought go as she relaxed even further.
A smell intruded into the surf. Chihon wondered what it was that disturbed her relaxation. It smelled like something burning, like a cross between wax and rope. It grew stronger and stronger, pulling her back from the sea shore. She became more aware that the Master was whispering in her ear. She was telling Chihon that she wanted to stay there and abandon her quest.
Suddenly the beautiful colors turned to a bright white light shining directly into Chihon's eyes. She sound of the waves turned into a screeching and her tranquility burst. Chihon found herself seated at the apparatus that was now emitting a thin thread of black smoke and screeching like an injured animal.
She pulled back from the device and looked at the Master. "What happened?"
The Master and Yaleu stood there, looking like they'd just been caught sneaking cookies from their mother's kitchen.
"It appears that the apparatus has malfunctioned. I don't think we will be able to help you locate your missing Wizard after all," the Master explained. "For this I am truly sorry. Some days Science is more reliable than others. This must be one of the days when it is less so."
The Master rushed her out of the room and back to the entryway. "I apologize for the failure of my machine. I had so wished to be able to help you, but I must determine what went wrong. Perhaps I can discover the source of the failure and we can try again ... Possibly tomorrow ... Definitely tomorrow." She was already looking back towards the doorway.
Chihon turned to Yaleu. "That was strange. I thought I heard her talking to me, but it was far off in the distance."
"Many strange things happen with her machines, I am told. I wouldn't let it bother me if I were you."
"I could swear she was trying to convince me that I wanted to stay here. Isn't that the strangest thing?"
"I am sure it is nothing to worry about," Yaleu reassured her. "Nothing at all." She grasped Chihon's arm and directed her to the door that lead to the street.
"Are you sure you can trust her?" Chihon asked.
"Yes, I would trust her with my life, and I have."
"Why? She seems rather odd."
"Yes, but I trust her. I always have. She is my sister," Yaleu said.
As they stepped into the noonday sun, Chihon realized she had been sitting at the device most of the morning. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glare and felt a sharp prick in her shoulder. She turned to see the Master standing behind her, holding a glass tube with a shiny pointed needle.
"That should hold you for a while," the Master said. "No more magic from you."
Chihon turned to her and tried to raise a fireball, but nothing happened. Two men emerged from the building with rope and quickly bound Chihon's arms behind her back.
Before Lorit could get up from his chair, he heard crashing behind him. He turned just in time to see four large men charging through the room. They had a complete disregard for the equipment and books, overturning the tables rather than going around them.
They were quickly upon him. They tied his arms behind his back pulling the ropes so tight they almost cut off his circulation. They lifted him in the air and carried him out the door. The halls were lined with students who stepped out of the way of the men as they dragged him out.
Lorit could hear the students murmuring as he was hauled through their midst and out the door. Outside Yaleu sat on her horse. Lorit was hauled up behind her and lashed to the saddle. He had hardly settled in when she snapped the reins and galloped off down the avenue towards the gates.
As they approached the city gates, Ulera arrived with Chihon bound behind him. He raised his arm in salute and turned towards the gate, galloping side by side with Yaleu. After they passed through the gates, they turned and headed out into the desert, driving the horses faster.
As they rode, Ulera emptied first Chihon's pack, then Lorit's, leaving the contents spread across the sand. He threw Lorit's staff as far as he could out into the dry desert sand and dropped the packs. They rode on for a while and reined up.
It was late in the afternoon and they were in an expanse so wide that Lorit could no longer see the city.
"Here is where you die." Ulera jumped down from his horse. He pulled Chihon from the saddle and dumped her roughly on the sand. He did the same to Lorit and climbed back on his horse.
"When one of our own commits a capital crime we leave him out here with a cup of dirty water and a knife. For you we have been gracious. There is enough water in there to last a whole day." He threw a sack on the sand next to Chihon and turned without a word. "The rest of your supplies are out here with you. All you have to do is collect them up and you should survive."
He snapped the reins and galloped off into the setting sun.
"Are you alright?" Lorit asked Chihon. He could see her face down in the sand, her hair spread out around her in disarray.
"I think so. Nothing is broken or injured too badly."
She was bound as he was, with her arms behind her.
Lorit crawled over to the sack and prodded it with his foot. "I think I can shove this over to your hands, so you can untie the sack. If there really is a knife in there, we should be able to cut these ropes free."
"And then what? We have little water, no food, no maps, nothing."
"I'm not just going to lie down and die. We have to get free; after that we can decide what to do next." Lorit hooked the sack with his foot and pushed it towards her hands. He guided it to her so she could get her fingers on the ropes.
"There, try it. See if you can get it open."
Chihon worked at the knots, picking and pulling until she had the cord loosened. She pulled the sack open and tried to reach inside.
"I can't get my hands far enough inside."
"Here, let me help." Lorit pushed the sack closer to her with his foot. He could feel her hands digging around for the promised knife.
"I can feel it," Chihon said. "I'll have to cut the ropes off your wrists first."
With nothing to do but try, he rolled towards her until he could feel her hands. He scooted down to offer her access to the ropes.
She sawed at them for what seemed like an eternity, but made no progress. "It's no use. The knife is too dull."
"See if you can untie me instead," Lorit said. "Use the knife to loosen the knots and see if you can work them free with your fingers."
He readjusted his body so she could reach the knots. She worked them with the knife. At one point, she slipped and the knife stabbed him in the arm. Fortunately, the knife was so dull; all it did was bruise him.
Lorit could feel the tingling of blood rushing to fill his hands as the binding came loose. He rubbed them and slapped the flesh trying to get the feeling back.
"Now me," Chihon said.
Lorit worked the knots free with the rusty knife. He soon had the ropes off her. They sat with their backs to a low rock that was the only break in the long expanse of sand they occupied.
"Where to now?" Chihon asked.
"East, we head east. We need to get out of the desert and we don't want to bump into the city."
"How far is it?"
"The map showed Midian as half way across the desert," Lorit said. "It's a three day walk to get to the grasslands around the river. We better get started."
"Now? It's almost night." Chihon said.
"No better time to walk than at night." Lorit reached down to help her up and started in the direction opposite of the sunset.
They walked until they were both too tired to continue, then dug shallow pits in the sand and covered themselves. Lorit wanted to spend the whole day underneath the sand to keep them out of the sun, but well before noon, the sand was so hot it burned their skin.
They left their meager shelter and started off again. The sun beat down on them and Lorit's skin blistered. He was thirsty, so thirsty the dirty water started to look appetizing. They had gone on all day, but he could take no more.
Lorit dropped to his knees. Chihon fell beside him. He looked around. Desert stretched in every direction without a landmark in sight. The sand just went on endlessly. No matter where he looked, it was the same.
He buried his head in his arms and let go. Lorit wanted to cry, but he was so dehydrated that there were no tears. He felt Chihon weak and tired beside him. She no longer responded to his magical connection. He tried to lift his head and look at her, but he was too tired. He dropped his head into his arms and let the darkness overtake him.
Opposition
Tass stood before Sulrad, once again summoned to his office. He ignored her, looking through his ledger until finally glancing up. "It seems some of us have completed our tasks while other have not."
She waited patiently. There was nothing to say that wouldn't simply ignite his anger further. She held her shields at the ready.
"Neither one of them was turned, then, I take it? No, you don't need to tell me, I would know it if they had." Sulrad looked at her, the disappointment clear on his face.
"No, neither one turned, and they made a mess of my carefully cultivated plans." Tass shifted from one foot to the other. She hated being grilled almost as much as she hated standing before his desk being lectured. "The Master of Magic died before giving up any information."
"At least we have one thing to be glad of. And after that?"
"They've been treated as all criminals are treated in Midian," Tass explained. "They have been left in the desert to die with nothing but muddy water and a rusty knife. Only the strongest of the Midianites ever survives that trial, and even for those who do, it's a harrowing experience.
"I hardly expect they will survive the desert." Tass tried to look penitent.
"And if they do?" Sulrad bent again to his ledger. He dipped his pen in the ink well and wrote carefully, ignoring her growing discomfort.
"There are other surprises set for them along the way." She had negotiated a few more traps for them before they reached Amedon. They would not find it easy going. It had cost enough in Temple gold, but she was confident of her connections.
"Pray to Ran that they work," Sulrad said. "Maybe without the Wizard and Sorceress to help them along, they will finally fall prey to one of your traps."
"Zhimosom has been permanently disposed of, then?" Tass hoped that their partnership with the traitor was over. She was growing weary of his smug attitude.
"He's bound safely out of our way."
Tass had no idea if Sulrad could take power from one such as Zhimosom. It would be a great benefit to the temple if he could. "Will you take his power?" she asked.
"I don't want him dead. I want him out of the way. He's fine where he is. I don't need his magic."
"How about the traitor?" Tass asked. She was eager to get word that the traitor was no longer needed. She had plans for him. She hoped to take his magic for herself as she did with the young ones who failed to turn.
"What about the traitor?" Sulrad picked up the knife he kept on his desk and caressed the edge of the blade as if bored with the conversation.
"Are we done with him yet? I grow weary."
"He still has a part to play. Once Lorit is out of our way, then you can treat the traitor as he deserves."
"What have you planned for the Prince, now that he has turned?" Tass wanted to claim recognition for turning the Prince. She had served the Princess for years as she'd wormed her way into the palace. Tass looked forward to paying the new Queen back for the many slights she had endured over the years.
"He will be sent to distract the Queen. He is not yet powerful enough to travel and he needs an escort. He won't be of much use until he grows into his powers."
"I understand," Tass said.
"You may go." Sulrad nodded his head in dismissal, placing the knife back in its decorative holder.
She turned and left his office, thinking about the Wizards of Midian and the Master of Science. She would have to pay them a visit one day and personally thank them for their failure. She wasn't about to let their ineptitude make her look bad.
Late one evening, as she was preparing for sleep, Queen Ukina heard a scratching sound at her window, followed by an insistent ticking. She pulled back the curtains to see the mini dragon sitting on the ledge, tapping the glass with its horns. As the light from the room illuminated it, the mini dragon turned to the Queen and bowed its head.
Before Ukina could open the window, the dragon vanished from the ledge. She turned to find it perched on the mantle above the fireplace. It watched her with its tiny eyes, wings folded neatly against its body.
"It's time," the dragon said.
"Time?"
"Time. You must take your army to the field and save Lorit. He needs you. Without your help he will be damaged, the Sorceress will be killed, and you will die with her."
"Damaged, not dead?" The Queen was confused. What was the dragon going on about? What was going to happen to Lorit?
"Not dead, but defeated ... made useless ... rendered impotent to meet the threat that faces him and your kingdom." The dragon seemed to struggle for the words.