We all slowed our pace, and the caravan came to a halt, but Mahini, Riondale, and I continued onward alone into the empty village. The general held one hand on the hilt of his sword as he scanned over the structures, but I wasn’t worried about anything happening.
Worst-case scenario, I could just chime back to my save point.
I could still smell smoke in the air, but none of the structures had fire damage, so that wasn’t the reason why the people had left.
There were still signs of life everywhere I looked, and I tried to piece together a picture of what happened by the forgotten remnants.
The buildings were closer to yurts than houses, and the sand had accumulated around the edges to make them semi-subterranean. The walls were made out of thick hides with the fur still attached to one side, but the colors were muted and blended in with the desert landscape, so it would be easy to miss it if you didn’t know what to look for.
Closer up, I realized the structures all contained multiple rooms, and there were signs of an eating space and sleeping
chambers. This had been a permanent village, but everyone abandoned it, and I needed to know why.
“Do you see anything?” I asked as I rejoined Mahini and Riondale.
“Nothing.” The desert goddess shook her head, and her shoulders slumped as she gazed around at the village.
“No food, no livestock, nothing was left behind.” Riondale frowned. “There’s no signs of death or disease, either, though, so they must have left.”
“This is where you grew up?” I asked my wife in a comforting voice.
Mahini nodded and bit her bottom lip, but she didn’t say anything more.
“Which house was yours?” I pressed, and I reached across the distance between us to grasp her hand warmly. “Will you show me?”
The desert goddess nodded curtly, and she took a deep breath before she pointed down the avenue between structures. We followed her between the houses until we reached one close to the edge of the village, but we passed by several communal bonfire spots along the way.
The people who’d lived here seemed to spend a lot of time together in close quarters, and I thought about how that would affect the strength of the bond between them. It must have been incredibly painful for Mahini to arrive in the village where she grew up only to find it empty, and I squeezed her hand comfortingly as she led me up to the entrance of her childhood home.
I tried to remember everything the desert goddess had told me, but it wasn’t much, and the stoic woman wasn’t the most forthcoming of people. I knew her people were bred and born warriors first, and anything else came second. She’d learned to fight with fists, swords, and bow from an early age, and she’d excelled among her peers.
Then foreign men had come, and a bad situation occurred, so the desert goddess faked her own death before fleeing the desert.
She’d found a new family in a band of mercenaries, but at long last, I’d given her a real home.
“Here,” Mahini said, and she jerked her chin toward the inside of the house. “I was born here, and I lived inside with my family.”
We all ducked our heads to enter through the low doorway, and I glanced around at the small dwelling in awe. The beautiful warrior woman had left a hovel to travel around the world, and then she’d met me. I’d brought her up to the level of archduchess, and
gotten her pregnant, so she’d definitely had a glow up over the years.
Mahini’s family would be wise to return to Bastianville with us, and I would do whatever it took to convince her mom when we found her, but with the growing issue of the warlord, I might not have to work that hard.
“Sir,” Riondale said from behind me. “The well’s run dry.”
“Think that’s why they left?” I asked.
“It could be.” The general shrugged. “Or it could have dried out from lack of use. It would need to be maintained regularly in order to keep it flowing. I would say it is more a sign of the timeframe for the residents’ departure.”
“Gotcha.” I frowned, but then I flashed my general a tight-lipped smile. “Thanks, Ri-Guy. Let me know if you find anything else.”
“There has to be a clue somewhere,” Mahini murmured, and she scanned over the interior of her childhood home. Her ice-blue eyes were full of pain and longing, but there wasn’t much more I could do other than be there for her.
“Let’s look around some more,” I suggested in a cheerful tone, and my wife nodded silently.
We searched the entire house, but nothing had been left behind. No furniture or bedding filled the space, and no food was left in the pantry. It was like they’d moved entirely, but why would they leave the village they’d occupied for so long?
There weren’t any answers to be found in Mahini’s childhood home, so I wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders as I led her back outside. The desert goddess kept her gaze downcast, but her bottom lip quivered from holding back tears. The emotional behavior was so unlike her normal self, but ever since she’d gotten pregnant, Mahini had experienced a roller coaster of emotions.
“It’s going to be okay,” I promised.
Mahini shook her head but didn’t meet my gaze, so I squeezed her shoulders once before I released her. As soon as I let go, the desert goddess clutched my hand like I was trying to run away, and tears brimmed in her ice-blue eyes.
“You swear?” she asked.
“On my immortal life,” I said. “We will find your mother, and she’s going to be thrilled to see you.”
“They all think me dead,” Mahini said, and she bit her bottom lip. “What am I going to tell everyone?”
“You’ll tell them hello and then just say you missed them.” I squeezed her hand. “Let them ask the questions if they’re curious.
They’ll probably just be happy to see you.”
“I hope so,” Mahini sighed, but her chin lifted ever so slightly.
“Thank you, Bash.”
I made a new save point before I questioned my wife about her past, but I’d thought of some questions I’d never learned the answers to, and now I just had to know.
“How did you fake your death anyway?” I asked in a gentle voice.
Mahini’s gaze shot to my face, and she searched my eyes for a long silent moment. There was sudden doubt flooding her gaze, and it broke my heart to see how easily she could lose complete faith in me. It would all be fixed in a matter of moments and a wave of my will power, but I had to sit in the uncomfortable feeling for longer than I liked.
“I told everyone I went hunting,” the desert goddess explained at last, and her eyes dropped to the ground as we walked between
the dwellings. “I was old enough to go out on my own, but those men… I knew they would hurt everyone unless I disappeared, but I didn’t want them to look for me, either.”
“What did they find when they looked for you?” I pressed.
“Not a lot,” Mahini replied as she flashed me a sly smile.
“Some of my hair jutting out of a rocky avalanche where a desert cat also laid dead. My tracks would lead them directly to that spot, but no further.”
“Damn,” I chuckled. “That’s pretty smart thinking for a young warrior woman.”
Mahini’s eyes twinkled when she smiled at me, and she squeezed my hand briefly, but then her gaze refocused on the path ahead.
“I used to walk this way every morning.” She shook her head as though she could dispel the memory. “The chief would host the morning meal. It gave everyone the chance to voice their concerns that day.”
“A communal meal hosted by the chief?” I nodded as I committed everything to memory. “Where did the chief live?”
Mahini pointed to the dwelling situated at the top of the path between the dwellings, and I realized it was much bigger than the other structures. A giant fire pit sat directly in front of the entrance, and large, flat rocks circled the area. It was obviously a communal space, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed it before.
I’d been too distracted by Mahini’s supercharged emotions to pay attention to my surroundings, but that was a slippery slope. The desert was dangerous, and it was foolish to let down my guard in any way.
Time to reset.
Chime.
I walked silently with Mahini toward the chief’s house, and I pointed it out to the desert goddess with a knowing smile.
“I think we should check out the chief’s house,” I said. “There could be clues inside.”
“Every other house has been stripped completely bare,” Mahini argued, but then she narrowed her eyes at me. “Wait, you knew that was where the chief lived? How?”
“I know everything, my love,” I laughed. “Come on. It’s worth a shot at least.”
“Alright,” the desert goddess allowed, but I caught a small smile tugging on her lips.
“Tell me stories from your childhood,” I requested in a soft voice. “I enjoy hearing you speak about that time of your life.”
“I don’t talk about it,” Mahini pointed out, but then she sighed.
“I had a happy childhood. I was the best, and my family was very proud of me. My cousins were all jealous, but that only made them work harder. It was a good life.”
“What did you do for fun?” I asked.
“Hunt,” Mahini replied quickly. “That was my favorite activity. I loved going with my father, but my mother spent a lot of time at home. She was needed by the entire tribe.”
“Why?” We were walking toward the chief’s house at a slow pace, but I constantly scanned our surroundings. I could easily chime back to my save point if something surprised me, but I wasn’t going to let my guard down again.
“My mother helped the women with child,” Mahini explained, and the more she talked about her childhood, the thicker her accent became.
“So, she was a midwife?” I grinned as my gaze automatically flicked to her growing belly. “That’s perfect.”
“Yes,” Mahini sighed. “My mother was perfect. Everyone in the tribe respected her word, and she met with the chief often to give voice for the women.”
“The chief listened to her?” I asked.
“At times.” Mahini nodded. “He was a fair ruler, but he let no one person bend his ear. He always acted in the best interests of the entire tribe, no matter who it upset.”
“Sounds like a good dude,” I observed. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
“If they’re even still alive,” Mahini muttered, but then her eyes welled with moisture once more, and she reached for me.
I pulled the crying woman into my arms, and I stroked the back of her head gently as the sobs shook her shoulders.
“It’s going to be okay,” I promised. “They’re all fine, they just left. If they’d died, we would have found the remains. This isn’t a graveyard. It’s just abandoned.”
“You’re sure?” Mahini sniffled.
“Think about it.” I hooked a finger under her chin to lift her face to mine, and I placed a sweet kiss against each tear-streaked cheek.
“They had to leave for some reason, but they were all alive when they left. There’s no signs of death or disease. Remember?”
“Yes. Riondale said as much.” Mahini nodded sadly, but she inhaled sharply and regained some of her composure.
“Yep.” I grinned. “Come on, let’s keep looking for clues. If we can figure out in which direction they left, we can follow their tracks.”
“Good idea.” Mahini’s eyes lit up with some of her usual fire, and her pace increased as we crossed the distance to the chief’s lodge.
The structure had a huge main room with a seat built out of the ground itself, but the earth inside was carved away several feet, and clay-like steps led into the space. To either side of the main room were more chambers, but the archways led to three more rooms on either end of the building.
Unlike the tent-like structures of the rest of the village, this home was very permanently built and designed to withstand the elements. The value of the resources used alone signified the
prestige of the occupant, but the throne-like seat would have clinched the deal.
I searched the entire room from top to bottom, but I didn’t find anything, so we split up to look in the side rooms. The half I entered had a pantry and cooking space, but then there was an empty room with an unknown purpose.
Wood panels lined the walls, and I frowned at the sight.
Lumber would be incredibly expensive this far in the desert, and the price of this entire room was likely astronomical. The mahogany panels gleamed in daylight shining in through a smoke hole on the ceiling, and a fire pit sat directly beneath the circle.
Perhaps an office of sorts?
A VIP lounge?
Or it could simply be the chief’s bedroom, and a place where he could dwell in his expensive tastes. Such a man didn’t match the description given by Mahini, but there were worse surprises.
It was all hypothetical, but I decided to look closely all the same. I turned to my left, and I removed my gauntlets to feel along the edges of every single panel. My bare fingers felt every
indentation in the wood, but I didn’t find any secret latches or hidden compartments along the first wall.
Once I hit the corner, I turned to the next wall and did the same thing. By the time I reached the next corner, Mahini entered the room, and she watched me in silence for a long moment.
“This was the chief’s private chambers.” She glanced around in awe at all the wood decorating the space. “Only the most respected men of the village were allowed inside.”
“I know,” I said in my godly voice.
“What are you doing?” Mahini asked.
“Looking,” I said, and I flapped a hand behind me. “Just give me a bit.”
“Alright.” Mahini took a defensive stance at the entrance to the chamber, but I could feel her eye daggers flicking my way often. Her curiosity was palpable, but she was a patient woman.
I continued my search for hidden compartments, and I was about to give up when I felt a piece of a panel give way slightly beneath my roving fingertips. I held my breath as I pushed on the possible lever, but then a click resounded from inside the wall, and the panel swung open like a safe’s door.
Mahini was by my side an instant later, and we both peered curiously at the contents.
It was just some scraps of parchment.
I reached inside and pulled out the notes scrawled on a well-worn piece of paper, but I couldn’t read the language it was written in. I handed them to Mahini, and she scanned over the contents of the letters.
“What does it say?” I asked, and I tried to mask the urgency I felt from my voice.
“We have been attacked,” Mahini read out loud. “Something must be done. You will be next, if he isn’t headed your way already.
Names were given after the…”
The warrior woman’s voice broke, and she put the back of her hand against her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes.
I swallowed hard, and my mind reeled through the possible endings for that sentence. Someone from another tribe had mentioned Mahini’s family’s tribe, but the information had probably been tortured out of them.
“Who wrote that?” I asked. “Was it your chief?”
“No, this is a letter written by a man from the Trahana tribe,”
Mahini said in a choked voice. “They were not exactly friends…”
“Can you keep going?” I asked softly. “Anything we can find out could only help.”
Mahini nodded, and she took a deep breath before her ice-blue eyes returned to the parchment, but she blinked away her tears to refocus.
“Names were given after the shaman started interrogations.
I’m sorry. There are not many of us left, but we will be at the Chunga Oasis. Meet us there if you wish to live free.”
“Bam!” I did a little happy dance. “What did I tell you?”
Mahini blinked at me in confusion, but then her gaze burned into the paper as she reread every word. When her eyes met mine, there was the light of hope shining within her.
I memorized the look on her face before I reset back to my save point, but I made a mental note of exactly what the note had said.
Chime.
Mahini and I walked toward the chief’s dwelling, but I pulled her to a stop just outside the entrance.
“Don’t give up hope, Mahini,” I urged. “Your mom is alive, and so are the rest of your people. They went to the Chunga Oasis.”
“W-W-What?” Mahini’s head tilted to the side as she stared at me in total shock and confusion. “Y-Y-You know where my mother is?”
“Follow me.” I grinned.
I led the desert goddess directly to the wood-paneled room, and she glanced around in awe once more.
“Only the most respected men of the village were allowed in here,” I said. “There’s a note in a hidden compartment.”
“A note?” Mahini’s eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.
“Look,” I said, and I flicked the lever to open the panel.
Mahini rushed forward and looked inside, and a moment later, she was reading the letter from the Trahana tribe.
“It is exactly as you said,” Mahini breathed in awe. “You’re incredible, Bash!”
The joy in her ice-blue eyes was worth every minute of my reset, and I grinned with delight.
“Let’s go find your mom!” I swooped her into my arms until the papers were crushed between us, and then I spun her around in a
circle in the middle of the room.
“Do you realize what this means?” Tears once more rose into Mahini’s blue eyes. “We can find my mother!”
“Not much longer,” I said. “You’ll be hugging her before you know it.”
“I have hope,” Mahini said, and she took a deep breath. “Thank you, Bash.”
“It was my pleasure.” I grinned. “Let’s update Riondale and get back to our camp.”
Mahini nodded, and she took my hand in hers before leading the way back outside. We found Riondale investigating one of the empty dwellings, and we quickly updated him on the new information.
“This is wonderful news,” the general said. “Good work, sir.”
“Just needed to walk around a bit,” I said as I gestured vaguely around us. “You know. Pick up on vibes.”
“The ways of a god will always be mysterious to me, sir,”
Riondale confessed with a shrug. “I’ll leave that up to you.”
“As you should,” I laughed.
We all returned to the rest of the caravan, and everyone was overjoyed at the information we’d discovered. It was too late in the afternoon for us to make any more progress that day, so we settled in for the night. I was tempted to sleep in the chief’s dwelling, but the emptiness was rather eerie, so I decided against it.
Patrols kept watch over our perimeter all night long, and I took a shift around dawn. Jorgen was my watch partner, and the hunter and I spent the few hours we had together discussing the various game available in the desert. I was reluctant to part ways with my friend when the next shift of watchers relieved us, but I knew Mahini would be eager to get back on the road.
I helped load the carriages alongside the soldiers, and then I joined my women inside the carriage. Eva and Zenda had drawn out a map of the village based on Mahini’s descriptions, and the resemblance was uncanny.
“Good job, ladies,” I complimented after they let me inspect their handiwork. “You’re a quick study with maps.”
“They can provide an immense amount of knowledge,” Zenda agreed. “My goal is to map every area we travel across.”
“She’s fast, too,” Eva added.
“I bet,” I chuckled.
Mahini gave Riondale directions to the Chunga Oasis, and he visited the carriage to confirm our direction multiple times throughout the next few days. It was roughly a week’s travel across the desert to reach the oasis, so we spent a lot of the time walking in front of the entire procession.
The desert goddess seemed even stronger in her homeland than ever before, and she held her head up high as she surveyed the landscape. She was beautiful in my eyes, and I spent a lot of time admiring her stoic beauty as we walked through the dry terrain.
We passed by several distance signs pointing south, but after a couple of days, Mahini directed us to the east. We weren’t very far from the Eastern Ocean, and I wondered what kind of tribes lived along the coast.
We were walking ahead of Riondale and a line of soldiers on the third day when a striped thing slithered out of the sand toward us. I froze in place as I realized it was a snake, but at least it was normal sized and not like the giant sandworms.
“Stop,” Mahini hissed out of the corner of her mouth. “That’s a desert death eater. They’re venomous.”
My heart pounded in my ears as I watched my wife move slowly toward the dangerous snake, but she glanced at me over her shoulder and placed a finger over her lips. I took a deep, quiet breath, and I reminded myself that Mahini was in her element.
Mahini weaved from side to side in an almost hypnotic manner, and the snake suddenly lifted up its head and began to trace her movements. The snake’s head wove through the air in mirror motions of my wife’s, and I held my breath as I watched the two stare into each other’s eyes.
Even though it was scary, this was cool as fuck.
My wife was awesome.
Mahini stepped closer and closer to the snake with slow movements, but it stayed in the same spot and continued to bob its head along with her. Then she was within arm’s reach of the serpent, and her hand lashed out faster than lightning. The desert goddess gripped the venomous snake around the neck at the back of its head, and she turned to me with a triumphant smile.
“Watch this,” she said.
Then she proceeded to whip the snake by the tail, and the serpent’s neck bone snapped with a loud crack. When she was
done, the creature hung limply from her grasp, and I shook my head in awe.
“You’re fucking amazing,” I said. “When did you learn to do that?”
“As a girl,” she said. “The snakes are numerous and too fast to escape. This is the only way.”
“Looks like we’re having snake meat for dinner,” I chuckled.
“We shouldn’t ingest this beast,” Mahini warned. “Its venom could have tainted the meat.”
“That makes sense.” I smirked. “I was just testing you.”
Mahini pulled out a dagger, and she efficiently stripped the skin from the dead snake. She tossed the remnants into the sand, flicked her blade clean, and then continued walking down the road like it was no big deal. Riondale and I exchanged an astonished glance, and then we hurried to match her pace.
We traveled in much the same fashion for a few more days, but I spent some time hunting jackrabbits with Jorgen. Nameless had acquired a taste for the desert hares, and it was tough to keep him supplied with fresh meat.
The tiny dragon was about the size of a bulldog now, and his thighs were getting more and more muscular with each day. His wingspan had nearly doubled, but he remained the same iridescent color as he always was. He flew high overhead for most of the day now, and he only bothered me when he got hungry.
I made a point to spend some time trying to teach him tricks, but no matter what I did, he only tilted his head to stare at me in confusion. I was eager to communicate with him telepathically, but I hoped it would happen before he became too big to control.
“Nameless!” I called out in the middle of the day. “Come down here for lunch!”
The caravan had stopped when one of the carriages broke a wheel, so I decided I’d give the little dragon a mid-day meal. The fresh jackrabbit meat was skinned and ready to eat, and I waved it temptingly in the air above my head, but I didn’t see Nameless anywhere.
I frowned as I waited for several moments, but I eventually gave up and joined the others for lunch. We ate a cold meal, but it was still delicious, and Mahini even complimented the level of spices.
“The men purchased some seasonings and spices in Kassar,”
Riondale explained after the desert goddess’ compliment. “I’m told things are even hotter this far south.”
“The death pepper is often used to season pork or hare,”
Mahini confirmed. “It could burn the hair from a grown man’s chest.”
“You like spicy foods?” Zenda wrinkled her nose. “I prefer the cheesier flavors of Sorreyal. Cheese on everything, please.”
“I like anything that isn’t considered fancy,” Eva added. “I grew up on snobby dinners. I’d rather eat something cooked over a campfire any day.”
“How about you, Bash?” Mahini asked in a curious tone. “What is your favorite kind of food?”
“I like to try new things.” I shrugged. “It’s hard to surprise a god, so anything new always catches my attention.”
We all ate our meals in silence after that, but I could see each woman envisioning her favorite dishes. It would be a long time before we were eating around a normal table again, but in the meantime, we had a whole realm of new foods to discover.
“You should try to get some death pepper,” I suggested. “When we run into some of your people, that is.”
“It is very difficult to grow anything in the desert,” Mahini said.
“The peppers need a lot of moisture to grow plump. Then they are dried and roasted before being added into various dishes.”
“I’m eager to try it,” I said.
“We just have to find my mother first,” Mahini said, and she flashed me a wide smile. “Not much longer, my love.”
After we ate, I checked in on our supplies, but we still had enough food and water to last us a few more weeks. It would be challenging to carry heavy barrels with me, but I could always get more supplies from Bastianville after a quick blip.
“The horses will need a longer break soon,” Corvis informed me as I inspected the line of carriages.
“Not much further till the oasis,” I assured him. “We’ll plan on staying there for a few days.”
“That would be wise, sir,” the horse master said, and he patted Goliath’s neck before we parted ways.
Once everyone had moved back into the carriages, we continued our trek through the desert. I’d already learned a lot about the Kotar Desert, but I was sure there were still lots of mysteries left for me to uncover. I was eager to meet the people native to these
lands, but if they were anything like the southerners of Sorreyal, I didn’t expect a warm welcome.
Everything would be fine once we found Mahini’s mom, though, and we’d be back to Bastianville before the spring planting season took off. The upcoming year would be a good one for my territory, if I had anything to say about it.
It had been nearly a year since I’d been summoned to this medieval fantasy world, and I’d already explored almost every corner of the known map. Now, I was going beyond and making maps of my own, but it was easy to forget I’d once been just another cog in the wheel at a call center.
Earth seemed like the stranger place after so much time here, and I didn’t want to go back to that mundane existence. Not if I could help it.
My thoughts continued to wander as we traveled toward the south and east, but I still hadn’t seen Nameless since this morning. I hoped he hadn’t gotten himself into trouble, but I had a save point from the beginning of the day ready just in case.
Then the dragon suddenly swooped out of nowhere, and he nearly knocked me off my horse as he crashed into me. The little
dragon’s eyes were wide and full of fear, and he huddled against my chest as though seeking protection from an enemy.
“Nameless?” I tried to lift his face to mine. “What happened?”
The little dragon chirped and snuggled even closer against me, but no line of telepathic communication magically opened up between us. I sighed and scanned the horizon for any signs of danger, but then I lifted my gaze to the sky to search the clouds for any hints.
“What’s bothering your dragon?” Riondale asked as he shot the little guy a curious look. “He seems scared.”
“I’m not sure.” I frowned. “I wish he would talk to me.”
I stared into Nameless’ eyes, and I projected a singular thought.
“What happened?” I asked out loud to emphasize my mental words.
Nothing happened for a long time, but then I began to get flashes of images through my mind. A line of people traversing a sand dune, and camels piled high with packages in sacks. Rolls of rugs and tapestries covered sleds pulled by desert dogs, and everyone looked weary of the road.
Was this what the dragon had seen?
I didn’t have time to question the method of communication, and with the little dragon acting so scared, I had a feeling the sight of the strangers freaked him out. It was possible he’d telepathically let me see through his memory.
Right?
“I think there’s another caravan nearby,” I said, but I frowned in concentration as I tried to remember details. “With a lot more people than we have. Hundreds.”
“What are your orders, sir?” Riondale asked as his gaze scanned the horizon. “Defensive or offensive measures?”
“Defensive for now.” My frown deepened. “We need to scout them out.”
“What’s going on?” Mahini asked as she crossed the distance to us. “Did something happen?”
The pregnant goddess was beginning to waddle whenever she walked, and she was prone to resting a hand on her lower back to support the weight of her stomach. It was adorable, but I knew better than to comment on the unevenness of her gait.
“Nameless saw another caravan full of people,” I explained again.
I was tempted to reset to my save point, but I wanted to learn more about these nearby people before I did. I wanted to know who we were up against if things went south, but it could be the very people we were looking for.
Only Mahini would know for sure.
“Send out scouts in every direction,” I instructed. “We’ll strike camp here in the meantime. Report back to me with your findings, but do not engage in any way. I want Mahini to be the first to greet them no matter who they are.”
“Yes, sir.” Riondale saluted before he trotted away from me.
“Do you think it’s my mother?” The hope in Mahini’s voice was obvious, but I had to be realistic and honest with my wife.
“We won’t know until we talk to them,” I pointed out. “The midwife isn’t likely to be the first to approach a group of strangers from the north.”
“True.” Mahini frowned. “They might not talk to us at all. The people of Sorreyal do not have the best reputation in the Kotar Desert.”
“So I’ve heard,” I chuckled. “Don’t worry, my love. I’ll change all of that, and our two realms will be allies before you know it. First things first, we have to figure out who is out there.”
Mahini nodded solemnly, but she kept watch for the return of the scouts on the perimeter of camp until the first horse came back to the caravan. We all rushed forward to get the scout’s report, but the desert goddess’ expression was hopeful.
“I didn’t see anything to the north of our location,” the scout reported in a hesitant voice. “My apologies, Great One.”
“No worries.” I patted the scout’s horse on the neck. “Go get something to eat.”
Mahini glowered in the direction of the horizon like she could will news to appear in front of her, so I gave her a wide berth as I waited for the rest of the scouts.
It was an hour or so before the next rider returned, and Mahini beat me to him. We both looked eagerly up at the explorer, but he merely shook his head.
“Nothing to the west, Great One.” The scout’s shoulders slumped.
“We’re just narrowing it down,” I comforted the desert goddess as the second scout rode away.
“I understand,” Mahini sighed.
The warrior woman chose to sit by the closest fire to the southeastern side of our camp, but we both kept our gazes locked on the horizon. We waited until the sun began to sink closer and closer to the edge of the desert, but then both of the remaining scouts returned at the same time.
“We ran into each other on the way back,” one of the scouts explained.
“Any news?” I asked, and I tried to hide the anxiety from my voice.
“I spotted a trail of people traveling to the east,” the second scout reported. “Roughly three hundred heads, sir.”
“They’re located to the south of us,” the first scout added. “But headed east.”
“They’re going in the same direction we are,” I noted. “We’ll have to deal with them sooner or later.”
The dragon had to have flown pretty far away from the caravan to have spotted the distant line of people, but I was glad he did. We’d
be able to face this problem head-on, the way a god should.
Now, I just had to reset and know everything without needing the scouts.
Chime.
I reset back to my save point, and I kept an eye out for the little dragon throughout the day, but I was ready for him when he collided into me. I caught him in my arms, and I held him close against me until his shaking subsided.
“I know, buddy,” I murmured in a soft voice. “There’s people close by.”
Riondale overheard me and trotted his horse alongside Goliath.
“There’s people nearby?” the general asked. “What are my orders, sir?”
“They’re located to our south,” I explained. “About three hundred people heading to the east. They’re probably going to the oasis, too. I can’t imagine the Trahana tribe sending the summons to Mahini’s tribe alone.”
“That’s a good point.” Riondale nodded. “So, we carry on as we are?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “But we should always be prepared to run into them at any minute.”
“I’ll alert the men,” Riondale said.
The general veered his horse toward the back of the line, and I set my chin at a determined angle.
No matter who waited on the road ahead, they would submit to the God of Time.
I would find Mahini’s mom.