Desert Sands

I started this fiction five years ago, but gave up for stupid reasons. As I was going back over stalled projects, I decided I wanted to see if I can complete this one. If you enjoy this story, feel free to let me know. If you have any advice or think there can be some improvement, feel free to say so. Last, this is a work in progress. Nothing you read is engraved in stone. (names of characters, names of places, ect.) Well, I hope you all enjoy my little piece of fantasy as well as the characters and places I have invented to weave this tale.

Desert Sands

By Kieavondra R aka animechick262003

Chapter One

East and West

E’kari stood on his terrace, watching as the blue and tangerine orange stained skies, slowly darkened under the setting sun. As if locked in a trance, he observed the old grove, hoping to catch sight of the friendly face of his old friend as he made his way down the worn paths towards the castle gates, but it would not be.

Three nights he’d summoned Zurin, and three nights Zurin had sent the would-be messengers back, his life in limbo. E’kari sighed, and leaned against the balcony wall as fatigue tightened its embrace on his aching body. For five days E’kari had not known a moments rest, but it couldn’t be helped.

The watchers had summoned him day after day to express their concerns over what had been happening on the Dasa Plains. E’kari had long ago sensed the shift that had occurred. It would have been naïve to believe the elders had not. And so he was not surprised when he was called to Mi’Pra, the temple of the Sovereign that had reigned before him.

As he had expected their words mirrored his thoughts. The threads that held the realm together were splitting. There was only one thing that could be done to prevent the disaster that awaited them if they did not act soon, but Zurin, lord of the east, and his other self, was being disagreeable, refusing to take the required steps to preserve the people under their rule, and their lands.

It was but a matter of time before the world collapsed within itself, opening the void to the dark realm of Si'tar. The hair on E’kari arms rose at the thought of that place. As a youth he’d thought it but folklore used by the elder Akar to strike fear into the small ones. But when he and Zurin were chosen as the new Sovereign over the lands east and west, he was quickly informed that the dark realm was not myth, but a very real place of unspeakable horrors. A place void of light, and filled with manner of creatures that could easily destroy entire worlds, as well as those whom at some point had threatened the existence of Dasa.

And there were many throughout the hundreds of thousands of years their world had existed who’d desired to bring harm. Yet of them all, the most frightening of all those held in Si’tar was Kuruk. No one dared speak his name beyond hushed conversation. He had been sentenced to imprisonment there thousands of years before E’kari’s time, yet even after so long, his name registered terror in the hearts of the most fearsome Akarian warrior. It was bad enough, the thought of creature from Si’tar escaping into their realm, but Kuruk. If he were to return-E’kari shook off the thought.

Kuruk returning was not something E’kari was ready to imagine. His immediate concern was with Zurin. The stubborn bastard was making things difficult for them all. E’kari understood Zurin’s sentiments in the beginning, and willingly granted him the time he needed to heal the pain caused by the loss of Asheni. They’d both needed time to heal. And although the pain her death brought continued to resonate with him, E’kari could not forget their purpose… the reason the elders had chosen them as guardians. And neither could he allow Zurin to forget that purpose.

They were the lords of Desert Sands, and Ekiken. And together, they were the lone rulers of the world of Dasa. It was important that they never abandon their responsibility. Although he too loved her, Asheni was apart of their past, the plains over which they ruled, was their future. He would have to make Zurin realize this before it was too late.

A knock at his chamber door, pulled E’kari from his thoughts. E’kari leaned away from the railing, and turned towards the door which had begun to open. His stomach knotted at the sight of the short, plump woman that ambled through opening. Raddeka he mentally called her name, as she made her way towards him. Raven colored tresses cascaded down her back and ended behind her knees. Her face was colored muslin and wrinkled with time. Over her left eye, she wore a black eye patch. Her attire was the customed black robe and red obi worn by the priestess of Dasa. Wound around her arm were the blue beads of healing.

It didn’t take much effort on E’kari’s part to determine the reason for Raddeka’s appearance in his chamber. Lord Zurin had struck again. The knot in E’kari’s stomach tightened under the unspoken revelation. E’kari had no desire to hear what the priestess had to say and yet, he couldn’t simply ignore the events occurring around him. Still, the look on Radakka’s face told him Zurin’s works of brutality had escalated. What tales would the old priestess speak? What unthinkable act had Zurin done now? And worse, to whom?

E’kari secured a hand over his abdomen. His stomach was becoming more aggravated with each passing second. Although he’d been trained in the art of combat he was far from warrior class. He preferred spending his time in more peaceful things like reading, painting and mating with each and every maiden he could get his hands on. In fact, the sight of blood left him woozy, and prone to black outs in extreme cases. No, a warrior he was not but the elders had said that this small quirk in his making was what made him the most compatible soul with the fiery Zurin. Compatible indeed. “Who was it this time?” E’kari asked swallowing back the sick feeling that rose at the back of this throat.

“Tagnis.” Raddeka answered in the dead tone he had become accustomed to.

“How bad is he?” E’kari probed further, walking over and retrieving a glass and glass pitcher from the table. E’kari poured himself a cup of water. He needed a drink to wash away the sour taste in his mouth. E’kari once again turned his attention over to the older woman who’d yet to reply. Her eyes were lowered and her brow wrinkled, signaling her deep thought. She was choosing her words carefully, to ensure not to anger him. She’d been apprehensive ever since the elders had called the first meetings. Everyone had known of Zurin’s frail state after Asheni’s death, but none had suspected that things would escalate to these levels, or that the elders would get involved. It was truly a troubled time if the ancient ones would intervene. E’kari knew this and so did Raddeka.

“He is lucky, my lord. He suffered only a broken arm.” Raddeka finally spoke, after a long pause.

Only a broken arm? Lucky? Somehow those two words didn’t seem to belong in the same statement. Listening to her you would think he’d tripped and fallen instead of having had the stuffing beaten out of him. But he supposed when compared to some of the earlier injuries Tagnis predecessors had received, Tagnis was indeed lucky to have only a broken arm. Still this latest bit of news was not going over well with E’kari.

“Damn him and his stubbornness. Damn him to the Tri’Cary moon,” E’kari growled, letting out some of the frustration that had been building over the days.

“It is not as if it is solely our lord’s fault. After all, did they not challenge him? It would have been in their favor to back down and walk away when they were warned to do so.”

“Zurin’s aggression is not their fault. My messengers did not cause him to behave so irrationally. They were doing as they were told to do, by me.” E’kari returned, his amber eyes glowing red, making clear that he’d just about reached his limits where patients with his other self was concerned. “There is no excuse for Zurin’s action. He knows they mean him no harm, yet he insist on causing harm to them. Waging war against my men is not something I will continue to tolerate.”

“Try to understand him, E’kari.”

‘I understand him well, but the fact remains that this world and its people depend on us and our stability. I realize the burden that he carries is a heavy one. I too carry it, but five years have passed since that time. Asheni is no more, and no matter how we might will it, we can never get her back!” An un-expected lump formed in his throat at the sound of his own voice speaking those words. He turned away from Raddeka in an effort to hide his weak state.

Of course he understood Zurin. He above all others knew too well the pain Zurin carried in his heart, but Zurin would have to release it. For all of their sakes, he simply had to. And with things spinning out of control at such an alarming rate, that time would be sooner rather than later.

“Will you send more messengers, E’kari?”

“And have the same result repeated? No, “E’kari frowned remembering the sight of his men their bodies bloodied, and covered in black and blue bruises. He would not subject them to further harm. His warriors had done all they could. Although they’d not returned with the desired outcome, he thanked them for their efforts. E’kari dreaded having to confront Zurin, and had successfully avoided doing so. Two hot headed Akarian males would make for little talk with so much at stake, but now there was no other way. E’kari knew he would have to make a stand against Zurin’s behavior personally. Damn it! There’d be blood spilled.

“Then you are going out to meet with him?” Raddeka asked

“It’s not as if he has given me any other recourse, Raddeka. Zurin has made it clear that he intends to use force against any that step foot in Desert Sands, and I will make it clear that I have no intention of being swayed by his childish outburst,” E’kari growled his voice rising with his agitation over the issue. The thought that Zurin would actually allow his rational thinking to degenerate irritated the hell out of E’kari. There was no use in trying to deny this fact. He would do whatever necessary to make Zurin see reason, and if that meant beating some sense into the thick headed lizard, then so-be-it.

“Warring between sovereign s not permitted,” Raddeka reprimanded as if reading his thoughts, but E’kari knew that not to be the case since the only ones with the gift of mind probe were the chosen. If anything she’d read the scowl he was wearing.

“Neither is letting your people suffer,” He returned, “That was the first rule you taught us, or have you forgotten the laws that govern us?”

E’kari had struck a nerve with the priestess. He could see the tongue lashing he was going to receive for his abruptness all over her face. There would be no back peddling now. Raddeka would tell him exactly how she felt.

“Mind your tongue,” She spat, her pointer finger swaying back forth as she set to chastising him. “Lord or not, it was I who raised you both, E’ Kari, son of Indi and Coral. Now I have never asked anything of you in all these years. The least you can offer is to hear me out this once. Zurin is not the enemy. He is the one chosen to rule at your side, and you his. Most importantly, he is your friend. Do not war with him. His heart still grieves for Asheni. As I know, although you hold it in, hiding it in here.” She placed a hand to his heart. “You mourn her too. That is why I must ask you to be patient, to give him time-“

“Time is not something we have, Raddeka. And it is not me or my will, but the elders will that we move forward.”

“And you agree?”

“How can I not?” E’kari pushed his hand through the loose flowing mass of pearl white hair. “It is as they have said. We have a responsibility to this world. We can not abandon it, not even for our hearts,” E’kari sighed, settling his gaze on the old woman. He couldn’t stand the way she looked at him, her eye shimmering with emotion. E’kari empathized with her concerns. They were like those of a mother. He couldn’t expect any less since the early years of their lives were spent under her care. She taught them all the laws that governed their world as well as helped them to hone their gifts. Raddeka cherished and protected them as her children. Hell, if not for them, she would still have her left eye. She was a good priestess, no, good mother, and he would do nothing to hurt her. Admittedly, he felt guilty seeing her near tears over Zurin’s stupidity, but as lord and protector of Ekiken, he had to be stern. “I will not fight with him,” he finally said, hoping to ease her heart a little, “but I will make him see the insanity in what he is doing. I have to for all of our sakes. You understand this?”

Raddeka nodded her head slowly. E’kari released the breath he’d been holding. She looked calm, and that shimmering pool of liquid that had gathered along the ridge of her eye seemed too had vanished the minute he gave his reply. It was a false hope he’d given her, but he couldn’t stand to see a woman cry. Especially when the woman was Raddeka.

The truth was he could not guarantee that he and Zurin would not exchange blows, or that blood would not be drawn. E’kari shuddered at the prospect of the bright red fluid. E’kari quickly censored his thoughts. He hated even thinking about blood, which was why he would avoid things getting that far at all cost, but if push came to shove, he do whatever needed to be done to help Zurin see the truth of his actions.

“I must leave now,” E’kari said walking towards his chamber door.

“Where are you going?”

“To see the elders,” E’kari replied, glancing at Raddeka from across his shoulder.

“The elders have summoned you to Mi’Pra yet again?”

“And they will every night until this matter with Zurin is resolved.” E’kari let out a long breath as he left from his chamber, entering on the long corridors of the palace. The previous nights, and the hours he’d spent in the dimly lit room of Mi’Pra, answering the seemingly endless list of questions the elders had for him had left him drained, emotionally, mentally and physically. E’kari knew the night would be as long as the preceding one. But he prayed that it would not prove as taxing. But somehow he knew once the elders learned Zurin had not heeded their call, his prayer would be in vain.