The Fate of Xon

The land was stretched as far as the eye could see on all sides, bleak, desolate, and hot. It was close to a hundred and ten already and it was only midmorning. It was one of the reasons that few people lived in the Desertland. It was the hottest piece of land in all of Xon, but those who could handle the heat longed for the solitude and intrigue that the place offered. An intrigue that had gotten many people, who didn't know about how deadly the land could be, killed as they rooted around the mines and most dangerous areas for diamonds and other goodies.

The truth was that there wasn't any treasure out in the desert any longer. The kings and queens of old had found them already and used them to make Zanidy Palace. It was thought by those traveling through the desert to be an oasis of sapphire and ruby beauty. It was nearly a complete four stories high with double towers on either side of it that looked out in all directions toward the desert. It glowed in the sunlight with a dark blue and red brilliance that announced its position before the caravan had even cleared the vast stretch of sand before them.

Sitting on top of the highest rampart of the North Tower, a lone figure looked out at the caravan moving towards Zanidy. The young man moved his shaggy black hair out of his eyes and squinted his dark brown eyes to get a better view of the caravan. He hailed one of the guards on duty and told him to make sure that everyone was at their post because they would have company by nightfall. He had maids sent to arrange some rooms if the guests were going to stay, but most importantly, he had the servants finish packing up his own wagon for the trip he was to take in the next few days. If he could get rid of the guests, that is.

He swung down the flag ropes to the ground nearly six stories below and landed with a hard thud on in front of the gate and the guards. Everyone looked at him, shaking their heads with smiles on their faces. A brave one in the back, or maybe his old nursemaid, yelled above the laughter. “You shouldn't do that, Prince Daniel. You could seriously hurt youself and where would we be. I tell you where we be. Without a noble king.”

Yes. It was indeed his nursemaid. She always seemed to take the fun out of everything. Even now that he was grown and a few years away from ascending to the throne. She would more than likely continue to do that until the day he died, thinking him to be still the babe she cared for in her youth. “Always destroying my fun, Nan.” He spoke just below a shout before turning to the captain of the guard. “How far away are they, Captain?”

“Less than two hours march, your highness. What shall we do next?" All the guards within earshot turned to look at the prince that they so admired, awaiting his answer.

Daniel looked at the gates and then at the men before finally deciding on the best course of action. He turned back to the guards and allowed the volume of his voice to rise. "Send a party of thirty men to stand between them and the gates. Find out what they want and if they mean us any harm." More than likely they're like all the others who think that using the Desertland Prince as a halfway between themselves and the High Seer is a good idea. Why anyone would be scared of a Mystic is beyond me.

The men had already begun to decide who was to go out and greet the guests and who was to stay and guard the prince. Though it wasn't like the prince needed any help. He was a master at swordplay and even had a few animal friends that could be sent in order to get him help. He knew that if that moment ever came, the heavens would break and the Goddess herself would have to come down and stop the wrath of the High Seer. Sometimes it was good that Daniel had friends in high places, but at the same time, if anything went wrong, it could be a great deal of trouble for his enemies.

As soon as the gate had opened and closed again, Daniel began the steady climb up the rope that lead to the North Tower. Halfway up, he untied the area where the rope stayed steady and zoomed up onto the balcony. He ran to the area closest to the direction in which the caravan was coming and watched his guards stop a few hundred yards in front of the castle. He leaned over the rail and narrowed his eyes so that he could see the caravan driver halt his wagon a hundred yards from his guards. The driver then laid his sword on the ground and walked the rest of the way toward the Captain of the guard. Some words were exchanged, though Daniel could neither hear nor see facial expressions to know what tone the words were. It was when the Captain turned back to look toward the North Tower and raised his hand that the Prince knew what was going on.

Sighing slightly to himself, he nodded to his Captain before heading down the stairs into the palace toward his bedchambers in order to prepare for guests. His people didn't mind him dressing as they did in rough tunics and baggy slacks, but when there were to be guests. He had to wear the fine, expensive clothing of the Prince of the Desertland. It was the way it had been for years. His father had only passed two years before, but they would not allow Daniel to be crowned king until he had finished learning everything he could from both his people and those on the outside. He had just finished his ten years of Desertlander education, now all he had to worry about was the four to five years at Flagcord College. It wasn't that he didn't want to rule his people, it was more that it would be hard for him to see his best friend if he was stuck in the Desertland all the time. The travel to the Outskirts where she lived took nearly two weeks, give or take a day depending on weather, so they couldn't see each other by once every three months, but he wouldn't even get to see her that much if he were king. Unless, that is, he did as his father wanted and married her. Though in Daniel's mind, that was just ridiculous.

He didn't know how his mind had gotten on the train of thought it ended up on, maybe it was the thought of the dress clothes that the servants had already laid out before him. Or possibly the portrait of his father over the doorway. Or maybe it was the few bags of belongings he had scattered around the room preparing for his departure in the next couple of days. Either way, his mind was consumed with thoughts of his father, his best friend, and the Outskirts. He thought about the beautiful city of Lionore in the Outskirts made of white marble with magicians and Mystics on every corner, selling their potions and performing their spells for money.

He shook himself out of the daydream of the tall white marble buildings, the lush green mountains, and the beautiful marble outlook tower of Mystic Manor. He looked around his room to realize that the servants were waiting for him to pay attention so that they could get him dressed and ready to go. He had never liked them helping him get ready, but when it came to his royal clothing, he needed all the help he could get. Sighing softly, he pulled his tunic over his head and dropped his pants, allowing the servants in the room to move around him and get the fresh tunic in sapphire blue with gold threading on him over onyx black breaches with knee high black boots. His hair was brushed until it fell in a wave around his face. The final addition to his attire was the sapphire and ruby crown of the Prince of the Desertland.

Daniel only glanced at himself briefly in the mirror before heading down to the throne room. He was assuming that they would be doing their normal greeting ceremony, seeing as the Captain had given him that particular hand gesture when he had waited anxiously on the North Tower, but it wasn't until he got into the throne room that he realized just what the caravan outside meant. Everyone was running around, dusting, cleaning, sweeping dust and sand off the ground. It was like a madhouse. When Daniel finally got the attention of one of the servants to ask why they were so worried, he was pleased to be told that the caravan was here to ask him to be a guide to Lionore and the Mystic Manor beyond.

He walked up the stairs to the throne, laughing the whole way. It was kind of interesting that the caravan should arrive on the eve of the very day that he himself was going to head to the Outskirts. Of course, he would make it seem that he would have to think about everything, but in the end, he would say yes and tell them to pack the wagons for immediate departure in the morning. When he had his drinks with the servants and guards in the middle of the night, as they always did, they would all have a jolly laugh over the fact that the wagons were already loaded and how he was too funny. It wouldn't be the first time it had happened, and more than likely it wouldn't be the last.

He sat down just as the double doors opened to announce the arrival of the Captain of the guard with the caravan guests. He nodded to the servant, stealing his emotions so that his face was that of a spoiled prince who hated the interruption to his tiring day of princely activities. It was like a game with him. In Xon he was the most feared under the Emperess and the High Seer. Even the Tiger rulers weren't as scary as the Desertland barbarian prince on his throne of sapphire and ruby with stern brown eyes. Not to mention the wild look about him that said he spent more time out in the desert than inside doing much of anything else. He was highly educated, but the scary factor had always helped him before, why not now?

The leader of the caravan was the first to enter after the guard captain. He looked confident until he got a looked at Daniel. His face dropped as he took in the young prince with one leg hung over the side of the throne, hair falling in his face, even around the crown on his head. His eyes shone from across the room in their intensity, taking in every detail of the leader and his traveling companions. The leader opened his mouth to speak, but could think of nothing worthy of such a man. He finally bowed and settled for, "Your Highness, it is an honor to be in your presence."

Daniel looked through half slit eyes, taking everything in. He wanted to make sure that these were honest people before he allowed them to travel with himself and the others that were going with him to Lionore. He nodded to his captain and slid his leg off the arm of the chair, still lounging, but a little more alert. "Who are you, and what brings you to the Desertland? I do not recall having signed a travel pass in the last few months." As a matter of fact, there had been no travel passes in the last few months, though there had been many travelers. Something wasn't right.

The leader of the caravan gulped, glancing back at the woman who must be his wife. He turned back to the Prince and bowed lower. "Forgive us, Your Majesty. I am Igorn. There has been disorder in Central and Lower Xon that does not give any travelers time to go through the proper channels. We had to flee or die."

This was news to the Desertlanders, though the servants said nothing, merely looking to their Prince to say what they were all thinking, which he did, though he became more himself at the thought of news from the outside. "What disorder are you speaking of, Igorn? For we are separated from the main area of Xon where the great political minds reside. Please, have a seat and enlighten my people." He clapped his hands and the servants appeared out of nowhere with chairs for the whole caravan party. The travelers seemed a little weary of the change in the Prince, but did as they were told.

Igorn had to take a moment to collect himself, but when he realized that the Prince wasn't the cruel barbarian everyone believed him to be, he dove into the story of Central Xon with zeal. "From what we have seen in the papers and been told by the Emperess herself, there has been an uprising in Dead Land. Apparently, there was a Desertland princess some six hundred years ago that was traveling from her home to the Court of the Tiger ..."

"Amacilia." Daniel knew the name well. "My family is derived from her line. She had fled the Desertland after giving birth to a child out of wedlock, with a lower level shapeshifter Tiger she had known at school. Her father grew angry and denounced her. When she realized that he aimed to kill her and keep the child as his own, she fled. She disappeared in The Pass."

"That is correct, Your Majesty." Igorn's wife began to speak and blushed softly before standing up and giving a curtsy. "Forgive me for interrupting, Prince, but I did the research when we first heard of it. I am called Pegmalia." Daniel nodded for her to continue. "As Igorn was saying and you clarified, the woman had a lover in the Court of the Tiger and was working her way to him, but in The Pass, she was kidnapped by some Dead Things, Soul Seekers to be precise, and taken to their homeland. There, because of her beauty, she was changed into one of them." She paused and sighed, fear sending a shiver up her spine. "The Pass has been safe since the incident, guarded by Mystics and shapeshifters, yet there had started to be disappearances all over that area." Another pause. "And she has been seen by those who were fortunate enough to survive."

Daniel nodded as she finished and sat down, seemingly to think about it. He shrugged and sat up a little. "Why would this warrant you leaving your homes and coming into the Desertland?"

Igorn looked at Pegmalia before turning back to Daniel. "The Emperess is extremely upset and angry about the whole affair. The Pass is her land and so she has begun to mobilize an army. Though at the same time, she's gone ... um, well ..."

"Mad." Daniel finished for her. He had met her several times over the last year due to his father's illness and then death. He was going to have to deal with her in ruling Xon for the next dozen years, so he had begun to spend a majority of his time in Starlight City, when he wasn't studying or in the Outskirts. "I understand what you are saying, Igorn. I will be taking my father's throne as king here in the next five years, so I have spent a great deal of time with her."

Igorn nodded before continuing. "Good then you've made it a lot easier on me. Most of the people of Starlight City believe that her madness had grown to the point where she believes that most people are a threat now. She has attacked her own advisors, doubled her guard, and now that ... um, Dead Things are threating our world, she is beginning to crowd more people around herself. And if you try to approach as she used to let us do, you are now shot. She is no longer the kind hearted Emperess we were all in love with."

Daniel had suspected as much upon his last visit when they had refused to let his guards into the Starlight Palace with him as they had been before. Xon was truly going down if the Emperess was going mad, especially considering that fact that she had no children to continue the line. All that meant was that either the High Seer would become the new ruler of Xon or that the High Seer would foresee an emperor or emperess for Xon. Either way, it would take a trip to the Outskirts. That's when it clicked.

"I think I've got it now." Daniel stood and strode gracefully down the stairs to stand a few yards in front of Igorn, Pegmalia, and their group. "I know why you are here. You've heard that High Seer is cruel and needs an advocate. You've also heard that recently I am the only person that can convince the High Seer to do anything. And the reason you need to go to the High Seer is to find out how long the Emperess has left and whether the High Seer will rule, or someone else. Am I correct?"

Igorn and his group looked bewildered. They had seen a spoiled prince with money and privilege who didn't have a brain in his head. Apparently, they now knew that they were looking at an extremely intelligent person who could see beyond anything they tried to trick him with. "Um, yes, actually, that's exactly why we wanted to see you. I mean, if you are too busy around here, then we can understand and we can try to get in to see the High Seer without your help, but we would greatly appreciate it. We have a lot of talented people around the group and can pay you in labor if that is something you require."

Daniel sighed and shook his head, glancing at the captain who merely shrugged. He turned back to Igorn and repeated the captain's gesture. "To be honest, Igorn, I don't take payment for my services. If you and your people would like to take turns cooking meals for the caravan on our way to Lionore, that would be wonderful. It would help Cook out a lot. She never gets a break. As for taking you to Lionore, I had actually begun to pack a few wagons to head up that way a few days ago. We had planned on leaving in the morning. The servants will show you to your quarters for the night. I shall see you when the sun comes up."

He gave a nod and then walked back to the throne, leaving through the curtain behind it. He wanted to think about everything that was said. It would have to remember every detail so he could have all the information for the High Seer when they arrived. A little information would do, but it always helped if there was more to it. And it wasn't just that Daniel wanted to help Igorn and Pegmalia. He was truly curious about who would be the new leader of Xon if the Emperess went completely mad. It would be interesting to think of the High Seer as ruler of all, considering the fact that the Emperess pretty much worshiped and adored that great fortuneteller.

So it went that Daniel fell into his bed to sleep that night, thinking of all the possibilities for the new Emperor or Emperess of Xon. His dreams floated from that to visions of his best friend waiting for him in Lionore to the visions he had of Flagcord where he would be going in less than a year. He didn't know it as of yet, but they were the last of the pleasant dreams he would have for the next few years.