Amara and Rath's Tale
This story is rated for Readers Over 16 for sexual situations and violence
"We are going in circles! I know I have seen that rock formation before!" I cried in despair.
"We are on the right path." Rath answered.
"Are you sure? That rock does look familiar." This was from Zarra.
"Positive." Rath said stubbornly. "Trust the sky and not the land. I know we are getting close."
"But the land looks the same! What do you mean trust the sky?"
"These are mage tricks. He changes our view of the landscape so that we will turn away from this path, but he cannot change the position of the sun or the stars in the sky. I know we are going the right way. And we must be close for his power to effect us."
"Okay. Then I have another question. If he can effect our sight, won't he make his tower invisible? How we will find him?" I asked.
"I am hoping that we will be able to sense his power and be drawn to it, even though we cannot see him. If we get close enough to the tower, we should be able to see it."
"But you're not sure, are you?" Zarra said.
"I'm pretty sure. I know how mages operate." Rath said.
"But you don't approve of them, do you? You were reluctant to offer the idea of binding a mage." I commented.
"Mages are not trustworthy. And demon mages are a hundred times worse." And with that, Rath moved ahead, ending the conversation.
I watched him move to the front and then something caught my eye. I looked up and saw a tiny speck circling overhead. "What is that?"
Zarra looked up, "A bird. It has been following us for some time now."
I sloughed along in silence once more. We were down to only a cup of water twice a day, barely enough to sustain us. I didn't want to think what would happen when that was gone. This land looked like it had never known water; the thorny bushes were gone and long dead trees dotted the horizon. Only desolation surrounded us. Why would anyone want to live here?
"Rath, is all the land beyond the mountains like this?" I called out to Rath.
"No. Some parts look very similar to the valley."
"Is that where you were born? In the better parts?"
He slowed down until he was by my side and kept pace with me for a while in silence. Then he said, in a voice so low I could barely hear him, "No, my birthplace was even worse than this land. To the east there are mountains that spew fire and rock and the fire demons call that home."
"And you learned to read and write, and all the other things you do in those mountains?"
"No, fire demons do not know any of the finer arts. I learned to control my fire and my skill with a sword there."
"But I don't...." Before I could continue, he sped up and moved away from me. Again, an enigma wrapped in a mystery. One day I would unravel his secret.