Chapter 12 No Man’s Land

Day ???......

The creeping night gradually consumed the dusk around me until the dark ambience encumbered my rest. The cool zephyr which flew by my face spurred me awake. During my basking in the sunlight earlier I’ve recovered 43% per cent of my original health. After inspecting my internal energy, I found out a shocking truth. My strength which had taken years to surpass its bottleneck of 5-men was now at a resounding level of 12-men!

“Was this due to me overcoming the Lure of Starvation?” Whatever anomaly boosted my strength I accepted it without question. To test out my evolved development I tried fisting the air with all my might. [Pow! Pow!] It was then I realized that I couldn’t utilize my strength to its fullest potential. Probably because of my malnourished body. I needed to get some sustenance into me before I collapse again beyond mobility.

I made up my mind to travel east under the nightly shade along with my steed. Tagon was lying lifelessly on the ground below me. Seeing him like this pained my heart dearly. I bent over, placed my arm underneath his bony belly then slowly lifted him. Since I’ve been riding him for so many years, it was now my turn to carry his injured burden. Hence I tossed him over my back and began my stride throughout the desert.

To my surprise, Tagon almost fitted perfectly across my broad back, also he was light as a feather. By virtue of this reality, it was then possible for me to carry him as a result of his shrunken state. As I’ve mentioned before. Tagon had lost most of his meat, what remained of his prior gallant framework was his bony skeleton. Still, I didn’t give up on him.

“If by some miracle I could find some food then I might be able to save both of our lives.” With this thought in mind, I roused my indomitable will and strutted faster across the vast desert. I had no idea where I was going in the dead of night. I was just moving forward according to my will until something suitable came into view.

[Thud! Thud!] As I continued treading over high dunes with my steed donned on my back, I found it more difficult to move ahead but, still I pushed on. [Thud! Thud! Thud!] I couldn’t afford to falter just yet. As I continued my strides across the Sandy surface, watching me from above was the preying eye of the full moon.

Eh? When I set out from the village of the Snakemen, a sturgeon moon was forthcoming. Now there was another round one looking down on me? I must have spent 28 days inside that dry hole.

The moon’s nightly radiance lit up the path for me to walk on. As I ventured further something strange started taking place. I wasn't sure if I was seeing hallucinations at that time but I could have sworn that there were sprinkles of colourful stars twinkling ahead of me as if they were leading me somewhere.

I followed behind the peculiar sight of twinkling stars. Whilst my feet were in motion, a sharp brightness in the night garnered my undivided attention. Far, far away I identified a blinding presence shooting out of the celestial heavens and crashing into the earth. I wondered if I was nearing death’s door to be hallucinating such devastating sceneries.

The scary thought quickly escaped my mind, henceforth I continued walking the desert aimlessly to the point where I could no longer feel my malnourished legs. “I wish that I could stumble upon one of those elusive sailors of the desert.” I was thirsty, starving and numb in many areas. My eye eventually closed but my legs kept on leading me astray. The heavily wheezing of my horse blowing down my neck told me that he hadn’t much time to live. Both of us were sailing in the same boat towards the realm of the afterlife.

“Was this how our legends end, underneath the grasp of the full moon?” My mind became blank, moreover, my senses blurred beyond my ability of control. “Am I still alive or am I already dead?” I couldn’t tell either in that instant.

Day 34……

When I slowly regained my senses, I found myself lying near the edge of a flourishing oasis. “How did I get here?” I had no clue, but I was thankful for the Lure of Enigma which brought me to this chanced place of survival. My back felt light which meant that my steed wasn’t against me. I glanced around the mysterious oasis and quickly located Tagon lying on his bony belly close to the stream while feasting on weeds and drinking water. I got up from my prostration and joined him in his feast.

We stayed by the oasis for 4 days/4 nights feeding only on grass and mineral water. This wasn’t nearly enough time for us to return to peak condition. Though my injuries were slowly mending themselves with the aid of the bountiful sunlight, Tagon’s condition wasn’t at all improving. I diagnosed that he had garnered some elusive ailment that required expert medical aid.

I left the oasis on the 38th day of my life’s journey. Because of my horse’s broken leg, I had to be patient whilst aiding his advance. I had packed some weeds into my bags and refiled the traveller’s gourd with fresh water. This wouldn’t last us very long, so I had hoped to find a civilized settlement soon.

Day 41……

Our resources of sustenance had already run dry on the 39th day. If nothing was done to satiate the hunger in our tummies, we would have to experience the terrible Lure of Starvation once more which would have certainly lead to our deaths this time around.

We walked for another 25,000-stretch-of-men over the Sahara desert prior to the discovery of an impoverished settlement that had wooden walls surrounding its borders. What struck me dumbfounded was the long trail of innumerable warriors pouring into the city.

“What’s going here? Is a war about to break out in this impoverished district? What could be the value of this sullied lands?” A warrior from the passing crowd overheard my bewilderment and offered me some curt enlightenment.

“Haven’t you heard the rumours, fellow warrior?”

“What rumours?” I asked sounding ignorant.

“About a week ago a celestial deity came from the sky donned in brilliant vestment and blinding white wings. The rumours said that this celestial deity bestowed its renowned blade in this impoverished settlement of No Man’s Land then vanished shortly after while leaving behind a message in the residents’ ear. I believe it went something like this: The brave soul who can withdraw my heavenly blade from the sheathed surface of the impoverish soil shall be bestowed with greater power of their imagination. When that day comes, a new deity shall be born amongst man.”

This unbelievable statement compelled me to ask the stranger: “Are you sure that isn’t all just fatuous rumours?”

“Wah-ha-ha-ha! Do you think that just any rumour could cause such a great gathering of unparalleled warriors, friend? I heard even the King’s liegeman from the neighbouring kingdom of Brilmah which is currently waging war against the Vagabonds has come to No Man’s Land to validate the rumours. That was over a week ago. Up till now, he hasn’t set one foot out of the city. Which means that he is either dead or the rumours are true. I believe the rumours are true. Just look at all these warriors lining up to gain access to No Man’s Land, isn’t it marvellous? Wah-ha-ha!”

As the stranger’s violent laugher kept on reverberating through my ears, I directed my vision to the wide expanse of impoverished land that was being populated by a vile bunch of people. Warriors from many tribes and kingdoms were gathering here at No Man’s Land. It was an astounding sight for me to witness. I became breathless while observing the throng of elated individuals.

What the stranger said to me earlier left a festering impression in my mind. I started daydreaming about the heavenly treasure that supposedly resided in No Man's Land. “A celestial blade that can grant the wielder power of imagination? Would I be able to heal my steed with such an artefact?” while pondering this idea, I glanced at Tagon abreast me who could barely stand up straight. The wound on his hind leg was kicking up a horrid scent while being swarmed by excited flies.

I lent Tagon my shoulder to lean on which prevented him from falling. I assisted him while steadily making my way to the entrance of No Man’s Land. The settlement was vastly crowded with enthusiastic people who were aiming for the celestial blade. Thus it was taking quite some time for us to enter the city.

Along the way, my foot crashed into a rock that made Tagon lost his grip onto my shoulder which caused him to keel over on his side. His body was in such a fragile state, he severely injured parts of his rib cage due to the unexpected fall. I had to see to his injuries then carried him to an uncongested area close to the city’s rear border. This was pressuring for me as well because I had to lift him all the way there.

Reaching the verge of the settlement, I slowly set Tagon down among a poorly maintained posture. “Rest up here, Tagon. I’m going to seek some help.” I asked around the outer settlement for people with advance medical knowledge. The healers I located refused to help my steed. Those who spared some of their time to inspect his condition said he was beyond healing, I should just give up and acquire a new mount. Some people offered me a good deal for fresh mounts, however, I refused them wholeheartedly. I couldn’t just abandon Tagon here to die. He wasn’t just any normal horse. I treated him like my younger brother and a loyal friend whose been by my side for almost a decade.

Due to my increasing fears of losing my trusted steed forever, I sought to do whatever it took to save his life. Since conventional medicine was of no use, I entertained the idea of obtaining that rumoured celestial sword that was said to can grant the chosen one all the powers of the world. If I could use it to save my steed’s life then I figured it was worth a try.

Now I had a new goal in mind but first, I had to confirm whether or not the rumoured celestial sword was real. “Tagon, I’ll be right back. You better not die on me.” I left my steed behind in the impoverished pasture, additionally, I started searching for a faster way inside No Man’s Land. If I were to wait in line like everyone else to gain access to the city then it would have taken me days to confirm for myself if the deity’s weapon was real or not.

With exigency in mind, I snuck into the city by squeezing through a small gap in the wooden barricade which surrounded No Man’s Land outer borders. I concealed my presence amongst some tall pattern of grass to avoid being noticed by the city's guards. The guards that were on patrol weren’t originally from the impoverished city. I believe they were the lackeys of the Brilmah king’s liegeman who had commandeered the settlement.

After making sure that no one was looking my way, I secretly snuck into a line of brave warriors that were slowly advancing towards the inner quarters of No Man's Land. “That must be where the celestial sword is. I still can’t see anything from all the way out here.” The inner borders of the city were reinforced with tall barricades which prevented even a mouse from slipping through.

“Those wooden barricades look brand new. The men under the king’s liegeman must have set it up recently. I can still smell the freshness of the woods used. If they went through this much trouble to secure the inner quarters then the celestial artefact must indeed be real.”

My unplanted hopes settled into a soil of possibility and quickly grew chanced branches. With this partial confirmation, saving my steed might not be fictitious anymore.