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Chapter 8:

Gedroso

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He hadn’t seen a living thing for days. Sands dunes sprawled across the landscape as far as the eye could see. The schooner crawled along the only path fit for travel. But as the horses struggled to navigate through mounds of sand, he wondered if they were on track. A sea of sand surrounded them in all directions. It was referred to as the “Empty Desert” and the name could not be more fitting. If not for the rising sun they wouldn’t be able to tell east from west.

He twisted the cap off his canteen. The cover of the schooner kept much of the dust and sand where they belonged, but it did little to keep out the heat. A couple of gulps of water from his canteen was barely enough to stave off a growing thirst.

“You might want to go easy on that, ambassador,” said a hoarse voice. The ambassador looked over at the man seated across from him. His short-cropped hair was a few shades darker than the sands around them. A little bit of light captured the blue color of his otherwise dark leather chainmail. How his passenger could traverse the desert wearing such armor was beyond the ambassador. “We may not reach Gedroso before sunset at this speed.”

“Sisten,” the ambassador loosen the tie around his neck. “Why are we not traveling by chariot?”

“And where would you have it land?” the Sisten asked, strumming his fingers against the hilt of his weapon.

The ambassador pulled a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow. “I hope this is the last time I have to visit such ill-suited lands.”

“You need to get out of the capital more, ambassador. There are regions much worse than this out there.”

“No, thank you. This is bad enough.”

Slow and steady, the schooner carried on for miles. Pushing the team of horses any harder would end badly. They were a breed of horses used exclusively for desert travel, but even they would need water soon. The ambassador nested his protruding chin on his palm and stared into the desolate horizon. The sun was behind them now, proving Risten’s earlier prediction to be depressingly accurate.

As an ambassador, he had traveled to only a handful of different regions outside of Ahrmania. None of those journeys took half as long as this one to complete. He nearly choked on a cup of tea when Sisten told him it would be a six-day round trip to Gedroso by schooner. Almost as soon as twilight began a chill grew in the air.

“Now I’m freezing to death!” the ambassador shrieked.

Sisten chuckled. “You need more meat on your bone and some muscle.”

“What I need is for this trip to be over! Who in their right mind would live in such a place!?”

The sound of loose sand under hoof gave way to firm soil. The ambassador peered out of a window. The road ahead was paved with stone. The last trickle of sunlight captures a land paved by lush grass. Yards beyond that rows of white stone buildings rose to the sky. Welcome to Gedroso, read a sign big enough to be seen from afar.

“I thought you said Gedroso was a rundown hole in the sand,” the ambassador said.

“This is new to me.”

The horses slowed to a stop. Their path into town was blocked by three men on horseback. They were armed with long spears and wore plate mail. The only one not wearing a helmet dismounted and approached the schooner. His short, dark hair blended in with the night. The ambassador wasn’t sure if the young man had just been in the sun too long or if everyone in this area were naturally as olive as the desert sands.

The ambassador stepped out of the schooner, wiping away the wrinkles on his suit. “Greetings young man. I am ambassador Cox from Ahrmania.”

“I know,” the young man said, his posture never slouching. “We have been expecting you. My name is Dino, son of king Orlando. I am to escort you the rest of the way, ambassador.”

Dino watched as Sisten exited the schooner, paying extra attention to the sheathed long sword at his side. “I have been instructed by the king to disarm all travelers before entering the city,” Dino said, looking squarely at Sisten. “Including diplomatic visitors.”

“Give him your weapon, Sisten,” the ambassador insisted. "I don't carry any weapons, myself. They weigh me down."

"Especially when you're running away," Sisten snickered, unbuckling his sword belt and handing it to Dino.

“And your Rebirth?” asked Dino.

“That stays with me,” Sisten replied.

Dino tightened his grip on his spear handle. He starred Sisten squarely in the eye for a moment, then turned his back. “Naturally,” he said. “Let us be on our way.” He returned to his stead and motioned for the others to follow him.

A healthy wall of shrubs surrounding the city. Fruit-bearing trees lined the road into the city. The streets were bright and more active than most cities during the same hour. Water rushed through a fountain further down the road.

A statue of a man on horseback was the centerpiece of the fountain. The group came to a stop at one of the city’s many five-story buildings. “Hotel Gedroso”, a sign carved out of stone at the building's glass entrance read.

Dino dismounted without his spear. He moved ahead of the ambassador and Sisten and opened the doors for them. “Your accommodations have already been arranged,” he said. “Your rooms are on the third floor. You’ll know which is yours by the welcome wreath and baskets of fresh produce from our many gardens.”

“I did not expect to find such an attractive lodging this far from the capital,” ambassador Cox remarked, admiring the lobby’s bright lobby. He tapped his shoe on the gold, stone tile. “And not an ounce of sand on the floor.”

“Thanks to the works of our king, we’ve managed to keep the desert out of Gedroso for the most part,” Dino noted.

“And where is your king?” Sisten asked.

“There was an urgent need for his presence on the other side of the dunes. He sends his apologies. He will return by morning.” Dino stepped to the side and lowered his head slightly. He raised his arm in the direction of the ascending staircase.”Now, please, enjoy a long night’s rest. I will see you again tomorrow.”

“After that torturous ride I endured, you’re going to have a hard time getting out of bed, come sun up,” the ambassador laughed, climbing the stairs.

As the ambassador and Sisten’s footsteps grew distant, Dino raised his head. He watched the stairs as the sound of the ambassador’s voice trailed. He relaxed his guard and exited the building. “This will end badly,” Dino said, joining the other guards.

One of Dino’s fellow guards passed him the reins to his horse. “I don’t know about that, Dino. They don’t look anywhere near as intimidating as I imagined. Although, they are a bit paler than I thought they would be.”

Dino climbed on his saddle and took the reins. “Which one of you is on the first patrol tonight?”

The second guard raised his hand.

“Liano, while he’s on patrol, I want you to keep a close watch on our guests,” Dino ordered. “Come get me if either one of them leaves the hotel.”

“Of course,” Liano said. "Quick question, Dino. How did you know the big guy has a Rebirth?"

"I didn't."

The three men parted ways. Dino’s horse trotted slowly down the street. There were peddlers on either side of him, selling their wares to anxious customers. He could remember a time when people went days without food or provisions.

The city was entirely dependent on the arrival of monthly supply schooners from distant lands. Whatever relief they brought had to be rationed for weeks, especially the water. Gedroso didn’t have that problem today.

Dino waved to a few friendly faces as he continued on his way. Many of Gedroso’s citizens wait until the air is cooler to walk the streets. Even with the added vegetation, the city and the desert both shared the same temperature day or night. The king believed that adding more buildings and more paved roads would alleviate that in time. As the only remaining founder of Gedroso, he had lofty ambitions for the city.

There were fewer lights where his horse jogged. The paddles of a water turbine churn constantly in the distance. Gedroso would be as dark as night if it stopped. A small house rested near the river up ahead. The lights were on the inside. Dino hopped off his horse and led it to a stone trough. He climbed the front steps of the home and opened the door.

“Amara?” he called, shutting the door behind himself. Dim lights cast short shadows in the small space.

“We’re in here,” a woman called.

Dino stepped over a few books scattered on the carpet. More books were stacked on the only table in the room. It was the only piece of furniture in sight. He stepped into the adjacent room. It was even smaller than the one he had just left with that much more light.

“How did it go?” a woman asked, her back turned to Dino. Her dark, straight hair fell off her shoulder as she attentively covered a baby in its crib with blankets.

“Is he asleep?” Dino asked, peering over the woman’s shoulder.

“Yes, finally,” the woman replied softly. She smiled and took Dino’s hand. “Are they here?” she asked, leading Dino out of the room.

“Yes, unfortunately, Amara,” Dino sighed, sitting on the floor with Amara.

“The city is still standing? I didn’t hear any explosions. I suppose that’s a good sign?”

“I don’t know how long that’s going to last.” Dino looked over the books on the floor. Some were fables, others educational. “How close are you to filling the library?”

“Not very. These were all I could find so far.” Amara moved behind him and started massaging his shoulder. “I think we’re going to need to purchase lots, lots more very soon.”

“I’ll tell father when I meet with him later.” Dino starred at one of the books on the floor. My Life and Me, read the title on an aged and torn cover. It was a children’s tale of adventure and discovery. Memories of his mother reading from the book filled his mind. If she were here right now, none of this business with Ahrmania would be happening.

Dino rose from his seat. “I need to get going.”

“Have you had a meal, yet?” Amara asked. “I can make something for you. It’ll take but a minute.”

“Having those Ahrmanians here makes me sick to my stomach. I’m going to meet my father. He should be returning shortly.” He turned to leave and paused at the door. “You know I love you, right?”

“I don’t know, Dino.” Amara laid on her side and threw her hair back. “You’re just going to have to reassure me when you get back. Fair warning, though, I take a lot of convincing.”

“I’ll hurry back,” Dino smirked, closing the door as he left.