259 Stories

The village of the desert tribe was larger than Timothy thought. Huts made of bircks sprawled in a circular formation, almost a spiral with a large wooden building in the middle. A small oasis was nearby, a lake no larger than a palace. Domesticated beasts grazed in what little patch of grass the oasis provides.

Timothy ordered a camp to be raised as soon as they reached the village. It was almost dark with the orange sun hanging by the horizon. The five thousand men of the Rooster seemed to double the size of the village.

"The oasis is open for your men to replenish their waterskins." The village elder said. His name was Cohir. Cohir's old wrinkly skin was tanned, further blackened by the tattoos he wore. His cane was a simple stick branch worn down by age.

"Your hospitality is appreciated but you know we can't"

Cohir looked at him, blinked a few times, and opened his mouth slowly. "Of course. As expected of you. Poison is a trade we Wismarines are famous for. Or infamous. A shame those Ironpeople tainted our name so much"

"Ironpeople?" Lucia asked.

"Yes, Queen. Here in the desert we call those who dwell inside stone walls and wear iron armor as Ironpeople. They are powerful. But they never conquered us"

"There was no reason to conquer you in the first place. Pardon my tongue but I think Wismar didn't just want to bother with the desert."

"True, true. We can't offer anything of value. Except one thing. That is what we offer you."

"Oh?" Lucia asked, raising her delicate eyebrows. "What is this thing then?"

"Truth" The Cohir said. "We offer truth. And stories. Truth is like the oasis. It keeps memories alive. But our truth, our oasis, has been ignored. The Ironpeople would rather drink muddled lies than our fresh truth."

"Your analogy is quite wrong. The ones you refer to as Ironpeople think that they have the truth. Why should we believe that your stories are the truth?" Timothy asked.

"You don't have to believe. You just have to listen. Let me show you"

Cohir began walking toward the center of the village where the wooden building was. Timothy followed with Lucia, some of the royal guards and Shadow.

The village was different from the usual Wismarine. The huts were simple instead of having intricate conical roofs. The air was also free of incense. The villagers had the same looks as a usual Wismarine but they were somehow tamer.

"You told us that Ashkara awaits. What does that mean? Your winged God is waiting for us?" Lucia asked.

"Oh he is not our God, Queen."

Timothy met eyes with Lucia upon hearing that one. Strange. It was strange for a Wismarine to not have divine devotion toward Ashkara.

"What is he then?" Timothy asked.

"A man. One that has flesh and blood and mortality. Though a great man nonetheless."

"So he died?"

"A long time ago, yes."

They reached the wooden building. It wasn't as large as Timothy thought- just a two story house shaped in a square with a flat roof. There were no windows, only a simple door.

Beside the door was a statue of a person wearing a cape of bird feathers. His eyes were sharp behind his helm. A spear was in his right hand while a shield was in his left. Below the statue were desert flowers.

On the statue's forehead was the same stone Shadow uses to identify his people. It was red like a ruby but smoother. Timothy bet that the stone would glow if he touched it.

"He is..."

"Ashkara" Cohir said, looking at the statue with his wrinkly eyes. "He is not a God but a man. Well maybe not truly a man but like him." He looked at Shadow.

"He is my kin?" Shadow asked.

"You know about the Ninevians?" Timothy asked.

"And magic?" Lucia asked.

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"I see that I caught your interest" Cohir smiled, teeth missing. "Our tribe and the others that dwell in this desert have kept stories about the past. A great disaster struck the world, shattering kingdoms and empires alike. We call it the Desolation."

"What is the desolation?" Shadow asked.

"I don't know" Cohir transfered his look towards Timothy and Lucia. "You two don't know? You are the eternal pair."

Timothy scratched his head. Cohir knew too much. "We don't remember"

Cohir's mouth swung open. His eyebrows met.

"Strange and a shame. I thought

...No matter. You will remember in time."

Shadow stepped forward. "There are many things even I don't know. What are my people? What are the Ninevians and why are we different from other humans? Why is my father hiding under the damn mountain? What is the cull?"

"I don't know. I was hoping that the Eternal Pair would know. We are merely retellers of stories from long ago. What I know is that Ashkara led our people here after the Desolation and founded the nation of Wismar."

"So it's another deadend." Shadow shook his head.

"Not at all." Cohir said. He beckoned. "Come inside."

Abraham went first, eyes searching with vigilance. A few other royal guards went next. After Abraham confirmed that it was safe, Timothy stepped inside with Lucia and Shadow.

The inside of the building was simple. Too simple. There was nothing below except the desert sand. The room was empty. Cohir walked to the other side and pushed something. Timothy discovered that there was indeed a window though it faced the other side. Light from outside crept inside.

"There is nothing here" Shadow said.

Cohir just shrugged and walked toward the center. He knelt and bagan to dig.

"We needed to bury it deep you see" Cohir said. "The building could catch fire."

"Then why use wood in the first place?"

"Symbolism. Wood is scarce around here. We decided to make the buiding out of something valuable."

In a little while Corhir unearthed something wrapped in cloth. He unfurled the cloths and an iron box presented.

Cohir took the cover. Timothy leaned his head. There were papers inside, brown and old. Cohir's shaking hands gently took the papers.

"What is that?" Timothy demanded.

Cohir walked toward him and handed the papers. There were markings from an unknown language too strange for his eyes.

"From Ashkara himself" Cohir said. "That's what my father told me which was what his father told him and so on."

"Omniscience...." Lucia gasped. "This looks like a journal"

Timothy agreed. Although the cover was damaged and he couldn't understand a single word, he knew a journal when he sees one.

"Do you know the language?" He asked Shadow.

"I am not familiar with it. No."

"And you?" He looked Cohir.

"I don't. We have been trying for generations but nothing. I was hoping that the two of you, the Eternal Pair, could at least read it. But alas, things didn't go well. No matter. I will give it to you nonetheless."

Timothy shuddered in excitement. They could transcribe the journal and send copies to the Resistance in Ninev. If even one of them knew of the language then one of thr greatest mysteries in history would show some light.

"But you still intend to war with the Ironpeople." Cohir said, intended as a question.

"We have to. You may think of it as a distraction but we need war to make peace"

"Then we will help you. My tribe could field a few hundred deser warriors. I will send talkers to other tribes as well. End this war Your Majesty. End this and bring peace."

***

Erik finally had what he wanted. After days of stalking, harassing and skirmishing with Sarah, the Wismarines finally turned. Four legions of Castonians were put at the front. Apple, the Cantonese and the wounded Goldentooth were in reserve.

In the Wismarine side, Sarah fielded her elephants to the front, cavalry to both sides and infantry in a curved formation.

"That doesn't look like sixty thousand" Ash said.

Erik bit his lips. It doesn't require one to count to realize that Sarah fielded fewer soldiers than what they expected.

"Thirty, the same size as ours."

"Where is the other half? What if they are marching behind us?"

"Not impossible. But I have sent scouts to every corner. A trap like that is also too simple. Her moves are more refined that striking at our butts."

"And what if..." Ash didn't continue.

"Yea, a possibility. A grim one. They could be marching to intercept Rooster right now. Although Rooster is tough, thirty thousand angry Wismarines is more than just a headache. I hope Timothy is quick enough to seize Kotara. Honestly..."

"Sire!" Ash shouted, pointing forward.

Erik immediately turned his head. The front line of the Wismarines was advancing. It was the start of a battle.

The warhorn blared.