As a desert dweller with no possibility to earn a place within the Akademiya, you had to adapt to the life of mercenaries in order to earn the mora you needed to make a living.
But when you caught wind of the grand treasure hidden inside the ruins o...
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CHAPTER TWO:
MAY THE STARS SHOW YOU THE WAY
A loud chirp suddenly woke you up from the spiral of your mind. You raised your head and looked at the small machine floating around you. It softly poked your shoulder before rubbing its flat head against your hand as if it had been worried for you. You gave a small smile at its affectionate gesture. You didn't know how long had passed since you were trapped by your own thoughts but it must have been a long time for you couldn't see the crowd of people anymore, only a few men and women were scattered around, probably doing their daily activities while others were tidying up the street. Still, you could hear a faint cheering in the distance, which meant they weren't too far away from your place atop the white roof. So without wasting another second, you hopped down with a loud thump. A woman holding a water filled vase on her head was suddenly startled by your jumping figure and watched as you followed the distant cheering, your floating companion at your side.
It didn't take long to reach the march of triumph, for the soldiers were marching relatively slowly. When you made sure you were near enough, you slowed to a walk and took the time to admire the city with its flat and small houses, whose white paint seemed to gleam a golden shade under the sunrays. Some buildings were framed by pots holding small flowers or colourful tapestries while others, probably shops, were filled with various items and food. You touched a long, bright blue cloth, the fabrich as soft as a cloud.
As you admired and admired the shining city, you found it difficult to imagine the ruins it would leave behind. Knowing that all that will be left of the city would be only debris and broken mechanisms brought a bitter feeling. You watched the army slowly reaching Khaj-Nisut. The palace, which you recalled being infested with dangerous animals and monsters, was as beautiful as the stories told from the elders of your tribe depicted it. Tall statues representing an ibis, each holding a bright blue and gold painted spear, stood guard at the entrance, whose walls were decorated by gold lines depicting words of glory and might destined to become dust.
"Found you!"
A hand roughly grabbed your arm, the man who had grabbed you glared at you and proceeded to drag you in a lone hallway. Your body had no choice but to follow him, nearly losing your foot on a couple of stones on the ground. Your free hand instantly reached for the khopesh strapped to your back. A gasp left your lips as your hand met with only air. With no other choice, you decided to use your fists but just as you were raising your arm, that same man spoke, leaving you dumbfounded.
"Hurry up or we'll be screwed."
You stood as still as possible, trying to keep a perfect posture like the priest next to you donning the same striking purple headpiece as the soldiers. The man from before gave a soft pat to your stiff back. He had complained all the way towards the palace doors about how you both could lose your job if you didn't come back in time to welcome the king, who had recently arrived from his expedition from the capital of Gurabad.
You watched, amazement in your eyes, as the deity of your homeland walked in front of you, his figure basked by the sun, his rays managing to slip past the shade cast by the building and shine upon his figure. The priests who were previously bowing, followed his steps, their heads lowered in sign of respect. A foot stepped on yours, you bit back a yelp as a hand forced you to bow, the man next to you gave you a stern look.
A small chirp was heard. Both your and the man's faces paled. Your eyes exchanged worried glances. The floating machine chirped again, the veins around its tiny body glowed a soft blue. You two watched with horror how it slowly floated towards the god, seeming to admire the long, gold and purple tails of his headpiece. You tried to keep a neutral face when he passed before you, the cubical device following him closely. You hid a relieved sigh when the small primal construct, seeming to lose interest in the headpiece, made its way towards you. However, just when it was about to float away, the king suddenly stopped and, as if sensing a presence behind him, he thrust his spear backwards towards the machine which gave a startled chirp and flew over to you, hiding behind your back.
Your breath was stuck in your throat as those haunting, ruby eyes followed the device until they focused on your figure, seeming to cast judgment on your soul. The machine gave a small and tiny 'beep' as it slowly floated from its hiding place and settled on your shoulder. You wished the sand under your feet could swallow you whole and return you back to the camp, to your fellow mercenaries.
The Red One stared at you for what felt like hours before exhaling softly and giving you a small nod as a greeting. Turning to the awaiting priests he resumed his walk towards the entrance.
One of the priests stopped, deep green eyes reprimanding you.
"Please, make sure that your machine does not cause any more problems."
The man, whose dark hair was combed into braids held by a white scarf, patted your back.
You made sure to give a stern glare to the ruin-keeper that offered a small meek beep in return.
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