Desert Wind

Chapter 7

***

There were pitch-black rocks all around me. Their rough texture and sharp edges sent shivers down my spine. A white-yellow stream of light seeped through a small hole in the rock ceiling, illuminating millions of dust particles floating in the air. Some were larger, others smaller, each drifting in its own direction. Together, they formed an endless, intricate pattern that resembled a work of art—elusive and otherwise imperceptible to the naked eye.

I wasn't alone in this strange place. A figure knelt in the single ray of sunlight dancing in the small rock cave. She looked like a statue, most of her body covered by a cloak. Black rolls of fabric spread around her like a puddle. A metallic glint stood out from the uniform black—handcuffs. The shackles bound my wrists and dug into my delicate skin. The mysterious figure had her head hung low and remained motionless, her hood obscuring her face. But suddenly, she stirred. She looked up at me with her blue eyes, frozen in place. Those eyes were filled with sadness and terror.

Agira—I thought.

***

"Land on the right!" A scream jolted me from my sleep. There was something else—an extremely unpleasant feeling. Everything was moving. In a minute, everything was swaying. Right and left. Right and left. And so on. I felt awful. I would even say I felt tragic. I opened my eyes. Here we go again, like in a loop. I looked around the room I was currently in. It was different. They had moved me. I had no idea how, when, or where, but I knew I was in a completely new place now. I was lying on a mattress placed directly on the wooden floor. It stank. For a moment, I wondered what that smell was, but I recognized it all too well. The air smelled of fried fish and rotting seaweed.

Oh shit. Everything clicked in my head. I was on a ship!

The room I was in was small. To the left was a large wardrobe; next to it was a large desk with two stacks of papers and a grand globe. I had seen a similar one in the library in Aram, but it wasn't as huge or as beautiful as this one. On the opposite wall, I noticed a door and a small table with two chairs. There was also a painting depicting two ships battling huge waves in an angry sea, with a gigantic sea monster resembling a massive octopus with a large mouth rising from the water.

A man was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, his head resting on his shoulder, eyes closed, breathing steadily. He was asleep. He was handsome, with brown hair cropped short, slight facial hair, and glasses. He was wearing a long, dark navy blue robe. Such dyes must have cost a fortune.

As quietly as I could, I tried to get up. I wanted to sit down. After a struggle, I managed; it was difficult because my hands were tied with string. Luckily, they were tied in front, not behind my back, so I could attempt to untie them with my teeth. Without thinking, I raised my hands to my face, praying I could bite through the string. Suddenly, I heard a voice.

"You can try. I feel obliged to tell you that Kasander had them enchanted," he said nonchalantly. I looked at the man in the corner. He was no longer sleeping. He was now looking straight at me, sitting comfortably in his chair, flipping a coin in his hand.

So you're a magician too, I thought. What does that actually mean? What is magic? What can you do? Questions flooded my mind, but they had to wait.

"The knot won't come loose, no matter how hard you try," he continued, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. His voice hinted he had been asleep for quite a long time. "One more thing: if you plan to scream—and I must say I don't like that very much, especially right after waking up—then know we're on the high seas. So you see, it doesn't make sense." He added. I stared at him numbly. "Now, now that we've clarified the basics, I have an offer you can't refuse." He quickly stood up from his chair, took something out of his pocket, and extended it to me. "Let's start with this. You don't look well—maybe it's from a very long nap," he laughed, "or perhaps it's seasickness. But if you promise not to attack me, this door, or anything else, I'll untie you. What do you think?" The whole situation was so strange and absurd that I simply nodded in agreement.