Shadows of Avarice - Book #1 (BxB)

Chapter 50

It didn't take much to convince Dariya. The girl had been patiently waiting for Xia to get past his sorrow and finally ask her for help again. It seemed they all knew that Xia would regain his fighting spirit eventually. He just needed time to work out his emotions. He was feeling better, but there was still a part of his that worried he would be wasting his time. However, Xia wouldn't give up until he was positive that there was nothing he could do. Even then, he might still fight for Osiris. After all, he was in love with him, and Xia knew Osiris loved him, too.

Zakariya offered to accompany them on this journey, but Xia denied his help. This was something Xia needed to do on his own. Besides, he didn't want his brother to travel to the desert with them. Unlike Xia, Zak spent most of his time in the city and not out in the desert sands. Xia had a little more experience with how harsh the desert could be. He didn't want his brother to risk his life for him. Xia also wanted his other siblings to stay close to their grandmother. They had to keep her safe, and they were still trying to settle down in Ambria, after all. Xia and Dariya could do this alone.

After saying their goodbyes, Xia and Dariya left Ambria. It would take them a few days to get to their destination. Traversing Ambria was the easy part; it was when they crossed back over the border of Rasea where things would get difficult. Dariya made sure to pact the necessary supplies. She had an inkling of the cave Xia mentioned, but there was no guarantee that it would be the right one. The sands also could have covered the cave a long time ago. If it existed over twenty years ago, then it might not be there anymore. Xia was willing to search for it, though. He would keep searching until he couldn't any longer.

Once reaching the desert and making some progress, Xia ended up getting ahead of Dariya a couple of times as he was determined to rescue Osiris. The thought of the sultan might have hurt not that long ago, but now Xia was ready to save him once again. He never should have given up in the first place. If Xia had kept fighting, then he could have saved him by now. They could've been together. Xia strayed from the path, but he wouldn't any longer.

He wondered if the curse had gotten worse since he's been away. Osiris struggled to keep a hold of his humanity when he last saw him, and the curse was taking over more often. With Soraya by his side, then perhaps Osiris was able to regain his humanity, but how long would it last? Soraya also got hurt when she was with him, but it wasn't as bad as when Xia was hurt. Xia didn't have the same divine powers as her. As much as Xia didn't like her, he hoped that Soraya was okay. He didn't want her to get hurt because she was forced to be by the sultan's side.

"Xia, I know you're desperate to see him again but slow down! You're going to use up all of your energy if you rush through the desert like this, and I'm not strong enough to carry you," Dariya called out to him.

While he was lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize how far away he had gotten away from her. Dariya was supposed to be his guide, but in his determination, he was ahead of her. Xia came to a halt and waited for the girl to catch up to him. He felt bad when he noticed her breathing heavily. She came to a stop beside him and tried to catch her breath. Xia reached down to his side and grabbed the waterskin. He offered the water to her.

Dariya gladly took the pouch from him. Once she drank her full, she glared at him. "Did you forget who the guide is? If you keep trying to lead the way, you'll get lost."

He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, realizing that she was correct. Xia didn't know where he was going, but it wasn't like there were any landmarks either. For as far as he could see, there was nothing but sand.

"How you can tell what the right direction is?" Xia was curious. She knew more than him, so maybe she could teach him something.

She pointed towards the sun. "It all depends on where that ball of light in the sky is located. The sun can tell you what direction you need to go just by its placement. You can also look at our shadows. You mentioned that the cave is near one of the abandoned temples in the south. We're currently going southeast. This might be in the right direction, but I have a feeling I know exactly what cave you're thinking about. My father told me stories about a witch who had to go into hiding, so she found a cave to take shelter in. She fled when someone important to her found out her secret. Witches and warlocks have always been frowned upon in The Four Kingdoms. Depending on which kingdom they're in, they can be executed for simply existing. Rasea is one of those kingdoms that doesn't accept witchcraft. This is just a story, though. I don't know how true it is, or if this witch actually exists."