Battle of Souls

Chapter 10

Kathryn:

The following morning was one of great splendor. An orange sun rose slowly above the red sandy plains. Thin, flat clouds stretched across the skies, promising neither shade nor storm. A falcon circled overhead and screeched, piercing the ears of the Phthalo travelers.

Pietro's eyes opened slowly, staring at the bird in mild annoyance. Beside him, Sienna eyed the creature with a smile, pushing herself into a sitting position. She glanced behind her to see Aurelian's boot stamping out the last glowing embers of the fire from the night before. The Master kicked sand onto the remainder, dust rising into the air from the motion.

With a huff, Aurelian turned to her companions. "Are all manual responsibilities reserved for me?"

Pietro rolled his eyes as Sienna laughed. He stretched his arms and lazily commented, "Who else could be entrusted with such important tasks?"

Aurelian sneered at him, throwing a canvas bag onto his lap. "I'm going to relieve myself. Perhaps you, Pietro, could finish packing? Or is that too much for a mere Guard to handle?"

Pietro's lip curled as the tall woman walked away from the camp site. "I wish you hadn't invited her, Sienna. She may be a good fighter, but her arrogance will put you in danger."

Sienna rose to her feet and shook the carpet she'd slept on to rid the threads of sand. "I had no say in the matter. What I have seen requires Aurelian. To what end, I do not know, but she must stay with us. For that, I ask you to welcome her as a comrade."

Pietro sighed. "You know better than I," he reluctantly admitted, "and I must accept this truth."

The two rolled the carpets up and donned their thick cloaks. Aurelian returned with their camels, each calmly chewing a mouthful of tender shoots. She handed a lead to both Pietro and Sienna before clicking her tongue. Her beast bowed, allowing her to climb onto his back. The couple followed suit.

Sienna took a deep breath of stale desert air. By mid day, they would reach the Great River that divided this land. By nightfall, they would reach the Skarvian temple of death where their champion waited. Aurelian cleared her throat, pulling Sienna out of her thoughts.

"You shall lead," she said quietly. Sienna nodded and urged her camel forward. They bore north, their cloaks the only protection against the growing power of the sun. Heat reigned down upon them. Sweat ran down their brows, and their mouths were parched. However, years of living in the harsh environment made these discomfort natural for each traveler.

The Seer watched the red sands become filled with sparse grasses and brush. The sand soon turned to soil, and she knew they were close. As the sun reached its zenith, Sienna slowed her beast to a halt. Pietro and Aurelian eyed her curiously as she slid off her camel, shouldering her small cotton sack from the Order of Phthalo. She patted the nose of the calm creature and pulled out a short dagger from her waist. Sienna cut the reigns of the camel off each side of the harness, then moved to his rear. With a strong smack against his rump, the beast ran the opposite direction.

Aurelian jumped to the ground. "Why would you do that? We'll spend eternity trying to get him back. Do you know how far camels can go?"

"Farther than you realize," Sienna answered with a smile, stepping past the angry fighter.

Pietro grabbed her elbow. "You will ride with me."

Sienna shrugged out of his grasp and pointed at the earth. "Grass covers the ground; the sand has run out. This signifies the presence of water. The Great River is near. We will walk from here."

Reluctantly, her companions too slid off their beasts and released them back into the sands. Sienna ignored the fresh grumblings of Aurelian and began walking. Her boots sank in shallow silt, and the rising grasses tickled her legs beneath her grey garbs. Their walk would last less than an hour, but Aurelian still found complaints.