Mirrors

CHAPTER ONE: NIGHTMARES

Lanah raced through the swamp, avoiding the water at all costs. She must escape but didn't know where she was or how to break free from the ever present darkness chasing her. She glanced at the water and saw a silhouette of a dark figure very close at hand. Lanah kept running blindly ahead.

She halted. Laying at her feet, a large lake loomed. She stared into the water and saw a dark form that was black as tar and lava red blinked in the waves. Lanah realized it was the head of a large demon. It seemed to reach for her. She screamed and she turned around to find no one behind her. When she looked towards the lake again, she stared as the demon grew and began to rise out of the water. A large tar hand slowly stretched towards her.

Lanah screamed and jerked awake. Sweat slicked her body and left marks on her bed. When would she be free from this continual nightmare? She wasn't sure, but she did know that for once, she would love to sleep peacefully.

"Lanah, is everything all right?" Elder Sahila knocked on her door.

"I'm fine." Lanah uttered on the other side of the door. Lanah pushed aside the covers and wandered to her window. She gazed out at the sand dunes. The sight never grew dull. The desert held so many secrets and dangers, but the one great thing about the desert was that water was scarce. Lanah itched to go for a ride. The midnight shift was about to begin and she thought about joining the scouts.

The cold air hit her as she made her way to the stables. Thankfully, she had on her thick cloak. She pulled the scarf around her mouth and nose to keep it warm. Others bustled about getting their horses ready. She spotted her horse in the stall next to one of the monastery's many camels.

"Lanah, what are you doing up? Your shift is not until tomorrow night." Her friend, Kaal, spoke when he saw her standing in the entrance of the stables.

"I could not sleep and thought a good ride would be nice." Lanah confessed.

"Another nightmare." It was more of a statement than a question.

"You need to get yourself a strong husband." Han teased, displaying his muscular arms.

"I can't with you scaring all the suitors away." Lanah teased back.

"You should see the Guru in the high mountains." Mantia offered again. Lanah shook her head.

"It won't do any good." Lanah stated. What her friends didn't know was that her past was her nightmare. Her past was the reason she sought solitude in the desert. She pushed past her friends and readied her Arabian horse, Janja. The group rode out a few minutes later as the other scouts returned from their shift.

Yansin rode up to Lanah. They rode in silence until the Monastery was well on the horizon. The Monastery was quite breathtaking since it was built in the rugged desert cliffs. It was made of sandstone and it was the only building around for miles. An oasis laid hidden inside and those that brave the desert receive the reward of being a guest and drinking from the sweet tasting water. The Monastery was a village in and of itself and produced the world's best scouts, trackers, and assassins. For Lanah, it felt as if she lived there all of her life.

"I've been having nightmares of late." Yansin admitted, breaking her thoughts.

"What of?" Lanah asked.

"I dreamt of the dead rising from the desert and gathering like an army. They killed everyone in the Monastery and I cannot escape nor could I kill them. I wake up before I die by their hand."

"That is terrible. Have you talked to Elder Tarnash about your dreams?"

"I am afraid to know the interpretation of it." Yansin confessed.

"If you don't know the interpretation then you can never overcome your dreams." Lanah explained.

"What about you? Do you know the interpretation of your dream?"

"There is no interpretation for my dream." The group remained quiet as they continue to scout the desert for intruders or lost souls. It was nearly dawn when they spotted a lone rider. The group halted as they watched the rider approach but before the horse reached them, the rider fell to the sand. Lanah kicked Janja into a trot, followed by her companions. She slid from her saddle and walked cautiously to the rider. He was still conscious but barely. His clothes look exquisite and he appeared to be from a royal court. His features and the emblem were hard to make out in the dark since there was barely a moon out that night.

"Help! Must find Princess Kiasha." He rasped before slipping into unconsciousness. Lanah stood there frozen in unbelief.