Mars Underneath The Sceptre of Eternity

Quick Sand

Zephyr worked hard to pacify his brother Blazerrick; finally they resumed their race. He noticed that all the contestants had crossed them; even the Oligarch Eyeball's nephew. D'eimeonn walked faster than all other competitors, with his peculiar legs and Blazerrick remarked that those creatures should be in separate groups. Zephyr too agreed with him. While they were crossing the farms and homesteads of the Scarlet Ville, they heard whistle from the village's empty market.

"A contestant is in danger! So early!" Blazerrick remarked, "Hope not our half-brother; the whore's son; he never leaves a single opportunity to ashamed our House and Sargoshi Island."

"Bold; let's see; if it is Emereon, we can punish him later." Zephyr's words sounded just to Blazerrick. They started running towards the source of the sound and saw a very peculiar scene. Amerik was standing there with the whistle in his mouth, but he was not alone; a woman's body was there.

"Aunt Zealeoness!" Blazerrick and Zephyr said together; "Hey alien, you have killed our aunt?" Blazerrick furiously asked. He was about to punch in his face; but suddenly someone caught his hand from behind; "Bold"; it was Zephyr's voice.

Blazerrick turned back and saw Harold Montem was standing with five soldiers.

"What is going on Master Sargoshi?" He asked politely.

"This man has killed our aunt." He replied.

"No; I found her body in the bush." Amerik replied.

"Master Sargoshi, please don't jump into conclusion." Harold asked him to stop; he walked close to the body and asked the soldiers to examine. When they confirmed that former Queen Zealeoness was dead, Harold asked them to bring the body to the palace.

Harold looked at Amerik, "You're innocent, I know. Queen Zealeoness should be in the Captive Tower not in Scarlet Ville. Start your race and remember you'll get no more help."

Amerik told him about blue flame and burned buildings; Harold assured him about proper investigation and again asked him to run. He looked at Sargoshi lords and politely asked them to continue their race.

They all increased their speed and very soon crossed the village boundary. Now Blazerrick became assured that no one was listening to him; "So, Zephyr; our alien friend is trying to prove his importance."

Zephyr did not give any reply; he knew Amerik was going to face something horrible. Blazerrick said, "He will no longer get help, is not he?" without waiting for his reply, Blazerrick took a sharp stone from the ground; Zephyr caught his hand, "Bold, don't hard a contestant; it is an offence."

"I'll not hurt him; Zephyr; Just see." He threw the sharp stone towards Amerik; but it did not touch him. The sharp stone touched his water pouch and made a big whole of it. Water started leaking down from that hole. Amerik noticed the incident when he felt dampness on his shirt; but he had nothing to do and tried to finish the rest of the water before it got lost in the red soil.

Blazerrick got a lot of fun and asked his brother to run faster. Very soon they crossed confused Amerik and entered the Red Wood forest. Zephyr was not feeling happy with the incident and he wanted to divert his mind from Blazerrick's cruel deed. Blazerrick was running faster than him. Finally, when they reached at the edge of the Red Wood forest, Blazerrick joyously said, "Zephyr, see, open field, here we can run faster." He grinned broadly, "The alien will die without water in this vast field."

"Bold, we should think about winning nothing else." Zephyr said.

"You are sounding like Emereon, the craven." Blazerrick mocked him.

Zephyr thought 'Emereon is no craven, but wise; you're a fool, my brother.' However, he had no courage to say.

Blazerrick tried to run on the red field; as he stepped into the field, he cried in joy. Very soon he reached in the middle of the field and then he realised that his body was gradually sinking. Zephyr gasped, his brother was sinking fast within quicksand and there was no other man to help him. Blazerrick was cursing everything on the Red Planet; but was not finding the way out.

Zephyr was also not getting safe way to reach to his brother; finally he called out, "Brother, blow your whistle."

"I cannot reach to my whistle; my waist is already under the sand." He replied.

At that very moment, Zephyr saw Amerik was coming; he requested him to do something. Amerik stopped and asked Blazerrick to lighten his body, removing weighty apparels; especially shoes and then try to swim horizontally. Blazerrick had no other way, but to follow an alien's advice. Amerik threw a long rope which he always carried with him since his last adventure at the Terra Tenebris. Blazerrick caught the rope with two hands; he gasped and took a deep breath. Zephyr helped Amerik to drag his brother out of the quicksand. After an hour long effort, Blazerrick finally came out from the quicksand. He was looking like a red bald headed giant.

"Thank you Amerik." Zephyr said politely; suddenly he felt a tight slap on his face. Blazerrick harshly said, "Don't ashamed our lineage; we are the warriors of Sargoshi, don't express gratitude to aliens."

Amerik looked at Zephyr meaningfully and he tried to find out alternative ways of crossing the field. Blazerrick was about to push him back into the quicksand but Zephyr held his hand tightly; "No brother; if you do it, you'll lose your brother Zephyr forever." He glared at him furiously.

Zephyr picked up some pebbles and asked Amerik to do so; they started throwing it to the red field and watching if it sank into the sand. After walking some distance in the east; they saw that pebbles were not drowning anymore. Birds and animals were crossing the field safely. They also noticed imprints of boot on the red sand.

"Emereon is ahead of us." Zephyr said.

All three of them crossed the red field without further problem.

"We have crossed our first hurdle and two more are left." Zephyr remarked, "It is already twilight and we have to finish the entire thing within a day."

"Take some rest." Blazerrick requested.

They all sat down on the grass; Blazerrick half emptied his water pouch and put some dry fruits in his mouth; Amerik had no more water, so Zephyr offered him. Blazerrick did not like Zephyr's friendship with Amerik, but he tried to ignore them without telling any harsh words. He looked at the sky; it was pitch black now dotted with numerous stars and planets. Suddenly, Blazerrick noticed smoke rising from the distant hills.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I think our second hurdle, brother." Zephyr replied.

�����������m�͆�h