The Champion of Zammar

Prologue and the first scene of Chapter 1

Prologue

The well-worn map, pinned to the table by all four corners, was bathed in the late afternoon sun coming through the latticed windows of the war room. Bent over it, Kadar Ibn’ Al-Amar traced a path from Zammar’s capital to the northern frontier, and glowered at the spot where his finger stopped.

“The monastery of Al’Zafyra, the sapphire of the north.” He pronounced the words with distaste. “That’s where my informant says Sadie’s books are located.”

Prince Jalen ‘Anaq Al-Jameyri, heir to the kingdom of Zammar and Kadar’s oldest friend, leaned over the map and frowned. “This will be a problem.”

Kadar nodded silently. He could feel a tendril of hair brush against his day’s growth of beard, and he had to stop himself from swatting it away from his cheek in annoyance. He needed to visit a palace barber soon, he thought, before it became any more problematic. In the last few months, he hadn’t had much time to devote to his personal grooming, and his hair was getting uncomfortably long.

“Are you certain?” Jalen asked a minute later, as Kadar’s silence lengthened.

“I’m afraid so. The man I talked to was adamant. The traveling caravan who bought them after her house was razed was headed for Al’Zafyra. They sold them to the monastery.”

And, as everyone knew, any knowledge the monastery of Al’Zafyra acquired—books, scrolls, manuscripts, and sometime even people—was then locked up, as they considered it a treasure to be protected at all cost. The monastery—and the reclusive religious order that called it home—was completely cut off from the world, difficult to access and closed to travelers. Getting them to part with Sadie’s books would prove difficult, especially since the books’ theft couldn’t be proven.

“This is unfortunate,” Jalen said somberly. He ran the tip of a finger down the curse-mark on his cheek. “I haven’t told Sadie yet, but I can feel the curse waking again.”

Kadar nodded once more, making sure his expression stayed a stoic mask. His thoughts, however, were not so calm. Although not wholly unexpected, Jalen’s admission came as a blow. When Sadie had suppressed the curse taking over Jalen’s mind, she had been clear that it would only be a reprieve. Still, Kadar had hoped her ritual would stop the curse’s advance for at least the next turn of the seasons. This would have given Kadar more time to find a solution that didn’t include trying to steal books from Al’Zafyra.

But now, it seemed he wouldn’t have a choice.

“You should tell Sadie,” Kadar commented. Jalen’s betrothed wouldn’t appreciate being kept in the dark. He didn’t think Jalen would be able to do so for long, in any case. She was far too perceptive to stay blind to the situation.

“It would only worry her unnecessarily,” Jalen dismissed Kadar’s concern. “There is still time before it comes to the point I cannot control myself anymore.”

“She’d want to know, Jalen. She’s your betrothed. And then, she needs to know in case of an episode.”

Jalen gave him a droll look. “Sometimes, you sound worse than a nanny, Kadar.”

Kadar’s glare made Jalen chuckle, but he quickly grew serious again. “I will give you a letter of introduction for their high priest, but even that might not be enough to get you inside the monastery. The Zammar crown wields little influence there, unfortunately.”

It was a good thing the monastery’s inhabitants weren’t interested in more than defending their precious books, Kadar thought. If they turned their garrison of elite warriors to less noble pursuits, they could become a problem for Zammar. But the monastery had existed for more than a thousand years, and its independence from the earthly powers of kings was almost as old. Certainly older than the neighboring kingdoms of Zammar, Qatna, and Bathu, on which borders it stood.