Kingdom Fall (Ethereal #1)

- Chapter 32 -

Tales and Truth

Archie

'Tell me why she is with us again?'

'Because she wanted to?'

'Yeah, but why with us! You still don't trust me to take care of these rascals do you?'

'Idiot! I was planning to travel to Shandaban for a long time! I was just generous enough to offer you all a chance.'

'B-But... Who knows whether you are lying or not?'

'She's not lying,' Archie interjected into the conversation. This was enough for the prince to shut up.

'Why,' said Akyuliya, 'Thank you.' She turned to the prince, 'You should learn some manners from these children.'

'Just shut up,' snapped Sapphire, 'both of you!'

Silence enveloped the cart. Naajim was asleep while Sapphire was reading a book she borrowed from the merchant. She was rather delighted to find that Alshaam traded books as well and promised herself that she would read as much as she could from the available volumes. This left both Prince Tyler and Akyuliya to quarrel over the slightest subject while Archie tried his best to block out their voices.

But after Sapphire's little outburst, no one dared to speak.

Prince Tyler leaned over the back of the cart, peering at the city the left and the sand dunes that overtook the scenery. Behind them, another cart followed with one of Alshaam's mercenary guards taking the rein of the strange creature the locals called as an "Ahmul".

And so forth, they rode in silence. The cart swayed to and fro, the wheels of cart sinking under the desert sand. Archie fell asleep with his hand clutching his bow. He didn't feel safe amidst the people around him, but eventually, the swaying cart lulled him into sleep.

'So for four days, we go on like this?' Archie heard Prince Tyler whisper to Akyuliya. By the silence, Archie could only guess that she nodded in agreement.

'Aye,' sighed the prince who leant back towards the cart canvas, 'This is going to be tiresome.'

Archie woke up at about mid-day. He felt so bored he wanted to pick up a book and at least stare at the pictures. Unfortunately, the first book that he picked was of Oblivion but it had a lot of pictures of strange people and beasts. Naajim, who was wide awake at the time, awed at the pictures. He pointed at one picture that depicted a pointed eared muscly man with tusks for teeth long hair and golden skin with glowing red eyes. Archie marveled at the artistry. Golden streaks outlined most of the pictures while some colors glistened when they caught the light, especially the gold of the man's skin. When the colors shimmered, it seems as if the pictures were moving. Even the detail was exquisite with line work that showed detail on the rocks of the cave behind the man in the picture and the rays of light from the blazing fire in front of him.

'A djinn,' said Naajim.

'What is a djinn?'

'A daemon,' explained Naajim, 'They gift wishes.'

'A daemon who gives wishes? That's not bad?'

'Djinn's never say, but they take something from you. You must be careful.'

Archie turned the next page, which showed a winged woman with feathers for hair, then a hyasa with three horns and a barbed tail, serpents with five heads, fish that leaped up the dunes and so many more pictures that Archie doubted even existed. He guessed that maybe the book was a bed-time story book, seeing how colorful the book was with very few paragraphs. After finished musing over the picture of an Oblivion princess who had two pairs of insect wings he turned the page. He stared at the page for a long time, trying to wrap his mind around the person that was depicted. It showed a man with dark brown hair and jet black skin, pointed teeth and molten gold eyes peeping out from behind a wall with two daggers in hand. The man's skin was so dark; he blended in with the shadows with only his eyes showing. The boy secretly glanced up at Naajim who stared at the picture was well. Noticing the silence, Sapphire craned her neck towards the book.