At The Heart of Tale Kingdoms (COMPLETED)

12. NERTI - More Than Men

Nerti watched the animals turn in an arch as they changed their paths. The herd had come north but now had to turn west to the dark lands. Kaduri and the young emperor waited behind her, holding her little pheasant. Nerti could feel them watching her. How was she supposed to lead them somewhere safe, away from home, if she herself didn't know the lands of the lost continent.

They stood on a patch of grass to conceal their diversion North, the land around them was barren dry and the dust from the movements made it hard to see and breath. Freri and Gradi were at either sides of the stampede, making sure none of the animas changed their course. They had never asked questions, but Nerti was sure they knew what had occurred and will be reporting it to the twins as soon as they arrived.

The dark child knew any search party sent from Aset will be able to catch up with the group when they stopped to graze and rest, but she hoped their absence would be taken as proof that they never left. They were already lucky to have reached so far without interruption. She thanked geography for Qxlong pink city being the second city into Aset.

Ahead of her the gazelles were skipping ahead of the Zebras. Hyari and her group of eight led the front and the back of the herd in elephants and horses.

"We need to go, Nerti." Kaduri ushered.

The young emeperor was watching her, his face a bit hesitant. He was with foreigners now and no matter what they did the boy will never feel fully secure. But that was something she couldn't do anything about. Nerti dug her heels.

They reduced the horses to a trot then walk so they could cover more distance that day with little breaks. The steeds had covered thirty miles of smooth sand dusty terrain before stumbling into a smoggy jungle.

There the trees grew higher, dark and wide. Stem strings fell to the ground like ropes and the air turned wet and warm. As they journeyed in they felt sucked into a wicked wilderness. Some places the sun was absent, others, the rays were sharp as piercing needles.

Where they passed, there was no visible path, the ground was covered with wild mushrooms and strange parasite plants that grew and crawled in webs. She saw plants both short and tall, green and yellow, dead and alive even moving and still. The golden pheasant that had been singing in the cage grew quiet.

They heard strange animals cry and bushes rustle, but nothing became visible before their eyes. Her clowder of jaguars who had not followed the herd parted from them choosing to explore and hunt by themselves in the new land. They had all not eaten since they left.

"This must be the Mazonic" she said. The unvisited lands.

"There is something watching us." The boy mumbled. Kaduri placed her finger on her lips. The young emperor remained quiet.

Few feet into the jungle and everything changed, Nerti couldn't remember where they had entered and where should they set to go. The whole place felt like it was closing in around them.

Nerti and Kaduri were familiar with nature's forests but they had never travelled through one so dark and daunting. The Darkese girl heard a river stream close by and motioned to the sound. They altered their course to their right, brushing long wide leaves as they passed. None of them dared to utter a word.

They found the stream fifty-feet from where they had heard it. The river was fifteen feet wide, the water as clear as air running above a bed of rocks. The smooth stony banks were wide and concealed from the jungle.

"Let's rest here." She told the pair as she got off her black mare. Kaduri and Qix Ix joined her, she took the cage from the boy and hung it on a low branch

"You should let it fly." the young emperor told her.

"I don't want to lose him."

"He has to fly so he can choose to come back to you."

"Maybe tomorrow," Nerti answered trying to dismiss the topic as her eyes lingered on the cage.

"She will be okay." The boy declared ending the conversation.

Kaduri started collecting wood for a fire. Her friend always thought ahead and had found a pot and a small sack of rise when they left. She even took fermented cabbage that the Qxlong servants had brought to them in porcelain pots covered with woven fresh leaves.

Qix Ix was staring at her, "Can I do something?"

"Yes. Can you please help Kaduri start the fire. She is bad with igniting stones and her cooking can be revolting," she whispered and winked at him. "If you have any cooking wisdom, this is the time to share it besides your grains are different to what she usually burns." The boy smiled for the first time after spending most of the trip sobbing. Nerti caressed his cheek.

"I am going catch some fish." She said and walked back to the forest to find a strong stick she could use as a spear.

"Should I use the river water." Kaduri asked holding the small copper flasks they had been given by a Qxlong minister. They both looked at the horses who had already started drinking the water and saw small fish jump in the stream.

"Yes, if the animals are alive and well, the water must be safe."

Qix Ix had already set up three large rocks that could serve as a stove and was rubbing two stones above the dry sticks Kaduri had collected

"Who taught you how to do that?" Nerti asked him as she unsheathed her black crystal dagger to whet the stick she had settled on.

"My Uncle, he liked to camp. He said I won't always claim luxuries like how I claim my name." Nerti was impressed, she had liked the boy but had always assumed he would be unconditionally loved and spoilt.

The Darkese girl caught three good size fish that they grilled over the fire. They eat the meat with rice that was more porridge with a side of the fermented cabbage.

They didn't tie the horses, unlike other steeds. Those from the dark land were half wild and became agitated when they were tied to anything. They laid the furs that they had still taken, in case the north had turned out to be cold. They arranged them on the smoothest space on the river bank and squeezed together with the young emperor in the middle.

"Where are the big black cats?" the young emperor asked. Kaduri let out a light laugh

"They are black jaguars and Nerti calls them her black companions or black bounds.

"Aaah." The boys voice was shy.

"They will be back." Nerti and Kaduri responded together.

"How can you be sure," he asked.

"Because they are all bound to me. Two of them to you and another two to Kaduri."

"They are bound twice? How can they have two masters?"

The night was bright with a full moon. Kaduri eyes were struggling to stay open.

"They have no masters, they only protect. Black jaguars can only be bound to a second person if that person is bound to their first bound." Nerti whispered.

"So, I am bound to you. That means you can never leave me." Nerti thought of the statement.

"I guess it does. But, if I ever have to, my black companions will remain with you." Nerti responded but the boy was already asleep. She closed her eyes and prayed to the stars for the strength to get the young emperor to a safe place.