Eyes of the Dragon

Chapter 09

Tian's journey aboard the Sun Dancer left something to be desired. The captain was polite but busy, and the crew were wary and kept their distance but still held a grudge towards him. Churning seas and the dubious crew made his trip quite tedious. While he had heard tales of great sea monsters and all manner of ocean peril, his trip passed without incident. Most of all he thought of Kayla who he had left behind, and the warlord Kharzon who lay ahead. As dangerous as their confrontation was likely to be, Tian was ready to have it done.

It promised to be another listless day, but then a shout from the crow's next caught his attention, "Land ho!"

As the sun rose into the sky, Tian could make out a harbor against the distant shifting sands of the Rakhan Desert. On the very edge of the horizon he could barely see a range of very imposing mountains on the far side of the desert. Among the craggy peaks there was one mountain in particular that dwarfed the others and came to a nearly perfect conical point.

A sinking feeling came over him, but Tian managed to suppress it. He knew that he must go to that mountain and brave all the dangers there. As the ship came into the harbor, he knew that his journey was not over. Kharzon was waiting with the Eyes of the Dragon, and if Tian did not get there soon enough, Xyrix might be with him.

The trading post of Balik was far from the size and resources of Darmane. A small group of desert people maintained the post and provided for the travelers as they passed through. Though lacking the immense size of Darmane, there was still the opportunity to acquire supplies and information. Tian said his farewells to the captain of the Sun Dancer and made his way into the city to prepare for his journey into the Rakhan Desert.

Tian found the heat of the desert to be oppressive, and knew that things would be worse once he moved away from the coast. Therefore the first order of business was to purchase supplies and proper attire for traveling through the desert. Captain Trask had recommended a merchant in town named Rafan, that was in his own words, "Not a total lying bastard."

Rafan's shop was a large white cloth tent. Stepping from the baking sun into the shade was surprisingly refreshing. The interior of the tent was covered in all manner of treasures and mundane items from far away. Rafan sat near the center of the tent in a comfortable looking chair that had been placed on a large, ornate rug. He was an attractive, tanned man who appeared to be in his middle 30s. Standing close beside him was a huge man with a shaved head and a long goatee. The large man wore a small purple vest, white trousers, and a huge curved sword on his back.

"Welcome to Rafan's shop, fair traveler, I am Rafan and this large man is my friend Faln," Rafan spoke in a loud, theatrical voice and had a wide smile as he walked over to greet Tian.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, merchant Rafan, you were recommended to me by Captain Trask of the Sun Dancer."

"Ah yes, he is a good man, Captain Trask," Rafan leaned in and raised a hand conspiratorially, "he was a famous pirate hunter not long ago, and only recently turned to hauling cargo. The Sun Dancer was once the dread of every pirate between here and Darmane and across the long passes to Fang's End itself."

Tian did not recognize Fang's End, but Rafan spoke of it with an excitement that bespoke a proud and impressive city, so he nodded along. He still had much of his money that the monks had given him along with the Serpent's coin as well, Kayla had been helpful in that regard, but had no idea what desert supplies might cost him.

"I need to travel across the Rakhan Desert to the Shav Mountains, there I need to reach the tallest peak," he interjected, "therefore I need supplies to cross the desert."

"The Shav Mountains are unlucky, some say cursed, and Great Shav is the worst of them all! Are you certain that you must go there?"

"Absolutely. My business is essential," Tian did not want to go into details about his quest, but he could not traverse the desert without the proper expertise. Lying would not help him reach Kharzon alive anymore than revealing everything.

"Traveling the desert alone is very dangerous for the experienced, a newcomer would die in a day. Therefore my first piece of advice is to join a caravan, there are many merchants passing through the desert, for a price you can ride with them," Rafan tapped his chin thoughtfully, "but they will not approach the mountains. Perhaps you will find one that is passing within a few days of it. That is the most you can hope. From there you will be on your own."

"That is fine with me. I require clothes, supplies, and a mount."

"Ah! Now we get to the enjoyable part of our time together. Sit and we will discuss what you need, and what you can afford," Rafan laughed as he guided the young monk further into his tent.

Sometime later when Tian emerged from the tent, he wore the layers of a desert traveler and was burdened with far less gold. In addition to what he had purchased, Rafan and his servant Faln had taught Tian much about the desert. From their dealings, Tian had walked away with knowledge as well as clothes, supplies, and a camel.  Mounting the beast, he pulled his head coverings up and covered his mouth with the cloth as he had been shown. Then he went to find a caravan.