I can only imagine that the animals, who would have normally attacked us, have fled far into the woods. And who could blame them? Our caravan was unprecedented even in the civilized world, let alone to the beasts of the Ringed forest.
In their eyes, we were a pack of untold destruction, that ripped and tore everything and anything in its path. We could just as well be a flame that burned the only home they ever knew and their instincts told them as much. The only companions we had were some curious magpies high above us in the winds, whose eyes must have been
fixed on the shine of our metal ships. Their formations mimicking the heavenly body floating even above them.
Like children imitating their parents.
For all intents and purposes, we were a natural disaster to the natives of the forest. But my fellow men of the Great "Alx-ana" trade caravan did little to care what the animals think of them.
Their minds were set on the profits that were to follow once we completed our mission.
Twenty of the boldest, greedy or just plain stupid risk-takers have agreed to join us on our travel from the Bahaaran Empire to the kingdom of Vasilis. A journey that would normally take around 27 months, but this time we were meant to get there in just 5.
As the merchants heard the estimated time their responses were mixed. The old experienced ones just laughed and told us off. The smart ones understood what we were about to do and started to calculate the risk-to-profit estimates. And the young adventurous ones, eager to make their name in the world jumped to the opportunity
without much thought.
All in all, we had just short of two dozen merchants and their goods, 72 soldiers from the Empire's Army, 14 veteran sailors, a few cartographers, 3 captains, one for each ship, and one Commander and his "assistant".
The last two positions were filled by my uncle and me.
By all accounts, I was not meant to be there.
No sane mind would want a boy of young age with no experience in travel, ships, survival or trade under his belt, to undergo an expedition to chart the most
uninhabitable piece of land known to man. Once my father informed me I was set to prepare for our departure I nearly fainted. The only thing that kept my mind from blacking out was the knowledge of just who it was that got me into this horrendous situation.
For you see, no sane mind would want a boy such as me, but my uncle was never known for his sanity.
And his latest expedition was meant to cement that fact.
* * *
Having not slept much during the last two weeks of travel I managed to find a spot between my assigned bed and the wall next to it where the rocking of the ship wasn't as bad. I crammed myself in that nook and prayed that the sea sickness let me shut my eyes for more than half an hour this time.
As the sweet embrace of slumber nearly took me, one of the soldiers shouted next to the window above my head.
"Oliiii!!!! Your uncle calls for you. Get your butt to the Alphas back now boy!"
"For the love of God, what does the old man want now?"
"Show some respect you brat!" the man replied from horseback.
The soldier was currently riding next to the ship reserved for the merchant's goods, lower-ranking personnel and the very bottom of the totem poll, namely...me.
Even as the nephew of the leader of the expedition I was not to be given any special treatment and was expected to "toughen up" and "get my character straight".
So they confined me to this rat's nest.
"By the way, I would watch my head if I was you. The wheels are about to get off. We're about to hit sand!"
I moved the drapes from the window, not that they were of much use, since the light of day was hellishly bright already. I should have known we were leaving the forest as the shadows from the tree canopies were more and more giving way to the sun's rays.
The last two weeks I spent nearly in complete darkness. The forest was just so dense.
I heard my fair share of stories told by friends who practiced hunting, but never had they remarked how dense the thicket can get.
My eyes feared to look out the window, for I knew what lay on the other side of the glass.
I could hear the men on horses outside louder and louder. The sound of their voices was only periodically overshadowed by the cries of the beasts that pulled our ships.
Just as I was about to get up from my bed, I found myself floating mid-air.
A loud sound echoed some fifty meters from my side, followed by another and finally, my head hit the ceiling of my quarters followed shortly by my posterior meting the unforgiving embrace of the wooden floor, accompanied by the distinct clatter of metal against the ground.
It appears we've arrived at our next milestone.
I scrambled around to put on my clothes and boots before exiting the ship's hull.
I still haven't gotten used to being on a moving ship, be it water or land it was all the same to my stomach. But I needed to keep it in while confronting the old man since I had no need to scrub the ship's deck yet again.
Once my senses adjusted to the blinding light and shouting voices, I took a moment to take in the sight around me. A firm arm took me by the shoulder.
***
"Ain't she a beauty Oli?"
The large man next to me asked with a wide smile hidden behind his lush beard.
"She truly is Gal. But... I think she'll be the death of me."
"Nonsense boy!" Gal slapped me not so softly on the back. "There's no reason to worry.
You should be proud to be among the first to traverse this land, along with us and your old man. Just think of the stories you'll be able to tell to your grandchildren when you're as old as me. Hahaha!"
"Graham is not my old man. He is the man who set up my old man to kick me out of my nice and safe home."
"He is more of an old man to you than his brother ever was...and also a man that turned many a boy like yourself into well-respected men under his command."
The bearded man continued while looking at the golden dunes in front of him.
"Don't be so hard on your uncle, boy. He is a great man, and only wishes the best for you."
"Then let him marry and have children of his own. Let all those well wishes fall onto them.
You have daughters, Gal. You told me so yourself. Give him one and... "
"Hahahah!" Gal's laughter was nearly as loud as the Alpha's roar.
"There isn't a woman out there that can keep that lad in check. Don't you think I tried?
And so did many other Nobles. Even if the Emperor himself offered him one of hisconcubines, old Graham would be on the other side of the planet before the wedding bells ring."
"...so I'm stuck with him while my brothers enjoy the pleasures of the Capital."
Gal let out a sigh while slumping his shoulders. Even his beard seemed to lose some of its livelihood.
"Oli, look at me. You're the fifth son to your father, the youngest child, the runt of the family, it's only natural that your father gave you to Graham after..."
"Olivier! Get over here son!"
His voice was thunderous. He was far away and hidden in the crown of the Alpha, but his words were as clear as though he was right beside us. While you were part of the crew there was no way to escape the will of the leader. A will so great it even bends the strength of the mighty beasts that pulled the several hundred tons ships like they were but children's toys.
I sighed and moved towards the ropes.
The beasts that pulled our ships, although they might have been called carriages a few minutes ago, were Al'ma.
Giant beasts native to the Great desert of Iris. Spanning several tens of meters in height and weighing hundreds of tons, they could be described as a mix of Camels and Oak trees.
By nature, they were a combination of plant and animal.
A hybrid, an abomination, and something the world only knew from tales told by the people that lived on the edge of the Iris desert.
Strange people known as the "Gra-Ni-Chari" ("The men of Ash and Ivory"), that didn't belong to any nation or empire.
In a word, nomads.
How my uncle acquired the Al'ma was not known to me, but I suspected that several lives had to be lost during the subjugation of the beasts.
Was it worth it? I thought to myself.
Although their size was immense, they apparently didn't need to eat and sustained themselves exclusively with sunlight, which made them great as "labor animals".
The Al'mas massive body was covered by thick short fur and its long neck stretched so high one's jaw was forced agape while trying to see its head above. Yet, it didn't have a head, not in the usual sense. Where its head would normally be there was a lush
green canopy of branches and leaves that spanned dozens of meters in diameter.
Somewhere in the thicket, there was a mass of flesh and bone from which protruded the thickest branches and roots.
I took the short rope from my pouch and tied it around the thick rope that connected our ship to the one my uncle was on.
Ours, as well as the one where the merchants and most of the cartographers were
staying, was pulled by female Al'ma.
My uncle's ship, however, where the command staff was located as well as some of the cartographers, soldiers and scouts was being pulled by a gigantic male. It was big enough to crush a small house under his hooves and its roar that bellowed from its neck could deafen a man were he to find himself too close.
It froze the blood in me even after having heard it several times.
There was no need to chain the Al'ma to each other since the females followed the male diligently. The only thing the crew did was tie ropes, deck to deck, to make it easier to move from one to the other since the Al'ma never stop.
From the start of our travel till now, not once did they stop to sleep or rest and trampled all obstacles in their path.
Having secured my harness to the rope I pulled myself over to the other side and made my way up to the command quarters.
While reaching for the doorknob a swooshing sound could be heard behind me. I turned around to find Graham letting go of the rope he used to swing himself from the top of the Al'mas crown.
His towering build blocking the sky itself.
"Hello there Olivier. Have you slept well? What do you think of her? Ain't she magnificent? I tell you, every time I look at her she glitters like gold in my eyes. It's been years since we parted way and now I'm old and grey but she's still as beautiful as I remember her. Good lord, Olivier my boy, straighten yourself up a little, the lads are about to brief us. Look at the sacks under your eyes son. Have you slept well? "
There was no time to get a word in before he pushed me inside where the meeting was to take place.
The room was filled with a handful of people. Old rusty men sat in heavy plastered wooden chairs while the few servants they brought with them ran around the table in the center, like chickens in a coop. Serving their masters diligently. There was a commotion in the air but the arrival of Graham pushed all sound out of the room.
Only whispers could be heard from that point onwards.
The first to speak up was Anatoli Kali, commander of the Beta ship. An experienced captain in his own right, although his physic let one to think otherwise.
He was slim and bald, his skin dry yet hanging, like it was sawn onto him by an unskilled craftsman. His eyes were dug into his skull and were hard to see, but were non the less sharp and piercing if pointed your way. His nose and ears were exceptionally long.
While in his younger years, he might have passed as an Elf, the passage of time morphed those features into that of a witch.
All in all his semblance was that of a featherless crow.
Contrary to his outward appearance though, Captain Kali was a wise, kind and noble man. Respected by his man and if the tales they tell are true, a skilled fencer whom few can hold a candle to.
"Good morning Lord Bright, good morning Olivier."
He gave a soft smile and a small nod.
"Greetings Kali. You look good today. How're things on the Beta, is the ship holding on well? I hope we'll make it to Vasilija in one piece."
"Everything is in order captain. There seem to be no damages from the fall and the Alma's speed didn't change one bit. We didn't hit any rocks so far, as it seems that the sands are even finer than we thought."
"Of course they're fine! My Iris is as soft as any of your noble ladies."
A few awkward chuckles came from the old-timers around.
Anatoli didn't react. He was more than familiar with Graham's one true love.
The next quarter hour or so we heard out Anatoli's detailed report on all things ship, crew and Al'ma related. It was well put together and presented with the poise of a true Noble...but it still bored me to death. While the old rich sacks of fat sat leisurely in their chairs, me and the rest of the servants...I mean assistants had to stand and keep our balance through the wabbling of the ship.
We were now two weeks into the voyage but I haven't had much time to familiarize myself with the rest of my peers. Most of my time was spent aiding my uncle by preparing his meals, tending to his clothes and scrubbing the deck from all the leaves and branches that fell from the canopies.
I knew some of the lads that were closer to my age since we shared some of our duties together.
The tall and skinny young man that is about a second away from collapsing from malnutrition or just sheer fatigue is named Colin Da'sheek. Second son of a Duke and as such, expected to learn valuable skills in the servitude of an accomplished and Noble merchant, since he'll be handling the economic side of his dukedom while his older brother takes care of the political side.
He was given as a merchant in training to Boran Lazarus Dolann, the most famous gem trader North of the Capital. Flamboyantly dressed and draped in all colors visible to the human eye. Covered head to toe in silk and Kashmir, Sir Dolann was our biggest financier. His goods were compact but heavy and will be sold at a huge profit when we arrive at Vasilija.
Having noticed that his servant was at the brink of collapse Boran rolled his eyes, sighed and grabbed his pocket. Pulling out something that looked like a small leather coin purse, he reached his jewel-covered hand in and pulled out a single cherry tomato, which he passed to Colin.
The poor boy ate it straight out of his palm.
I moved my gaze away making a mental note to leave some of my rations aside.
"And how are we on time?" Graham asked seemingly a bit bored while looking out the
window.
"As I already mentioned captain, and you are very well aware of, we are making excellent t.."
"And are there any sightings so far?"
A large somewhat ominous grin started forming on Graham's face. His black beard gave way as the whites of his teeth blossomed.
A few moments of silence passed.
The nervousness of the people around was subdued but was showing non the less. It was hard for men that knew nothing in life other than comfort to be put into the harsh wilderness even if their safety was "guaranteed" by the Empire. The fear in their fat bellies should now be reaching its climax as we set foot on the sands.
These men aren't going to sleep well tonight.
"As of yet... none, Sir. But even though the Al'ma's presence seems to ward away some of the smaller ones that usually patrol the outskirts of the desert, we are sure to encounter the bigger wildlife in time." Anatoli's voice was cold, almost uncaring. He was
getting up there in years and saw his fair share of equal part wander and danger
already. It took more than monsters from children's fairy-tales to frighten the old crow.
Even if the monsters were actual beasts.
"Oh my, but our safe and timely arrival was assured on parchment, as I recall. Isn't that
right my good Sir? Our cargo is safe in your hands you said."
The fatness of the man's cheeks made it hard for him to speak. There were pools of sweat forming in the folds of his skin while the vapors he gave off nauseated those closest to him.
"As the representative of your investors, I must say that... Oh my... That the cargo is of the utmost importance."
"The ship's metal was supplied from Sir Dolan's own mines and the soldiers from the Emperor himself," Anatoli answered without missing a breath. "If the metal holds, Sir Hally, so will the parchment."
"Khmmm, yes, oh my...Sir Dolan's goods are, of course, without compare...but our good
Emperor did provide us with quite a colorful bunch of soldiers, yes. Good soldiers, of course. Some seem to be from the ex-countries of Selena and Maharani, my servants even informed me one was also apparently from the Kingdom, I mean province of Tar.
Goodness, gracious my..."
The fat trader was right by the way. And it showed clearly from the reactions of the crowd. Most of the 72 soldiers provided to us were, what one might call mercenaries, employed by the Empire. In the minds of the general populous, they represented savage cutthroats that emigrated from conquered lands our army has taken from its neighbors. Bahaaran was never known for its peaceful resolutions of border conflicts,
but it was known for its swift subjugation of the survivors. The further you lived from the capital the bigger the chances were you weren't born Bahareen but became Bahareen.
"Your concerns are understandable but unnecessary, Sir Hally. I assure you that..."
"The men you are referring to are under my direct command Sir Stephan. If their loyalty or skill is in question here, then so should be mine."
Graham's tone was polite, uncanny so. It was always bizarre when he let his "rough sailor self" fall and went all diplomatic. A good skill to have for sure. But his towering form made it feel like discussing politics with a giant.
Well, that statement really did end the discussion. No one dared to speak up.
Graham leisurely spun his head and continued looking out the window like some kind of sentry. His eyes focused on the golden dunes. Why was he so obsessed with this place?
"Pardon me but I have a question for you Lord Kali."
The whole table turned around to look in tandem.
The small mustachioed gentleman seemed to be caught off guard by all the sudden attention, and nearly fuzzed with the leather of his chair.
"I...I was just wondering, are... Are there any sightings of the lines?"
As the question left his lips you could practically hear the rolling of eyes from nearly everyone in the room. Everyone except the cartographers and Graham. Who now turned their attention to Anatoli, eagerly awaiting an answer.
"No, Nicolas. None as of yet."
Some fifteen minutes later the meeting was adjourned and we were instructed to return to our cabins. Graham made his way to the alphas canopy and I was left to myself to eat breakfast and clean the gammas quarters.