Cry of the Desert

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 29042

Damn, thought Exotica, why do things always have to be so complicated? At least she wasn't chained up in the Dragon's caves anymore and didn't have to suffer through his lusts. Instead, she was trapped here in some strange desert--from the sands alone, she could tell it wasn't the Calamari or the Arabi--with riders whose language she did not understand. Instead of going off to kill that accursed Dragon, she and her small band of allies were hopelessly sidetracked, in a place that held just as many hidden dangers as the caves of the Dragon, although of a different kind. Like many girls of nobility who had grown up under the shadow of the war with the Reik Tetriloni, Exotica had been trained in the ways of war much more than any woman in the royal family who'd come before her. In fact, the older women in the court called her "the King's favorite son"--behind her back, of course. But she had also been trained in diplomacy, and knew how delicate the sort of situation they were in could be. After all, they were dealing with a previously unencountered culture, and it would be all too easy to make a false assumption and create unkillable enmity.

And then, there was the fact that Frederigo D'Honaire was part of the group. She had felt glad when Fred was around her in the caverns, as he was someone who knew the ways of fighting dragons, and who had a reputation for honor. She knew she could trust him and that he would know the right thing to do when they inevitably confronted the Dragon. Now, however, she was wondering wether he wouldn't cause more problems here. He was a warrior in a situation that called for a diplomat, and although she didn't know him well she wondered wether he wouldn't have an itchy sword hand. And his reputation for honor meant that he could be offended more easily, for he took his own honor very seriously. These were just more problems in a very explosive situation.

As Exotica thought of Fred, she nervously looked over toward him. They had not talked for hours. That had been a deliberate decision on her part, for she did not want the soldiers (if that was what they were) to think that she and Frederigo were plotting behind their backs. This was starting to put a strain on him, though, and she was starting to feel the same way.

Suddenly, she was broken out of her thoughts by a strange noise. It was an eerie wail that sounded like a woman mourning for the dead. Then, another wail seemed to join it, and another, and the keening chorus grew louder and louder, overwhelming Exotica's senses. Fred placed his hand on his sword, but Exotica placed her hand on his arm, silently warning him to wait to do what the others were doing. They soon saw the source of the wail.

  1. It was a sandstorm.
  2. It was a vast thing that burst from under the sand.

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Knight Random

6/10/2003 3:24:28 PM

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