Carmine

We pushed the horses in the dead of night. Our lives were now a mix of camping and sleeping in the day, for me that was not a good transition, yet I felt no pain. I mean, I literally felt none.

There was no pain in my head from the barely missed arrow or the attempted choking of my throat. Valor said the Exodine did its job well. Half of an orb of that pill I took not only cured pain, but prevented it.

It was amazing. Elam made stuff like this? I even told Valor such a thing would have exceptional use in warfare. He laughed and said no one used it for that reason anymore since they could construct bodies with such an ability built-in.

Exodine was an old remedy that had gone out of use in modern Elam.

Notwithstanding, we focused on moving forward. Tiam was a rather rocky abyss. Not many trees, for the land raveled in the dark images of swamps and dry earth.

A large number of towns were built close to those ponds and swamps.

Tiam had a rough sense of self-reliance. Some cities and even towns were isolated underground. Built by hand over thousands of years; It was a measure against the demons and witches of Elam.

We easily navigated our way around each town and city thanks to Valor’s knowledge of this land, with better meals. He never apologized out of his mouth, but accepted his actions as such. Five’s ability to sense life was also treasured. We avoided the brigands and outlaws that lived among the high arid forests.

The West, home to underground cities connected through sheer effort and pride. Those underground compounds held bountiful prosperity with gems and metals I never seen before. Some were worthless, some were valuable to Tiam’s wealth.

We reached a ledge that overlooked a deep ravine. We steadily went higher with each day. Our horses were weary. They shifted and decried their tiredness to us.

I stared in gorgeous awe down the dangerous slope. At the bottom rested a vast prairie, for the sun to create this glowing luster that made me want to shout praise of its magnificence.

The cliff on the other side stuck out a tall protrusion that cast a dark shade on the south side of the swaying grass.

In between tall mountain peaks raised a large cityscape that built upward into the rock. The dark gray of the battlements twisted and turned in half-circles. I was sure the baileys within each battlement held lofty structures.

My mind was struck senseless as I looked on and I could not even see the end of the city. A fog hid a clear vision of what laid in the highs of the mountains. The mix of light gray stone clashed with the dark green hue the peaks reflected.

Those towers dwarfed the city with their length and breadth. The flags on those towers waved brightly and proudly in the strong wind. On those towers was a ballista as well. I wavered my eyes down and noted the large catapults. The battlements extended from the city into the side of either mountain; large machines of war stood on top of them.

This was a military power, the city of Martoniss, Tiam’s capital city.

“This place is beautiful,” Janilla said.

Valor nodded his head. “Indeed, very beautiful, ah, Five detect any lifeforms?”

“Horses, twenty of them, north of us. They are coming towards us, and the leader is hoping to get some stripes for the accomplishment of capturing us and showing us off to his superiors.” Five said.

Valor turned his horse ripping Janilla from her lovely viewpoint. “Aye, that’s our cue. Down the hillside, now!” He slapped the reins and the horse galloped forward. Five and I turned our horses and rode along the ridge’s edge.

We rode hard and the horses slipped behind Valor. Valor banked left and leaped down a valley cut into the rocky wall of the ravine. We followed, so dust was kicked up heavily. At this slant, I slid forward along the horse. We zigzagged for a good while rushing down the ravine. I was ever wary of missing a step, least I slipped to my death.

That would be a lackadaisical way to die after all I survived up until now.

We strode into a ledge where Valor slowed and drew back on the horse. I passed him and a drag of the reins lifted the horse high. The horse turned wide, rolled back some distance from the ledge, and barely gripped the ravine’s surface.

“Carmine!” Valor shouted.

The horse’s back wedged bitingly across my thighs when it lifted me again. I bopped solidly onto the horse and tightened the rein to still the horse. I looked up and patted the horse quieting it down. “Aye, I'm ready.”

Valor exhaled then smiled. “Come on up.” He pointed. In front of his horse laid a large hole. No one would have expected that existed here much less see it. I pushed the horse forward jumping into a clenched swing of us landing perfectly onto the ledge. Valor looked shocked then he said with a smirk, “Showoff…”

I blew my tongue out at him. He laughed. “I wonder who taught you all those fancy moves—”

“My father taught me,” I replied. It's one of the few moments with him I remembered with any levity.

Valor nodded his head and strode forward. Part of me wished I did not remember my father then. It brought up emotions that I was hoping to push under the surface.

We never traveled far into the cavern before a figure appeared. The horses made a racket for a minute as I peered at an old-looking man. His hair was smoothly trimmed from the sides leaving an almost strand-like patch in the center. The robe he wore was a creamy white, thick, long, and ended at his ankle. His feet harbored sandals on them.

“Nimbus it is so good to see you!” Valor cried out.

“Silence! You are late!” the old man replied.

“We had some bumps on the road,” Valor said.

“Bumps on the road, if the King is brought to blame for the fiasco that occurred in Earthen; we will hunt you down and make you regret it.”

“Calm yourself Nimbus. She is here now. I did my end.”

I moved forward with Five in tow.

“I prefer not staying," Valor continued.

Nimbus looked at Valor then at me. “Who?”

Valor pointed at me. Anxiety ripped through me when I got those glaring eyes of Nimbus.

Nimbus said, “What is your true name?”

“The Eye of Narciem, Carmine Omeeka Curburgh of the Black Fire,” I said.

He nodded his head and threw a bag, which hit with a heavy thud on the cavern floor. “Leave quickly demon, I cannot guarantee your safety beyond this cave.”

I got off my horse after Valor and walked up to him. “Aye, that offer still stands?”

Valor looked over my head. “I can't come with you. Though if you feel unsafe and need me to kidnap you out of there. Have Five send me a holla and I will be there.”

I smiled and restrained the urge to laugh. “Stop it, that is an indecent joke. You owe me so many explanations—about all of this. There is so much I don't know.”

“You will be safe now. Just—I don't want to talk about Elam. I hate that place. Five can give you the unemotional version. But don't dig too deep. The world of Elam is not something I would recommend digging into.” Valor averted his gaze towards Five, “Five!” He gave Five a nod of acknowledgment. Turning, Valor patted Janilla on the shoulder and astride his horse.

He gave me a wide grin and with a grunt he galloped his horse out of the cave.

Janilla sat behind Five as Nimbus led us through the cave. It took us a while, but we reached inside the city. The buildings were huge. I was like an ant in this endearing heat. The streets were narrower and filled with many walks of life.

The upper portions of the city were where the extravagance began. Nobility almost looked no different compared to the peasants, but the difference was subtle. There flew kinder smells to my nose.

No sandals, for shoes were the primary footwear. Bejeweled bangles and tight necklaces were for the females. Rings were a favorite of men along with their vibrant belt buckles shaped into animal heads. All wore vibrant colors compared to the pastel tones of the lowly people.

The last bailey slept softly. A grassy knoll which crafted four paths from the other sections of the city. The battlement surrounding it was thinner and high. Many guards stood around, the Tiam men were dressed in chainmail with a heavy assortment of metal fittings over their limbs.

The coif around the heads made them look so menacing; even if a few of them were laughing and joking with each other.

We tread along one path towards the tall keep.

The crenelations were like a fine-tuned comb compared to the fangs of machicolations swept deep into the rock. Huge windows on either side of the corbels of the right tower. The left tower contained no windows and went higher yet.

Both of them hugged the entrance. We walked in between the huge round towers under a daunting shadow. The sounds that whispered then, like some distraught howling wind were far away voices. Our steps clapped against the stone providing the drum to its melody.

Inside looked wonderful with long banners swaying along the walls. The stairs led up both directions. We took the right. This part of the keep gave us an endearing strong aroma that was soothing, yet so stifling as if I was fighting the urge to do something. Colored window panes, gave us a picturesque view of the grounds below.

We reached a room. Nimbus yawned and apologized for the yawn. I forgot about such minute forms of decency. I had to get my act together. The room was nice when he showed it to me. He told me the King will see me soon.

Nimbus tried to separate Five and me, but I was against it. It was normal for a noble's female retainer to sleep with her in the same room, but a guard and a noble in the same room? Such a thing was grossly improper, but I have seen enough to scare me straight. I would broker no point where Five and I would be separate from each other, at least for now.

Nimbus left and I sat on the bed and closed my eyes.

I wanted to sleep, but before that. “Five, has Valor escaped?”

“Yes, he is far away from here and no one is chasing him.”

I smiled.

Good.

I dropped my head on the bed and whisked off into blissful sleep.