I traveled through the desert mounted on the back of a great beast. Alone I had made that difficult journey. I had always been alone. To protect myself from the harsh sun and wind, I wore heavy robes that would shield me from the elements. The beast I rode was like a camel, save that it was larger and slower, but could travel day and night.

  I knew I entered the Blasted Lands when I saw a cliff side on the horizon. As I journeyed towards it, My eye was caught by something half buried in the sand. It was a cross. I leapt off of my steed and walked over to it. There were no bones on the cross. Usually there would be a desiccated corpse on them. All at once I realized that this was the cross I heard of. This was the cross that Hadrian pulled himself out of. My slender fingers traced the cross along its side.

  I was interrupted by a dismayed bellowing from my mount. The eye protection I used allowed me to focus without the possibility of sand blinding me. A sandstorm was coming from the west. I didn’t have much time. I had to leave before it hit me. I could only pray that I would be spared from the worst of it, at least until I found civilization.

  As I drew closer to the cliffs and entered the Blasted Lands proper however, I was hit with the strong force of wind and sand. It beat me harshly. Had I not worn any protection, I would have even been cut by the sharp wind and sand. I winced as I felt myself being pushed.

  I made it past the cliffs and the sands were held back for a time, the cliff faces acted like a natural barrier against the sand. It gave me time to find some shelter. I found a cave and, using some wood I had cut previously, I placed it in a pile and started my own campfire. The winds howled loudly and tore through the air once the storm had arrived. I took off my robes and set them aside. I brushed my long black hair and knocked out some stray grains of sand. I examine myself for any injuries that I might not have noticed like rocks or bruises. I seemed well enough.

  My beast of burden groaned with unease, so I placed my hand on his head. I used my robes as a bed to get comfortable in. Taking some survival food in my backpack, —dried meats and fruits— I ate my fill before sinking into a deep sleep.

  ***

  At some point in the night, I began to dream. It was the same dream I had always had since I was a little girl. My mother, the most beautiful woman in the world with long brown braided hair and a flowing dress walking away from me. I ran after her, though my legs are short and the distance between us grows despite how fast my childish legs move. I try desperately to grab her hand, yet always the dream is fruitless. The moment she vanishes and I am alone in a dark, endless void, that is when I usually awaken. The first few times I had the dream, I cried, yet by the time I woke up in the cave in the Blasted Lands, I felt nothing. I still missed my mother, but crying would not bring her back.

  I stood up and placed my robes back on me before I took my mount and we traveled yet again. The sun had not risen, so I took the time to make my way out of the cave and travel while it was cool. As I traveled, I eventually found a river. I later found that it was called “The Blood River.” I filled up my waterskin and traveled downstream. With the storm having passed by, I was able to have a clear and relatively easy journey until I came across the city of Akari.

  It was a large and expansive city, and decadent in a way. I simply traveled around the city, avoiding eye contact as best as I could. I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself. Not in a city like that. Young women like myself were so easily preyed upon by larger predators, especially in the cities if they weren’t careful. That said, my friend…this little viper had strong fangs and even stronger venom.

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  I continued to walk through the city streets to find a place to lay my head when I caught the sound of struggling from an alleyway. Curiosity got the better of me, and I tied the reins of my mount around a support beam for a building and investigated. I crouched downward and carefully crept inside, hiding behind some broken pots. There was a young man there who was being attacked by three older men. They hovered around him and beat him. He might have been able to take them on one by one, but against the three of them, he was powerless. They took turns attacking him when one of the men rummaged through the younger man’s bags. He pulled out several items. They looked like silverware and other items. The older, fatter leader of the gang chuckled as his gang paused their beat down on the young man.

  “Where did a little worm like you steal something like this from?” He said as he licked his teeth and marveled at the metal.

  The young man definitely looked up and spat blood up on the older man’s sandal. “From Hadrian.” He grinned, his teeth were stained with blood from his nose.

  The older man laughed. “From Hadrian? Bah. Hogwash. A sorry little welp like you stole from Hadrian? These are probably forged. Couldn’t give them away.” The man tossed the bag on the ground. “Lets see…I think it's time you learn not to waste anyone’s time~.”

  Then they started beating him again. They kicked him and threw him around. At that point, I reached deep within my robes and pulled out my short bow and I pulled an arrow back. I hid in the shadows and focused on the fat man like I was hunting a wild boar. I aimed for his chest and let the arrow fly. It punched right into the man’s chest. The man yelled and then pulled out the arrow. A spray of blood erupted from his wound. I hit him in the heart. The man yelled and his men paused only to watch the fat man fall down and die on the spot. Not seeing where I was, his minions abandoned the body and ran.

  The young man coughed and crawled over to his bag and made sure that the items were still in good condition. I came over to him and helped him up. I offered him a cloth to get rid of the blood on his face.

  “Are you alright?”

  “I’ve had worse…” The young man scoffed. Judging by some scars on his face, I believed him. He almost stumbled over, but I was able to catch him before he fell over. I draped his arm over my shoulder and groaned lightly as I helped him walk.

  “Come on. Do you know where we can go to have you sit down?”

  “The river siren. I found it not too long ago. Food is terrible but it's better than camping out in the field or on the streets.”

  “The river siren it is.” I brought him out of the alley way and helped him towards my mount. Once trouble had passed us by and we were on our way to his sanctuary, he spoke.

  “I’m Artesh.” He groaned loudly as he moved.

  “…Astoria.” I said, returning the pleasantries.

  “Thank you for helping me. It's been a while since someone lended me a hand.”

  “No problem.” I kept the small talk short until we were safe from harm.

  ***

  A little while later we arrived at the siren. I found us a secluded table and I got the two of us some water. I took my robes off and sat across from him at the table. I looked over my shoulder as he explained who he was; how he traveled with Hadrian while his mother had become his personal concubine. How he fought Hadrian and received a few scars, and then stole from Hadrian while he wasn’t looking. I listened intently while drinking the cool and refreshing water.

  “And I’ve been here for the last few months trying to make it on my own.” He said before taking another swig of water. He sighed deeply and took the cloth I gave him and rubbed his bloody nose on it again. Then he pressed the cold cup of water against his forehead. “And, well… you know the rest.”

  “And I know the rest.” I said as I crossed my leg. I smiled at him and gently twirled my foot in the air. I combed my fingers through my hair and eyed him up and down. I have to admit…he was rather cute.

  “So…what brings a girl like you here to this cesspit?”

  Ahhh. Now that was a good question. I tapped my finger on the temple of my head. “I was just passing through. I have a larger goal in mind.”

  He stared at me in curiosity. “Oohhh. Mysterious. And what larger goal would that be?”

  “Do you know where Hadrian is now?”

  His mood soured. He took some water and sipped it some more before setting it on the table and grumbled. “Right now? No. But If I did, I’d love nothing more than to settle the score with him…why? What do you want with him?”

  A cat-like smile appeared on my lips and there was a bright gleam on my emerald colored eyes. “Same as you, Artesh. To settle a score.”

  Hadrian Will Return...