Page 9 of The King of Koraha
She had, but obviously there were gaps in her knowledge. Not a pleasant thought. “I thought they were buried under the sands.” Just like the temples, castles, cities, lakes, and forests. The relentless sand had buried everything on the surface of Koraha as the sun baked their world over the millennium, forcing them to retreat underground.
“This one was too high,” Lota explained, pointing. “We’re on the windward side of the range so the mountains block the sand. There’s a dune at its base that grows a bit bigger every sun jump. On the leeward side, there’s no sand at all.”
No sand? That concept was hard to imagine. “What’s there instead?”
“The bedrock that the cities dig down into.”
Amazing. “What do the velbloud tether to?”
“The gravel and rocks. There used to be a great river that surged through the valley between the mountains and it carried stones and artifacts from far away and deposited them there.”
Excitement pulsed through Shyla. This was why she wanted to travel. To see the wonders and learn about new things likegravel!
“Did you know about this?” she asked Rendor after Lota left to check on her children.
He smiled at her with indulgence. “Yes, I was one of the guards that escorted the old Water Prince to Qulsary about a circuit after he claimed the position. It’s expected that the new Water Prince or Princess visit the King and swear fealty. Jayden will have to make the trip once he’s established.”
He hadn’t told her he’d been here before. Then again, Rendor didn’t like to talk about his time with the Water Prince. “Did you see the dancing waters? And the canyons?”
“No. It wasn’t a sightseeing trip. One sun jump after we arrived, the prince visited the King, then we left the next sun jump. The prince didn’t want to be away from Zirdai any longer than he had to.”
She hadn’t been living in the city then and hadn’t paid attention to the political situation. But Rendor had served as a guard for twelve circuits, working his way up to captain. “Are you upset?”
“That I didn’t see the dancing waters?” he asked, confused.
“No. About the prince’s death.”
His expression hardened into a stone mask. She recognized the look from when she’d first met him. Back when he was closed off and almost emotionless. She didn’t miss that part of him at all.
“The only thing I’m upset by is that he died too easy. He should have suffered greatly,” Rendor said and walked away.
Guilt swirled in her chest as she struggled with her emotions. She hardly knew anything about Rendor. He avoided talking about his childhood or his work as the prince’s guard, which left only the time since she’d met him. She did a mental calculation and determined she’d known him for three hundred and sixty sun jumps. Just under a circuit! However, they’d only been together as a couple for the last two hundred and eighty-two sun jumps. Perhaps with more time, he’d confide in her or figure out that just because he didn’t discuss something didn’t mean it never happened. Everyone had to face their past eventually.
Shyla spent most of her time watching the mountains claim more of the pink sky rather than looking for ambushes. There were three sun jumps remaining in their journey when they reached the base of the biggest dune she’d ever encountered. Gaping at it, she wondered how the gamelus would be able to ascend the steep slope without sinking into it and disappearing or overturning the wagons.
Instead of climbing straight up, Lota directed them along the base of the dune until they reached a path…of sorts. Before the caravan proceeded, four of the muscles grabbed brooms and swept off the sand, revealing a packed-down surface that was easier to travel on. The route wound back and forth as it gradually climbed the side of the dune.
Remembering the mercs hidden deep in the sands, Shyla pulled her gaze from the mountain peaks and focused on their surroundings, seeking bumps on the surface and below, even though she wasn’t sure if it worked. She hadn’t been able to test her abilities. No one wanted to be buried in the sand. Not that she could blame them.
Halfway up, the muscles switched places, handing their brooms to the fresh group. The gamelus strained. Their pace slowed to a crawl.
“Keep sharp,” Rendor barked at the guards. “This is a good place for an ambush.”
True. Anyone could be hiding on the top and just pop up and shoot arrows down at them. Or roll boulders. The tension thickened. Shyla inspected every patch of sand that wasn’t perfectly smooth.
She was so focused on the surface she didn’t realize they’d reached the top until Lota told her to stop and take a look at the view. Suddenly dizzy, Shyla grabbed the closest wagon as the ground dropped away a mere meter from her feet.
As her heart tried to escape her chest, Shyla marveled at the expanse spread out below. It was unlike anything she’d seen in her life. It was long and narrow. The flat valley was a whitish-gray color and dotted with the tiny geometrical shapes of the surface buildings of Qulsary. The kaleidoscope of colored glass glinted in the sunlight. Not one or two or twenty entrances into the city like Zirdai, but a hundred…at least. On the opposite side of where she stood was another mountain range.
“Quite the sight, isn’t it?” Yegor asked from his perch on the lead wagon.
“It’s beautiful. Feels like I’m flying with the velbloud,” she said.
“I never get tired of it. Too bad we can’t linger. We need to get to the next shelter.”
Right. Shyla scanned the other side of the mountain. It dropped off and there wasn’t a dune to climb down. Just pillars of jagged rocks all leaning together. How could anyone descend it let alone a team of gamelus and a wagon?
“You need to let go of the wagon, Shyla,” Lota said.
