Chapter 14. The Desert Flower

He hated the night. Not the night itself, but what lay behind it. 

If only he could stay awake, if only there was a cure. Sometimes he hoped to get rid of this side effect by drowning himself in wine or passion and lust, but no, a familiar series of nightmares plagued him every night. 

And this deep night was accompanied by a series of uncontrollable nightmares, the smoke of fires following one another like a race through the endless circles of hell. 

The 'breath of the season' passed and with it he returned to what he had - power, authority and chains he would never break. 

Although, it is sinful to say, he had personally put those chains on himself to free himself from the chains that others had put on him.

Since then he had sought salvation, calling out for it in the darkness every night, but the answer was just another nightmare. 

But tonight was different - like a thin thread of light in the endless darkness before his eyes, a translucent, tiny bird froze in flight. 

Its body was covered in tiny glittering scales, it had a rounded shape with a head perched on a short neck and a neat beak. The only feathers were at the tips of its wings, and its flapping created two small rainbows in a moment of uninterrupted flight. 

He reached out for her, chains jingling, subconsciously expecting her to dodge or his hand to go through. But it didn't, instead it sat gently on his finger, clawing at him with its clawed paws. 

The picture changed instantly. He was standing on a small hill in the middle of a large field. 

It smelled of wormwood and St. John's wort, cereals was swaying its spikelets, and the rustling of the grass in the breeze was a measured song.

He had never been here before; the sight was foreign to him. But his heart was beating wildly to the music of nature. 

He tried to take a step towards the vast sea of grass when he realised he had furry paws instead of legs and arms. 

"This shape, huh? " - went through his head with slight surprise. 

He inhaled the intoxicating scent of the plants, when another scent joined him. It beckoned and drove him mad, demanding that he find its source. 

He leapt down the hill and followed the scent through the wild grasses until he saw a girl in a dress the colour of the sky.

Her long curls danced as its lay down on the nearby grasses or flew lightly up into the blue sky. Her warm smile and closed eyes, lost in the dance, accompanied by graceful movements of her legs and arms, to music only she could hear, created a picture of cloudy lightness.

At first he wanted to approach her, but then, remembering his appearance, he was afraid of frightening her and hid better in the tall grass.

Then he sensed something was wrong, and with a sudden gust of wind the sunlight faded. Turning his head to look for the reason for the change from his hiding place, he saw a huge black monster with eyes burning with fire flying towards the girl. 

He wanted to scream for the girl to flee, but instead of a voice, a wild barking sound came from his throat.

Still, the girl didn't look back at him, continuing her dance. With her eyes closed, she was unaware that his intentions were not good.

Sure enough, as soon as the monster flew closer, a jet of flame erupted from its mouth, melting the girl's silhouette without a trace.

He awoke at the same moment, drenched in cold sweat. 

As he glanced around his bedroom, trying to calm his energy flows, which had been thrown into a frenzy by what he had seen in his dream, he noticed two burning eyes staring at him in surprise from the windowsill.

"Just another nightmare," He said softly.

***

Cornflower got ready even earlier than he had expected. Already comfortable in his travelling clothes, he carefully adjusted his breast pocket, which contained a small amount of money for a rainy day and two bird feathers that warmed his heart and soul.

After saying goodbye to Alsheikh and Zafran in the elder's hut, Cornflower went out to take a last look around the village and wait for Alsheikh's son, who was obviously getting some advice from his father.

 Cornflower had to cross the rest of the desert with Alsheikh's son, who, as he had learned yesterday at the feast, was called Zatr.

His path then led straight to a fast flowing river, where he was to find a boat and cross the river to find himself in the eastern lands.

There was actually another way, through the mountains, but Cornflower did not want to take the extra detour.

Zatr was a quiet and taciturn boy, only occasionally taking Cornflower by the arm and telling him to change direction or to be as quiet as possible.

Sometimes he would hiss like a real snake and tell Cornflower to lie down in the sand and not to move, even though Cornflower did not feel any strange aura around him, but he obeyed unconditionally.

They spent the night under a dried-up tree, and at dawn they were on their way to the harbour town, where Zatr put a small bag into Cornflower 's hand.

"Take this, it's from my father, give it to the guard and they won't ask you any questions.

Cornflower tried to give it back."

"I can't take it, I have money."

But the boy just shook his head, and closing Cornflower's hand said:

"This is not money, money is not so interesting for local guards. There is a seductive drug in the bag, very valuable to the locals. And this,"

He took a small pendant from his neck, with a small bluish pearl hanging from it, and wrapped it around Cornflower 's wrist. 

"Uncle Zafran asked me to give this to you, he said you'll understand how it works when the time comes."

Cornflower tucked the pendant carefully into his sleeve and thanked the boy again for everything he and his tribesmen had done for him.

The trumpet of a distant horn drew his gaze away and he turned towards the city walls where the sound was coming from, and when he turned Zatr seemed to have vanished into thin air, only the wind and sand blowing to remind him that a boy had just stood there.

***

The Gatekeeper had spotted a suspicious figure from afar, stepping softly in his direction, raising swirls of sand behind him. 

The wind ruffled his cloak, and his long scarf hid half of his face. 

The stranger was suspicious on all fronts, including the fact that he came from the dead wastes, where there was not a single oasis for hundreds of miles, and it was a rare traveller who could survive under such a scorching sun, unless he possessed some rare gift.

 As he approached, a guard immediately blocked his path.

"Stop, stranger. Identify yourself and show me your papers."

The man rustled his clothes and pulled out a soft pouch. When the guard saw the pattern on the pouch, he immediately realised what it was and, turning sideways to the wall, quickly reached out his hand into which the soft but heavy pouch fell. 

Opening it inconspicuously to make sure he was not mistaken, he nodded in satisfaction and without further question stepped aside to let the man enter the city.

Behind the huge wall, life went on as usual in such cities.

Traders rode back and forth on camels with sacks full of goods, and people flocked to the bazaar at this hour of the morning, where some of the vendors had already laid out their wares.

The contrasts of the city were so strong that Cornflower cringed every time the fragrant scent of spices and coffee was replaced by the pungent smell of dung from the abundance of riding animals, and every now and then he had to look under his feet to avoid stepping into another surprise.

The port city was called The Desert Flower and was a transit point between the desert and the eastern lands, its river port making it unusually crowded even in the rather wide streets.

Due to the wide course of the river and its subsequent outflow into the sea, not only small and medium-sized ships and barges for the transport of people, goods and cattle between the coasts, but also large sea-going vessels, which landed entire caravans, often stopped in the port city. 

Because of the tense situation in the Desert only selected traders with permission from the authorities could follow the previously beaten trade route.

As he approached the river, the young man felt a pleasant breeze for the first time in a long while. In the distance, he could barely make out the opposite bank, three hours away.

Having found a comfortable place near the harbour, Cornflower carefully examined the pier, looking for the boatmen who transported travellers to the other side of the river without cattle - the smell of dung made him very nervous. 

He was about to approach for one of them and negotiate a price when the sky above the city lit up with a flash of light and an accompanying clap of thunder that sent unpleasant goosebumps up Cornflower's skin - he could feel defilement energy in the air, full of murderous lust.

The entire crowd on the pier and the surrounding area turned their heads as two men standing on swords sent concentrated streams of energy at each other as they crossed their hand weapons, one a two-handed sword with a wide blade and the other a thin rapier with an elegant hilt.

The two fighters circled in the air, clearly shouting something angry at each other, but it was hard to make out anything over the noise.

"Huuuh, they're at it again, is someone going to calm them down or not?" 

Came from the crowd.

"What happened?" Said a voice not far from Cornflower.

"Haven't you heard? Two delegations of representatives from some famous martial arts schools came to our city, and now they regularly destroy everything around them. But they pay for the destruction with a generous coin."

Another replied, "They say that some nobleman from the capital's palace wants to hire them as guards, but the problem is that their schools have been sworn enemies since ancient times."

"Yeah? I wonder-wonder..."

In the crowd, which quickly gathered to watch the spectacle, someone shouted from time to time:

"That one, look at that swing! Oh, that was close."

"Oh, what a powerful punch!"

"Look, look, look, it's a counter-punch."

"Wow, that's a good answer."

"Come on, hold the defence, I'll do it for you!"

"Come on, hold the defence!"

Cornflower was interested in watching the two opponents' techniques, but he was not excited about the fight itself.

A ball of concentrated energy bounced off the sword of one of the fighters and flew straight at the unsuspecting spectators, who immediately scattered. 

In a matter of seconds, Cornflower saw that a little girl was directly in the path of the ball, and she simply did not have time to react with the speed of adults. 

Without thinking of the consequences, Cornflower opened the flow of his energy, which erupted in the same unstoppable whirlwind as before in the Capital of the Steppes, and saved the girl from the unenviable fate of being roasted just seconds before the collision.

Holding her gently in his arms, he rushed at breakneck speed, bouncing off surfaces with ease and placed her on the pavement at a safe distance from danger.

The girl stared at him in awe, thinking she was looking at an angel incarnate. 

The speed pulled down the young man's hood, his golden hair gleaming in the midday sun, and the addition of two clear green eyes, striking in their depth, could not but suggest an unearthly origin. 

She had never seen humans endowed with such beauty. 

When the angel asked if she was alright, if she was hurt, she could only nod that she was fine.

Of course, this action could not go unnoticed, and many in the crowd looked at the stranger who had attracted their attention with surprise and suspicion. 

The level of strength he displayed meant that he belonged to a special social group, and according to the laws of that state, he had to show the appropriate documents, so several people from the crowd followed in his direction.

 He quickly put on his hood and, propelled by the already stabilised energy flows, fled the scene, shake off pursuers along the way and deciding to return to the harbour at sunset.

Thanks to the knowledge he had gained during his time in Sacred Arbor, he was able to escape unseen, but he had to buy a new outfit to avoid getting into trouble in the evening. 

Groaning, he bought a woman's robe, which would cover his face and allow him to slip unnoticed to the boats. 

Reverently folding his favourite travelling cloak into a sack, which he intended to wear as soon as he reached the other side of the river, Cornflower began to wander aimlessly around the town, waiting for evening. 

Rumours of the battle in the harbour were already circulating in the city. 

But to Cornflower's unpleasant surprise, they were mostly about him. 

Everyone wondered who the master was who had saved the girl from an accident. It was also said that this man would be rewarded if he appeared before the representatives of the warring schools responsible for the incident.

Some of the rumours were so outlandish as to say that it had originally been a fight between three people, or that there was no danger and that everything had been staged. 

But the most ridiculous rumour was that the stranger was a beautiful woman to be sought. 

She had escaped from the harem of a noble lord after learning the art of controlling energy through the secret technique of pair cultivation, and had saved the life of an unfortunate girl.

Cornflower could only roll his eyes at another tall tale, or a particularly fanciful embellishment of the morning's events, as he sat on the veranda with a cup of coffee, pulling his cloak up nose each time he wanted to drink from the cup.

There were quite a few people on the veranda, and the noise was constant until Cornflower felt a barely perceptible vibration and instinctively jerked to the side, dodging an arrow aimed at him.

"Dodgy"

Said a voice above his ear, ripping his cloak off.

Cornflower jumped to his feet and turned in the air to see a broad-shouldered woman in a city guard costume with an emblem on her chest indicating that she belonged to a special unit.

"Did you think I couldn't see through you? Show me the documents that allow you to visit the desert lands, or I'll be forced to arrest you."

Without saying a word, Cornflower jumped outside, deciding not to get into a fight with the local authorities. The woman shook her head and said: 

"As you know," and gave chase.

Cornflower hadn't expected more than three people in the ambush, which he could tell by the ripples in aura as soon as the woman took off his cloak.

 The fourth dart thrown at him still caught his arm, blocking his ability to let in a larger flow of internal energy, so he had to use a narrow stream, not enough for a normal gloom, but enough to strengthen his legs.

Casual witnesses only looked at the pursued and the pursuers, who only managed to bounce off various surfaces here and there.

 Because the cloak that had concealed him was still in the woman's hands, and unable to disguise himself again at the furious pace of his pursuers, he slowed his pace a little, but kept his eyes fixed on some place to hide, wondering how he had given himself away.

It was then that he noticed a procession of colourful oriental palanquins and horse-drawn carriages in front of him in a large square, accompanied by a multitude of brightly dressed people, in contrast to the local population who preferred more muted tones. 

It was hard to get lost in this city on account of his appearance, but the motley effect worked and thwarted the pursuers for a while, and Cornflower ducked gracefully and began to make his way through the riot of colourful outfits, occasionally getting hit on the nose by the long coloured curtains of the palanquins. Then an elegant hand reached out from a palanquin near him and beckoned.

Hoping that he had interpreted the invitation correctly, he stealthily jumped into the wide palanquin, pulled apart the many layers of curtains, and froze at the sight of the girl, wrapped from head to toe in a pile of layers of garments that hid everything but her eyes and hands, who in turn, seeing the amused look of the invitee, giggled and said softly, 

"Young man, I see that you are in a difficult situation. Let me bail you out and earn you a few virtues."

"I apologise for the inconvenience this has caused you. I'm very grateful, and you are right, I'm not in a very good situation right now," 

Cornflower replied quietly.

At that moment, his pursuers approached the procession of palanquins.

 So as not to show his figure in the openings, Cornflower prostrated himself on the floor and held his breath.

"You may get up, they are gone," Said the girl.

He got up, bowed and was about to leave when the girl stopped him. 

"Wait, don't leave so soon, you're the actor who played the warrior in the play, aren't you?"

He turned and stared at her with a surprised look on his face."

"Surprised, huh? I'm the youngest daughter of the Emperor of the Steppes, I could barely persuade my father to let me go to the premiere of your play, and I've never regretted it. My eldest sisters wanted to go too, after all, the Theatre of the Five Elements is known all over the world for its interesting plots, colourful sets and wonderful actors, but they have a more important position in the palace than I, who is closer to the servants. "

Cornflower immediately fell to his knees and bowed his head:

"Your Excellency!"

"I never was and never will be. I'm the first of the end in line for the throne, ha!"

She laughed softly, "and I will never see my house or my family again."

The young man looked at her uncomprehendingly.

"Forgive this commoner for asking, but why is the honourable lady so far from home without a proper guard?"

"Ha-ha, come on. For political reasons, I've been placed in the harem of the new Emperor of Virdis, who ascended the throne six months ago. Basically, they just got rid of me and greased me up for another ruler. All in all, a boring story, as common as leaves in autumn. But the Emperor seems to be quite caring, even sending palanquins for his future concubines. And us seem to be fed pretty well.

Cornflower bowed and replied quietly:

"You are a good man, I hope the Emperor will be kind to you."

She waved her hand:

"Okay, okay, let's not talk about that. Tell me more about yourself. How did an actor with such a charming voice end up here in such an interesting position of being pursued?"

Seeing his glancing around look, she added:

"Don't worry, during the whole long journey I have been chatting to myself with different voices out of boredom, no one will pay attention to our conversation. "

Still not getting up from his knees, Cornflower said briefly:

"I am the victim of a misunderstanding, unfortunately I have little to add. By chance I had to leave the theatre and my path, like yours, lies in Virdis. Perhaps one day our paths will cross again. Once again, I thank you most humbly for rescuing me, but we are approaching the harbour, I must leave you, it has been a pleasure to meet you."

After a moment's silence, she silently stretched out her arm in front of her and froze in that position. It took Vasilek a few seconds to realise what was being asked of him.

He gently took her elegant hand in his, imagining the beauty of the girl herself, kissed her with barely touched lips, bowed to her and jumped out of the palanquin with a breeze.

 The harbour was still as busy as ever. So as not to draw attention to himself, he pulled some curtains from the palanquins and wrapped them around his head like the cloak he had worn earlier. The image, though extravagant, at least allowed him to blend in with the procession.

Then, stealthily separating himself from the crowd and making sure there were no pursuers, he looked for a boatman who would take him on board without papers. 

But time after time he was refused - no one wanted to take a suspicious man without papers on board, even for a large sum of money. 

Though he managed to cast a light spell on people, hiding all manifestations of the aura, his strange appearance scared them away.

All this time, Cornflower had only one medallion with him, marking his affiliation to the Clan of the Female-Birds, but he managed to leave it in the hotel of the capital of the Steppe Lands in that mad rush.

Desperate to find something, he sat down on a barrel by a lamppost and gazed into the distance. 

The sky was clear, the haze had melted away, and the port city on the other side was in sight, but he had not yet reached it. 

He was already thinking of waiting for the effects of the poison to wear off so that he could unleash the strength to swim to the other shore on his internal energy alone. 

It was an ingenious plan, but it would use up a colossal amount of energy, and if it suddenly ran out, he would sink like a stone, as he wasn't sure he was a good swimmer, especially since the current of this river was one of the fastest in the world.

On top of that, his actions would be immediately noticed by the strong guards at the borders of the states, which would surely cause more trouble and at least delay his journey.

There was a gentle tug on his sleeve.

"Angel, it's you, isn't it?"

Cornflower was confused:

"Who?.."

"It is you! I can hear it in your voice, I have very sensitive hearing."

The little girl boasted excitedly.

The young man recognised her as the girl he had saved earlier.

"I have heard that you need a boat, but everyone refuses you. Come, I'll take you to my father, he won't refuse you, believe me!"

And she led him along the pier, through the crowd of boatmen and passengers loading and unloading their cargo.

Then the girl stopped in front of a burly man who was bored by a not very big boat.

"Daddy-daddy, I've brought the angel who saved me, he needs help!"

The man gently took his daughter in his arms, looked to Cornflower and said:

"Since the saviour of my dear daughter needs help, I can't refuse " 

And smiling, he asked what he could do to help.

After a brief discussion, Cornflower was allowed on board, where he had to hide among the loaded crates because he had noticed a familiar figure following him. 

As a result, he had to stay hidden the whole time they were preparing to sail without attracting attention, but everyone else had their own things to do and no one paid any attention to him, except a little girl, but she thought the young man was playing around and did not give him away.

He could not relax until they had sailed a decent distance away. 

The ship was a two-tiered vessel, though not a large one. At the bottom were the oarsmen, who strengthened their arms by energy power and rowing towards the opposite shore and the captain's cabin. 

The upper part was reserved for cargo and passengers. The special design of the keel made it impossible for the ship to overturn in this configuration, making it safe.

Having removed his hated overcoat, Cornflower took his favourite travelling cloak from his pocket and, with a habitual gesture, threw it on quickly, breathing in the clean, damp air with pleasure.