Two Rivers, Two Choices Part 4

It was day, the sun had erupted. Shining on the posse, who raced above.

Its bright shine blinded them. Their progress was considerable, racing through the night. Had made them cover a large area of ground.

Below lay a steep drop, followed by a river stream running alongside them. Their destination was the desert. Ahead was like a blinded drop. In the distance there was nothing. It was like the desert, the canyons came to a stop. With a giant flat peak that towered away in the distance. It was pure white you couldn't see over the horizon or imagine. Grasping the past was impossible, even taboo for them until their pilgrimage.

They understood now, In history and maps why their maps ended at the canyons. It was impossible to believe or see that there was a world beyond. Hearing only of lost tales of wondrous cities. Filled with whores, infidels, and corrupted generations. Told by the Śeinq who passed away. But as of late, the stories had ended and the talks became myths and stuff of legends.

In the end, they were unsure of what faced them. If not hell, it way the Linniq that lay ahead for them. Behind them, the tall white sandstone towers of Eein City reflected the sun's kiss back at them. They pulsated radiating light off them like beams of energy piercing into the sky. From every angle, the flickering glow could catch all eyes. It wasn't hard to see how the enemy had found them while in the steep canyons.

All they could see was the gaping sun, staring directly back at them. The heat caressed their faces, giving them a tanned faint olive-brown complexion. Kairui raced afront, leading them. Becoming accustomed to the burning sun was nothing to them. The girls had cut pieces of their clothes opening for the wind to cool them down. But still, the heat was too much. They would stay to rest for a few minutes while the enemy below investigated trying to cut them off.

The steep gap that lay at the end of the long plateau they sat upon was being patrolled. But they weren't worried.

They had spent the previous night and day running, hopping, and climbing past the past few canyons. The journey itself was arduous and long, not for the faint-hearted. Surviving in the mountains was something hard, but this was like a trial.

From the Śeingtt in difficulty.

They had seen their leader display the flexibility of a mountain goat. Her grip was incredible. Leaping from cliff to cliff, climbing effortlessly. Her hands crushing and gripping the surface of the rock she met, clawing her way to ascension. Like a cat with nine lives, she didn't fear death or the drop. Leaping from one side to another as she climbed, securing the group's route.

Without the Crossbow, some of the gaps would have been impossible to jump for the others.

They came to a stop, taking a break to rest and gather their bearings.

That didn't stop the desert heat from beating down on them.

Underneath horses pranced around, about fifty meters back behind them. Their hooves stomped the sands of the road.

Trollope around as well, as a strange dialect unheard to Śeinq, sounded out. Even Kairui was unable to decipher it, being strange in origin.

Instructions maybe, the soldiers knew to stay on their feet. Tracking them was imperative for the scouting party ahead to intercept them.

Kairui had noticed them but had kept silent to motivate the click to keep moving. Fear and worry would do them no good. Especially under the desert sun, which is known to drive the meek mad.

Pacing around she paused coming to a standstill in front of the teens. As she drunk from her customized waterskin. Bearing a logo of a sword and dragon stitched onto it.

Resting her arms on her waist.

Yannu and Aya saw the brand but left the suspicion for later. Internal fighting wasn't going to get them through the desert. The heat had pacified them, the humid air burnt their tongues along with their concerns.

"We need to keep moving. The devil's gate plateau is up ahead! Were so close"

"Huh.... Devils...gate.... plateau…... when…...will...we….reach. The desert" Shassii asked exhausted. Rubbing her hair as sweat dripped down her forehead.

Her lips still wet from the small gulp of water she had drunk.

She wiped her mouth, clearing it of the sand that was resting on it.

"About....three kilometers northeast and we should be good…... once…...we get…through there"

"We're….clear to...…the open desert…" Aya revealed, concluding Kairui's thoughts.

"The….Realm...Past" Ussu exclaimed, fanning herself attempting to cool down.

"Yep!" Kairui answered.

"What makes you think it's real? I don't mean to be doubter, but the path isn't clear from here" Aya questioned.

"Yeah, the…desert looks flat… like the world ends at that point. Like a cliff at the end…." Ussu repeated everyone's hidden concern aloud. Pointing to the empty foreground.

"Look even the ghym linniq spirits in the air, refuse to congregate their" she mentioned.

"What's this devil's gate plateau??" Aya asked, confused at its sudden emergence.

"A ridge between us and our goal…. Once we get there…..its nothing compared to the realm past…..".

Yannu simply drank his water. Being from Caciccaci he knew the tricks of the open desert on the mind and traversing it. Once speculation grew, dissent would follow. He didn't want to entertain it.

"Ohh, it's real…... once you see it for yourself, you'll understand why it looks like the world's flat…. it's like a mirage…" Kairui responded laughing. Packing away her waterskin tying it back to her hip socket.

"But…" Aya interjected not satisfied by her answer.

"The realm past exists. You all forget, originally am from Rhiniss Sultanate.

Although small we traversed the deserts. As nomads before settling.

What exactly lays in it, is mostly a mystery to us with us residing deep in the west.

The desert you all call the Realm Past is a mystery even to us, but I've heard of people who've ventured past and survived.

It's possible" Quine explained, trying to steer back everyone who was negative. Concluding her statement she wiped the sweat that sat on her head with her spare rug.

"Most of us have just become Śeinq, the journey is said to be arduous and like migration to khalas. Heading into it is a death sentence. A task a Śeinq only does for enlightenment before ascending into the Linniq" Aya refuted.

"Have you ever met anyone who survived the Realm Past" Quine interrogated?

"No"

"Wait, what about back then…?" Shassii pondered to the group.

Kairui remained silent, letting them converse. She was eager to learn the thoughts of the youth.

"What, back when?" Ussu asked, pleading for answers.

"The twin Śeingtt are said to have survived, blessing us with the rivers as a promise right.

Plus, Kairui is a foreigner, so is Quine.

So is the army of strange men.

Yannu has also been out in the world. Or Caciccaci At least, maybe there is a world out past the realm. One which we've never known to be…" she expounded to the group, looking for confirmation.

Yannu stood up, rolling his sleeves.

Everyone was taken back by this.

He let out two coughs and then banged his chest before raising his head, to boast.

"Let me educate you all. Or explain more of the greater world"

"In Caciccaci we are taught, there are only noted six worlds, according to the scripts of old"

"Them being??" Aya quizzed, waving her hand in a hurry. Eager to hear an explanation.

"Well, the first Dual Suajja Kingdom of Caciccaci!... Protectorate of the Realm Past and Province of Eein and Eeingst Province"

"The Second being Eein"

"The third Rhiniss, former sister state of Eein"

"The fourth, The illustrious fathers of All the Saiyn' Saiyn"

Yannu lay quiet, watching the faces of them all.

"And, and" Ussu urged, rushing him as she nudging his robe. Sat beneath him.

"Well, That's all, the scholars would allow me to read!"

"So, there's more…."

"I guess so… for what I accounted there was more. But they either integrated into greater Eein or Caciccaci like the Taāk to our south. Sitting between Eein and Caciccaci" he explained.

Kairui had heard this all before, it took by no surprise to her.

Rolling her eyes, she had truly thought maybe the kids would tell her something new.

"That's right, I've heard the Taāk, the canyon people are a mix. Sanni' sai bewith.

Claiming ancestry from both lands. But I've met few being as they mostly work as military men and reside in the Khors" Shassii spoke out to everyone.

"Plus, the women are always covered, in black and red robes. Kind of like in the eastern priesthoods of R'einsel, the sects order".

"Ok, ok but besides the obvious. Those are people from the past. Like there's many other family's or clans that's not what we are asking Yannu. We mean actual land nations of different people, like the infidels. There's More…." Aya asserted frustrated.

"Yes, we have our leader here as an example, and if the army that invaded us is trying to kill her too. It means she's either from there or lands near them.

So maybe that's the other two not listed.

Am not entirely sure, but there may be more. In Caciccaci, the Seers of Saiyn' who come every six teen years answer these types of questions. Not me. Am not a seer"

"I've heard of those Seers. We have some priesthood cults supposedly in R'einsel and other villages. I didn't know the Saiyn' still visited" Quine responded surprised.

"Well, their descendants do. I've heard they only visit the Capital of Eein though and former mystical villages therein. But it's a small tribe of them called the Siahl, you must consult the priesthood of Quaash to gain more insight.

Am sure, studying at the academy we've noticed the secrecy surrounding some books and chambers.

Even some temples are barred. I…...don't know everything okay" Yannu let out, bored from the endless of questions.

"Funny enough, Jasi and the others never describe their homeland. Plus, they have special citizenship when they visit.

But there's never a noted inscription or talk of the world outside. They always just refer to Saiyn' Saiyn as the father.

Do you think they've seen the Realm Past..." Quine spoke out, provoking a thought of wonder too?

"Jasi and the others would have told us right…. That these people were coming right…., if they knew right…" Shassii worriedly asked. Doubting her friends.

"Calm down. It's possible your friends were kept in the dark too.

Even Sannu who's half. Rarely speaks about them.

Plus, they are a secluded bunch, like them…" Kairui cut in, finally ending the conspiracy brewing.

"Guys, we've been worried about the wrong thing. I'd like to talk about what happened back at the lake with that Tiger spirit…..." Ussu spoke out.

"Not, now!!" Kairui blurted out, interrupting her.

"We need to be moving, we've been sat idly for too long. If the midday sun catches us and were still exposed, with no protection and this high up were doomed. This water might start to dry up before we hit the vast desert. We need to descend one of the gaps between the khors before then" she explained.

The group huddled together. Agreeing with her sentiment, they darted off once again. Their pursuers catching on too late.

The long plateau was nothing to them. The sun was the problem. Their extra reserves were for the Realm Past, they couldn't afford to use them not while they were on the run.

The desert's cold night was also another issue, it would surely eat away at them if they didn't find refuge.

They approached a gap where the land reconnected back onto the khor's. The rock surface was torn up and fractured.

They found themselves stood on, mini canyons spread out in volume like a plane of river reeds. Each Towering in the sky at around twenty feet high, the height grew as it stretched to the desert. Within the cracks were a pitch-black fall and sharp construed edges. The wrong step would equal certain death. From afar they could hear the horses of the soldiers cry out.

Following Kairui, One by one, they jumped across, being mindful of each step. Racing across, supporting each other. The soldiers followed their shadows spotting them. Blowing their horn, alerting the others on the other side ahead to surround the exit. Faced with entering the rocky puzzled hell, They were forced to dismount their horses.

Traversing through the tight narrow pathways of the khors they raised their crossbows. Firing arrows at the leaping unit above, hopping above. From atop it was like the canyons were alive, arrow after arrow. Flying through the narrow mouths, skimming past them.

"Keep up!!" Kairui commanded as the enemy grew ever closer to them.

The sound of the chainmail and armor scrapping and rustling across the Rocky edges. The noise drew ever wider.

The unit stuck close, forming a zig-zag pattern as they ran. The evasive maneuver granted them fewer odds at being hit.

No time to rest or slow down.

Another horn blurted out, this time ahead of them to the right.

It was the soldiers racing to intercept them.

They had stayed out of the canyons, choosing the long way around them. Keeping track from afar, riding their horses.

The end was in sight. In the distance lay a giant Khor. Elevated above the others.

The river from the lake ceased to end at its foot.

Kairui glanced it, a glimmer of hope struck her. Increasing her speed. Like a frog, she cut off her pattern leaving the group behind. The soldiers were surprised, her speed was unmatched. The horses strained to keep up.

Underneath the men tagged behind. Noticing the leader disperse and the others gain speed, they blew their horn one last time. Removing his helmet, a soldier froze to take a final shot. Notifying their position, one of them took aim, timing the leap reaction.

The bolt was aimed and fired.

Gracing through the air, flying through a small opening the arrowhead hit Ussu in her foot.

She fell headfirst, saved by her arms. Her injured foot lodged in a tight ridge inside the canyon. Sinking her halfway below, leaving her waist up.

"Yannu… Yannu!!" she cried out, weakly like a distressed deer in the forest.

Tears swelled her face, her arms straining to pull her stuck injured leg up.

"YANNU, GUYS!! HELP…...YANNU!!"

Fear growing in her, as the group was gaining away from her.