Part the One-Hundred Fifty-First
In which: the party learns more of the desert riders… which does not make them less mysterious.
The group rides off to the north, the party surrounded on all sides by desert riders. Soon, the sun has set, and Lira notices two riders move to the front, cast a spell (she guesses darkvision, although in the dim light, it’s hard to be sure), and take over leading the group.
Lira surveys their new companions. She notes that of the strangers, none of them wear armor, or carry anything but the simplest of weapons. Most bear visible scars, from both minor and more severe wounds.
Euro?
Yeah boss?
Do you think anyone here isn’t a sorcerer?
For once, Euro does not have a response.
###
The group rides for several hours, and then, in the middle of the desert, with nothing but sand for miles around, they come upon a group of small cottages scattered amid hemispherical domes.
The strangers all stop and dismount. The party members follow suit and watch as Wadiah goes into one of the cottages. She emerges a few minutes later with a man who—after rubbing sleep from his eyes—casts. A few seconds later another identical cottage appears in the center of the settlement.
“We will speak again in the morning,” Wadiah assures the party as she shows them into their home for the night.
With the exception of Reyu, who elects to spend the night outside, the party members are more than happy to take advantage of Wadiah’s hospitality. Inside the cottage they find bunks for eight, and quickly fall asleep.
Reyu notices that someone keeps an eye on her and the cottage throughout the night. But she does not bother them, and they do not bother her.
###
The party breakfasts with Wadiah the next morning in one of the domes. In daylight, they find that the domes are the same flat sandy brown that they appear to be at night, and the insides are equally plain and unfurnished.
Eva notices Wadiah casting a quick spell before dishing up breakfast for the group.
“What was that?” she asks Lira in a low whisper.
“Just prestidigitation,” she replies. “Don’t worry about it.”
Although Eva still has her doubts, she is hungry and eats when her plate is passed to her. To her surprise, she finds the bland-looking porridge is actually quite tasty.
Reyu inquires about the health of the injured child, and offers to heal his wounds completely in recompense for the hospitality they have received.
Wadiah however, demurs. “He is resting well, and in time will recover fully. Perhaps the scars will remind him to be more careful in the future.”
“What were the children doing alone in the desert?” Anvil asks. “Surely they knew its dangers.”
“Indeed,” Wadiah replies and for a moment, she looks sad. “We try to warn our children of the dangers to them, both in the desert, and in the settled areas of the Empire. Still, those three found such risks preferable to their lives here.”
“Why?” Lira asks.
“Because they are young. Because our lives here in the desert are difficult and, by necessity, isolated. They ran away hoping to live in the world beyond the Khartshma, our people. As you saw, they did not get far.” She shakes her head, clearly affected by the previous day’s tragic loss. “Hopefully, their experience has taught them the wisdom of listening to their elders.”
“Why do you have to live in isolation?” Eva asks.
“Because if the military knew of our existence, they would have us hunted down and killed.”
“How many of your people are sorcerers?” Lira asks.
“All of them.” Wadiah replies simply.
“All of them?” Thatch repeats. “Even the children?”
Wadia nods. “The talent is inherited.”
Lira shakes her head. “But… no one else in my family is a sorcerer. Not that I know of anyway.”
“That is certainly not uncommon,” says Wadiah. “We do not know why the talent occurs spontaneously, but now that it has, you will, most likely, pass it to your children. Especially if their father also shares your gift.”
“We had been informed,” Anvil puts in, “that there were no arcanists at all in Ebis. And now you tell me that this entire tribe is made of sorcerers?”
Wadiah gives a rueful snort. “I am not surprised that is what you were told. Sorcerers have existed in Ebis for as long as they have anywhere in the Halmae. At first, it was not a problem. We lived with the others, and were allowed to go about our lives.”
“What happened?” asks Eva.
“About 100 years ago, people—wizards—began to study arcane magic. The military decided they could not sanction this force that they did not control, and so they set about destroying all who practiced it. Even those who had no choice in the matter.”
“Destroy?” Kiara squeaks.
“Some were executed. Other times they were simply taken into the desert, and… lost. Much as you were.”
“You believe the military is responsible for what has befallen us?” Anvil demands.
“It’s possible. They often find it easier to… dispose of unwanted individuals or groups indirectly. Fortunately for us, they do not venture into the deep desert.”
“But why would the military want to kill us?” Thatch asks.
Their host shrugs. “For a specific reason, you’d have to ask them. For a general reason… it’s what they do.”
The party tells Wadiah about their current quest, and the attack on the Mages’ Academy that predicated it.
Wadiah shakes her head when they ask if she has heard of Manaal. She has equally not heard of a city called Pesshataup.
The party suppresses a sigh of exasperation to once again be trying to reach a city that no one else has heard of.
“Tell me,” says Anvil finally, “who is the most learned man in the desert, that we might seek him out and ask him where we can find Pesshetaup.”
“Oh,” says Wadiah. “He is among us.”
“May we speak with him?”
Wadiah considers. “If he chooses to speak with you. I will ask him.”
The meal concluded, Wadiah excuses herself, and bids the party to remain in the dome until someone is sent to fetch them.
The party does, and less than an hour later, Wadiah herself returns. “Bahati will speak with you now.”
###
The party follows Wadiah through the settlement. Thatch smiles and waves to some of the children peeking out of doorways or from around domes, but they duck out of sight as soon as they see he has seen them. A few adults watch their progress as well, and although they do not appear exactly unfriendly, their expressions are… guarded.
However, Thatch is soon distracted from trying to make friends with the local children when he realizes they are being led through the village, and over to the camel pens.
Wadiah takes them to where one camel stands alone from the others. The camel wears a distinctive headdress, and Reyu recognizes it almost immediately as the one which Wadiah was riding when they first met.
Before anyone in the party can say anything, Wadiah turns to the camel and addresses him, “Bahati, these are our guests. No doubt you remember them.”
) I am a fledgeling gamer and I'm honored to read this![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
