Candles in the Desert
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“It’s a trap!” I shouted and ran for my life. My heart was pounding as hard as if it had been trying to escape through my throat—a sure sign of adrenaline overload. It took me several minutes before I could calm down enough that I didn’t feel like puking from fear. Then I turned back around and looked at the place where they’d attacked us with their magical lights.
There wasn’t anything there now except more sand dunes stretching into infinity on all sides. We were alone again…for how long? The question made my blood run cold even faster than running away had done.
I stared out across those endless sands, wondering what kind of magic would have created such an illusion so close to our campsite without leaving any evidence behind other than footprints or broken branches.
But then I remembered something else about this desert: the fact that it seemed to be alive somehow; its shifting patterns were constantly changing according to some mysterious set of rules we couldn’t fathom. And maybe one day it wouldn’t change anymore because someone might come along who could understand exactly why and how these things happened.
That thought reminded me of my father once telling me he used to dream that someday his people would return here after having left for good centuries ago. He said when he dreamed about returning home, it always felt more real than reality itself.
“We’ll build a new city,” he told me over breakfast every time I asked him what he saw in his dreams, but he never really answered me until I started asking questions about whether anyone knew where Earth was located, which led to conversations about space travel and alien civilizations.
At first, I just wanted to know what Daddy dreamed about during those quiet times between waking up and getting ready for school. Later though, I began thinking about the possibility that my dad might actually be right and that someday I too would find myself standing among ruins built by ancestors who lived thousands of years ago.
If that ever did happen, I vowed silently as I gazed at the empty expanse of sand before me, I promised I would go looking for them instead of hiding like a coward.
Then I realized that promise might not mean much unless I found the courage to do whatever it took to make it true. So while everyone else went off to sleep after another evening meal together, I walked out onto the dune tops and stood staring into the darkness beyond.
Even though the moonlight provided only a faint glow against the blackness of the night sky above me, I still felt completely exposed. After half an hour of walking aimlessly in circles, however, I finally decided I needed help figuring out what to do next.
With no idea whatsoever where I should start searching, I sat down on top of a large boulder and called up a map of the area. As soon as it appeared in front of me, I zoomed in on the spot where we’d pitched our tent earlier that afternoon. A few seconds later, I was able to see the entire perimeter of our campsite laid out below me.
That gave me an excellent view of everything within twenty meters of the campfire ring, including the two places where we’d been ambushed by glowing balls of light.
But since I hadn’t seen any signs of movement anywhere nearby, I quickly dismissed both spots as possible locations for hidden traps. Instead, I focused my attention on the small patch of ground directly in front of the fire pit, scanning it carefully using my mage sight.
When I spotted a single footprint near the edge of our camp, my eyes widened in surprise. Although it was barely visible under the layer of loose sand covering it, there was definitely something lying right beside it. Without hesitating for a second, I reached down and picked it up.
The object proved to be nothing more than a scrap of fabric torn from the bottom hem of somebody’s pants leg. Since I couldn’t tell whose it had belonged to, I tossed it aside and continued studying the area with my mage sight.
For nearly ten full minutes, I studied every inch of the surrounding terrain, hoping to catch a glimpse of any trace of the invisible attackers’ presence. Unfortunately, I discovered absolutely nothing, which meant whoever had placed that piece of cloth beside the footstep must’ve escaped undetected.
So I moved farther forward and repeated my search pattern. This time, I kept going until I came upon another piece of clothing, also ripped from a pair of trousers. Again, I examined the area closely, but again I detected no sign of any other traces of the unseen assailants.
In spite of the lack of clues, I remained convinced that someone had indeed tried to attack us tonight, and that it probably wasn’t safe to continue camping out here indefinitely. Besides, I reasoned, if we stayed any longer, the chances of being attacked again increased exponentially with each passing moment.
So even though I didn’t feel comfortable making any decisions yet, I figured it was high time I talked to the others about all this.
***
As I returned to our sleeping tents, I noticed several of the mages sitting around the campfire talking quietly amongst themselves. By their expressions, they looked worried about something, but I ignored them and headed straight toward my own tent.
Once inside, I closed the flap behind me and immediately turned back to face the entrance. Then, after taking a deep breath to calm myself, I slowly opened my mind to listen for any sounds coming through the flaps.
But although I heard the usual rustling noises associated with the passage of wind or insects, I sensed no hint of anything unusual. Still, I held my breath and waited patiently for several long moments before venturing further inside.
When I entered the main room of our tent, I glanced briefly at the pile of bedrolls stacked neatly along one side wall before moving past them and heading toward the far end of the interior. There, I stopped abruptly and stared wide-eyed at the place where Jada usually slept.
The blankets were folded over her sleeping bag, and she lay curled up beneath it just like always. Yet despite the fact that I knew exactly how to wake her up, I hesitated for several seconds before approaching the sleeping bags. Why? Because I could sense that something was very wrong.
I shook my head sharply to clear away those thoughts and then stepped closer so I could peer underneath the covers. Sure enough, I saw Jada’s chest rise and fall rhythmically as she breathed normally. And when I checked the pulse point located between her wrists, I found it beating steadily too.
At last, I exhaled softly in relief, knowing she was perfectly fine. Which made it all the stranger why I suddenly felt such intense anxiety radiating from her. It reminded me of the way I’d felt whenever I woke up during the first few days of our journey—only much worse.
“Jada?” I whispered urgently. “Are you okay?”
A soft groan answered my question. Then, a moment later, I heard footsteps padding across the floor outside our tent. My heart began pounding furiously as I hurriedly pulled open the flap and peered out into the darkness beyond.
A dark form emerged from the shadows, and I instinctively took a step backward. However, by the time I realized who it was, he already stood within arm’s reach of me.
At once, I recognized him as the man whom I’d seen lurking in the trees earlier tonight. His skin was covered completely in a thin coating of black mud, his hair was matted together tightly against his skull, and tiny beads of sweat glistened on the surface of his forehead.
He wore only a pair of filthy loincloths, and his entire body seemed coated in an oily film. Although I couldn’t see it clearly because of the dimness of the night, I guessed the same might apply to his hands and feet. And judging from the way he carried himself, I assumed he was still wearing the leather sandals I’d spotted him slipping off earlier today.
“You’re awake,” the stranger said without emotion. “Good.”
He paused for a second, then added, “That is good, yes. You are not dead. That would have been bad.”
Although I wanted to ask what he meant, I decided it was better to let him speak freely instead. After all, there was nothing more important than getting some answers. So I nodded silently and listened intently while he continued speaking.
“It will be difficult to explain everything to you now since your memories are damaged. But rest assured, I am here to help you regain control of yourself. We need to hurry, however, for time grow short. Your enemies approach quickly, and we must prepare ourselves to meet them.”
His words caused another surge of panic to rush through my veins. Forcing down my rising fear, I asked, “Who are ‘my enemies?”
The stranger regarded me thoughtfully for a couple of seconds before replying. “Your enemy is called the Dark One. And soon, he will come searching for you. In order to survive, you must learn to defend yourself from this threat. Do you understand?”
Despite my growing unease, I forced myself to nod again. Then, after hesitating for a moment longer, I asked, “Why do I feel so weak right now? What happened to my magic?”
“This is part of the price you pay for having lost your soul. It has become corrupted. As a result, it can no longer sustain life. This weakness also prevents you from using the power of your sword. Without it, you cannot defeat your enemies, even if you manage to escape.”
My eyes widened as understanding dawned. “Then…the Black Robe…”
“Yes,” he confirmed grimly. “But don’t worry, you won’t die. Not yet anyway.”
Before I had a chance to say anything else, he turned away and started walking back toward the entrance to our camp. Before long, the sound of his heavy boots faded into silence behind us. When I looked around, I discovered that the rest of our companions were gone as well. Only the fire burning brightly inside their tents remained visible, but it didn’t appear to be lit with any kind of fuel. Instead, it burned almost entirely out of control.
For a moment, I wondered about its origin. But at the same time, I noticed something moving in the center of the flames. The figure appeared to be a woman lying motionless on the ground near the edge of the light. Her face was hidden beneath a hood, which obscured her features, along with most of her upper torso.
However, I could make out one hand reaching upward toward the sky. And although I couldn’t tell exactly where the other end of it disappeared under the fabric, I suspected it ended somewhere close to her waist.
As I watched, the flame grew brighter and larger until it illuminated the entire area like daybreak. At last, I managed to get a closer look at the mysterious woman’s face. To my surprise, she reminded me of someone I knew very well—someone whose name was Jada.
***
I stared dumbfounded for several moments. Finally, I shook my head and muttered, “No. No! This isn’t possible!”
Just when I felt certain I was going insane, I remembered what I’d told her earlier tonight: If anyone tried to harm you or steal your memories, I’d know immediately.
And yet, how could this possibly be happening? How could I have forgotten who she was? Wasn’t it obvious that she was the girl I’d rescued from the castle?
Suddenly, I realized why I kept forgetting things lately. Because I hadn’t actually saved her. She’d done it herself. By killing the witch.
In fact, it wasn’t just the memory of saving her that had vanished; every single one of my recollections involving her over the past few weeks suddenly ceased to exist. My first impression upon seeing her outside the tower had returned to me fully, as well as all of the details surrounding the attack by the Black Robes.
All of those events seemed perfectly normal to me now. Which begged an important question.
How did I forget everything I’ve experienced up until today?
At least two possibilities came to mind. Either the curse had somehow affected my brain, making it impossible for me to remember anything beyond a certain point. Or perhaps the spell cast against me had somehow altered my mental state, causing my memories to disappear altogether.
Either way, the implications were clear enough. I’d been tricked into helping the witches destroy my own people. And not only that, but they’d used my body to carry out their evil plans without ever telling me anything about it.
I should never have trusted them. They were monsters, pure and simple.
But then, I recalled something else that the stranger had said during our conversation. Something about how I needed to learn to defend myself from the threat of the Dark One.
Was this really a coincidence? Had the witch sent him here to help me find the answer to my problem?
After a moment more spent staring vacantly into space, I finally decided there was nothing left to lose. Even though I still didn’t trust these creatures, I couldn’t deny the possibility that they might be able to provide some answers. So instead of running away, I slowly began following the man as he walked deeper into the forest.
Eventually, we reached a clearing filled with tall trees. He stopped beside one of them and pulled off his cloak. Then, he tossed it aside and stepped forward to grab hold of the trunk. After pulling himself up onto the tree, he grabbed another branch overhead and climbed higher.
Soon after, he reached a spot high above the ground. There, he swung down to the ground, landing lightly on his feet before disappearing into the shadows again.
When I saw that, I hurried over to join him. A few seconds later, I found myself standing next to a large stone building constructed of white marble blocks. From within, I heard the sounds of music and laughter drifting through the open doorway.
“Welcome,” the man greeted me warmly. “You must be Lord Rahl. It is good to meet you.”
He offered his arm, and I took it as we entered the building together. Once inside, I spotted several tables scattered throughout the room. Each table held a small wooden chair and was surrounded by cushions on the floor. As we moved among the tables, I noticed that everyone seated there wore black robes similar to the ones worn by the strangers in the woods.
Except these men and women were dressed much better than the others I’d seen so far. Their clothes appeared to be made of fine silk. In addition, each person also wore a silver circle around their right wrist.
The stranger led me toward a long table near the back corner of the room. On top of it sat a crystal chalice, which glowed softly. Several other people were already seated at the table. When they spotted us coming, they stood to greet us.
They introduced themselves to me as members of the Order of the White Rose. The group consisted of three brothers and six sisters, ranging in age from early twenties to mid-forties. They were all beautiful, except for one woman who looked like she might have been in her fifties. But even though most of them possessed flawless skin, none of them carried any visible signs of aging.
As soon as we arrived, the youngest brother rose to his feet. He smiled at me warmly and extended his hand. “My name is Richard Cypher. You may call me Brother Cyper.”
Then he bowed slightly. “It’s nice to meet you, Your Highness.”
Brother Cyper turned to face the rest of the Order. “We’re honored to have you here, Lord Rahl. We look forward to learning more about your world.”
A young sister named Sister Miriam, whose hair was streaked with gray, leaned forward and whispered to me. “Are you sure he isn’t a prince?”
Sister Miriam, I thought. That would explain why she looks so familiar.
Richard nodded his head. “Yes, I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance, too, Sister Miriam. Please feel free to call me Richard if you wish. My friends do.”
Miriam gave him an appraising glance. She seemed to be trying to decide whether or not to believe him. Finally, she shrugged and replied, “All right, Richard. Call me Miriam.”
She then turned back to me and asked, “And what is your name, dear?”
Before I could respond, the middle brother spoke up. “Lord Rahl, please take a seat. Would you care for some tea while you tell us about yourself? Or perhaps wine? Whatever suits your fancy. Just let us know when you are ready.”
With that, he motioned toward the empty chairs across the table from him.
I glanced at the crystal chalices set out on the table and realized that each contained a different liquid. All of them were red. I wondered what kind of drink they were serving.
So I picked up one cup and sniffed it curiously. It smelled sweet. Then I took a sip, expecting to taste berries or cherries. Instead, I tasted something tangy and sour. And strangely enough, the flavor reminded me of the fruit known as the persimmon.
While I was drinking, I studied the faces of those gathered at the table. None of them appeared to be wearing masks, but I wasn’t certain. Some of the features were difficult to discern because they blended in well with the color of their dark robes.
The End