《Sand and Wind》


 Prologue

    "Turn ''round! Batten down the hatches! Yarrgh! The Seven flow in devious ways about these waters! Bring a spring upon ''er ye sons ''o biscuit eaters!"


    A meek young man draped in rags halted his mopping to make sense of the ear piercing screeching emanating from of a frail old man attempting to jump overboard. The boy looked on as multiple hands rushed the bag of bones trying to jump ship and pinned him to the deck.


    "Three sheets to the wind!" The skinny boy proclaimed. The old man continued and as he did his insults multiplied and intensified to the point of comparing certain sailor''s mothers to various animals and rotting fruit.


    "That be not the work o'' spirits, ye scallywag." A gruff voice lowly expressed.


    The boy''s red, faded to salmon pink, bandanna that hugged his head turned to the grumble that bellowed from behind him. There, on a leg of wood, stood a behemoth of a man. Dirt brown hair that grew as clumped, seeking roots, tortured and twisted, topped a scar riddled face. All of this was hidden behind the tangle of a great bushy beard washed only by the salt of the ocean. The ungainly man inched forward with an arm practically pulling his right peg leg. The boy immediately swallowed his tongue at the sight of his captain and bowed his head in the presence of his superior. But not out of respect as one may do in the company of someone of a higher rank. In all his months aboard the ship, he had acclimated to his new life quite well yet he found it exceedingly difficult to become accustomed to the captain''s ungodly effluvium. For that reason he always buried his head into the stench of his rags on the rare occasion the captain made himself seen.


    "He be the last survivin'' member o'' the Bloated Barnacle, he be."


    The boy''s bow became deeper as the captain remained at an arm''s length away. He fell to his knees as he clutched the mop with a force strong enough to choke the life from a horse. The only thing that smelled worse than the captain was the captain''s breath. The boy began to say something with watery eyes but only let out a slight gag. The captain, rosy faced from seeing such a respectful crew member, continued.


    "Yarrrgh, that be right m''boy! The very same ship that disappeared amongst these waters of the devil''s ocean. One o'' many that no pirate''ll ever learn te count te!"


    Tickled pink under the black grime smeared about his face, the captain swung an arm around the seemingly respectful young man. The boy stiffened at the touch of the moldering coat and wept tears through his burning eyes from the unbearable stench. The captain continued with his hook firmly embedded in the boy''s abdomen, something that went unnoticed from the specter of listener the boy had become.


    "Only a fool would dare traverse these here seas and his crew were collectively that fool they''d been. Yarrgh!"


    The captain stared off into the blood red depths of the sun setting sea before abruptly turning heel and addressing a few pirates tuning their instruments.


    "Oi! Have ye'' lot rested enough to sing the Demon''s Ocean song?"


    A jumpy pirate amongst them dropped his instrument and wrenched out in a hoarse, barely audible squeal.


    "It''d be murder, Captain! We sang all the way here we did!"


    They slovenly began the starting notes of their masterpiece when the captain interrupted their discordant melody.


    "Aye, be at ease and save it fer something important! Oh, oh be you ready fer a rendition o'' that sea cucumber song I''ve been so fond of these past days!"


    The man collapsed back into his nook and the chuckling captain, humming the sea cucumber melody, turned his attention back to the boy. He slowly hobbled to the old man underneath the dog pile while talking.


    "This tale goes back te before even me grandpappy, may his soul be plunderin the briny depths, turned to the great life o'' piracy."


    A look of admiration settled upon his face but quickly furrowed into solemn glare.


    "Out there in the world there be places even pirates dare not go. One o'' those rare places be these very waters wherein if ye wander in ye don''t come out. Aye, it be told that the fabric between worlds be err. Umm."


    A crew member wrestling the still struggling old man grunted out in between jabs to his ribs.


    "Fragile, Captain!"


    "Aye, it be fragile! Ready te tear it be! Strange things are said to happen as you near it and stranger things are said te call it this cursed place home."


    "But if people so get lost here then why are we here?" The boy worriedly inquired.


    "There are some that wish te map out the world. Y''know cartographers and explorers and the like. Or maybe they be lookin'' fer a holiday. As long as they pay then we take them." The captain explained.


    "But what if we get lost Captain?"


    "Ho ho ho! Not while we have this our teasure!" The captain chortled.


    The pair of them, the captain and the boy, finally settled near the dog pile. The captain shifted his weight from off the boy and onto his other foot.


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    "This man be the only livin'' thing te be deep into the unknown and back. I''ve been around the world a few times but never have I seen anything to break me as it did that old sea dog. Alright laddies, lets have some fun!"


    The men holding down the scraggly old man hoisted him up. The old man flailing and gasping about as a fish out of water. With a swift shove to the boy''s back the captain proclaimed.


    "It be the duty o'' the freshest recruit to take this old barnacle to the crow''s nest!"


    The men circled the boy and the old man as he struggled to get a hold of the manic old man. Visible blood splotches emanating from the stinging pain of the hook, still fresh in his abdomen. The jeering man lined up parallel to one another, forming a path straight to the top of the nest. They shouted and laughed as the boy struggled but steadily made his way up.


    "What''s with all the shouting and running about up here?"


    A smartly dressed woman emerged from below deck with an armful of papers and journals varying in sizes. Stumbling and dropping a few papers as she stepped onto the deck, it was clear that she hadn''t been on many ships before.


    "Watch your step Professor!"


    A broad shouldered man clad in armor frantically squeezed through the tiny opening and quickly retrieved her papers.


    "Wow, it''s a wonder that they weren''t blown away, professor!"


    The lady graciously accepted the papers and quizzically scanned the waters. She replied.


    "That''s a bit odd. It appears we''ve stopped moving. Um excuse me Mr. Captain! Are we being held for ransom?"


    The large man jumped at the question and, with a burly hand on the hilt of his sword, acted as a shield for the professor. The partial brandishing of his weapon stopped everybody on the ship. Every hand slowly reached for whatever they could firmly grab a hold of and use as a weapon. The gleam of the sword was coupled with the glitter of sweat beading down the armored man''s brow.


    "Nay lass!"


    The captain guffawed out, almost instantly dispelling the tension. Then after a laughter shared amongst the crew, the captain continued.


    "The Devil''s Sea be dead waters! No ship can sail upon ''er so long as the sun shines upon these waters!"


    This questionable piece of information was left unheard by most on the ship as they couldn''t be bothered to lend an ear. However, to the professor, it was another of life''s great secrets that she admired with the entirety of her being.


    "Fascinating! Did you hear that Lum?!"


    The starry eyed professor shouted into the small opening she had previously emerged from. A discouraging voice reverberated back and was accompanied by a smaller, older man. He was dressed as the professor. A yellow collared shirt that allowed air to pass through freely, durable shorts with deep pockets and mid calf lace up boots. However his shorts seemed to be pulled up much higher than her''s, revealing much more leg than was necessary.


    "Yes, yes I heard but I hardly find it plausible! Do you expect me to believe that the ocean knows when to have a current or blow air based solely on the time of day? Poppycock!"


    The short man stomped around waving his arms about but kept his distance from the pirates and tried not to touch anything. The professor, not disheartened in the least by his words, urged him.


    "Come now, Lum. You know as well as I that there is no useless piece of information! It''s all pieces of a puzzle and our job is to fit them together just right!" She held her arms before her as if bestowing a portrait.


    The little old man raised his shoulders as the words traveled in and out of his head, leaving behind a shudder.


    "Right, right. You''re right. This part of the world has yet to be properly charted so who knows? Maybe up is down and magic is science."


    The shrimp of an elder chuckled out as he looked into the waters. The setting sun almost entirely consumed by the ocean had him holding his breath for what was to come.


    "Attaboy Lum! That''s why you''re my mentor! Oh Captain, I brought up a few things in case you or your men would like to learn about¡ª"


    The professor presented her papers much to the captain''s disdain but with a simple raise of his rusty hook he interrupted her and grumbled.


    "It be time."


    The sun''s descent slowed as it''s crown gradually disappeared from sight and taking with it any color. With a last drop of crimson sunlight fading, the sky deepened to a stark blackness darker than they had known. Alone they all stood with their breaths held. A sudden cold presence gripped the chests of all aboard. The old man atop the crow''s nest quietly wept as he began to mutter strange, jumbled words under his breath. Suddenly the ship groaned to life with a sudden gust of wind and with it the old man clutched his knees as he rocked back and forth.


    "Get a navigator up there!" The captain ordered.


    All hands on deck came to life and made way for their navigator to climb the ropes.  The men moved seamlessly and without any wasted movement. All except for the boy atop the crow''s nest with old man and the professor''s own crew who were understandably confused. Creaks and grunts echoed through the open waters as the man moved. The boy was suddenly pushed aside by something in the blackness without warning and stumbled backwards off the railing. Just then a few stars began twinkling, allowing for some visibility as their eyes adjusted. The scrawny boy managed to grab ahold of a dangling rope as he witnessed the navigator approach the weeping old man. Slowly more and more stars shone above and revealed the depths of the cosmos as reflected upon the mirror like water. The navigator knelt down to the old man, listened intently, then took to the night sky, then shouted directions to the captain who would steer and order the rest of the crew. The rest of the night was filled with the stomping of the men on deck and the creaking if the pained boat. As ordered by the captain, the three passengers stayed under and as dawn brought upon a new day they resurfaced to an odd sight.


    "Oh my!" The professor gasped.


    Men were asleep in various positions. Some standing or leaned against a wall and some even dangling from ropes. The captain slowly hobbled over to them. On the way he kicked a few men awake and ordered them to ready a dingy.


    "Landho." He said in a low, almost dreading voice.


    The professor and her colleagues looked past the captain and saw a little sliver of something in the distance. It was so thin and faint that it appeared as if a strand of hair was floating upon the waters.


    "That over there?" The professor clarified as she pointed towards the line.


    "Aye." The captain said as he sullenly stared at the planks.


    In response to his answer she hurriedly jumped down into the lower decks. Shuffling and clattering resounded from the hole as she excitedly muttered to herself. A few moments later her head poked up with her teeth clenched as she struggled to introduce an unseen object onto the deck.


    "Professor!" The large framed man rushed to her side and helped her pull up a large brown trunk.


    The force of her upward pulling and the interference of the armored man caused her to fall backwards onto her rear. She appeared with an oversized pack upon her back and retreated to the hole once more only to emerge with another pack. Filled with the excitement of a long awaited anticipation, she wasted no time in lunging towards the trunk. She grunted as she struggled to move the heavy case and was once again aided by the metal clad man.


    "Thank you!" She graciously squeaked out as they made their way towards their prepared rowboat.


    As the two crew members and the large man loaded the aged case onto the boat the professor attended to the captain. She reached into one of the many pockets of the pack and produced a sizable pouch and with a clang of a number of coins she punctured it onto the captain''s hook.


    "Thank you very much for this opportunity! I promise not to put to waste all the effort put in by you and your crew!"


    Without another second to spare she jumped into the rowboat, using the trunk the men had yet to load as a stepping stone. This caused the loading men to squeal as they dipped uncomfortably closer over their respective ledges.


    "Come on you two! We haven''t a second to spare!" She commanded with a slightly maniacal grin on her face.


    Lum and the armored man exchanged looks of slight uncertainty at the unnaturally peppy professor. The two stepped lively towards the gleeful girl waving them over and past the squeamish loaders. When presented with the quite large gap between him and the rowboat Lum elected a more careful approach then his colleague. Wishing to close the gap any amount he could, he first stretched an arm as far as he could to try and make contact with it while clutching onto the railing with his other hand. When this failed he brought his fingers to his chin and repeatedly tapped as he thought. All at once a brilliant idea illuminated his mind. Next he tried stepping on the other side of the railing and from those extra inches of space he tried once more. Again met with failure he next tried stretching his foot to make contact. When that failed he tried his arm once more but slightly lessening his grip on the railing. Little by little he inched closer and closer until his fingers just barely grazed the wood of the boat. He struggled and strained as noises akin to livestock escaped his lips. The armored man hoisted the trunk over his shoulder and with his free arm collected a sweat glistened Lum then without much effort simply hopped onto the boat. The boat rocked back a forth a bit and after dropping his baggage the knight unsheathed his sword to free them of their bindings.


    "Aghhgghghg!!" Both Lum and the professor yelled as they held on for dear life.


    With a moderate splash they were finally afloat and not long after began moving with the knight rowing at an impressive pace. The giddy girl gave on last farewell to the crew which was reciprocated with a lamenting silence from the captain''s raised hook. As the landmass became larger and larger they noticed a shift in the air about the area. It seemed as if the very land pulled things in as a magnet but the air was in stark contrast quite still. When finally on land they disembarked on a bleach white beach and were face to face with miles of desert beyond the horizon. With a determined look on her face full of wonder and curiosity she led the charge into an unknown land.

 Chapter One

    Deep within an unforgiving land the golden sun shines high above the arid skies, branding the sands of the never ending desert with a searing hot intensity mirroring its own. Here, in this land of desolation, it is said that no life can sustain a meaningful existence. Birds that may happen to fly by avoid the skies of this barren, scorching wasteland. Those that wander into the skin melting embrace of this land relinquished of life might as well forfeit their own. It''s an accepted fact of life in this far removed world that there is nothing here. But as life always does, it finds a way. Even under the worst of conditions, so long as there be will, life will survive to one day flourish. Far beyond the blistering swells of this sea of sand exists such an oddity. A sandstorm extending as far as the horizon and fabled to grasp the very stars rages on since time immemorial. Unknown to all, within this rampaging tempest of ancient origins exists another oddity, or, more accurately, oddities. In this hellish landscape, within the ravages of wind and sand, the will of life lives on in the form of an undiscovered kingdom built around an oasis teeming with life.


    Deeper in, as coarse sand gives way to fertile ground, another peculiarity exists. A young man of seventeen years frantically runs down a sparsely populated dirt street and turns into an alley to catch his breath.


    "Where is he?" A commanding voice questioned.


    "I think he''s this way!" An apprehensive voice responded.


    "I told you to keep an eye on him!" The first man boomed.


    As the two assailants argued, the honey skinned young man clothed in fine silk robes stood leaned into the stone wall of the shadowy alley with a vigilant ear. His head, veiled with a white headdress of fine silk that was hugged by a golden circlet, gently teetered back and forth against the smooth rock while his chest expanded and contracted rapidly. It quickly dawned on him that he may actually escape easier than he originally anticipated. With a silent giddiness about him he raised a hand adorned with golden bangles to cover his mouth and, with the other, grasped the rugged edge of the building. He stood frozen for a few moments to bring his breathing from heaving and desperate down to calm and controlled. Feeling the soft coolness in the shade that engulfed him brought a sense of clarity about his boiling mind and aided in quickening his respite. The back and forth of the two men had now become non existent leaving only the rhythmic ambience of people as they went about their days. A strange curiosity quickly took hold of the regal young man as he edged slowly towards the end of the wall. Never had he this much trouble with guards and he wanted to see if anything was different. He slowly removed his mask of a hand and pulled back the curtains of his headdress revealing eyes that glowed as a cloudless day. Beads of sweat blackened by his painted eyelids clawed dark streaks down his face and dripped from his clean chin. With eyes wincing in pain from the inky foreign intrusion he quietly peeked beyond the corner. The red road laid barren of activity save for a few people entering and exiting the brown stone buildings. A few men loafed about under the shade of canopies extended out from the tops of the stone structures. A warm flamelike glow radiated from the earth below as he spotted the two men. Still within sight, they seemed to be talking amongst each other, the bigger of the two waving around a thick spear while circling the other guard. The bigger resembled the other in attire but there was a different air about him, a certain heat that was lost to his usual pursuers.


    "Man, you can see his neck vein from all the way over here." The hidden young man softly remarked to himself with a satisfied chuckle.


    He quietly withdrew from the potential line of sight and with a sigh of relief turned to continue through the alley and make his escape complete. Much to his dismay he hadn''t took two steps before his getaway was abruptly halted by an unseen obstacle. Although initially startled by his surprise run in, upon further investigation the lavishly dressed young man discovered a surprisingly cheerful old man sprawled out on the ground before him. He wore nothing at all save for a cloth wrapped around his waist and nether regions that kept him civil. His face was badly cracked and he had an even dark golden hue throughout the entirety of his visible body. The mostly gray hair atop his head tangled and reached all about, further evidencing that he had most likely spent most of his days in the sun.


    "I''m so sorry! Are you okay?" The bent over young man said with genuine concern while hurriedly extending an arm to help the fallen elder.


    "I''m fine, I''m fine! But oh what a niiice young maan yoou are to be worried!" The old man sang.


    The old man''s cracked face bent upwards as the toothless crevice that was his huge smile reached ever higher. It was this oblivious, almost akin to childlike happiness that convinced the youth of the elder''s clear intoxication; in addition to the pungent spirits permeating from his open mouth. The young man took hold of one the senior''s outstretched arms and with relative ease lifted him to his feet. The moment the old man returned upright was short lived as he immediately descended upon the young man and firmly held him in a low centered bear hug. The slightly glowing fine silk robes became visibly stained as if offended by the elderly man''s touch.


    "I''m soooo soorrry! The floor is being veeeerry crazy right now!" The old man snorted out as he swung an arm at the still earth.


    The intensity with which the elderly man apologized and subsequently reprimanded the dry alley floor began worrying the young man; who was now looking behind himself to make his safety from the two brutes certain.


    "Jantu, it''s really okay! Keep your voice down! Exactly how much how much have you had to drink already?! The sun just rose!" The young man exclaimed as he struggled to re-elevate the flailing old man.


    "Ahh, phoogh! Those ungrateful ingrates can all rot in the storm! I''ve spent every last coin I''ve earned drinking there and after thirty years they throw me out!" He spat at the floor as his slightly warbling tone shifted towards further down the alley where a dingy old door stood closed.


    "Hahaha, you must really be gone! They throw you out almost every night. I''m surprised you made it this early, you really are too much Jantu!" The young man said a bit too loudly.


    At this point the young man realized exactly how loud they were being when a heavyset woman poked her head into the alley from an open window.


    "Hey you two! If I have to put up with another group of drunks in th¡ª" she began with great ferocity as if it had been boiling up within her for months but immediately stopped when her eyes met the young man''s eyes.


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    She narrowed her eyes and leaned into the window sill. Her once before aimless infuriating gaze sharpened into an eye gouging glare dedicated to the young man. The young man momentarily had a passing thought of running back the way he came. Even the old man was mesmerized by the eyes of this tempest of a woman. The day felt excruciatingly hotter with the intensity of her undivided attention. The pair gulped hard and, finally, the younger of the two took initiative and began to spoke.


    "I¡ª" he started


    "Shut up." The middle aged woman ordered as she further stuck out herself.


    The two stiffened at her snarled command. The old man almost appeared to have sobered up from his night of debauchery by her words, that is, if he could keep from constantly losing his balance.


    "I thought I told you to stay out of here after the last time." She almost again commanded.


    She motioned to a section of alley further down with a generous amount of absent wall due to a deep gouge. The old man seemed a bit perplexed, turning towards the cloaked young man for clarification of a growing hunch.


    "Would it make it better if I said sorry?" He coyly responded with a nervous smile.


    "Don''t try to slither out of this one! Every time you come around the drunks get too loud and we pay the price then you sneak off back to your palace without a care." The woman hollered back.


    "Well, umm. T-that''s exactly the reason why I''m here now!" The regal young man assured as an idea stirred in his mind.


    He reached up to the crown of his head and plucked off the golden circlet that adorned his headdress. Stepping forward revealed his feet strapped tightly a dozen times over to a flat leather mass at the bottom. The old man looked in a sort of familiar awe at the curiosity, that was a sandal, stepping away from him that had eluded the common man.


    "Prince?" The words stumbled out of the old man''s mouth and as they did his glazed eyes twinkled as his suspicion was confirmed.


    The Prince quickly turned around with wide eyes and a sweaty finger to his lips.


    "Jantu, quiet!" He hissed.


    Jantu fell to the floor with his head pressing into the dirt and his knees dug into his bony chest.


    "I''m so sorry my radiant, golden Sun! I meant no insult, I am true! I have no excuse but I have to admit that I was drinking a little. Forgive me!" Jantu repeatedly came up and vigorously slammed his head into the floor so much so that the puffs of dirt created a cloud.


    "Jantu, quiet your mouth or¡ª" the kneeling Prince was interrupted by the woman.


    "Who''s going to pay for our wall!?" The woman shouted.


    "Please, the two of you keep your voi¡ª" the flustered Prince started but was once again interrupted.


    "Where''s your respect? This boy is of royal blood and should be treated as such!" Jantu intersected as he stood.


    "I''ll treat him like I treat all of you street rats until he starts acting like a respectable person!" The woman huffed.


    "Alright, everyone just¡ª" the Prince immediately froze.


    Poking in from around the corner a familiar eye met his own. His heart sank into his feet as he stared into the eager eyes of the one of the palace guards.


    "I FOUND HIM!!! HE''S OVE¡ª"


    Before the guard could finish calling over his partner the Prince quickly loosened the knot holding his stained cloak on his shoulders. He swung the silk around the guard, capturing Jantu as in the process, and quickly tied it before kicking the pair into the doorway of a closed building. The guard struggled the be free even more so with a flailing Jantu weighing him down. The Prince then turned heel and sprinted down the sparsely populated alley.


    "Catch!" He playfully suggested to the woman.


    As he left he tossed his jeweled, golden circlet to the woman still at her window.


    "I''ll see you both later for drinks!" He announced.


    With a grin not unlike Jantu''s the woman hurriedly closed her window while the other guard rounded the corner in pursuit of the Prince.


    "Prince I''lnu!" The guard shouted.


    With a groan I''lnu, the Prince, exited the shaded alley which branched off into a labyrinth of paths that steadily became more narrow. The calculated, dedicated guard met I''lnu turn for turn and through every obstacle thrown his way without so much as breaking sweat.


    "What are his legs made of!?" I''lnu panted out to himself.


    Something was off, his gut was screaming this at him. As I''lnu ran he turned his head to more closely identify this peculiar guard. A scan of his person revealed nothing out of the ordinary except one small detail, a certain yellow glow that shined from his weapon, his spear was gold tipped. I''lnu had heard whispers of an elite guard unit that was supposedly being brought up to quell even the strongest elephants. Not being one for rumors or information not pertaining to himself, the words had no meaning until now. Knowing of one way to properly identify this potential thorn in his side, I''lnu plucked a decent sized red gem from one of his many rings and squeezed it firmly in the palm of his hand. I''lnu began to intensely focus on the concept and nature of fire, mainly the heat. After a few missteps and near trips I''lnu squeezed harder and whispered to himself.


    "Fire, fire, fire, fire. Sun, sun, sun, sun. Hot, hot, red hot!" He whispered to himself.


    Suddenly his closed, shaking hand began to release a small amount of smoke and sparks.


    "Thats harder than I remember." I''lnu panted out.


    As he loosened his focus the embers within died out but were reignited with a renewed focus and a quick smack of his fist. Without stopping to aim I''lnu swung his fist behind him and when he felt it apex towards the guard he opened his hand and willed it forward. A meager fire, followed by a flurry of sparks, enveloped the guard. With a series of jabs from his golden pointed weapon the conjured flames were immediately dispelled. The smoke, however, lingered and made it impossible for one to see the other.


    "No way! What the hell was that!" I''lnu coughed as the smoke flooded his lungs.


    An audible coughing from behind signified the guard''s presence. With this new knowledge that he wouldn''t be able to use what little spells he knew, I''lnu felt his way through the maze of alleys into a heavy populated area he knew well. The street was much larger than most in town and home to the best deals. People gasped and watched as I''lnu tumbled out of the smoke flooded alley. Immediately jumping towards a man with a worn headdress and exchanging it with his own pristine one in return before making his way into the crowd. The guard soon followed with his dispelling spear in hand as while shouting demands.


    "Make way, guard of the Palace! Move! Get out of the way!" He gruffly choked out.


    I''lnu took big, hurried steps as he weaved in through the bustling crowd. All the while stripping himself of all his Royal indicators and donning the shabby clothing of a commoner. He even went so far as to cover his face, a practice reserved usually for women. A growing unrest sparked to life within the crowd in the wake of his exchanges.


    "Gold! Palace gold here!"


    "I''m rich!"


    "These can''t possibly be real!"


    "Get your hands off, this is mine!"


    The guard took notice of the growing unrest and rushed to investigate. Initially going in to question the inquiries, the citizens, agitated that a guard would threaten their acquisition of gold, quickly turned to violence. Looking to each other for support the people overpowered and disarmed this once proud soldier.


    "I hate that I had to do it but I didn''t have another choice." I''lnu sighed as the mob finished with the guard.


    As I''lnu once more stepped towards freedom of the day when an inhuman silence from the previously restless crowd suddenly petrified him.


    "Master!" An all too familiar voice boomed.


    An astonishingly tall, muscular man had arrived looking about. The chiseled fantasy of a man dressed quite freely with nothing but a cloth hanging from his waist to shield him from indecency. Although more akin to a God he walked as a man, however, his feet also brandished the rarely seen footwear of nobles. His thick calves expanded into powerful legs that tapered into a granite like abdomen which in turn exploded in the form of an expansive upper body. The raw energy exuding from his being was enough to make the fiercest adversary flee. Apart from his superhuman physique he was a man but even that statement was questioned by the average person. Atop his thick, shadowy neck rested a pitch black mask trimmed with gold in the likeness of a jackal. His dark ears pierced the air average his head, there were no visible eyeholes, an ornately decorated cloth of unknown material flowed from the edges of the mask, covering what the mask did not, and grazed the tops of his broad shoulders. Many people averted eye contact and all cleared a way as he walked past.


    "Master, the danger has subsided! You can come back now!" The masked man shrieked with worry.


    "A guardian!"


    "May the Sun have mercy."


    "Look away, dear!"


    I''lnu sank into the obscurity of crowd, further hiding as he acted as others.


    "Master, this isn''t proper."


    The masked man peered into the crowd. Some groveling, others looking on with starry eyes but most going on about their business. With a groan of impatience he looked down and noticed the guard''s shining spear amongst the crowd. A strange scorch scarred the length of the spear. The masked man abandoned calling out for the Prince and instead focused on making his way through the busy street. A task that was met with a mix of false praises, genuine terror and indifference. I''lnu, knowing much more of the streets, slipped easier through the crowd and into a less populated street with but one object still his in hand. A peculiar stone.