Age of Kings

by A bag of plums

78 - Desert Madness

“So hot…”

Emerald Edge heard Honeygold’s observation as they trudged through the desert. Wakening before the sun got too high, they had eaten a rather depressing breakfast and then began the trek towards the closest town. It was slow going, as the hot sand and air seemed to sap their energy almost instantly. What was more, they had to carefully ration out their water, lest they be stranded with no liquid to sustain them.

Emerald agreed with Honeygold, though she suspected she had the worst of it. Inside her armor, she felt as though she were being baked alive, and her metal plates soon grew hot to the touch. The former pegasus pulled up her hood to cover her head with, but that only made her sweat more.

“I want to stop!” Jewel Pin wailed from the back of the group.

“Show some pluck, Jewel Pin,” Light Speckle encouraged, though she too was shading her sweating face with her hand. “We will be in town before you know it.”

Emerald turned around and gave her friends a small smile, even though she herself wanted nothing more than to collapse and find a way to hide from the heat.

“I see a pool of water!” Spectrum Song suddenly jumped up and down excitedly. “Over there! Just west of where we are!”

“What?” Golden Nugget put a hand over his eyes to shield them from the harsh sunlight. “Ah don’t see any water.”

“There!” Spectrum pointed. “No one sees it?”

No one else, not even Emerald or Posey, saw any inclination of the pool of water Spectrum was pointing to.

“Nothing.” Emerald shrugged.

“Are you feeling alright, squire?” Light Speckle put a hand on her forehead.

“Never better.” Spectrum put her fists on her hips. “Why?”

“Heat can cause one to see things that aren’t there,” Nightfall explained as she caught up to them. “For example, an oasis that isn’t there.”

“How about those towns?” Guard Streak asked, then realized what that would mean. “If those towns aren’t there…”

“No, I’m sure they are there.” Emerald looked out to the dunes, a little doubtful herself. “They must be…”

Emerald didn’t know what she was going to do if the towns weren’t actually there. That would mean they would’ve been walking nowhere all day and that would be a huge waste of time and effort.

“Well, too late to turn back now.” Posey walked past her and began ascending the dune. “Come. There is only one way to find out.”

As Emerald followed, she wished she had a horse right now, just so she could stop walking. That made her think of Foxtrot. In their mad dash from Canterlot, she hadn’t been able to bring him along. She hoped he was getting well looked after at least. He was a good horse, that is, if you had the food he wanted.

That greedy boy… Emerald smiled to herself. She missed him.

They trudged along through the sand and the sun, until it was high in the sky above them, beating down relentlessly, and not a scrap of cloud in the clear blue sky to offer respite.

Finally, over the next dune, Emerald’s eye beheld something that made her almost jump for joy.

“Look!” the former pegasus exclaimed, pointing with her finger. “There’s a town! Over there, do you see it?”

Golden Nugget scrambled up the sand dune to join Emerald at its peak. “Doggone it, you’re right! Or if ya ain’t we’re seein’ the same illusion.”

“I see it too.” Posey adjusted her sweaty bandana. “The towns are real.”

“We are close now. Tis only a matter of time before we reach it!” Emerald began sliding down the other side of the dune, careful not to fall. She didn’t want to get more sand in her armor.

“Out of the way!” Jewel Pin suddenly barged past them, racing down the dune with almost skillful footwork, tripping only at the very bottom of the mound and planting her face into the sand.

Posey looked at Emerald and rolled her eyes.

It was still slow going, but after seeing the town, the whole group’s spirits were lifted. They were soon close enough to see the little specks that were people moving about in the town, as well as an oasis that it had been built next to. The water gleamed like a million bits in the afternoon sun, beckoning them to come closer.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, the bedraggled group of questors finally arrived at the town’s gates. There were a trio of guards wearing light armor and holding long spears standing at the gates, with strange, curved swords at their belts. The guards watched Emerald and her group approach with narrowed eyes, but let them pass without comment.

“Their eyes look funny,” Honeygold commented, and almost at once, her mother sped a hand over her mouth.

“Honeygold!”

“Must be the sun,” Spectrum said to Honeygold. “Standing out here in the heat all day would make anyone squint.”

Inside the town walls, there was a small market with wooden stalls set up, complete with cloth awnings covering their fronts so that shoppers could browse in the shade. Several tall palm trees grew in the center, and there were cubic, clay buildings arranged in rows that must have been where the people lived. There was still sand underfoot, but only a very thin layer that gave way to stone. There were even some unusual looking humped brown creatures tied up in some stables with a few donkeys and a horse, a much smaller and thinner horse than the ones she was used to seeing.

“Let’s see if they have somewhere we can rest for the night,” Light Speckle suggested. “And then we can go about finding a guide.”

“Anyone speak their language?” Spectrum asked as they looked for any signs of an inn. “I don’t.”

They passed through the marketplace and found themselves in a plaza of some sort. People wearing light colors milled about, some of them gathering near a well in the center to talk. None of the questors could understand a word of what they were saying, however.

“We are strangers in a strange land,” Nightfall Gleam muttered.

“Anything looking like an inn out here?” Apple Bean eyed all the buildings.

Guard Streak pointed at a large clay building that had a sign hanging outside the front door, depicting a horse and an owl sitting around a cookfire. “Maybe that’s one?”

Emerald stared gormlessly at the sign for a moment before shrugging. “Well, we may as well go see if it is an inn. Come on, everyone.”

They entered the building in single file, where it was almost immediately cooler. Emerald sighed in relief as the clay did its job of blocking out the heat. There were wooden tables and chairs inside here, as well as a long bar that a man with an impressive handlebar moustache was standing behind, serving a couple of coconuts to a pair of guards. There were some wooden steps leading upstairs in the corner.

“Looks like this is a tavern of some sort,” Apple Bean observed. “Don’t look too different from the ones in Prance and Canterlot.”

The bartender finished serving the guards and looked over at Emerald’s party. His face broke out into a welcoming smile. He said something in the Saddle Arabian language, but when he was hit with looks of confusion from his new guests, he changed tack.

“Ty kiyevlyanin?” he asked.

Emerald shrugged and shook her head, a cringey grin on her face.

The bartender tried again. “Êtes-vous prançais?”

No response.

“Bānlā kathā?”

“Uh, no, sir.” Spectrum stepped forward. “We’re from Canterlot.”

“Ah! You English then?” The man smiled wider and beckoned for them to come in further. “I speak bit English. Come in! Drink?”

“Yes please,” Jewel Pin said before staggering over to the bar and collapsing into a chair.

The bartender got to work behind the bar, taking down some jars and bottles and mixing up a drink. The rest of the group found some seats as well and settled down in the tavern.

“Tis nice to have something to sit on…” Nightfall patted her legs. “We mages aren’t used to such long distances on foot.”

“Can your magic heal our aching feet, Nightfall?” Honeygold stretched her legs out and removed her boots. It wasn’t pleasant. There were covered in tiny blisters and they smelled.

“Unfortunately, I do not have access to the ingredients needed to make a healing salve,” Nightfall said ruefully. “I do have a bottle or two, but I think those are best saved for a more serious injury.”

The bartender soon came back with a tray of drinks.

“Here you are, drinks,” he said, depositing the cups on the tables. “My name Limonana Trotter. You come long way? You travel in day. Hot.” He held out his hand expectantly.

Posey took the hint and passed Trotter a couple of gold bits. He pocketed them without checking, chuckling as he watched the group drain their mugs.

“We have come a long way, yes,” Emerald sighed as she set down her empty flagon. Whatever the drink was, it did not seem to be alcoholic, but tasted fresh and fruity, a flavor she could not quite pin down.

“Thought so,” Trotter said. “I not seen anyone from here with your shiny, er, head?” He pointed to Emerald’s hair, which, even after spending days on the road without a wash, still glittered and shone like crystal.

“Oh, her hair, haha,” Spectrum said a little tipsily. “That’s cause she’s from the Crystal Empire.” Guard Streak subtly elbowed the other squire, not sure how much they should tell the bartender.

“I not know what Clistal Emperia means.” Limonana Trotter shrugged.

“You speak good English, compared to the rest of the town,” Light Speckle changed the topic swiftly. “How do you know Canterlot’s language?”

At this, Trotter grinned and leaned on an empty chair. “When I is younger, I was wandering merchant. Go many places, meet many people. Was in Canterlot three years. Was good chance to learn English. Met many good people there, but wanted to own inn back in hometown. After many years of trading, got this inn that I own.”

“Oooohhh, I see,” the group chorused.

“If you no mind me saying so, you not look like merchants,” Trotter commented. “What bring you all the way out here from Canterlot?”

Emerald considered the question carefully. While this man seemed nice enough, she didn’t feel comfortable sharing the details of her quest with every random person who they met. In the end, she opted for a half-truth.

“We are looking for something here in Saddle Arabia to help Canterlot. It has been taken over by a false king and we need to stop him before he destroys the land and kingdom.”

Trotter stared at Emerald, as if unsure of whether to believe her or not.

“Must be a beginning of life?” The bartender shrugged. “Is said life began here in Saddle Arabia. You look for beginning?”

“More like… something we can use to stop him,” Light Speckle added carefully.

“Thing to stop false king…” Trotter stroked his moustache. “I no sure what you look for. Maybe king can help.”

“The king? As in the King of Saddle Arabia?” Emerald asked.

Trotter nodded vigorously. “King is very wise. Know many things. Maybe he help you on your journey.”

“We were actually looking for a guide,” Light Speckle added. “Someone who can show us around the desert and not get lost.”

Stroking his moustache, the bartender thought. “No guide here in this town. Nobody brave enough. But for sure Masyaf will have. Masyaf is big, big city. Capital city. Middle of desert, many people. Maybe you find guide there? King also lives there.”

“More walking in the desert?” Jewel Pin groaned. “I cannot take much more of this.”

“Is because you travel in day time, yes?” Trotter laughed. “Here in Saddle Arabia, best to travel in night. Not hot.”

“That actually makes sense.” Light Speckle pulled at the folds of her sleeve in thought. “Heat does sap our strength.”

“We’ll have to stay the night here to rest up, regardless.” Emerald paid Trotter some more coins. It did make sense to move at night. “How many rooms do you have?”

“To be honest,” Trotter said. “I not get much people wanting to rent rooms. Mostly just come to drink and eat and then go home. Today the whole second floor yours. Is good deal?”

“Yes,” Emerald nodded. “Tis a very good deal.”

“Thank ya, Limonana Trotter.” Golden Nugget gave him a nod of gratitude. “It’s been a long journey and we’re mighty tired.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries, but the Trotter had to go back to work, as the guards wanted another round. Emerald, having had enough of sitting around, decided to see if there was a place where she could wash up for the night. Surely they had baths in Saddle Arabia, right?

Assuring her friends that she would only be gone a little while, Emerald left the inn and stepped back out on the streets. She kept her sword buckled to her belt, in case anyone tried anything funny. She didn’t know the culture here and though Trotter seemed friendly enough, she didn’t know if he stood for the rest of the people.

Many people stopped to stare at Emerald as she passed, with the less subtle ones pointing at her shining hair and armor. Emerald paid them no mind, but considered getting a bigger, less red cloak to cover herself with in case she wanted to move about more surreptitiously. However, Emerald also considered the heat and decided that staying cool and hydrated was probably more practical than covering herself up with a big heavy cloak in this weather.

Following the sound of water splashing, Emerald went through a side door in the town’s walls and found herself on the edge of the large oasis that they had seen when they first approached this town. There were some more of those strange humped creatures drinking from the water, as well as a couple of children who were splashing around in the clear liquid. A woman was playing some kind of flute by the waterside, in the shade of a palm tree.

Finding a spot that was half-hidden by some bushes, Emerald removed her armor and her clothes before slipping into the water. It felt cool and refreshing after wandering the desert under the blistering sun. The former pegasus washed herself as best she could; there was no soap to be found. By the time she had cleaned herself up, the sun was almost touching the horizon, lending the whole town a sleepy orange glow.

It was then that she thought about how people drank from these oases. If people kept bathing themselves, she wondered how the water could still taste so fresh. It was odd, but at least it felt nice on her skin and in her mouth.

They had already come so far. It had felt like such a long time since they left Canterlot Castle. They had already gone through the kingdoms of Prance and Kievan Horse and now they were in a land that was completely different from what they’d ever experienced. Even in all her time as the royal spymaster, Emerald had never been to a desert, though the snowy mounds back at the Frozen North were rather similar.

They were going to get the artifact, Emerald knew it. Now, it was just a matter of searching for it in all this sand. That didn’t sound too hard.

Getting dressed once, but not in her armor, Emerald picked up her belongings and headed back to the inn.

---

Upon reaching the inn’s entrance, Emerald could see that lamps had been lit around and inside the tavern, and that there were a great deal more people inside now. Limonana Trotter had some help now, in the form of some young women who were weaving around patrons, serving food and drinks to them. Meanwhile, the bar was crowded by many humans and Trotter looked too busy to talk, though he did see Emerald come in and gave her a nod of acknowledgement.

She could not see any of her friends in the crowd, so Emerald went up to the second floor, where it was noticeably quieter away from all the customers. It looked… a little like Canterlot Castle, if she was to be honest with herself. A central hall with some chairs and a table, and rows of doors that must have led to the inn rooms.

Apple Bean and Golden Nugget were seated around the table, eating something that smelled spicy and fragrant.

“Hello, you two,” Emerald said, walking over to the table. “How do you fare?”

“Not bad, Emerald, all things considered.” Golden Nugget shrugged. “It’s mighty hot, but the people seem nice enough. Trotter even sent dinner up here for us. After we paid for staying the night, o’ course.”

“Where’s everyone else?” Emerald asked.

“Ah think the kids are in their rooms,” Apple Bean shrugged. “Light Speckle and Nightfall went up to the roof to look at the stars or something. Don’t know where Jewel Pin and Posey are, though.”

“If I have to guess…” Emerald looked at the staircase. “Jewel Pin would be somewhere looking for food. More food, I mean. Or perhaps Saddle Arabian attires.”

“Speaking of food, this here’s our dinner,” Golden Nugget waved a hand at the food piled on the table. “Ah’m not sure what’s in it, but it’s good. Kinda spicy, but good.”

“Is there any meat in it?” Emerald asked, picking up a slice of some kind of pastry and smelling it. It did have a fragrant aroma that was probably due to some spices that Canterlot didn’t have. She used her fingers to peel back the crust and look inside. It was full of some kind of green, leafy vegetable and an aromatic paste. Not seeing any meat, Emerald took a cautious nibble of the pastry.

“Hey, this is good!” Emerald said, delighted. She gobbled down the rest of the pastry and washed it down with a mug of some kind of juice-based beverage. It didn’t taste like ale or mead, as she was used to, but it tasted nice all the same. Refreshing.

Emerald sat there with the two farmers, enjoying the exotic dinner. Emerald had just finished her second pastry when Jewel Pin came up the stairs with a look of triumph on her face.

“Guess what, darlings?” the seamstress said, sitting down and picking up a wedge of cheese.

“What?” Emerald asked.

“I,” Jewel Pin placed a hand on her chest proudly. “Have just managed to secure us an escort for us to get to the capital of Saddle Arabia.”

“You have?” Apple Bean exclaimed. “How did ya manage that?”

Jewel Pin held up a finger while she devoured the cheese. Brushing crumbs off her dress, she continued, “I spent most of the evening getting to know the guests that came into this inn. Mister Limonana Trotter was kind enough to introduce me to a group of traders who happened to be stopping by this town to refill their supplies and provisions. So, after giving them a bit of the treasure that we got from the Baba Yaga hag, they agreed to let us go along with them as they head to Masyaf to trade.”

“That is great news!” Golden Nugget gave her a pat on the back. “How long will it take us to get there? A couple’a days?”

Jewel Pin grimaced. “From what Trotter was able to tell me, the whole journey will take about two weeks, accounting for stops and sleeping. It is a long way, even on camelback.”

“Camelback?” Emerald repeated, confused.

“Oh, those humped creatures we saw on the way in,” Jewel Pin explained. “The people here use them to traverse long distances in the desert over horses. Something about them needing less water.”

“When do we set out?” Emerald leaned forward eagerly.

Jewel Pin reached for another piece of cheese. “The night after tomorrow.”

Emerald leaned back and gazed toward the ceiling. “So we’ll have all of tomorrow to get supplies and rest. Good work, Jewel Pin. The faster we get to Masyaf, the sooner we can hire a guide to take us to the artifact. And then we can reclaim Canterlot.”

“We’re with ya, Emerald,” Apple Bean put a hand on the spymaster’s shoulder. “We’re with ya all the way.”

And she knew that. These friends would not have followed her all this way if they didn’t agree with her. And together, they were going to save their home.

---

Comments

[MixMassBasher]

With them heading to Masyaf, I hope there's a reference to Altair from the AC games. And if there is an artefact in Arabia, I hope its the Sands of Time from Prince of Persia as a nice nod too.

[Marcthelightspark2004]

After what felt like an eternity of walking, the bedraggled group of questors finally arrived at the town’s gates. There were a trio of guards wearing light armor and holding long spears standing at the gates, with strange, curved swords at their belts. The guards watched Emerald and her group approach with narrowed eyes, but let them pass without comment.

I'm using that

[Marcthelightspark2004]

They had already come so far. It had felt like such a long time since they left Camelot Castle. They had already gone through the kingdoms of Prance and Kievan Horse and now they were in a land that was completely different from what they’d ever experienced. Even in all her time as the royal spymaster, Emerald had never been to a desert, though the snowy mounds back at the Frozen North were rather similar.

I think you meant Canterlot, Plums

[MoonlightRift]

And she knew that. These friends would not have followed her all this way if they didn’t agree with her. And together, they were going to save their home.

Let's hope the magic of friendship (and the Apple) are enough