The Journey--Ch. 1

Clinging onto the camel's hump, Jexxi tried not to lose her balance. She didn't want to make a spectacle of herself in front of them. She peered through the mid-morning haze behind her group, but she couldn't tell if either Daj or Lenz were looking her way. They were just blurry shapes at the moment.

The desert was a completely new experience for her. Having grown up in the seaside village of Merosant, she'd never been anywhere else. Never had the chance to travel outside its borders. But when her older brother disappeared, her whole life changed. Jexxi's father decided she would be the one to seek counsel from the Oracle in the far off city of Talastera.

He'd hired two men to chaperone her. One was much older than her age of nineteen summers. His name was Lenz and he came from the Desertlands. He was a shaman, trained in the ancient tribal magicks.

The other man was named Daj and he was closer in age to Jexxi. He seemed to have had military training and the tattoos on his face indicated as much.

Her camel was speeding up. She turned her head sharply. Sure enough, in the red sandstone outcroppings ahead, was a small reservoir of water. The camel's sensitive nose had told it exactly where refreshment could be found. When the beast finally came to a halt, Jexxi was more than ready to dismount.

She stood there surreptitiously rubbing her sore behind. Waiting for the others to catch up.

"Aww, what's wrong Jex? Sore booty already?" Daj cooed at her from his seat on his camel. He was grinning from under the turban wound around his bald head.

Lenz hid his own smile as he lead his own beast to the small pond. He casually dismounted and patted the camel on its neck.

"You've got to get used to it. There's no better way to cross this desert", he said softly, not looking at her.

Jexxi narrowed her eyes briefly. She wasn't about to let them think she was weak. Raising her head proudly, she announced, "I'm not complaining about anything actually. For your information, I just wanted you to know I found water."

Daj was filling his water skin as she spoke. He looked over at Lenz and they both shared a good laugh.

Face reddening, it took all of her might to stay her hand. She wanted nothing more than to slap the arrogance from their faces!

Instead, she got out her own water skin and set about filling it.

"Where's Munt?" Daj asked, wiping the sweat from his face.

"Still scouting ahead." Lenz closed his eyes and became very still for a moment. When he looked at his fellow travelers again, his eyes were that of a hawk.

"He says there is a troupe of performers camped five miles to the northeast. He can't tell if they're hostile or not." Then Lenz's eyes returned to their normal deep brown colour.

Daj snorted. "Whoever heard of a hostile performing troupe?"

Jexxi pursed her lips. "Obviously, you haven't spent much time in big citadels."

He sneered at her. "Obviously, you've spent too much time in one!"

She huffed, wanting so badly to put him in his place. But before she could say a word, Lenz grabbed her sleeve.

"Silence! We are being watched!" he hissed.

Daj was already reaching for his arrows when the first rock buzzard made a dive for Jexxi's camel. The massive bird's talons were over three feet long and its wingspan was more than eight strides long. Before Daj could fire even one shot, the buzzard had made off with Jexxi's beast. Gear and all.

The group needed no more prompting. Daj jumped astride his own camel. Lenz lifted Jexxi onto his and they sped off. Thankfully, the second rock buzzard was shot down once four of Daj's arrows found its heart. By the time the third one attacked, the group had already reached the canyon.

"We must follow the river bed! It will lead us north toward Talastera!" Lenz shouted. His long blue-black braids tickled across Jexxi's arms but she dared not let go of him. The ache in her backside had escalated to sharp pains with every step the camel made. But she would never let Lenz know that.

They were saved from any future rock buzzard attacks. The canopy of weathered sandstone provided easy cover. But there were still plenty of other dangers. So they picked their way carefully around the Death-Needle Yucca with its fatal spiny leaves and the Sinner's Cactus that bore deceptively delicious-looking fruits.

The sun was overhead by the time Lenz suggested they stop to rest. They were under a particularly large rock overhang and the area was free of vegetation. Only a few sandy-toe lizards darted about, hunting insects.

Jexxi gratefully slid down from the camel. She didn't even try to hide how much pain she was in. Soreness numbed her from neck to knees and she hobbled over to a small boulder, gingerly taking a seat.

Daj wasn't laughing at her obvious discomfort either. He reached into his pack and took out a small leather sack.

"Here, take some of this and chew it. It should help you", he said, offering her a small plug. It looked like a wad of moist gumbba leaves to her. She knew that it was popular among rural people as a pain reliever but only because they couldn't afford the more expensive version.

She stuck a small bit into her mouth, tucking it inside her cheek. Immediately the plant's juices began to have an effect. A soothing warmth spread down her back, dissolving her aches. Her mind began to drift into a happy, thoughtless place and she dreamily closed her eyes.

Lenz made her spit it out before she became too euphoric.

For a midday meal, they dined on dried meat and unleavened bread. Though it was bland, it did fill them up. They sat drinking their rula-berry tea in comfortable silence.

When it was time to leave, Jexxi was still pain-free. Daj took the lead, and they continued on through the canyon, following the trickle of a creek upstream.