Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

We ventured down the gently sloped path and the air became thick with the scent of foliage and evaporated water. Bugs scurried away on the leaves and a few large snakes slithered into the undergrowth. My heart beat loudly in my chest as I awaited our imminent demise courtesy of some hideous sand beast.

My imagination was sorely disappointed when, after a few minutes of winding our way through the brush, the path opened and presented us with a lost paradise. The cluttered leaves and sand that speckled the trail transformed into soft grass that stretched out some fifty yards in front of us. A large pool opposite where we stood glistened in the sun and water fowl glided along its otherwise pristine surface.

The only thing not in this beautiful secret was the woman we had followed. She and all her passengers were vanished. Only her qasi remained, and the beast was tied to a nearby tree where it happily munched on some grass.

I stepped up to Ben's side and turned my head to and fro. "Um, am I missing something?"

"We both are," Ben agreed as he folded his arms over his chest and inspected the area. "It appears our prey has hidden herself away."

"That's a fine thing to call an old woman."

I jumped and even Ben was a little startled by the sudden voice which emanated from our left. We whipped our heads about to face that direction and discovered the old woman standing there. Or rather, the old woman's head.

My wild imagination jumped back into action as thoughts of talking disembodied apparitions danced around in my head. Thankfully, the old woman lifted up one hand and beckoned to us. "Stop gaping and get over here."

I looked to Ben who smiled and shrugged. Together we ventured over to the woman and her spot near the edge of the foliage. As we neared her position, I discovered she stood on a flight of worn stone steps that led down into a carved tunnel some five feet wide.

We stopped at the top of the stairs and Ben lifted an eyebrow. "These are the ruins of Matlae, aren't they?"

The old woman scoffed at him. "Of course it is, you fool, now come in before her spies catch us."

She scurried down the steps and we followed. The woman waited for us at the bottom where she held her hand in front of one of the large stone blocks. I could see the way was lit with torches that hung from the walls and the tunnel had several offshoots that gave the corridor a feeling of endlessness.

"Stand away from the door," she commanded us.

Ben and I reluctantly stepped into the tunnel and she pressed her hand against the stone. A large stone slid out from the ceiling above us and over the stairs. It fit so perfectly that not a single bit of sun shone into the stairwell. A heavy sound of footsteps came a moment later and trampled over the newly set stone.

"That is Sheba," the old woman told us as she smiled up at the rock. "I have trained her to hide the entrance with sand and leaves, and then to lay on it." And on cue, the heavy animal plopped itself over the top of us. The old woman turned to us and grabbed one of the torches. "Now follow me."

She slipped deeper into the tunnel and we had no other choice but to follow. The tight, dusty quarters and the great unknown that lay before us made me tense. Ben grasped my hand and smiled at me. I was glad he had confidence, but all I had was a desire to find the nearest exit.

We ventured deep into the bowels of those mysterious passages. My guess of them being countless wasn't too far off as we passed through numerous intersections and by many offshoots. A few doors with the musty remains of wood doors opened into windowless rooms. All of this was packed into an area that I guessed fit neatly under the oasis above us.

Ben paused in front of one of the doorways and took up a nearby torch to inspect the interior. He leaned in and shone the light into what turned out to be a large room. All the interior had been built from stone blocks, even the ceiling, and a few ruined crates sat in a corner.

I leaned in with him and looked around. "What do you think was here?"

"From the sheer amount of rooms and corridors, and the air-tight quality of the build, I would say this was some sort of storage facility," he mused.

"Just right!" the woman cackled from a few steps further down the hall. "This is the ancient granary of the old king! Now come along!"

She continued her march forward and we followed. We journeyed deeper for another fifty feet before the way opened into a large grotto of sorts. Stone seats had been placed about the room, some of them toppled over long ago, and there was even a massive table that had been cracked into three parts. The rotten remains of tapestries hung from the walls and a short set of stairs in the rear wall led upward. A stack of old books sat near the ruined table, along with some blankets and a store of food.

Unlike the corridors, the roots from the oasis plants had wormed their way through the stones and stuck out in dozens of places. The reason for their persistence probably had something to do with the moisture that hung thick in the air. The whole room smelled of fragrant water, and I swore I heard a faint running of the moisture.

Ben swept his eyes over the area. "Does the king know of this place?"

Our hostess paused in her nurse work and wrinkled her nose. "No. He shames his ancestors and is not worthy to know about this place. Not unless he changes his ways."

I lifted an eyebrow at the full-grown men versus the small woman who knelt in front of them. "You packed these men all the way here?"

She dabbed the cloth in the bowl of water by her side and scoffed. "Of course not. Benya did."

I hesitated to ask, but the answer came down the stairs opposite us. It wasn't a man, but something I could only describe as a cross between an anteater and a badger, and then quadrupled in size. Its body was covered in smooth short bristles that glistened in the light of the torches, and its elongated face had black stripes that originated from the center of its snout downward. A pair of beady eyes kept a vigilant watch on us as it lumbered on all fours down the steps. An impressive set of claws stuck out from every paw and a short, almost stubby tail swayed behind it. The creature plopped itself not far from the old woman and yawned, revealing two rows of long, sharp chompers. It definitely wasn't a vegetarian, and more proof was offered by the little bit of meat that stuck out between two of its teeth. The creature used one of its claws to pry the leftovers from its teeth where it proceeded to swallow it.

Ben folded his arms over his chest and admired the creature. "A dakhma. I haven't seen one of those in quite a while."

The old woman looked at the creature with pity. "Nor will you. There are very few left, thanks to the king's decree to destroy those that rummaged through the fields. He fears they will cause a panic of starvation among the already spooked people. Many of those have retreated beneath the sands into the ruins." Benya lifted his snout and let loose a soft, haunting howl. The old woman smiled at him. "You needn't worry, Benya. Old Nabiha will find a mate for you after the trouble is over."

"What family do you hail from?" Ben inquired.

Nabiha sighed as she resumed her gentle remonstrations. "The Hakim, and I know of your ties, Count Benjamin Castle."

Ben bowed his head, but his curiosity wasn't satiated. "It seems my reputation precedes me, but I must ask what is one of the family of the ancient sages doing down in these ruins tending to former captives of the king?"

She dropped her hands into her lap and scowled at the wall ahead of her. "That terrified fool does not understand what he is doing. He merely follows the commands of my sister and allows those tomb robbers to do as they wish, as well."

"Your sister?" I repeated.

Her shoulders sagged a little and a heavy sigh escaped her. "She is the Priestess of the Python. The very one who stole the magic from these men."