Prince of Sand 4 (Rewritten)

The underground caves of the city of Sherin were fantastic; the founders of the city had found them when digging the sewer system and took advantage of their natural canals to take the waste into a seep far beneath the city. The find also saved the city millions in gold and labor allowing instead heavier defenses to be built. However, it also provided an unlikely and dangerous tunnel system throughout the city, and allowed access from deep into the mountains. no one truly knew how far the caverns went into the Katanga ranges, but there had been explorers and none had ever returned. Miners ventured out to stake claims, and from that wealth had exploded into Sherin, now it was not only a city of trees, but it had its own backdoor mine. Still, the caverns were dangerous, rats and spiders the size of large wolves lurked in its depths. Rumors of huge lizards had even been circulating, and some reports of the patrols sent down to keep the pests down had confirmed this, though the local magistrate had put it all down to wild tales, every tall tale had at least a nugget of truth and Sheva was not about to let anything catch her unawares. What made maters worse were the brigands that lurked in the darkness, stealing from the miners and charging fees for “protection” they provided.

She had to get back to the Band to inform them of Achan’s words, and that they could not trust any more shipments of weapons from him. She used the key her contact had “retrieved” and opened the gates into the caverns enough to allow Keba and herself to slip silently into the murky, smelly depths. Pulling free her torch ad striking her flint against a stone the warm light lit the path in front of her, reaching down she unbounded the sword and cleared it in the sheath, if she needed it she wanted it at hand. As she followed the mental map shed forced herself to memorize her thoughts drifted back to better times, when Joshua and his cousin Deimos were friends, when the clans were united and worked together for the benefit of the Clan.

Deimos, flowed through stances with his bastard sword, the hand a half blade was forged from tempered steel, made in the city of Timur and the water marks along the blade were magnificent. The blade had a blood red ruby set in its hilt, and the dragon mouth held it was of a polished ivory beautiful to behold. Joshua sat in a window his booted foot hanging and swinging slightly; as he stared out at the ocean scene lying before him. Deimos’s brothers and sisters had lived here since the day they were born, training, day and night by order of the Patriarchs of their clans, they had been sent to the Isha to become the best. Pheobe was outside, ever practicing with her long bow, the trainees had lived in the five acre castle comfortable forced to learn the ways of a warrior. “ You should be training Joshua, not sitting in the window mooning after Sheva. She will be fine, and you have your own tests to think about.” Deimos grinned as he returned back to a high guard, “You should know, you talked the master into accepting her even though she was not of the clans. Joshua’s golden stare turned to regard the intense predatory red eyes of Deimos Ashoka. The man was tall, six foot five of solid muscle, his long black hair was curly and swept back from his face with an onyx ring, and muscles rippled under the plate mail he wore, the ease of his movements belied its heavy weight. He had the classic good looks of a statue, flawless skin, and the smile he gave the Drakken scion revealed perfect ivory teeth, he winked. “Come little cousin…” Joshua nodded and leapt from the window that was nearly twenty feet from the floor, a split second before he hit the ground, he shoved off from the wall and bled the momentum into a roll that brought him to his feet.

Deimos laughed and flowed into a high guard position, and suddenly ducked as the knife Joshua had thrown thudded into the wood of pillar where Deimos’s head had been an instant before. The shocked look of his face faded into concentration as Joshua leapt through the air the short swords whirling into complicated patterns, soon both were panting from the exertion of combat, neither could gain an edge and the fight was wearing them out. Fighting as they were in the training hall, neither could force the advantage, the protection supplied by the plate was countered by the maneuverability from the leather Joshua wore. The huge sword Ashoka swung forced Joshua to dodge and weave constantly wearing him out, and he couldn’t stop the sword with a parry, these were the times when he wished he’d learned how to properly use a shield. Ashoka’s sword swung in a vicious arc, and unable to sidestep, Joshua was forced to throw both blades up in a defensive maneuver that left him completely open to the kick he knew was coming. The grunt that escaped from his mouth as the mailed foot slammed into his solar plexus, and threw him across the room, and as his head slammed into the stone wall stars shot across his vision, he attempted to roll away desperately trying to by himself precious seconds for recovery when the shiny point of Deimos sword pricked his throat, “ Yield. “


Joshua looked up into the flaming eyes, and knew, beyond a shadow of any doubt at all, that if he did not yield, the man would thrust the blade through his neck. “I yield cousin, I yield. “ The fire sputtered, and then went from Deimos’s eyes and he stepped back hesitantly, he looked disbelieving for a split second, unsure of himself, then the walls closed and the molten red eyes, “ I…. Jos…I…“ He turned and strode toward the door, nearly breaking into a run toward the end, he stopped at the door and began to turn back when he shook his head and threw them open, the cold morning sun beginning its journey up the sky. The ocean mist gave the black figure leaving an ominous appearance and Joshua shuddered, half from the pain coming from the back of his head, and half from the chills he suddenly had running up his spine.

A pale hand reached from the black haze still hovering around the edges of his vision, and he glanced up, Sheva, her beautiful face concerned he reached out and took the proffered hand, feeling the rough calloused fingers spoke of a sword user, and as he swayed he caught the scent of jasmine and smiled, “ You passed the tests then? “ he was surprised he could still speak, though he could hear the slur in his own voice. Her voice carried the “Of course, they are what we have been trai…” She stopped, concern filling her voice, “Your bleeding!” Her hands reached behind his head and came away coated in red, when Joshua stumbled, and fell she caught him, “We need to get you to the infirmary!”

The sudden echoing shout of something off in the gloom brought Sheva back to reality, Keba had stopped and was staring into the murk with slitted pupils, pulling her sword free and rolling her shield to the arm holding the torch Sheva squinted, wishing she had the eyes of her fiancée, who could see the same at night as in the day, “What is it Keba?” The tiger’s tail twitched and its hackles rose, the voices grew louder and the sound of boots could now be heard. Whoever was coming there was more than one, and when Keba suddenly leapt into the darkness Sheva suddenly felt very, very alone. Sheva saw the torch light coming from around a corner ahead and prayed that it was a patrol, or even miners and not the bandits that felt they owned the place. Apparantly, Sheva was to deep underground, or she hadn’t prayed long enough for the four men that walked around and stopped suddenly when they saw here were either rogues, or very well armed and mean looking miners. “Well, well… lookit’ what we have here! A pretty young lass all by herself, down in the mines were there are big bad monsters!” The men with him laughed and they continued walking, unconcerned about the three feet of steel in her hand. “ Whatcha doin’ down here girlie? Get lost shoppin’ fer some shoes?!” Sheva’s eyes tightened and she widened her stance, “ You’d best get out of my way boys, I don’t want any trouble but I won’t run from what little fight you four could give me, maybe I better give you some time to go round up more of your friends?” The leaders face flush, “You better watch your mouth girlie, down here I’m the boss, and you do what I say you do.” The younger man behind the other three carrying a crossbow paused, “ Rafe… she looks like that lady in the wanted posters…”