The Six

Chapter Twenty- Mountains

Dust hung in the air, filling their lungs and scratching their throats as they made their way through the dry country towards the ever-looming mountains.

They had left the city escorted by the Commander who rode on horseback beside them and a small army of soldiers both in front of their carriage and behind.

The sprawling buildings had disappeared, replaced by the occasional farmhouse and fields as far as the eye could see.

The carriage was open top and drawn by four large sturdy horses, the midday suns beating down on them with a vengeance.

"Is there a well nearby my good man?" Orlan asked, shaking his canteen upside down, the last drop of water dripping out.

"Afraid not Sir Orlan. The wells in this area are dry." The commander pointed to the fields they were passing. "There is barely enough water to sustain the crops."

"But what of the great rivers that flow through the city?" Kas asked, looking to the dry fields sadly.

"The water barely reaches the fields this far out. The great rain is coming in the near future- the people just pray to Elementi that the crops survive in time to use its nourishment." The commander replied.

"Eboni?" Orlan asked

"Sorry- the soil is dead. There is no energy here for anything to grow, so there is no energy for me to collect." She said quietly, smiling sadly.

"I'm so thirsty!" Iasa wined- her head resting on Bren's shoulder as she lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the sun's rays.

Bren hadn't said a word to her- or the group that she had seen- since they set off this morning.

"We shall be arriving at the entrance to Cerina soon Princess, there is a well of water from the mountain springs that will quench your thirst and fill your containers."

"Good." Iasa mumbled in reply, her eyes closing as she soaked in the sun's rays.

"Can the Empress not do something?" Atu asked the Commander a little while later as the half grown brown crops turned to dust.

The Commander shifted uncomfortably in his saddle. "The thoughts and actions of our Empress are for no mortal to judge for she is divine and good." He said, the speech seemingly rehearsed and well used.

Atu scoffed seeing through the speech's bravado. "If my people were suffering from an issue that had a solution I would not be throwing lavish feasts and using rivers in the city for vanity purposes. Your Empress too is mortal- remember that."

The Commander narrowed his eyes at Atu. "You must not speak of such things – Chief- Remember whose company you are in." He glanced to the soldiers surrounding them. "You never know who is listening."

"Kas nudged his brother, shaking his head silently telling him not to start an argument. Atu scowled but remained silent.

The journey was completed in silence. Stopping the carriage at the foot of a lush green mountain range, the Commander escorted the group to the well at the start of the path that would lead them to the heart of the country.

True to his word the water was plentiful and quenched their thirst.

Eboni looked back towards the city. The next time she would set foot on this ground, Admari would be under the control of The Dark Ones- whether the people knew or not.

She noticed that the soldiers would not pass what seemed to be an invisible line- they hung back in perfect formation waiting for their next orders. Looking over to the Commander she saw him hand over the packs to Orlan, Bren and Kas that were full of fresh food and blankets that they would require during their journey.