“Well, whatever stories there are, we will have time to hear them as we travel,” said Virgil.
Once they all had finished breakfast, Virgil led the group along the riverbank and into the red lands. Alex walked beside Rallian, watching the young prince. He could see how nervous Rallian was and admired him for moving forward without complaining. He thought Rallian would make a good king, but it was not up to him to decide who would be the king of Nezza.
They walked all day, stopping now and then to rest. Cam told them some of the stories he’d heard about the red lands as they walked. The best ones were about the fabulous wealth hidden in the western desert, hidden treasures that were protected by some kind of monster.
“Our stories speak of the different monsters that live in the desert,” Rallian commented after Cam finished his story.
“I wonder if any of them are true,” Tom said, excited. “It would be good to collect some treasure while we’re here.”
“What good is treasure if you don’t get home to spend it?” said Dain, his eyes scanning the desert.
“Always looking at the bright side.” Skeld laughed, giving Dain a friendly push.
When the sun started to sink in front of them, they found a sheltered spot near the river to camp for the night. The land they had been walking through was a desert, but it was not the sandy wasteland that Alex had expected. There were many trees growing along the river, and their green leaves stood out brightly against the red rocks that covered most of the ground.
“Not much of a path,” Dain observed as he cooked their evening meal. “You would think the path to an oracle would be in better condition.”
“I’ve seen no sign of a real path all day,” said Tom. “Perhaps this is not the river we should be following.”
“Tempe may be well known, but not because a lot of people speak with her,” said Alex. “She is known for the things she has done.”
“What things?” Rallian asked.
“She once named the ruler of the three lands,” Virgil replied when Alex remained silent. “Most people who have spoken to her do not talk about the experience. Perhaps she is best known for what people don’t say.”
“Mystery is always a friend of oracles,” said Dain.
“What kind of things will Tempe tell us?” Rallian asked.
“What an oracle says to a person is for that person alone,” Cam answered.
Rallian frowned and then began to ask more questions. Alex smiled as he remembered the first time he had spoken to an oracle. He had spoken to Iownan, the Oracle of the White Tower in Vargland, one of the best known oracles in all the known lands. He hoped that Tempe would be as kind as Iownan had been.
The next morning, they continued to follow the river into the desert. The sand dunes now came down to the river’s edge on its far side. The sand near the water was bloodred, and it looked as if the desert was trying to get a drink from the river.
“How long do you think we have before Lazar comes looking for us?” Virgil questioned as he walked beside Alex.
“I’m sure he is already looking for us,” said Alex. “I suspect he will look east first, thinking we will try to get to the arch and escape from Nezza.”
“East first, but then what?” Virgil questioned. “He knows this river leads to the oracle. He might send men to prevent our going this way.”
“Then he has already failed,” said Alex. “I doubt that Lazar will send too many soldiers this way in any case. We are outside of his kingdom here and sending soldiers here will cause trouble.”
Their second day in the desert ended, and the rocky valley walls had almost disappeared. The sand dunes were set well back from the water’s edge, kept away by large rocks. It looked as if the river had washed the sand away, leaving only a wide path of bare rock that the company could walk on. There were no longer any trees along the river, only a few small bushes.
“No wood for a fire,” Cam commented, sitting on a nearby rock.
“It will get cold tonight,” Skeld added. “The desert may be hot in the daytime, but the nights will be cold.”
“We should have brought some wood with us,” said Tom grumpily.
“Why didn’t you say so before we left the wood behind?” Cam asked, also sounding grumpy.
“A cold dinner, then,” said Dain.
“Not at all,” said Alex. “What good is a wizard if he can’t provide a cooking fire from time to time?”
Alex moved to where Dain was taking food out of his bag. He found a low spot between two large rocks and conjured up a bright yellow fire. Dain looked skeptical, as if a magical fire could not possibly cook their food. Alex laughed at the dwarf’s suspicious look and sat down next to the fire.
“A useful bit of magic,” said Dain, still eyeing the fire.
“Hot meals are always better than cold ones.” Skeld laughed, winking at Alex.
Alex let the fire continue to burn long after their meal was cooked. Even when everyone began rolling themselves into their blankets, Alex continued to sit by the fire. He moved his hand slightly, and the flames became smaller. He didn’t feel tired, and his mind was still puzzling over what had really happened when he’d broken the curse on the river. The other magic had always been there, waiting for someone to break the curse, but why?
“You should rest,” Rallian said, looking over the fire at Alex.
“You worry too much,” said Alex.
Rallian didn’t reply but lay down and closed his eyes.
Alex knew that Rallian was still unsure of wizards and magic, but he couldn’t do anything to change that. After thinking things over once more and finding no answers, Alex pulled out his own blankets and rolled into them. Skeld was right: it was going to be a cold night.
Alex let his magical fire go out, and as its light vanished, the night sky came alive. Alex didn’t think he had ever seen so many stars. He lay awake, looking up at the sky and taking note of where the brightest stars shined. It would be good to know the night sky of Nezza in case they had to travel at night. With Lazar hunting them, there was a good chance of that happening.
When Alex finally fell asleep, he dreamed about the desert around him. The sand was soft and warm, not hot and scratchy like real sand would be. He moved through the sand effortlessly, gliding gently over the dunes and sometimes diving into them like they were water. It was a wonderful feeling, and at first Alex didn’t realize what shape he had taken in his dream. When he came to the river in his dream, he saw his reflection in the water. He was a giant snake, brightly colored with bands of red, yellow, and black around his huge body.
Alex looked across the desert of his dreams. Dark clouds filled the sky of Nezza, and in the distance, he could see flashes of light. Even being so far away from the lightning he could still feel it, like a thousand tiny sparks running through him. His massive snake body twitched nervously, and unexpected fear flooded into him. Danger was moving toward him, and he wasn’t sure that the deep sand of the desert would be enough to protect him from the storm.
Virgil’s voice broke into Alex’s dream. “He’s gone! Wandered off or lured away.”
“Who’s gone?” Alex asked, rubbing his eyes and getting to his feet.
“Rallian,” answered Virgil. “Gone in the night from the looks of it. His tracks lead into the desert.”
Alex looked to where Rallian had been sleeping. The blankets were still there, but Rallian was not. Without saying anything, Alex ran toward the red sand dunes. He could hear Virgil and the others following him, but his mind was focused on Rallian and the storm in his dreams. Tracks led up the dunes, and Alex charged toward them as fear gripped his heart.
The dune was difficult to climb; the sand shifted under his feet, making him slide back down the dune and pulling him away from his goal. Gasping for air as he reached the top of the dune, Alex’s eyes automatically followed the tracks Rallian had left in the desert sand.
Not far from the bottom of the dune, Rallian stood as if he’d b
een turned into a statue. In front of Rallian was a huge snake, its head raised slightly off the sand. It almost looked like the snake was talking to Rallian, but Alex could see that Rallian was too terrified to speak or even to run away.
“Hold!” Alex yelled, rushing down the dune, his staff held out in front of him.
Alex was concentrating on the snake, but Virgil and the others must have thought he was yelling at them because they stopped at the top of the dune and did not follow.
Half running, half sliding through the sand, Alex prepared to freeze the giant snake if it moved to attack Rallian. The snake turned its head to look at Alex, and at that moment, Alex stumbled in the sand. He tried to get his feet under him but discovered that there was nothing there. The sand dune had been hollowed out, and as Alex fell into the empty space, he realized it was a trap.
Desperately, Alex tried to move forward, away from the dune. Sand was all around him, falling into the empty space with him, and he knew that if he didn’t do something fast, he would be buried alive. A jarring pain hit him, and his legs folded as he hit solid ground. Instantly he pushed off with all the strength he had, leaping free of the trap. He landed facedown in the sand and immediately tried to roll away from the dune.
When he opened his eyes, all Alex could see was dusty sunlight. He tried to get up but found that he was buried up to his waist in sand.
Rallian was still standing where he had been, but the snake had vanished. Twisting as far to one side as he could, Alex saw that Virgil and the other adventurers were still standing at the top of the dune with stunned looks on their faces.
“Rallian,” Alex called. “Come and help me.”
Rallian turned toward him slowly—he looked confused and lost—and then he moved a few yards toward Alex.
“Rallian, I need your help,” Alex said, working on digging himself out of the sand. It was nearly impossible for Alex to move the sand and free himself because every time he pushed some of the sand away, more of it slid down the slope to cover him.
“What . . . what happened?” Rallian asked as he dropped to his knees and started pushing sand away from Alex.
“It was the serpent,” said Alex.
“What serpent?”
“I’ll explain later. Help me get out of this sand.”
Rallian worked fast, and together they managed to clear away most of the sand. Then Alex felt something that turned his blood cold. A vibration traveled through the sand, a vibration that told him something was moving nearby. Twisting to look back at the dune, Alex could see the sand was moving above him, and more sand was sliding down the side of the dune toward him.
Virgil, Skeld, and Dain ran down the side of the dune toward Alex and Rallian while Cam and Tom remained at the crest of the dune, scanning the desert. When the dune shook again, the three would-be rescuers stopped in their tracks. Alex realized what was coming. He managed to pull his staff free of the sand and let loose a bolt of lightning that struck the dune about halfway between himself and Virgil.
The sand glowed white-orange where the lightning bolt struck, and Alex gritted his teeth as the electric charge danced through the sand and his buried legs. The giant snake under the sand must have felt the shock as well, because it almost jumped out of the dune. Its body slithered between Cam and Tom, sending them tumbling down the far side of the dune. At the same time, a wave of loose sand came crashing down on Virgil, Skeld, and Dain, sending them tumbling head over heels down the dune.
“Get your company together on this side of the dune,” Alex yelled at Virgil.
Rallian was digging near one of Alex’s legs while Alex scanned the dunes for any sign of the serpent. Virgil managed to get back to his feet and was yelling for Tom and Cam. He got his feet under him and started back up the dune. Skeld followed Virgil, and Dain ran to help Rallian free Alex. The serpent had vanished again, but Alex was sure it hadn’t gone far.
It took less than a minute for Dain and Rallian to pull Alex free of the sand, but it felt longer to Alex. He saw that Virgil was almost at the top of the dune, but he froze when a bone-chilling scream filled the air. Tom came flying over the top of the dune as if he’d been tossed by a giant. He almost knocked Virgil down as he landed and rolled through the sand. The serpent appeared right behind Tom, and, to Alex’s horror, Cam was clamped in the serpent’s jaws.
“Cam!” Virgil yelled, rushing forward to attack the snake.
Virgil’s attack was pointless. The serpent dove back into the dune, vanishing from sight and taking Cam with it. For a second, Alex was dumbstruck, unsure of what to do or how to do it. Virgil appeared to be lost in rage and confusion as well. It was Skeld who took control.
“Virgil, to me,” Skeld yelled, dragging Tom to his feet.
The three adventurers stumbled down the sandy slope, and Alex, Dain, and Rallian met them a few yards from the base of the dune. Alex held his staff up, ready for another attack. He sent his magic out, searching for the serpent and Cam, even though he knew there was nothing at all he could do for Cam.
“A difficult creature to get hold of,” said Virgil.
“Are you sure you want to get ahold of it?” Alex asked.
“We could retreat to the river,” said Skeld. “This serpent cannot hide so well in the stones near the river.”
“Could we get back over this dune without being attacked?” Virgil asked.
“I don’t understand how we got here,” said Rallian. “Why are we in the desert at all?”
“The serpent enchanted you,” Alex answered. “It used magic to lure you out into the sand, knowing that the rest of us would follow.”
“A magical enemy, then,” said Virgil. “How do you suggest we deal with this, Alex?”
“We force the serpent out of its hiding place,” Alex answered. He made a gesture, and a small cloud appeared over the company, a cloud that looked like a hand. Closing his eyes for a moment, Alex finished his first bit of magic, then lifted his staff.
“You might want to cover your eyes,” he said.
Alex let his magic loose. A massive bolt of lightning shot from the head of his staff, striking the sand behind the company. Another lightning bolt flew to the left side of the company, and a third to the right side. Alex continued to blast the desert with lightning, and after seven or eight bolts had struck, he felt a vibration under his feet. He let another bolt loose, this time directly in the middle of the company.
“Careful with those,” Skeld shouted.
“Be happy you have your boots on,” Alex shouted back, shuffling his own bare feet in the sand.
The giant snake exploded out of the sand in front of them, forcing them to close their eyes and put their hands up to keep the sand out of their faces. Then the serpent raced for a dune that was fifty yards away and dove into the sand like it was water.
Alex pushed out his right hand, and the cloud he’d created slammed like a meteor into the sand where the serpent had vanished.
Alex closed his eyes in concentration as his magic raced after the snake. He probed the air in front of him with his right hand as though looking for something, and then he closed his hand into a fist. Slowly Alex drew his hand back, and, when his hand reached his chest, the sand in front of the company grew into a mound. Rallian and the adventurers all moved behind Alex, their eyes looking from the growing mound to Alex and back again. Finally, the sand slipped away and the massive serpent appeared, its head held in Alex’s ghostly fist.
“By the ancients!” said Virgil.
“I’ve never . . .” Skeld started.
“Speak,” Alex commanded the snake. “Speak if you have anything to say.”
“I speak only to curse you,” hissed the snake in a language that Alex not only recognized but could understand. He had heard this language twice before, both times from the mouths of dragons.
“You would curse me for defending myself and my friends? Your curses have no power, and if they are all you have, then I will silence you forever.”
“Perhaps, but you will pay for my destruction,” the serpent answered. “My masters will crush you, wizard. Your power is nothing compared to the power of the . . .”
“The power of what?” Alex asked.
“The power of my master,” said the snake.
“First you say masters, and now you say master,” said Alex. “I think your rage has betrayed you. You were going to say the power of the Brotherhood, weren’t you?”
“I know nothing of a Brotherhood,” hissed the snake. “Kill me if you will—I cannot stop you.”
Alex twisted his closed fist, forcing the serpent to look directly at him. “First you must show me all that you have done.”
“Never!” screamed the serpent.
“Never?” Alex repeated. “Then I will ask you one question. If you answer true, I will kill you quickly. Lie to me and you will suffer a slow and painful death.”
“What is your question?”
“The young lords of Nezza—the seven who have vanished—were they sent to you?”
“Yes, they were given to me,” the snake answered. “If you are looking for a king to rule this land, your plans have failed. There will be no true king in Nezza now, wizard.”
“Rallian still lives,” said Alex. “Why did you not kill him when you had the chance?”
The serpent did not answer, and Alex didn’t expect it to. Closing his eyes, Alex clenched his fist as tightly as he could. He could hear the serpent thrashing in the sand in front of him, trying to break free of his magic. A loud cracking snap filled the air as the serpent’s neck broke in the grip of Alex’s cloudlike hand. Alex opened his fist, wiped his hand on his pants, and then waved away the magical cloud he had created. He turned away from the dead serpent and started back toward the river.
Later, as Alex and his friends ate their breakfast by the river, Rallian told them how the serpent had called him into the desert. To Rallian it had all seemed like a dream, at least until he had woken up face-to-face with the giant snake. Nobody said anything about what Alex had done to the snake, which Alex was grateful for.