Pendragon - The Soldiers Of Halla Part 18

The city was still an oasis, but the look had changed.

There were still palm trees and flowers everywhere, but I didn't see any open troughs. I figured maybe they had been buried under the paved streets. Yes, the streets were now paved, but they didn't look like any street surface I'd seen. They sparkled with color. To me it looked as if the roadbeds were made from billions of tiny bits of crushed quartz. The sun hit the millions of facets in different ways, making the streets appear to be paved with multicolored jewels. The pyramids were gone. At least, the pyramids I remembered. These new silver structures had a sharp, modern feel, as opposed to the crudely carved stone of the old Xhaxhu. The lines of these new buildings were clean and straight, with no intricate carvings at all. The Batu statues were gone. In their place were modernistic sculptures that looked like, well, I don't really know what they looked like because they were just kind of chunky pieces of metal.

This was not a modern city, but it was definitely moving in that direction. The place felt kind of, I don't know, cold. Which is odd to say because it had to be a hundred degrees in the shade.

I've described the physical city and how strange it was to see the changes, but there was something else about this new Xhaxhu that was much more disturbing than any new architecture. The old Xhaxhu was populated by the dark-skinned Batu tribe. Now everywhere I looked, I saw only light-skinned Rokador. It was like one whole population had moved out, and another had moved in. That's not to say that there weren't any Batu. There were. But I saw what Loor meant when she said they had become slaves. Where the Rokador were out enjoying the day or traveling along the roads or doing whatever, the Batu were working. I saw a few guys polis.h.i.+ng the silver buildings. Others trimmed the flowers. There were no cars, so the Rokador moved along the streets in two-person rickshaws that were being pulled by sweating Batu tribesmen. As one pa.s.sed I actually saw the Rokador lean forward and whack the Batu who was pulling him with a long stick to make him go faster. The Batu weren't just slaves, they were being treated like animals. I take that backa"most right-thinking people wouldn't whack an animal with a stick, or make it labor in the heat of the day. I didn't see a single Batu who wasn't working. Hard.

There was one more change in Xhaxhu that told me how wrong things had become. It was probably the most dramatic of all. On top of each building, a flag waved. A red flag. With a Ravinian star.

I glanced to Loor. She was taking in the scene with dead eyes. She had gone beyond anger.

"Do you know what happened?" I asked.

"When the Rokador left the underground tunnels, they used their knowledge like a weapon. The Batu relied heavily on the Rokador to provide expertise in growing food and purifying water and giving medical care. Once they began living on the surface, that knowledge became power, and they used it to control the Batu."

I asked, "Didn't the Rokador still need the Batu for protection against enemy tribes?"

"No" was her quick reply. "They found another means of protection. The Rokador brought in an army from another part of the territory. They proved to be superior warriors to the Batu and wasted no time in gaining control over them. I did not know that such an army existed on Zadaa, but it did, and the Rokador brought them here to vanquish the Batu and take their place."

I saw a small group of these warriors marching together down the far side of the wide street. There were six of them, all marching in step. One look told me the truth.

"Dados," I said. "They didn't come from Zadaa. The Ravinians brought them here, just like they did on other territories."

"Whatever they are, they are demons," Loor said through clenched teeth. "They have destroyed my people."

"How did you find out about all this?" Spader asked. "Come with me," Loor answered.

She walked quickly, keeping her head down so n.o.body would recognize her as a Batu. She led us on a winding path through the transformed city. We reached the far wall and continued outside again to the vast farmland that fed the people of Xhaxhu. I wasn't surprised to find that all the people laboring under the hot sun were Batu. There were men and women and even kids. Dozens of them. They all worked under the watchful eyes of several dado guards. It made me feel horrible to see how this once-proud tribe found themselves working on their knees to feed the very people they once protected. I could only imagine how it made Loor feel.

"I may be a spirit of Solara," she said, her voice trembling. "But I am still a Batu. This is not right."

The life she had known had been turned upside down. You could say that about all of the Travelers, but it must have been especially hard for her, knowing what a strong, proud person she was. I wished I could say or do something to make her feel better, but I had nothing to offer.

"What d'ya want us to see out here?" Spader asked.

Loor led us to several large carts that were piled high with what looked like potatoes. That's what the Batu were digging out of the dirt. Potatoes.

"Stay here, I will return," she said, and walked away from us.

"You're right, mate," Spader said to me wistfully. "Every territory has changed. We've lost every one of *em."

"It's not about the territories anymore," I corrected. "It's about Halla."

Spader nodded thoughtfully, then added, "Do we have any chance of turning the tide?"

"I don't know" was my honest answer. "But it's not like we can stop trying."

"No," he agreed. "We're in this till the end. Funny thing though."

"What's that?"

"How are we going to know when the end comes?"

I was about to give him a quick answer, but stopped myself. The truth was, I didn't know. One way or the other. If Saint Dane found the exiles and wiped them out, would we all just stop existing? Would we even know that we had lost? And what if we won? What did that actually mean? Would things suddenly change? Would a gun go off and confetti fly, and we'd all pat one another on the back in congratulations? Probably not. Spader's simple question raised so many others. I decided not to deal with predictions. There was enough to worry about. One thing at a time. But Spader's words haunted me.

How would we know?

"h.e.l.lo, Pendragon," came a familiar voice.

I turned to see that Loor had returned with one of the Batu workers from the farm. It was a woman, though that wasn't obvious, because she was dressed in rags and was covered in dust from head to toe. She was also drenched in sweat from her labors.

"It has been a very long time," the woman said. She sounded tired and beaten.

"Do I know you?" I asked, digging through my memory to try and remember who she might be.

"I have grown since you saw me last. I used to be a warrior. Now I dig in the dirt. But I am still an acolyte to Loor."

"Saangi!" I shouted, and threw my arms around her. I did it without thinking. If I had thought for two seconds, I probably wouldn't have hugged her. Saangi wasn't the huggy type. She was a tough little girl who wanted nothing more than to follow in Loor's footsteps. She didn't like me much either. She thought I was a wimp. I'd gained some respect after I went through warrior training with Loor and Alder, but I still had the feeling that she thought I was a step above useless.

I was surprised to find that Saangi hugged back. Yet another example of how much things had changed.

"What has happened?" she whispered in my ear, her voice quivering.

I felt a drop of her sweat on my cheek. Or maybe it was a tear. My heart ached. Saangi was beaten. She was a slave. Knowing the kind of strong girl she had once been made it all the more gut wrenching. She didn't let go of me. Instead, she cried. I felt her body shudder with emotion. All I could do was hug her closer.

"Saangi told me of the rise of Ravinia here, and the destruction of the Batu," Loor explained. "But there is more. Something you should hear."

Saangi pulled away from me and sniffed back a tear.

"There is talk of a group being held captive," she explained. "They are prisoners of the Rokador. Of Ravinia. We do not know all there is to knowa"that news only comes from overhearing the Rokador speaking when they do not think we are listening."

I gave Spader a quick, hopeful look.

"How many are there?" he asked.

"I do not know," she answered. "Many. Perhaps enough to fill a city."

I had to stop from shouting with excitement.

"Is it possible?" Loor asked. "Could these be the exiles we seek?"

"*Exiles,'" Saangi repeated. "I have heard that word." "Hobey, this could be it," Spader cried with obvious excitement.

"Only one way to find out," I said, then looked to Saangi. "Do you know where they are being held prisoner?" "Yes, I do, as do you." "Uh, what?" I asked dumbly.

Saangi smiled. She actually smiled. That didn't happen much.

"It is a place you may not have fond memories of," she said slyly. "For you it was a training ground. It has become a prison."

"Mooraj," I declared. I knew that place all too well. It was the abandoned Ghee warrior training camp in the desert, where Loor and Alder battered me into becoming a warrior. When the Rokador tunnels collapsed and the tribes joined together, Mooraj had become a playground for both Batu and Rokador children. From the sound of it, there was no more playing going on.

"It is heavily guarded by the new warriors," Saangi added. "If you seek those being held inside, it will be dangerous."

"Thank you, Saangi," I said. "I can't promise anything, but if these people turn out to be who I think they are, things might begin to change around here. For the better."

"There is something you can do for me," Saangi said.

"What's that?"

"Take me with you."

I wasn't sure about that. Saangi was a warrior in training at one time, but things had changed. She was older, and the time spent laboring in the sun had taken its toll. Saangi looked frail.

I frowned and shook my head. "I wish we could, but if things get tough, I don't think you'll be able toa"" I didn't get the chance to finish my sentence. Saangi spun, kicked my right leg out and grabbed Loor's stave that I had been holding. With one swift move she knocked me on the side of my head. I fell to my knees, looking up at the girl who suddenly looked every bit as formidable as Loor ever had.

Spader laughed. "Can Saangi be on my team?" he asked.

I rubbed my sore cheek and looked to Loor.

She shrugged and smiled proudly. "A Batu warrior does not forget."

I looked back to Saangi. Her tears were gone. I slowly got to my feet and took the stave from her.

"Let's stop picking potatoes and see what's happening at Mooraj," I said to her.

Saangi smiled in relief. Like Spader, I wanted her on our team.

Chapter 17.

We needed a way to get to Mooraj.

It was too far to walk and there were no such thing as cars or trains on Zadaa. The solution came from Saangi.

With a satisfied grin she said, "I have been looking for an opportunity to use my skills once again."

I didn't ask what she meant by that. Spader and I were instructed to wait on the outskirts of the farm, while Loor and Saangi returned to Xhaxhu to carry out her plan. Whatever it was. All Spader and I could do was wait.

"Suppose we get there and find the place is loaded with exiles?" Spader asked. "Then what?"

"We go to Solara and bring Uncle Press back in," I answered.

"And what will he do?"

I shrugged. "Let's just find them first."

The truth was, I was forming a plan of my own. But I didn't want to talk about it, or even seriously consider it, until we found the exiles. Too much was up in the air for me to start getting everybody all worked up about something that might never happen. We had to stay with the mission, find the exiles, and make sure they were safe. Once that happened, if that happened, I'd reveal my thoughts.

We only had to wait a few minutes before two robed Rokador trotted up to us on horseback, each leading another horse. All four horses had wooden staves strapped to their saddles. The riders heads were covered by white hoods, but I knew who they were.

"How did you pull this off?" I called out.

Loor and Saangi took down their hoods. They both beamed. They were back in the saddle, so to speak.

"It seems," Loor explained coyly, "the new warriors are not as invincible as we thought." She threw down two white Rokador outfits. Spader and I now had white pants and white tunics with hoods. We would be as good as invisible. Spader and I quickly put on the new, lightweight clothing over our own.

Saangi said, "I do not believe those warriors are flesh and blood."

"They aren't," I replied as Spader and I mounted up. "And they aren't from Zadaa. But they're still going to come looking for their horses."

"By then we will be at Mooraj," Loor announced, and kicked her horse into gear. "I look forward to meeting more of those warriors."

"As do I," Saangi said, and followed after her.

Spader looked to me with wide eyes. "Those two scare me."

"Good thing they're on our side," I said with a chuckle.

The four of us rode across the wide-open countryside of Zadaa. The rivers that once flowed beneath the ground now provided enough irrigation to turn arid desert into rolling, gra.s.sy hills that stretched all around us for as far as I could see. There were no roads. We followed narrow trails that had been tramped by other horses. I'd like to say it was a huge improvement over what used to be, but it was hard to say that, knowing how Ravinia controlled it all. It was a steep price to pay for gra.s.s and wildflowers. I kept scanning the horizon, expecting to run into some Rokador. Or worse, a patrol of Ravinian guards. Being confronted wouldn't have been the end of the world. They had no long-distance communication on Zadaa. No radios. No cell phones or walkie-talkies. If we came upon a patrol, we would have to take them out. Simple as that. We couldn't risk them going to Mooraj, or back to Xhaxhu for reinforcements. No, if we happened upon random travelers, they would regret it.

It was hard to judge distance on rolling hills. It's not like there were signposts saying: mooraj-this way or only five miles to mooraj. I had to trust that Loor and Saangi knew the way.

Finally, after getting a little saddle sore, I saw the beginnings of the wall that surrounded the training camp.

"We must use caution to hide our approach," Loor advised. "We will keep to the troughs."

Loor led us on a winding route around the higher hills, using them to block any view of us. It was a good move, except that my b.u.t.t was in agony. Riding was something you had to get in shape for, and I wasn't. At least, my b.u.t.t wasn't. I looked to Spader, wondering if he was having the same trouble. As usual, Spader looked as fresh as if he had only been riding for a few minutes. He must have recognized the pain on my face, because he said, "I've been riding zenzens on Eelong, remember?"

I shrugged and grimaced. I didn't want to let on how sore I was.

Finally, mercifully, Loor motioned for us to stop. She got off her horse and handed the reins to Saangi, then lay down on her belly and crawled to the top of a rise. She peered cautiously over the crest and motioned for Spader and me to follow. I got off the horse and had to stop myself from letting out a huge, relieved "Ahhhh." No way I was getting back up on that beast.

Saangi took control of our horses while Spader and I crawled up to join Loor. The three of us peered over the top to see we weren't more than a half mile from the walls of Mooraj. The place looked pretty much as I remembered it. There was a formidable sandstone wall that surrounded the camp. I could see only the hint of the tops of structures inside, but they didn't look any different from when I had been there to train. There were no silver buildings or weird sculptures. All looked normal, except for one thing.

"Hobey," Spader exclaimed. "Quite the tricky-do."

The place was surrounded by Ravinian guards. Dozens of them. For whatever reason, they didn't think they needed much security at Xhaxhu, but Mooraj was being guarded like a fortress.

"There's definitely something in there they don't want to let out," I observed.

"And that will make it difficult to get in," Loor commented.