1Though the night was cool, the sand still smoldered under her feet. The nearest city finally loomed in the distance. The mood did little to light her path as she made her way across the dry land. Traveling at night meant she would have no trouble with the heat, which was the last thing she needed. She could clearly see the outline of the steepled rooftops and the gate that was tightly shut and well guarded. The stone wall felt cool against her fingertips. She decided that she would wait for the sun. With the sun came the noise and chaos of city life. She knew that no attention would be drawn to her, she wasn't planning on staying long enough.
"Why would a young woman, such as yourself, be doing outside the city walls on an early morning such as this?" an old woman stepped closer to her and slowly sat down on the warm sand.
"Who are you and where did you come from?" she hunched against the wall, sliding away from the woman.
"We are only as wise as we are observant," the woman's green eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Do you have a name?"
"Yes," the woman answered curtly.
"Do you want to tell me?"
"Maybe," the expression on the woman's face mocked her.
"My name is Nailah, if that's what you're waiting for," she said to the woman, angling her head so she could get a clearer view.
"Pleased to make you acquaintance, Nailah. Such an interesting name. Where is it that you came from?" the woman curled her feeble legs under her robes.
"Everywhere and nowhere, since we're so fond of answering in riddles. A name please?" Nailah grasped the edge of her sword that she carried inside her cloak.
"Patience. You must have patience, young one," she smiled a mysterious smile and began digging inside her robes.
"I don't have time for patience. I just stopped by here for a place to rest and eat. By nightfall, I'll be n my way again," Nailah straightened the sleeves of her cloak and pulled her hood down, exposing her face to fresh air.
"Ah, a traveler. How interesting," the woman looked to the sky and struggled slightly getting to her feet.
"Was there something that you wanted? Needed?" the gates of the city began to creak and groan as they were forced open.
"I wanted to give you a welcoming gift, if that suits you. It is better to begin in a place with a friend rather than an enemy," the woman opened her hand and held out a silver pendant on a chain.
"I already told you, I'm not planning on staying here," before Nailah could finish, the woman had fastened the chain onto her wrist.
"None of us ever do," she said as she turned towards the open city gates. Nailah took a step towards her byt the woman was already half way back.
Nailah didn't have the energy to complain or follow her. The walk from her last stop had worn her out considerably. The sounds of the awakening city carried out of the walls. She sighed and began walking towards the gates. The merchants had just begun to open their small stands. Various types of breads, meats and fruits appeared almost instantly. First, she would need to get a small room and count her money. Nailah knew to be careful with her funds. The sellers tried to get her attention by holding out their delectable foods, but she kept on walking. She stepped into the first inn she came across and sat down at a small table.
"Can I help you?" the innkeeper stood before her, his arms crossed over his chest threateningly.
"All I need is a place to rest. I've made a long journey overnight. I have money to pay, if that's what you're worried about," Nailah held out her hand. The innkeeper's eyes glazed over.
"Do not worry about the money, I will show you to your room," he beckoned her to follow him upstairs. She stood up, stunned.
"Strange city," she said under her breath as they moved across the room, weaving in between tables.
Once the door was shut, she safely took her moneybag out of her cloak. She always carried it close to her body so she would know if its familiar weight was ever missing. All of her money was there and she noticed that soon she would need more, but she hadn't yet decided how to acquire it. There was a loud knock on her door and it swung open on its hinges. Nailah instinctively grabbed her sword.
"Who's there?" she asked as the old woman from outside the city hobbled inside the room.
"Oh, put that thing down. I'm not here to hurt you," she sat down on the bed and rubbed her knee absently, "I told you that having a friend in this city in infinitely better than an enemy."
"If you're not here to hurt me, what are you here for?" Nailah asked, sitting down on her chair again and putting her money back into the bag.
"I'm here to show you around. I figure you've never been here before, not many people have. So I can show you around, get you settled," the woman said, placing her walking stick against the bed.
"What don't you understand about the fact that I'm not going to be here for very long? I'm leaving by nightfall," she stood up again and started pacing.
"Why would you leave at night? That's the most dangerous time around here. You don't understand what I'm saying. If you want to leave, leave during the day. I may be a crazy old woman but I do know something," Nailah stopped and stared at her.
"What's so bad about night around here? It seemed quiet when I was outside the walls. I think I would've heard something going on, don't you?" the woman smiled.
"You can't always shear something when it's wrong. Some of the worst things in this world are silent," she stood up and picked up her walking stick.
"You don't make any sense. I'll be just fine on my own, thank you. All I need is something to eat then I plan on coming back here to sleep. Then I'm leaving," Nailah said, placing her moneybag back inside her cloak.
"Suit yourself. I'll find you if you need something," the woman was gone before Nailah had a chance to ask her what she meant. It was like this town had some power of people.
The day had already begun to heat up. The sun was beating down on her shoulders as she made her way through the markets. The merchants didn't seem as eager to sell to her now as they did that morning. By midday she had some food in her stomach and was almost eager to look around, but she knew that she needed rest. The city seemed so beautiful and enticing to her. She passed doorways with music and noise coming out of them and she passed people on the street that looked exotic and exciting to her. Nobody said anything to her; it was obvious that she wasn't from around the city. Thankfully she hadn't seen the old woman again, she didn't need to hear that nonsense. The bed at the inn never looked so comfortable. She drifted into a dreamless sleep almost as soon as she lay down.
When her eyes opened again it was dark in the room. The stars peeked in from the night sky. She jumped up and started gathering the rest of her things together to leave. The hallway was silent, filled with the sounds of sleep. The innkeeper no longer sat at his post by the door. He was at a table in the back with a drink in front of him. He paid Nailah no attention as she quietly opened the door and slipped into the night. The old woman must have been crazy; there was nothing out here but silence. The places she had passed that afternoon were dark yet the city gates were still wide open like they were expecting her to leave. She stood in front of the gates, waiting for someone to come out and catch her. She stepped through them and walked into the cool desert air.
Before she had time to turn back and look, the gates slammed shut faster than she had seen them open. She absentmindedly reached for the small silver chain and pendant on her left wrist. It was ice cold though it had been against her skin all day. She looked down at it and the pendant contained a glowing blue substance. Had it been glowing the whole day and she hadn't noticed? Nailah carefully unhooked the clasp and the bracelet fell into her palm, still cold. The pendant glowed a brighter blue.
"What do you do?" she said, thinking out loud. Suddenly the pendant glowed fiery red and grew hot. She dropped it on the sand. The color immediately went back to a cool blue. She shifted her foot out of her sandal and touched her toe to the pendant. It was ice cold again.
"I don't get this," again the color changed to a bright red and turned searingly hot. She bent over to pick it up as it turned back to the cool blue color.
Nailah looked back towards the city and there was a light blue aura hanging around it. She turned back and started to walk back. The walls felt no different and the gate stayed firmly closed. She pounded her fists against them and nothing budged. Her thoughts fell upon the bracelet, tucked safely into her pocket. She pulled it out and swung it between her fingertips. Nothing happened. She sighed and leaned against the gates, sliding down to sit. The bracelet turned a violent purple and the gates started to move. As soon as they were open she noticed that the city did not seem the same. The people standing on the streets all seemed to have a pendant like hers fastened somewhere; on an ankle, on a cloak, on a finger, on a wrist. The old woman stepped forward and smiled. Nailah didn't understand.
"I told you we all say we'll be leaving but something brings us back," Nailah backed away with a strangled sigh coming from her mouth.
"No, no. What have you done to me? I need to leave; I have to get back home. I don't want to stay here with you," the woman stepped forward and held her arms out.
"It's okay. We're not going to hurt you. All these people were once like you, travelers with no destination. People running from something that catches up to them in time," a young woman about her age stepped up to her and smiled.
"Everything is okay here, you always have a place to stay and food to eat. Plenty of company," Nailah stepped back again, pulling out her sword.
"I have a destination, I'm going back to my father. My mother needs me. I'm not just running from something," a blast of red light flew towards her and knocked her sword out of her hand. The pendant glowed a red again and seared into her hand. She didn't flinch, didn't drop it.
"You don't understand what power I have over you. If I let you leave, that power will only grow stronger, make you want to come back. You need to accept it and stay," the woman's eyes had a red glow to them.
"Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do? I don't want to stay here with all of you, I want to go home to my family," she raced over to pick up her sword and turned towards the gates. They slammed shut just before she got to them.
"Nailah, you can't run forever. You need somewhere to call home, somewhere to stay. I will give you that home. We all will," the woman walked closer to her, opening her arms again. Nailah felt herself being pulled towards her. She tried to tell herself to stop but she couldn't.
"No, I don't. Stop. Please. Let me leave," her words came out as a choked plea. Her tears fell silently.
"Shh, it's okay now. You're home," the woman pulled her towards the group of waiting people.
"No, no. Please. I need to leave!" the crowd surrounded her, smiles on their faces. The woman pushed her into their waiting arms.
"Young one, I told you all you need is patience," Nailah turned back to the woman.
"You never told me your name," the woman smiled broadly and pulled her close so only Nailah could hear.
"My name is Hathor," she released her and Nailah looked into her eyes with horror and fear.
"Destruction," the woman nodded and smiled, "That's what you are," she pulled away from the people and faced her.
"You know names, do you? Yours never did suit you, I suppose. Successful is it?" Nailah nodded, "Your mother chose it because she wanted the best for you I imagine," Nailah reached for her sword but it wasn't there.
"My mother named me because she believed in me," Hathor laughed crudely and pulled Nailah close again,
"You're mine now, little one. You should be more careful in your choice of places to stop. You should have just kept going," the pendant, now back around Nailah's wrist, burned into her skin. She flinched slightly.
"If you're going to keep me here, at least let me write to my parents. Let them know where I am and that I'm safe," she smiled evilly.
"If I let you do that, they may come looking for you and we can't have that happen, now can we? That bracelet will become more comfortable as it burns a lesson into your skin. Never, ever, disobey me," the pendant burned again. Nailah pulled her sleeve up and saw he pendant burn its pattern into her skin. A red mark was surely on its way.
"You can't get away with this, I actually have family waiting for me," Hathor pulled her into the inn she had been staying in.
"I can do whatever I want. You have no idea," Nailah landed hard on the floor as Hathor threw her into the room and slammed the door. The sound of the lock clicking ensured her fate. She would stay here. For tonight.
As twilight fell onto the city, it grew quiet. She had her meals given to her that day but there was no conversation. The innkeeper had always looked upon her with fear, ever since that first day. Nailah unclasped her bracelet and held it up to the rapidly fading light. There was no color in it anymore, just a clear liquid. She set it on the windowsill and looked out beyond the city walls. She was so close to home, yet so far away. She had to get out, needed to leave this place. But how?
Hathor, she discovered, saw everything without seeing it. She didn't care what Nailah was doing, just that she wasn't trying to leave. As she was sitting by her window, she tipped her chair backwards and almost fell, grabbing the windowsill for dear life. The bracelet slipped off the edge and fell to the street below. As it hit the ground, a puff of yellow smoke blew into Nailah's room. She struggled to stand up and strain her eyes looking for the bracelet on the ground below. There was someone on the street, picking up the broken bracelet. Nailah popped her head back into her room. What had she done? There was a soft knock on the door and the lock scraped open. The young girl that had come up to her that morning stood in the hall.
"Come in. No use standing out there," the girl stepped in and shut the door quietly. Nailah noticed that she didn't have the pendant hanging anywhere visible.
"I saw what happened. I was up here too, once. I dropped my bracelet out the window on purpose; I just wanted to get out of here. I was like you, I had family. They were coming to look for me; I got word from my brother when I was in another city. I thought I would meet them halfway. Then I came here. And, you know, never left. The bracelet is how she sees everything, how she can control you. She's no average woman. You know what her name means, right?" Nailah nodded.
"Hathor was the goddess of destruction. My mother did not raise a fool. How does she control everyone?" the girl held her hand up and listened for any noise.
"She's a dangerous woman. Has some kind of power over people here. I haven't had my bracelet for a long time now. As long as you don't draw attention to yourself, you won't be questioned about it. She doesn't care where you keep it the pendant as long as you have it so I just say I have it inside my cloak. You understand what I'm telling you, don't you?" the girl walked over to Nailah and placed her hand on her shoulder.
"You mean she won't know what I'm doing anymore? She can't see me? Can't control me?" the girl nodded.
"You could get away, you know. I haven't tried because she had my family killed when they came looking for me. I have no reason to leave," her eyes clouded with tears.
"What do you mean you have no reason to leave? You could come with me. My family would understand, provided we have an explanation. We can do this, you and me. What do you think?" Nailah's eyes were full of excitement.
"I don't know, this is all I know. My parents were murdered in front of me and my brother. Then my brother was killed. She's a horrible woman, I don't think I want to take the chance and try and escape," those eyes settled upon Nailah again, filling with sadness.
"I know you don't want to stay here. We're leaving. Tonight. There's still time. Where does this woman stay?" the girl walked to the window and pointed to the largest guard tower.
"She stays up there. I've been up there with her, assigned to keep her awake. Now, there's no one that stays up there with her. She stays awake very rarely. You see, when someone tries to leave, she has a larger pendant that looks just like the ones we have and it gets heated and red and it's extremely bright. That's how she knows. But we don't have ours anymore. You have to destroy them, otherwise she still knows," she sat down and wrung her hands nervously.
"But she doesn't know when one is destroyed? Not smart thinking on her part, is it? Is there any way out of the city besides the gates?" the girl nodded.
"In the tower she stays in, if you go inside but don't go up the stairs to where she is, you can leave through another door. But it's hard because she has guards on either side. Other than that, you're able to leave. That's why I came up here when I noticed what happened, I can help you. If I am able to leave, I will but if all I can do is help you, that will be good enough for me," she smiled.
"I won't leave you behind. Do you think we can leave tonight? I know she'll be watching me tomorrow and I don't want to take the chance of her asking about the bracelet," Nailah patted her cloak, making sure everything was still in its place.
"If we hurry. But it's going to be difficult. Here's what we'll do…" they continued to talk about their plan hurriedly, deciding who would do what. The light in Hathor's tower flickered dimly. There was no way to tell if she was awake or not.
"Hurry!" the girl yelled to Nailah, as they ran through the small streets. Nobody seemed to be awake.
"The guards rotate every hour or so. The outside one comes inside and vice versa. So now we wait. We have at least five hours before sunrise. The old witch does not wake up before the sun," they sat against a building, hidden in shadow. The guard was leaning lazily just past the door.
"I never asked you your name. You're greatly appreciated for helping me. Without you, I wouldn't have known about that nasty woman, or the power she could have over people," Nailah smiled warmly.
"My name is Dahlia. I've pad attention to everything in this city since my bracelet broke. I know how to escape, I just never had the means or motivation to do so," Dahlia leaned her head back against the wall and stared at the sky.
"Dahlia, like the flower. I like it. I don't understand why she keeps you all here. Am I supposed to believe that everyone here has no family, anywhere, to worry about them?"
"She doesn't care about family. Another thing you don't understand is that people don't know time here. A year to them is nothing," Dahlia sighed, "They do not get older. Who know show long some people have been here. It could be centuries or mere weeks. People come and begin to lose track of time."
"How long have you been here?" Nailah asked her, pausing when the guard shifted his position against the wall.
Dahlia sighed again before continuing, "I've been here a relatively short time, maybe only about three years. I know that now because I don't have her bracelet or her control. I will not stay young forever like the others here. Eventually she or someone else would notice me aging. I would've had to escape sometime," she wrung her hands. The door beneath the tower opened and the guard strutted inside.
"Now!" Dahlia whispered, taking off running across the road and through the small door. The guards noticed them as the door into the city slammed shut. Dahlia smiled at one of the guards and his expression softened.
"Hello, Dahlia," he said, ignoring the other guard's attempts to catch his attention. Nailah could only smile.
"Hi. You wouldn't want to make me sad by not opening that door for me now would you? Because I'd be happy if you'd let me through," the guard lowered his sword and thought about it for a moment.
"I don't know. I could get into a lot of trouble for letting you leave," Dahlia tried her best to keep the smile plastered on her face.
"We would get more than we bargained for if we let them go. You'd risk that for a woman like her?" the second guard said reasonably, his sword still drawn.
"He's right. If you two ladies would go back to your rooms quietly I won't mention this to anyone. But if you put up a fuss I need to go up these stairs and start something that will finish you," Dahlia looked at Nailah questioningly.
"Then we go the hard way, I guess," Nailah pulled her sword out of her cloak and held it up. The guards began laughing and lowering their weapons.
Nailah smiled back before she launched herself at the guards. The smile quickly faded from their faces when they realized that she was serous. She hit the first guard before he could get his weapon back into the air. Dahlia stood there watching the scene unfold in front of her. Nailah's sword skidded cross the ground. The guard laughed and pinned her arms behind her back. Dahlia stepped forward to help her but the other guard scooted behind her.
"I don't want to hurt you, Dahlia. So just stay right here and you won't have any trouble," Dahlia looked back at Nailah, who was trying to kick her way out of the guard's grasp.
The fighting guard let out a wail as Nailah finally succeeded in kicking her feet high enough to hit him. He immediately loosened his grip on her arms and she broke away. From where she was standing, Dahlia could see that Nailah had a clear shot at getting her sword back but the guard was too quick to rebound. He came at her, his sword raised high. Without thinking, Dahlia rushed forward, ducked under the guard's outstretched arm and flung herself against the door, frantically pulling at the knob. Nailah glanced over and knew if they had any chance of getting out, she needed to keep the guard distracted. She saw her sword glinting in the corner, just steps away. Before the guard could comprehend what she was doing, she ducked and grabbed her sword. Dahlia yanked harder on the door, but it wouldn't budge. Her eyes scanned the room and saw the other guard standing stationary near the door. The ring of keys was in his hand. With an unsure look on his face, he tossed the keys across the room and into Dahlia's waiting hands. Nailah was doing her best to keep the guard busy, narrowly missing some of his angry swings. Dahlia heard the lock click as the key finally fit. The door swung open and the fresh desert air swept into the small room.
"Nailah! The door's open!" Dahlia yelled to her from the open doorway. Nailah's head turned and she smiled. With renewed energy she attacked the guard until he and his partner were trapped into a corner.
"I want you two to stay right here. Dahlia and I are going to leave and you are to tell no one of it. Understood?" she said, pointing her sword in their faces. They both nodded quickly.
They walked out the door, slamming it behind them. Nailah grabbed the keys and jammed one into the lock hoping that it would hold in case the guards tried to get back through the door. The light in Hathor's tower flickered somewhat brighter. Dahlia looked at Nailah and smiled sweetly. They had gotten themselves out.
"So, it's finally over," Dahlia said with relief. The two began walking away from the city in the growing light.
"Yeah, we did it. I bet those guards feel really special, two girls escaped them," they both dissolved into a fit of laughter. They both turned back in time to hear a loud scream carry across the land.
"Guess she heard the news," they both smiled and kept walking. Nailah had never traveled during the day but she had a pretty good feeling she would from now on.