The Wars of Zegandaria by Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov (find a book to read .txt) 📕

The prince stepped solemnly out of the second ceremonial tent his subordinates had pitched especially for him. All around, those present had lowered their heads.

He was dressed in a special ceremonial robe of quizon that the soldiers had taken from the burned and looted base of the people. He walked slowly and with dignity between the two lines of bowing soldiers, subjects and onlookers from the stable. Everyone wanted to see him up close, especially since rumors of the altercation with his brother had spread thanks to the scouts. Everyone was now aware that a change of government was imminent, and this was possibly the most interesting and important topic at the moment.

Nundrag sat on a magnificent throne, a specially prepared bucket of the blood of soldiers killed earlier spilling at his feet. The crowd around went absolutely wild. They knew that no one had the right to declare a duel on anyone on a day like today, and not even the bravest guarron would step up to that tradition.

The young heir stood up and everyone fell silent.

My brave warriors, there is no time for idle talk, especially when victory is so near. Yesterday my brother Kier Zoh announced a duel, so expect the hunt to begin shortly. I know well the traditions of our glorious ancestors and for the sake of the survival of our species, I will look to win it as quickly as possible and prove that I deserve to be your ruler in the future.

In the farthest corner of the camp, a fellow watcher observed the ceremony unnoticed and even before it was over quietly slipped away without anyone seeing him. He had an important mission, assigned to him by the Prince himself, to assist him during the hunt, in exchange for the position of his chief deputy. Kier Zoh had predictably withdrawn and sunk into the ground. Moreover, tradition dictated that after the challenge was announced, he would be lynched by the subjects for attempting to usurp power. So his life was in danger on that single day of his brother's coronation as king. From the next day, however, he regained his status as prince, and the life-and-death chase was on.

Perhaps such an explanation of the change of power would sound a little confusing to the people, but the truth was that his principles had never betrayed the unity of this race that had struggled to survive for the last few thousand years. The Watcher quietly walked past the tent of the women of Nas Radal which was at the edge of the camp and sank into the desert, but his intentions did not escape the watchful eye of Ras Tian, the daughter of Zarag Tu's former Chief of the Watch. She was a beautiful maiden, tall and slender, and covered the Guarron notions of beauty. She could ride for hours, shoot a bow with no less accuracy than any man in the camp, but she possessed something that very few men could boast - a subtle intuition of the situation and its possible future development.

Through the scarcely open process of the tent, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the lookout moving away, which at once gave her grave misgivings as to his intentions. It was common knowledge that, despite their special status as public servants, lookouts were not allowed to leave camp on this coronation day, and this third major tradition of the species was virtually unbreakable.

'Who is he?,' she thought, 'I must tell papa at once. He'll know better than I what to do.'

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: KEITH

Keith and Major Ketrol strode through the dark rock and sand regions of the northern border of Synthros. This troubled area was one of the keys to the war in general. It had won its autonomy before the last Great War for Au Kaktir began. And it was of enormous economic and political importance. They were trying to use the last minutes before dawn to find a safer hiding place. They knew all too well that the Guarron had taken over the entire Southern Front, and it was utter madness to try to return to Ensarian. They had both been through a number of adventures since they had parted with Sasia. One of them had even included an attempt to tame a huge groandus to serve as their transport. Something that, quite understandably, didn't work out. The animal nearly crushed them to death and they were simply forced to shoot it at point blank range.

'I can't imagine how nature could ever create such a creature. I'd say we just put it out of its misery, Keith,' the Major had said in his typical style as he pulled the trigger on his Zirault.

Their wandering had now been going on for nearly a month. To someone biased, it would be a little strange why they hadn't moved away from Ensarian, or at least tried to capture a speeder they could use to get to a safer place, but the truth was they had no such option. Keith was counting on finding in the enemy's underbelly, at least a plasma rifle or some more serious weapon, because for now they were only relying on the Major's blaster. Water was a particular problem. As disgusting as it sounded, Keith had managed to swipe a small filtration probe, which he was able to use to pump out some of the killed animal's bodily secretions and turn them into water. Well, of course, the water didn't taste the best possible under the circumstances, but at least it guaranteed their survival.

One might think that Major Ketrol was just a frivolous lout, incapable of anything but excellent weapon handling and shake drinking, but to think of it that way would be too elementary. Behind his disgustingly flippant character, the Major espoused a simple and straightforward philosophy of life. Otherwise he would not have survived the many battles he had been involved in.

It definitely gave him the impression that Keith was more taciturn than usual, as if something occupied his mind all the time. The Major had encountered all sorts of oddballs in his life in the army, and was 'used to everything' to say the least. But this time some strange feeling gripped him from within. Something seemed to be whispering to him to be more alert than ever and not to let his guard down, despite the deceptive feeling suggested by the surrounding dead desolation, reminiscent of a calm before a storm. For the first time since meeting Keith, he wondered how well he actually knew him. It was true that he had rescued him from that ‘cursed guarron worm,’ as he put it, but generally speaking, apart from that fact, their acquaintance dated back several hours before Sasia had first met them on their way out of Uncle Zengar's Tavern.

The rising sun, was beginning to dye with crimson light the desert expanse that lay before them. The view was indescribably beautiful. They were struck by its primal logic. It was as if this almost dead planet was being reborn and living a new life, more beautiful than the last.

- 'Keith, don't you think we're going in circles?,' said the Major, clearly losing patience.

- 'Movement is good for your health, Major,' Keith tried to throw in a not very appropriate joke, but he himself knew that Jerry was right.

The Major didn't answer, just made a sour grimace, making the words superfluous.

- 'What do you think, Endwalker, did that girl manage to get away?,' he Major suddenly snapped at him.

- 'Who knows?,' tossed in Keith, as if casually, but inwardly the answer to that question was not at all indifferent to him.

There was something special about her that kept him from forgetting her. In his mind she stood out like a coloured image amidst the general grey background. Yes, if only she could have saved herself! But it was so unlikely. Practically the whole base had been razed to the ground. Rational thinking simply told him the worst. But he felt in his heart that there was still some chance that his fears were groundless.

^^^

- 'You know, Keith, sometimes before I fall asleep I think about how my heart won't beat anymore in the morning. You probably think I'm some kind of sentimental fool, don't you? But there comes a time in a man's life when he takes stock of all his good and bad deeds,' pronounced the Major, climbing another dune. This time there was something altogether peculiar in his tone.

- 'One would not expect such thoughts from you, Major,' said Keith, with a little gasp. 'You are a man with the heart of a lion,' he added respectfully.

Keith looked over his shoulder for a second, not slowing his pace in the slightest. The old man was pacing barely two or three yards behind him.

- This war was not started by us, and it will not end with us. Damn it! Don't let the current moment surprise and fool you, no matter what exactly is going on.

- 'Major?,' mumbled Keith, slightly confused. Inwardly he thought, 'Why are you talking so incoherently?'

- I'm perfectly fine my boy, you'll understand what I meant in time. If we're still alive...

Keith fell silent. He dared not ask. Wasn't it obvious exactly what his words were? Or was he just trying to pour out the pain in his soul. The two were still complete strangers. And they'd probably remain so. Keith was under no illusions that they might not return at all.

- 'This wilderness will end sometime,' the Major said as if with the last of his strength, and laughed. 'It can't last forever.'

Presently, crawling on the dune like little caterpillars in the midst of the endless waste, they heard in the distance loud shouts and drums. Instantly they lay down in the sand, burrowing just as they had been trained in the specialized officer program, and crouched in anticipation. Keith pulled out his infrared binoculars to get a better look at the enemy. This kind of enhanced binoculars gave both an infrared picture combined with biometrics, such as DNA and voice recognition. The binoculars' ultra-modern processor chip immediately made a comparison between the available biometric database and the one registered by the sensors, and the infrared surveillance had another function. Because of the planet's thin atmosphere, looking through ordinary military binoculars of the past could even lead to blindness.

There was also no doubt something was going on in the enemy camp. But that didn't stop them from at least looking. Their cover was still solid enough for that purpose. And if they used it really well they might even gain some advantage.

For a second, the beautiful orange-purple sky of Zegandaria came back into the young man's sight. It was already dawn and they had to hurry. 'So unreachable...' ran through his mind. It was as if its raw beauty hid another, better, unseen world from his