The Desert Ghosts Ch 03 04

Thank you to Oldbroad76 for editing.

CHAPTER III

Kael III

For the first time in years Kael woke up not in a panic. He was well rested, enough in fact that he was the last of his group to awaken. As he rose from his spot in the desert, the rest of the team were putting on their outer armour layer and sheathing their weapons.

"Come on, lover boy," Connah called out. "Wasting daylight."

Kael's cheeks flushed, and he smiled towards Exi, who smiled back from afar. He stood up just as Samuhal handed over a cold piece of cooked meat from the night before, and Kael chomped away.

"Don't let her cloud your judgment." Samuhal whispered to him.

What is that supposed to mean?

Kael thought but chose not to respond.

They marched on, further away from the Pakria bodies that were killed the night before and deeper into the unknown. They had made a slight diversion south to avoid a Pakria tribe. Walking in a line, few words were spoken, not out of hatred for each other, but to save their strength.

The wind had picked up on this day, blowing harsher and throwing sand into their faces. The only benefit of this was their tracks were quickly washed over.

Behind him, Connah increased his pace until he was side by side with Kael.

"So, how was it?" He asked, buzzing with excitement.

Kael found himself smiling.

"None of your business." Kael whispered.

"Come on!" Connah joked and shoved Kael hard enough that he lost his footing. "You can't tell me it wasn't amazing. I'd bow down to Amihra if it meant I got a night with Exi."

Amihra was the goddess of love, although her name would fool heathens. She was known for killing her mates after making love to them. An evening of the greatest pleasure a human being could ever imagine, and all you had to do was submit your life afterwards.

"It was... pleasant." Kael said with a laugh.

"Who knows if the opportunity for me to bed another woman will come before we die on this mission," Connah goaded. "You can at least let me enjoy your antics."

Kael turned his head back, ensuring the other members of the team were far enough away.

"Fine," He replied, "It was amazing!"

Connah burst into laughter and hit Kael's arm again.

"Keep it down," Kael told him. "It was like nothing I had ever felt before."

"Please," Connah joked, "A tall, muscular man like you, son of a blacksmith... you must have fucked many a wench back in Manstel."

One may think that, but before last night, Kael had never kissed a woman. In his family, it wasn't the way it worked. He was supposed to save himself until his father had found a suitable partner for his own needs. Until then, if Kael touched another woman, he would be considered damaged goods, tainted, none of which mattered now that news of his supposed death was going back to his family.

"Erm, yeah, however she was different." Kael nervously replied as he looked away from his friend.

"Oh, I bet she was." Connah laughed again.

"Did you just come here to ask me about sex?" Kael asked him, desperate to change the subject.

"Oh, no," Connah said. "This tribe we're going around, it's the furthest point marked on our maps... how are we supposed to know where to go after that?"

"We go east." Kael bluntly replied.

"And then?" Connah asked.

"After three hundred miles we turn North, towards the broken islands. That's where this army is supposedly being formed." Kael told him, all of which Connah already knew.

"Okay, and how exactly do you plan on knowing when we have reached three hundred miles?" Connah asked. "In an endless desert with no way points and no map to tell us the distance?"

It was a valid point, one that Kael had already thought of himself. However, the three hundred mile walk he thought would have given him enough time to figure out an answer, although it appeared Connah had an answer of his own.

"How about," He said, "Instead of going around this tribe, we attack them?" Kael went to argue but Connah's hands flew into the air. "Hear me out. It's only supposed to be small, but they could have some sort of maps, or one of them could give us directions under... questioning. They could even give us information on this army and our mission."

"We are not supposed to be seen," Kael told him. "What if they run off and warn others?"

"Well... we just won't leave any to run off." Connah replied.

It was brutal, but that was war. For some reason that didn't sit right with Kael. Killing someone, human or Pakria, in battle was different than killing innocents in their homes. The Pakria weren't like the kingdoms in Oswin where there were allegiance to kings or lords. This tribe possible had no input in the Holy War.

"I don't like that plan." Kael told him.

"Well, the others might." Connah argued.

"I said no." Kael answered, firmer, wanting to silence his friend. He had turned to glare into Connah's eyes.

"I thought you weren't our leader," Connah told him. "We're all equal in this team, right? We should put it to a vote."

Kael wanted to argue, but he had no leg to stand on. He had denied the promotion, even going out of his way to make a point to the Northerner that he would not be in charge. If he changed his mind now, they would all lose respect for him.

"Fine." Kael grunted.

The two of them remained standing still while the others caught up.

"Fuck's this about?" Alix asked, being the last one to catch up on his smaller legs.

"Connah has a proposal for us to vote on," Kael told them. "I disagree with him, but it is not my decision to make."

Erik gave a fairly satisfied smile to that. At least Kael was making headway with him.

After that, Connah explained his plan to the group and left a moment of silence for them to consider.

"I'm in." Exi was the first to speak.

"Exi?" Kael asked, shocked by her immediate answer.

"It makes sense," She argued. "They could have food and drinks as well, never mind shelter out of this wind for the night."

How could she be so cold to happily butcher villagers?

That moment Kael realised he did not know Exi as well as he thought he did.

"I agree," Alix replied. "We hit them fast and hard, smiles all around."

Kael was definitely not smiling.

Samuhal seemed indifferent, choosing to stay undecided.

"I do not like the plan," Erik finally spoke, his deep voice echoing around them. "Killing them needlessly."

"They ambushed us last night. They would've killed us in our sleep if Kael didn't wake up." Alix argued.

His words had an effect on Erik, who went quiet.

"It's settled then," Connah said. "We attack the tribe at nightfall."

--

As the sun began to set, the group stood upon a sand dune looking out towards the small tribe. It was less populated than Kael imagined, which put him at ease. Less chance of a risk and less people to kill.

There were only a few wooden huts, all in a circle with a fire burning in the centre. From afar Kael counted at maximum twenty Pakria, which looked to be farmers. Easy targets, especially when surprised.

"So, what's the plan?" Alix asked. He had a spear clutched in both hands.

"We strike fast and hard," Erik told them as he gripped his axe. "Charge in, take them down where they stand, and leave a few survivors for questioning."

"There's one fall in this plan," Kael said. "What if they don't speak Oswini?"

Chances were that they couldn't. What need would the Pakria have for learning an invader's language?

"I guess we will find out." Connah replied.

Kael did not like this plan. They could keep walking, eat, sleep and carry on in the morning. It was an unnecessary risk that he did not enjoy taking, however he was outnumbered.

To his side he caught the glimpse of Exi's eyes glancing toward him. He was unhappy with her eagerness to this plan, but as Samuhal said, he could not let her cloud his judgment.

"Another hour," Kael told them, "wait until the sun has fully set."

They all did agree with that. The moon may have been bright this night, but the heavy wind blowing across the desert blocked a lot of view, meaning the Pakria would be even more unorganised to a surprise ambush.

Kael broke away from the group. He had a few mouthfuls of meat left from the night before that he began to chew on before drinking from his canteen. The wind made his cape blow westwards, also resulting in sand entering each bite of his meat.

"You don't like the plan." Exi's voice said.

Kael turned and looked at her. He didn't feel his usually nervousness around her, whether it was the sex or her decision in this evening's mission, he was unsure.

"I don't like to kill for no reason." Kael grunted back at her.

"There is a reason," Exi argued. "A valid one. We can't wander the desert in hope for signs of where to go."

"There would be better options than this," Kael told her. "Better than killing innocents."

Exi didn't break his stare, standing her ground, as short as that may be. Even in his annoyance with her, Kael could not deny her beauty.

"Have you heard of General Taen 'White Eye'?" Exi asked.

Kael stared at her.

"From the Isle of Erst, your homeland?" Kael asked. "Everyone's heard of him."

General White Eye, named due to his birth defect that left him with perfect sight, but his eyes were entirely white, was renowned for his war against crime in Erst. In a few short years he had practically abolished rape, illegal drug use, human trafficking and theft. Even uneducated people of Oswin knew about him.

"Well, the history books may have written about how he achieved his success," Exi continued, "but I bet you didn't hear how he accomplished it. About the men, women and children he slaughtered in his efforts to destroy crime. How many innocent people he killed and tortured, but it was for a greater goal."

Kael didn't believe her at first. How could a man with Taen's renown have committed such atrocities without it being common knowledge.

"That doesn't make it right." Kael argued back, even in his disbelief.

"Now, there are few people living on the streets due to addiction. A woman can walk through the streets without threat of being raped. A man can sleep calmly without the fear of being robbed," Exi told him. "What he did was a bad thing, but the outcome outweighed the wrongdoing."

Kael heard her words but struggled to process them. In his youth back home, there was a clear line between right and wrong, and committing something wrong was never worth a good outcome. Then being in the army, he rarely had to think about it. He did as he was told as a good soldier should. But this, this concerned him.

When he didn't reply, Exi gave him a saddened look before returning to the rest of the team. They were still separate slightly, yet closer together than previously.

After a short while Kael returned to the group as they prepared their attack.

Erik gripped his axe with both hands, Alix held his spear leant against his right shoulder, Connah and Samuhal both had a sword in their hands, Exi had her two short blades in either hand, and Kael slowly unsheathed his sword and grasped it in his hand.

"Ready?" Kael asked. He may not have liked the plan, but he was going to give it his all.

"Ready." Connah replied.

Their movements were flawless and silent, gracing across the desert effortlessly as they ran towards the tribe. Through the sandy air they could see the fire in the centre as their target, their capes blowing behind them as it grew closer and closer.

Reaching the first hut, the team broke into separate pairs. Connah stuck with Kael as they crept around the side of the small, wooden building. Kael attempted to listen out for movements, but the wind blocked anything out.

His left hand pressed onto the wooden door, slowly opening it to darkness. Light from the fire outside began to pour into the hut where Kael saw two Pakria lying side by side on a funny looking bed.

One opened his eyes, but before he could react Kael plunged the pointed sword through his chest andthe bed, cracking into the wooden floor. At the same time Connah struck his weapon through the Pakria lying next to him.

Pulling back his sword, blood dripped from the tip as he nodded towards his friend who searched the rest of the hut.

"All clear." He whispered before Kael turned to go back outside.

A shadowy figure was moving from one hut to another, a cape blowing behind them.

"Ahhhh!!" A screeching voice screamed.

Well, there goes the surprise.

Kael's attention heightened as the door to a hut next to him burst open, and a topless Pakria man appeared with a spear in his hand. His eyes locked onto Kael, and he charged. The farmer Pakria thrust the spear poorly at Kael's stomach who jumped to his right. His left hand caught the neck of the spear and yanked it back, forcing the Pakria to fall to his knees as he released the weapon.

The Pakria looked up at Kael with anger in his eyes as Kael raised his sword.

Fuck.

He couldn't do it. Kael slammed the back of the hilt against the Pakria's head and watched him fall to the ground.

To his left there was the clash of metal on metal. Connah was in a fight with a Pakria handling a curved sword. He hadn't spotted Kael, who slammed his shoulder into the Pakria and forced him to crash into the hut next to them, letting out a grunt.

The sound of footsteps from behind made Kael spin, but before he could react from an attacking Pakria, Connah pierced his weapon through the attacker.

The Pakria at Kael's feet, the one he slammed into the hut, was gasping for air, and once again Kael struck his head with the hilt of his blade to knock him out.

What's that?

Kael thought, in the now open hand of the Pakria he knocked out held a straight, steel sword,

Pakria don't know how to manipulate steel... this is an Oswin weapon.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of ongoing fights which Kael ran towards. To his amazement, Erik held a Pakria a foot off the ground by his throat while slamming his axe into another on his right.

How strong is he?

"Kael!" Samuhal's voice shouted.

Kael turned to his left to see Samuhal on his own. Three Pakria were in front of him, each with steel swords. Then he noticed the blood dripping from Samuhal's right arm.

In an instant Kael was by his friend's side, aiming his weapon at the Pakria who growled at him. Their faces were covered with rags, so only their eyes were on show... not red eyes though... these were brown.

Two of them charged at Kael with their swords in the air, slicing them down. Kael shoved Samuhal as hard as possible as he rolled to his right, dodging their attacks. One of these two, as well as the third attacker, zoned in on Samuhal who was clutching at his cut on the ground.

The other came towards Kael, its brown eyes staring at him with pure hatred. They lunged at Kael, slicing its sword from above their head. Kael blocked the strike and kept his eyes locked on the Pakria's eyes.

Just over their shoulder he watched as the other two Pakria raised their weapons at the injured Samuhal. With as much force as he could muster, Kael pushed the Pakria away and turned to his friend.

"No!" Kael shouted as their weapons began to strike at Samuhal.

Samuhal managed to shift, but not enough. A sword pierced through his left shoulder, and Kael watched it come out the other side.

"Ahhhh!!" Samuhal screamed out.

The second sword didn't hit him.

Somehow, Alix had gotten there, and his spear was going through the other Pakria's chest, and it was coughing up blood as life left its body.

As the Pakria with the sword through Samuhal's shoulder pulled its weapon back, Alix spun around and slammed his spear through its heart.

"Noooo!!" The Pakria that was fighting Kael screamed, a feminine scream.

That was Oswini,

Kael recognised.

With her attention on Alix killing her friend, Kael let his sword drop to the ground as he jumped at her. His arms tackled her waist and dragged her to the floor.

"Get off me!" She screamed.

Kael grabbed the cloth covering her face and pulled it back.

She's a human.

Other than the human, Pakria, whatever she was, fighting under Kael, she was not even close to his strength. The rest of the fighting seemed to have died down.

"What the fuck?" Exi's voice asked as she strode next to Kael, realising it was a human underneath him.

"Someone help Samuhal!" Kael shouted. "Exi, bind her."

Exi went to work ripping the Pakria's clothes and wrapping them around this woman's ankles and wrists, leaving her helpless as the rest attended to Samuhal. In the army they had very little medical training, but they had to do something.

"There's something else you need to see." Exi told Kael.

Leaving the bound human with the Pakria on the ground, Exi led Kael into another hut.

"What is it?" Kael asked, his adrenaline rushing through his body as he looked around the dark room, and then he spotted it - a woman in the corner, quivering. "Another human?"

"Yeah," Exi told him.

This woman had long, brunette hair, and she looked to be maybe twenty one years old as she wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them to her chest on the ground.

Kael approached her slowly and saw her flinch.

"It's okay," Kael told her. "We won't hurt you."

Suddenly, she jumped forward. Kael immediately went to defend himself until he realised that she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body against his.

What is going on?

He turned his head to see Exi with a confused look on her face.

The young woman was shaking around Kael. In an effort to comfort her, Kael wrapped his arms back around her.

"It's okay, you're safe." He told her.

--

They had gathered the now conscious and bound three Pakrias as prisoners while Erik and Connah were seeing to Samuhal in one of the huts.

Kael, Alix and Exi were looking at the Pakria as well as the human woman that was with them.

The young woman they found was in another hut, regaining her strength.

Kael stepped towards the woman bound with the Pakria.

"What are you doing with them?" Kael asked, towering over her on the ground.

"You pig!" She shouted and spat at Kael's fit. "Just kill me. That's all you're good for!"

He turned back to see Exi laughing, and Alix stepped forward.

"You're from Denil?" He asked her.

She didn't answer him, simply giving him a look so vicious it could kill. The other two Pakria men didn't appear to speak Oswini.

This is useless.

Without speaking Kael turned and entered the hut that the young woman was in. She was lying on a bed, crying.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

The young woman sniffed and rubbed her button nose. She was clearly from Denil, given her caramel skin with soft features and long brunette hair.

"How did you get here?" Kael asked.

She looked at him, tears welling her in swollen eyes, and her lip quivering.

"We aren't going to hurt you," Kael told her, "but I need to know what's going on."

As he took a step towards her, she pulled back to the other end of the bed.

"We... we live here." She whispered. Her voice was thick with a Denil accent, which meant she rolled her R's.

"How?" Kael asked.

Denil was the furthest south western kingdom in Oswin, known for its beautiful deserts and beaches. It was most like Pakria, which is where the Denil people originated from before mixing with the regular Oswin population that resulted in their race as it was now known.

"East from here," She whispered. "We live in a small village, we... we work."

"Work?" Kael asked her,

what could she possibly do for work out here?

She obviously wasn't born in Pakria given her use of the Oswin language.