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Contrary and Cantankerous
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Empress of the World Who Doesn't Love a Good Song?
The Emperor and his followers knew that they should see the southern fort on the horizon at any time. Their nerves, a mix of anxiousness, excitement and relief, were bringing an overall tension that was unbearable. "Junayd?" Devrim called to the general. "Yes, Your Majesty?" Junayd rode up next to the Emperor. The grey-eyes man hesitated and inhaled deeply. "Could you, perhaps, sing us a song?" Devrim gave a pained smile. "Did I hear you correctly?" Junayd's jaw nearly dropped to his steed in astonishment. "Yes, yes you did. I am probably losing my mind, but we need a way to lighten the mood." Devrim motioned to the travelers, who seemed ready to jump at a moment's notice. "Do not worry, boss. You will not regret this!" Junayd said as he pulled out a makeshift drum he had composed from animal hide and a hollowed out stump. "I already do," Devrim responded, rubbing his temples. The Emperor scooted his horse away from the musician. He had no desire for a front row seat. "Does Gen
Empress of the World A Wave of Confusion
The first gnome to pop out of the ground was met with one of Mairwen's arrows. Although she had not had many arrows left after the battle with the pirates, Mairwen had fashioned some with wooden arrowheads that would still hurt considerably when met with flesh. The arrow hit its mark and the gnome sunk to the ground in pain. Seeing their comrade go down, the gnomes on either side ducked into the earth for protection. "That way! Archers, lay down some cover!" Devrim ordered while pointing to the gap the princess had made. The other archers shot from the back of their steeds to try to widen the hole. Although none of them were used to shooting form horseback, most arrows got close enough to scare the gnomes into a momentary retreat. Devrim and Mairwen led the group through the hole over the uneven ground. As soon as the horses began to file through the gap, the archers could not continue their onslaught. Moments after the arrows stopped, the gnomes reappeared to cut off the fleeing h
Empress of the World Ambush
The sand caught up Devrim and Mairwen in its fearsome grip and pushed them forward. The Emperor held onto the princess's hand as long as he could, but the sand worked its way between their hands and wrenched his grip free."Mairwen!" the grey-eyed man tried to call out, but his mouth filled with gritty particles. The wave had captured them and there was no room to even breathe.Instincts kicked in, and Devrim swam with the sandy current to crest the wave and receive a life-giving lungful of air. He dove below once more to try to find his daughter and anyone else who might be drowning in the sandy depths. Whether it was sand or water stealing air, the end result was death. Devrim had to help however he could.The Emperor caught hold of an odd arm and leg, pushing the owner upward however he could. Devrim was blind inside the sandy mass, however, and he was not sure if his efforts were doing any good.Devrim pushed himself to the surface for another gasp. His arms and legs were so weak
Empress of the World Men of the Dunes
The Emperor's troops had been so exhausted that the final watch had been unable to be vigilant. Therefore, it was easy for the band of men in lightweight desert clothes to overtake the imperial group. They had even done it without alerting anyone until it was too late.The leader of the group, Metehan, held one of the men dressed in fine clothes at the point of his sword before he could waken. But the grey-eyed man's reaction was confusing when he realized that he was captured. Rather than be afraid, he seemed annoyed at one of the other men in his group. 'How odd!'The other man, who was burly and in a general's uniform, also seemed relaxed enough to argue. The two men bickered back and forth until Metehan could take it no longer."Enough! Are you not the least bit worried that you have a sword at your throat?" he asked the man at his feet.The grey-eyed man scanned the group briefly, barely turning his head against the sword. It seemed he was looking for someone in particular, but h
Empress of the World The Chieftain
Orhan watched the scouting party approach. He was adored with a lightweight silver cloth wrapped tightly around his head. The Cheiftain had seen the curious sand wave the day before, but was hesitant to investigate during the daylight. Whatever had caused the tsumani was very powerful, and he did not want to challenge that force.So under the cover of darkness, the Chieftain sent Officer Metehan to examine exactly what happened. He had no idea that the efforts would bring back nearly a hundred people!"What have you brought me?" Orhan asked when Metehan was within speaking distance."More victims of the desert, Chieftain." Metehan approached Orhan and fell to one knee and put his fist on his chest. The girl standing next to him curtsied. Her clear blue eyes were almost the same color as the sky."Why is this one not sleeping like the others? We do not bring people into our camp where they can find it again," Orhan scolded."A wise practice for a wise Cheiftain," Mairwen complimented h
Empress of the World Gentle Hands or Viper Fangs
Devrim exited the tent and held out his hand to shield himself from the afternoon sun. He could hear Mairwen's voice, but it was not until his vision adjusted to the light that he could identify one of the other speakers. "Captain Caleb? What are you doing here?" Devrim asked, surprised. The Captain of the palace guard bowed before the Emperor. "Forgive me, Your Highness! I got caught up in the siege of the Southern Fort. I was checking on supplies and preparations to report to the Empress when everything went wrong. The gnomes attacked from below and nearly collapsed the whole fortress. We were forced into the desert and lost many soldiers to quicksand and the heat. "When we thought all was lost, these strange animals appeared like ghosts in the desert. I believe they are called camels. The Dunesmen put us to sleep and brought us here. We have been regrouping to make an attack on the fort ever since." Caleb stepped aside, and Devrim viewed the camp of the People of the Drifting Dun
Empress of the World The Fate's Dilemma
Finally everyone was squared away and settled. The Emperor was clean, full and enjoying his new clothes. He was even presented with his own head covering. While he understood the function of the cloth before, seeing it in action was something new. The lightweight fabric blocked the sun from beating down on him, and he felt far more comfortable in the heat than he had wearing less clothing.As promised, Devrim met with the Cheiftain and Timur. The Emperor brought Junayd, Captain Caleb and Lieutenant Mund with him to the Cheifain's tent and Orhan had his son Timur, Metehan and a many of the elders of the Dunesman.They all reclined comfortably on cushions in a circle with a low portable table placed in the middle. In fact, it was one of the most comfortable meetings Devrim had ever attended. He wondered if they could employ similar methods at the palace.Telling Devrim the same story as he relayed to Mairwen earlier, Orhan gave those in the tent his predicament. "I must decide how best
Empress of the World Diversion
Back at the palace, things were coming to a head. The palace was nearly reconstructed, and that meant that Baak would be moving his "trophies" soon. There was little time to lose.Alvar had been changing his appearance often to avoid detection since his arrival. So far, no one seemed to suspect that not one, but two elves were hiding in plain sight.Brinn had decided not to tell Alaron about her beloved's arrival. The prince was surprisingly tolerant of many of her antics lately, including a heated discussion of whether to serve chocolate gnomes as the dessert for the coronation feast."Princess Mairwen" had insisted it would be fitting, but Cafer did not like the idea of people eating the heads off the little edible sculptures. In the end, Brinn prevailed, knowing that she would enjoy destroying the little chocolate beast almost as much as taking down a real one.However, the spymaster was not sure that his tolerance would extend to Alvar or to the upcoming escape of Bukuri and compa
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