My father still preferred a trip to Bandabaze to a journey to Valley. Why? I dont believe the Valley markets are more dangerous than Bandabaze!
By the way, the Guawars do seem wild and scary at first. Especially for those brought up in the noble Djunits families. But I had traveled enough to understand the beauty of these sea people. And I fell in love with the sea! It was then that I decided that, one day, I would sail away on the Guawarian ship to the east To the Edge of the World!
I thought Kay-Samiluf was a noisy city, and no other will surpass it. I was mistaken! The buzz of commercial areas, complemented by music from taverns and street chants, cannot be drowned out, even if you stuff your ears with Ayno-Sufic cotton wool. Your nostrils are always tickled with the sugary smells of fruit and hot spices, which are mixed with the aromas of fried fish and the stink of foul fish. To the rhythm of the Guawarian gulps, tamed beasts tingle from all-around screeching monkeys, small fluffy tics, and huge talking parrots shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow.
In the middle of the city, opposite the Royal Bay, towers the palace of the Governor of Bandabaze. The palace of our izir is a yellow-golden hue like the sandy djunes. On the contrary, the Guawarian Governors one is snow white! A snow white palace, with azure sea and evergreen forests all around.
Thank you, Father! I will never forget that journey! It was the best birthday of my life!
My father and I returned to Kay-Samiluf from the port of Doyno-Kash. And since then, I havent seen him Father went to the Valley. Later he visited the caravan in the Shohan, the capital of the Ito Empire, and the kingdom of Reyro, a Tuasmatus abode. He was going to visit the Vedichian.. Oh, he would have definitely discerned their secrets.
He wrote and wrote about his travels About the fact that he visited the reception of the Emperor himself, that he saw the golems in the Mechanicum (and, by the way, didnt feel any magic) and rode mammoths, the huge shaggy elephants of the north. Meanwhile I dissolved into melancholy in the stuffy walls of my school in Kay-Samiluf. I dreamed that one day, I would go on a new fascinating journey.
My father didnt make an appearance in Kay-Samiluf. At first, this upset mother greatly, and then she became angry with him. Day and night, all she did was berate him. I was sad too, but I didnt reproach my father. I was melancholic, lonely without him, but I knew that if he hadnt returned in so long, it meant he was on the path of a very important discovery. I was eager to graduate from school and join my father as quickly as possible; I could not wait to join the Old Pages Clan myself.
I have an older brother, Khasim Umar Amatt. His full patrimonial name includes the first name of father; mine is from mother Perhaps this is a mistake whilst Im exactly like father in everything, Khasim is a copy of our mother. Home means the world to him!
Khasim is a sand dragon hunter. A fine hunter! Though he is young, he already has a high rank. Khasim is a noble man and a mighty warrior. He has a harsh temper, same as mothers, but I know that he loves me. Now I know.
Hunting dragons is an ancient and honorable craft. It emerged in the time of the first Djunits, and it was the Marawie Sand Lion himself who proclaimed dragon hunting as part of the military doctrine. In ancient times, it was difficult to even call it hunting; rather, it was a struggle for survival. Having arrived in the desert, the settlers faced a great misfortune in the form of these vile, treacherous creatures. And even Marawie fell in battle against the sand dragons. But his people stood firm. Scorpio-anglers and dragons have not attacked the city for a long time. And, thanks to such hunters as Khasim, these creatures are less and less likely to attack commercial caravans. On large paths, at least, they havent been seen in a long time.
I turned eighteen the day after I graduated from high school. On my birthday, I was waiting for a message from my father not such a gift as a trip to Bandabaze, of course, but at least some note. I entered the age of maturity and now I could go anywhere by myself, on any trip. But I wanted to see my father.
The year passed by and there was no news from him.
My birthday was coming to an end, and I was sitting alone in my room, crying. I was more alone than ever. My mum and brother I felt their love, but I couldnt trust them as I trusted my father.
Khasim entered the room. He asked why I was crying. I stayed quiet. After all, it was so obvious! He was silent for a long time. Then asked one more question, What can I do for you? I dont want you to cry
What can you do for me, brother " I replied with a sigh.
He stood above me, very still for a long time, which irritated me. I wanted to snap at him, scream. Im glad I restrained myself. Now I can imagine what inner conflict he was going through!
Get ready! he finally told me. It was an order. We are leaving at dawn!
Where to? I was a little taken aback.
Ill show you how they hunt sand dragons
Oh, Khasim! How could I ever have expected such a thing from him? I jumped off my bed, rushed to him, and hugged him tightly. Throughout my eighteen years, I had never been close to my brother. And he, as it turns out, had always understood me. For some reason, he hadnt shown it. Is it that stiffness is a sign of noble families?
It turned out that Khasim wasnt a total copy of our mother after all. Fathers adventurism flowed in his veins, even though it manifested in a very peculiar way.
And not a word to mother! Khasim added. But it was needless, I understood everything perfectly myself.
When, in childhood, my brother made comments like, Do not go there!, Stop fidgeting!, Be modest!, Speak quietly! I was very annoyed. I did the exact opposite just to spite him. But that day, I listened to every single word of his.
He left me on the furthest barchan. Two tall warriors were assigned by him to protect me. What if a lonely dragon flew in our direction?
My brother divided his troop into three groups: left flank, center, and right flank. Naturally, he himself stood in the center. Behind him stood archers and spear throwers. These were the tactics of fighting monsters used for centuries, I knew that from history lessons.
Khasim led the soldiers to a sandy hill, where he expected a dragons lair. The soldiers carefully moved their feet along the sandy surface, almost gliding.
At any time, the flock could break out from under the ground, and then the solid surface would turn into a deadly funnel. That was how Marawie sunk into oblivion, having fallen through the quicksand into the dragons cave, and that is how hundreds of thousands of soldiers ended their lives
A long spear whistled through the air and buried itself in the hillside. The sand began to fall off the slopes at once and soon a hole of the size of a human formed in the hill. Khasim was not mistaken it was a lair!