"The City of the Gods," I mused, looking away from the beautiful woman beside me. "I hear it has some of the most powerful mages in the world."
Alicia looked at me quizzically. "Of course you've heard that, you did live there for ten years."
"Oh! Yes I did." I hated lying to her, but I was careful not to tell anyone of my life as Arram.
"What is the matter Numair?" Alicia asked, twining her arms around me.
"Nothing," I lied, looking at her. Sometimes she looked so much like Varice I wanted to weep. In truth I had been having dreams. Terrifying dreams that something awful was going to happen to Alicia and some of the Riders. Though Alicia wasn't a Rider, she went with us on many assignments. But not this one, not if I could help it.
"Alicia, I'm not sure you should come with us to the City of the Gods." I told her, staring into her emerald green eyes.
She broke away from me. "I knew this would happen. Just because I'm nothing but a proper lady doesn't mean I can't help. Bandits in the City of the Gods might be dangerous, but I can take care of myself. I did live there for almost as long as you."
"Alicia…" But what could I say? I didn't want to worry her with a dream that might or might not come true.
"No Numair, I'm coming with you." She replied and left the room.
Days later, I eyed the gates of the City of the Gods with mixed feelings. Dreading the charade I would have to play, I wondered why I had come at all.
"Isn't this exiting?" Alicia asked from the horse beside me.
I gave her a small smile. As the doors opened, I sensed that something was wrong. "Riders!" I shouted as a warning. The gates opened, revealing rows of men on horses with one man at their head. I felt my stomach sink and prepared for battle.
"Arram?! Is that really you?" The leader kicked his horse and moved forward. It was Bradley, my old friend from Carthak. "I thought you were dead."
"Arram Draper is dead. Bradley, what are you doing in Tortall with a group of bandits?"
"Numair what's going on?" Alicia demanded. The Riders looked at me curiously.
"You're Numair?" Bradley sighed. "The emperor gave us specific instructions to bring you back to Carthak."
"And the Riders?" I asked.
"Kill them."
The bandits rushed us, swinging swords overhead. Quickly, I cast a spell. No sooner had black fire left my finger than it encountered the forest green of Bradley's magic. I was shocked, I didn't even know Bradley had magic. I had no time for a mage's duel when my friends were dying. Furiously, I pulled out my sword and attacked the nearest bandit. Only when he was dead did I take a look around me. The bandits had outnumbered us almost four to one and it showed. All around me, my friends lay dead. Alicia had fallen on her horse in a pool of blood.
"No!" I cried in a strangled voice.
"Arram, I suggest you surrender yourself now without a struggle." Bradley said.
"No," I repeated and concentrated. Within a moment I was a large black bird flying away.
"We'll follow you forever, Arram." Bradley shouted. "Carthak will not allow you to escape."
Alicia looked at me quizzically. "Of course you've heard that, you did live there for ten years."
"Oh! Yes I did." I hated lying to her, but I was careful not to tell anyone of my life as Arram.
"What is the matter Numair?" Alicia asked, twining her arms around me.
"Nothing," I lied, looking at her. Sometimes she looked so much like Varice I wanted to weep. In truth I had been having dreams. Terrifying dreams that something awful was going to happen to Alicia and some of the Riders. Though Alicia wasn't a Rider, she went with us on many assignments. But not this one, not if I could help it.
"Alicia, I'm not sure you should come with us to the City of the Gods." I told her, staring into her emerald green eyes.
She broke away from me. "I knew this would happen. Just because I'm nothing but a proper lady doesn't mean I can't help. Bandits in the City of the Gods might be dangerous, but I can take care of myself. I did live there for almost as long as you."
"Alicia…" But what could I say? I didn't want to worry her with a dream that might or might not come true.
"No Numair, I'm coming with you." She replied and left the room.
Days later, I eyed the gates of the City of the Gods with mixed feelings. Dreading the charade I would have to play, I wondered why I had come at all.
"Isn't this exiting?" Alicia asked from the horse beside me.
I gave her a small smile. As the doors opened, I sensed that something was wrong. "Riders!" I shouted as a warning. The gates opened, revealing rows of men on horses with one man at their head. I felt my stomach sink and prepared for battle.
"Arram?! Is that really you?" The leader kicked his horse and moved forward. It was Bradley, my old friend from Carthak. "I thought you were dead."
"Arram Draper is dead. Bradley, what are you doing in Tortall with a group of bandits?"
"Numair what's going on?" Alicia demanded. The Riders looked at me curiously.
"You're Numair?" Bradley sighed. "The emperor gave us specific instructions to bring you back to Carthak."
"And the Riders?" I asked.
"Kill them."
The bandits rushed us, swinging swords overhead. Quickly, I cast a spell. No sooner had black fire left my finger than it encountered the forest green of Bradley's magic. I was shocked, I didn't even know Bradley had magic. I had no time for a mage's duel when my friends were dying. Furiously, I pulled out my sword and attacked the nearest bandit. Only when he was dead did I take a look around me. The bandits had outnumbered us almost four to one and it showed. All around me, my friends lay dead. Alicia had fallen on her horse in a pool of blood.
"No!" I cried in a strangled voice.
"Arram, I suggest you surrender yourself now without a struggle." Bradley said.
"No," I repeated and concentrated. Within a moment I was a large black bird flying away.
"We'll follow you forever, Arram." Bradley shouted. "Carthak will not allow you to escape."