Destiny
A Prince of Persia Fanfiction
002 A Bit Of Climbing
The early evening light was beginning to diminish as I turned to look at Dastan. He fitted gloves onto his hands and pulled his maroon head scarf over his head, obscuring his face. After a few more adjustments to his belt and clothing, he turned his attention to me. Dastan reached over and pulled the pale sash around my neck so that it too covered my head. Then with a dashing smile, he then suddenly grasped my arms and hoisted me onto his back. I was so consumed with surprise that I gasped. The solidity of his muscular back made me feel oddly pleased and as he squeezed my hands together underneath his neck, that bizarre sensation intensified.
"Hold on tight. We're going to be doing a bit of climbing," Dastan revealed and patted my legs. He then proceeded to grab the low stone wall that we were standing next to and began climbing onto the brick and straw huts that littered the city walkways. As he grabbed ledges with expert precision and jumped over buildings with blinding accuracy, I realized that he was quite skilled at acrobatics. I clung onto his back with a mix of fear and awe. Heights weren't something that I fancy and the situation rather made me feel childish with me riding on his back like a little girl, but as he climbed higher the landscape of the city melting into the valley began growing in beauty. Domes of exquisite splendor littered the rooftops coupled with spires of the various temples. The city walls were faint in the distance and beyond the desert stretched for miles.
When we neared the palace walls, my skin was sticky and hot and as I shifted slightly I noticed that Dastan was slick with sweat. Concern propelled me and I leaned close to his matted hair. The wet locks brushed my cheek in soft flourishes.
"Perhaps we should stop so you can rest," I offered, feeling the heat from his body fuse into mine. He grunted in answer and soon let me off on a high hanging ledge that was narrow but solid. I watched as he wiped the moisture from his forehead and arms with his robes. His marvelous face was as ravishing as ever even though it dripped of his sweat.
"You are heavier than you look!" Dastan sighed and peered at me with eyes simmering with fire. My face burned in a crimson blush that he must have noticed, because he smiled awkwardly and looked away only to quickly contemplate me with his stare once more.
"Do you often take strange women on adventures like this?"
Dastan chuckled uncomfortably and shyly tried to not blush. A small smile appeared at the corners of my lips.
"No. You are the first," he admitted and rubbed his gloved hands. "Shall we?"
"Are you rested enough?"
"Do not worry about me," Dastan said and reached for my hands. And yet I did worry, because although he seemed very confident in his skills, I feared that one misstep or error would result in the both of us toppling down into the cobbled alleys. When we reached the central spire of the palace, successfully eluding the watchful eyes of the soldiers, Dastan grabbed a circular railing that I hadn't noticed before and with muffled difficulty attempted to lift me onto the precarious metal ledge that ringed the tower.
"Do you have it?" he said, his voice strained in an effort to support his weight and mine. My fingers reached for the balustrade, the tips of my fingernails going ever closer that I finally felt the rough metal underneath my skin. I shifted my body so that I could grasp the railing better, but I began slipping from his back and as I clutched at his shoulder with my other hand in an attempt to hold on, gravity pulled me down and I lost my grip. My voice died in my throat as I felt myself sliding into nothingness.
With a swiftness that appalled me, Dastan twisted around. With one hand gripping the railing, he seized me around the waist and crushed me against his body to quell the momentum that my slip had caused. We dangled in midair; Dastan clutching onto the ringed spire and I holding onto him for dear life. My breathing was fast, my heart pumping at irregular speeds. I tore my terror stricken eyes from the pavement far below and met Dastan's eyes. Concern flared in those orbs and yet another elusive emotion flitted in and out of his gaze.
"I won't let you fall," he promised. Those words comforted me even if it was a small consolation, I knew it to be true from the growing tenderness that blazed from his eyes.
"Alright...okay," I whispered, trying to remain calm. I proceeded to climb past him onto the ledge, being careful not to do anything foolish. He followed and stood next to me panting for much needed air. "That's twice you have saved me in two days. How can I ever repay you?" I said, my chest heaving with huge gulps of air. Dastan smiled and looked at me with a mysterious glare.
"Just enjoy this moment with me and that is all the payment I require," he answered. I turned my gaze to the horizon and discovered a landscape of utter beauty. Twilight had descended on the city creating shadows that drifted through the dirt lanes in patchy swatches of gray. Beyond the outer gates, where the desert reached into oblivion, where sand and sky met, was the orange glow of the setting sun. Its' diminishing rays cast long ocher bands of light that made the ascending night almost magical. It was the most dazzling and radiant thing I have ever seen. Dastan was right. The view from up here was splendidly spectacular. Awe created a grin that spread on my face.
"Thank you...thank you for bringing me up here. I will never forget it," I exclaimed and drank in the gorgeous scene. I felt his fingers curl around my left hand and the warmth that emanated from them soothed my heart.
"Neither will I."
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