Chapter V. The Red Sands of Northern Barsoom
On the fourth planet from the star known as Sol, it was the start of the fifty-third millennia since the great catastrophe. The Latin date was 4970 A. R., it was approximately forty years prior to my birth; events had started that would impact the future of the empire…
The cold northern wind blew softly across the dead sea bottom that had once been the Toonol Ocean in the ancient days of the Orovars. Atop the barren ridge sat a young woman sadly surveying the vast ocher coloured expanse that lay before her pale blue eyes. Aysoom was slowly nearing the western horizon and night would soon fall. Thuria was present in the reddish grey sky and Cluros would quickly follow. It would get very cold. She would get very cold. She shivered and drew her soft tan silk cape closer to her slim body. She was alone, very alone and discouraged.
Heru Thoris was the young woman's name. She was, or rather had been the princess of the Barsoomian city of Seth. Seth, home to the pale-skinned Hither people, was one of the last remaining cities and strongholds of the white race of Barsoom, the Orovars. Long before mankind, whether Elve, Human, or Dwarve, had trod on the surface of Earth, the Orovars had sailed the seas of Barsoom. They had been an advanced, highly civilized race of men. Yet millennia before, a tragedy had resulted in the drying up of the oceans of this world. Now the once dominant white race of Orovars was rarely found upon the planet. They were located in lonely pockets of Barsoom, in old decaying cities. Seth had been such a place.
Heru's hands covered her eyes as she wept again. After a moment, her sobs stilled and she reflected back on the events that had rent her from her haven and from her chieftain.
"Gullivar," she cried. "What has happened to you? Why did I not stay by your side and die with you, my chieftain."
Her mind pondered over the things that occurred before she found herself alone. She remembered Gullivar Jones' last words as he pushed her through the doorway towards her mother and escape from the horde.
"Flee my princess, I will stay and try to save your father," said Gullivar, then kissing her, she was gently released and slid through the opening to perceived safety.
With her mother and a limited number of servants, slaves, and retainers, they had fled. Now all were gone, even her mother.
"Helium, go to Helium," were the final words spoken by her mother as she breathed her last in Heru's arms.
Alone, she sat watching Aysoom sink in the west. Helium, the golden kingdom of Barsoom, her mother always spoke with awe when she mentioned its name. The enlightened alliance ruled by Van Tardos, Jeddak of the great cities of Greater Helium and Hastor, with his son, Tardos Mors, Jed of lesser Helium. But it laid many karads to the south and Heru was weary. She sat and mused on the events of day's past.….
Across an opal sea, a ship moved slowly toward the city of Seth, Hath Dan Kee, the Jeddak of Seth was aboard his yacht as it neared the docks of his home. Hath was a tall man with pale skin and blue coloured eyes. His hair was a reddish hue, which contrasted with the majority of Hither people who were usually pallid blonds. His visage was noble yet had a soft, lazy look to it, as if life was too easy for him. If you were present among Hath and his people, you would note that all of them seemed to have an indolent, carefree look. The only two aboard that seemed to stand out from the rest would be his wife the Jeddara, Thoris of Accer and their youthful daughter, Princess Heru.
Thoris of Accer was very different from the others. She was not an Orovar; rather Thoris had been born a Red Barsoomian. When she was a very young maid, she had been kidnapped by a race of men unknown to her or her family. They had called themselves the Thither people, outcasts of Okar, land of the yellow men. They had a yellowish colour to their skin and were hairy of body and wore long black beards. Their eyes were as ebony as their hair. Thoris of Accer had been a slave to the Thithers for a number of years until, by chance, Hath, then Jed of Seth, had managed to purchase her. He had never seen a woman of the red race. The copper colour of her skin, the brown eyes that were fierce and full of fire seemed to harken to him of a woman who was meant to rule. He was bewitched by this latent fire and mystery in her carriage and was so taken with her beauty that he married her. Thus Thoris of Accer, former farm girl from the small unimportant red city of Accer, a vassal to Amhor, once a slave to the yellow-skinned Thither people, now was the Jeddara of Seth.
Life in Seth was easy, especially the life of the Jeddara. Her role was to please her husband and eventually bear him children. Thoris of Accer was happy at Seth, but was never entirely comfortable with the laxness of the cities' residents. The Hither people were lazy and only interested in seeking the pleasures of life. Epicureans would best describe them. Even the Jeddak, Hath, seemed interested only in the sensual life. Eat, drink, and be merry was the motto of the city's residents. Hunt apts or orluks, enjoy banquets and feasts, sex and drunkenness abounded. None of the residents seemed to have any drive or desire to better their lives. The city had no real defense force. Not a single man was interested in taking up arms to protect the city from threats. Thus once a planetary cycle, the city was made to pay a tribute to the Thither people or suffer their wrath.
Unlike the Orovars, the Reds were made of a different substance. They were a hardy, warring race of Barsoomians. The Red Men of Barsoom were the composite of the mixing of the genes of the white Orovars, the yellow Okarians, and the black-hued men known as the First Born. They came into existence as the oceans receded. It had been the thought of the Orovarian Jeddak Xan Mu Xar many millennia ago to mingle the three races of men to ensure survival. Unfortunately for the Orovars, it created the Reds. They were hardier than the others with greater longevity and vitality. As the Barsoom of the Orovars faded into oblivion, the Red tribes flourished and competed with the other races for the dwindling resources of the planet. They became the dominant race of men usurping the others who were forced to retreat into the obscure remote regions of Barsoom.
In wedding Thoris of Accer, Hath unintentionally brought the hot warring bloodline of the Red Barsoomians into his world. Thoris' nature to fight to survive and attitude that 'a good enemy was a dead enemy' were passed to her daughter Heru, along with her rusty hued skin. Like her mother, Heru was very beautiful. She was taller than her mother, getting her father's height along with the blue of his eyes. Being the eldest child of Hath and Thoris of Accer, she was given the best education. Thoris of Accer had seen to that, her husband while good intentioned was just too capricious and never seemed to accomplish anything he started. Princess Heru was raised the crown princess, the next leader of Seth. Under Thoris's tutelage, Heru learned the history of her mother's people. She combed the old library of Seth to learn about the past and the fall of the Orovar world. Thoris of Accer instilled in her daughter the thought that once she became the ruler of Seth changes needed to occur. Thoris meant to harden the soft lazy Hither people and Seth would become a major power in the northern reaches of Barsoom. Therefore, Heru's choice of a mate was tantamount and her mother was very selective in whom Heru would choose to bond. When she was of age to wed, it was apparent to the Jeddara that not one male in the entire city of Seth seemed worthy of Heru. None had the drive, the temper to take up arms, or the determination to mold the residents into a fighting force to stand up to the Thither people.
None, until that fateful day on the yacht, when the unforeseen occurred that would have far reaching consequences.