I suppose I made you guys wait a suitable time. A new chapter it is!

I don't own Pokémon and all that shizzle. The name Hayden has been thought of by ProseArt. Not me.

Chapter 20: Searching for No-one

The heat didn't bother her, May decided. It was the sand.

It was everywhere and May had never felt dirtier than she was now, after weeks of seeing nothing but sand and cloudless blue sky. She was rather glad for the pouches of water Arden had thought of and for the oases they found.

The horses drank most of it, Arden and she took only sparsely. It was not as if they had something to choose; May didn't know the way and Arden only knew a basic direction of Kamesh' capitol.

It suddenly made sense why years of weak kings had held the land: the enemy couldn't even find the place they were supposed to conquer without tremendous losses. Then again, neither did Arden or May.

She supposed she was lucky with her guardian: his straying had given him an acute sense of direction. At night even better than at daytime so they slept only a small part of the night and sat in the saddle the rest under the stars. Her body had a hard time deciding whether it wanted to fall asleep because of the little rest or stay away because of a sandy discomfort.

With a groan May sat up from her spot in the sand. Arden had taken time to take care of the horses; still more used to being on the road than May, so May had taken the time to stretch out. Sitting on a horseback all day did horrors to you back.

If only they could see her now at home: she looked nothing like a princess anymore. If the status of spitfire princess didn't last she could always become the wandering princess. Because that was what she felt like they were doing. Arden might an idea of where they were going, May most certainly didn't.

Any trail Kamesh could have left was long covered by numerous sandstorms. And May had experienced their viciousness. At Arden's orders she had not raised a tent when one struck but had merely covered herself and Blaziken with the fabric as low to the ground as possible. The winds had pulled on at her cover but she had held on tight and when the storm passed she was always covered with a layer of sand.

"How far to the city?" May rasped to Arden, her voice hoarse from the dry air and disuse. The less she spent with her mouth open, the less sand in it, so May had quickly learned to shut up.

Arden turned towards her and peered at her thoughtfully from underneath the cloth around his head. "Can't say. The desert is treacherous and I am not as familiar with it as the people here," he answered.

May nodded and thought of her fiancé: he had been a captive for a year now. At least she hoped he was. She couldn't bear the thought of him being one of the skeletons they had seen on their way: their bones bare in the sand. She had been horrified to be told that those bones were of slaves that had fainted from thirst, hunger, sickness, heat and other things. As long as there hadn't been paid any money for them yet, the slave traders or the captors didn't care and couldn't be bothered with dead weight. The flesh was usually quickly gone from the bones by the various desert animals and the harsh sandy winds.

No, still a slave was a better prospect than dead. May was fully prepared to even buy Drew back if needed so.

She saw Arden looking at her and May understood; time to go on.

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They had progressed quicker than May had though (but not had hoped) and within a few days, May saw he most impressive sight she had seen in a while.

From the endless golden sands a city rose up high. The lower levels were the same colour as the sands but higher up was a gradual transition to hues of white and red and a shiny bronze sparkled against the sky. The tops of the buildings were rounded unlike home, but the marble inlayed and the red stones made it one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.

It was so much bigger than her castle and town. "Whoa," she sighed breathlessly.

Arden peered at it from next to her, "It's famous really, this city. Pearl of the desert, they call it," he said.

May figured. The red and bronze gave the marble a red hue; it was like a pink pearl. "How can there be so many people in one place?" she asked, staring at the caravans going in and out the city. They either disappeared behind the walls or in the desert, know better their way than Arden and May did.

Arden hummed, "There are three more of these cities in Kamesh' lands. Those are the only permanent settlements, so it's logical these places are highly populated."

One time when May wasn't so deeply impressed, she'd ask him how he knew all these things but now she nodded and mounted Blaziken again, a motion now ingrained in her system.

She didn't know that only a year earlier Drew had seen the same view through his weakened gaze as she turned to Arden while fastening the cloth around her head better. She had no intention of getting recognized by the masses to be brought to Kamesh. It was already a fine line walking into the mouth of the lion; no need to shout it out loud. "How do you suggest entering the city?" she asked him.

Arden busied himself with his own cloth, "I think we can ride between the caravans. Two travelers to see the pearl. We shouldn't get a lot of attention," he said.

May nodded and then spurred on her horse. It was time to go. She and Arden galloped down the sand-dun and some way from the gate that led to the high spiraling city behind the brown walls they joining the steady flow of people. Adjusting to a steady walk they became part of a caravan.

All people wore clots around their heads and looked as travel worn as them. The animals varied from horses, some small and slender, some big and sturdy, to donkey and May could've sworn she saw some exotic looking bull with brightly colored covers. Where it came from, May did not know but she found it hard to keep her head down as Arden suggested.

There were so many things to see and she hadn't even entered the city yet.

"May, keep down!" Arden hissed from her side, his head bowed, every inch looking like the worn travelers they were supposed to be. "They may not look like it but those guards are paying every single one of us a lot of attention"

Truly, when May looked, the two guards on the sides of the gates were slouched, but May could see their somewhat watchful eyes. "Why?" May asked.

For a moment Arden looked at her so incredulously that May thought he was going to slap her. "Really, May?" he asked and then shook his head, "Should have figured," he muttered to himself.

May couldn't help but grin guiltily.

Exasperation on his face he said, "That's for people like us, suspicious people. Kamesh doesn't need to fear armies conquering his city as much as he fears attempts on his life. Now hush," he ordered.

May did as was told. This was no time or place for being rebellious. She felt the eyes of the guards on her and on their baggage and May was suddenly glad for the moment they had taken to put away their weapons. Skilled as she was becoming, she couldn't last long against the city so questions better had be avoided.

She felt the penetrating stare longer than she was comfortable with and she had to do all she could not to stare back defiantly. She might be female, but as a royal she had never turned away her eyes. But if Drew was in this city, and oh, how she prayed he was, she'd gladly swallow her pride.

But it stayed with getting looked at and May felt the eyes shift away.

They silently passed through the gate and Arden guided her to a little ways off from the guards behind the wall and pulled his cloth from his mouth but kept it on his head. It appeared it was the fashion here as May saw more people with their heads wrapped up.

"Pfff," Arden released a breath, "I hadn't realized how having a woman as company made you stand out as a sore thump," he said.

May looked at him questionably; he looked as relieved as May felt. And he was the only one of them really sure of himself.

He saw her looking and raised him arms up to the heavens in a begging motion, "Now, really? You'd think you'd never been outside the lands," he called up.

"That's because I haven't" May deadpanned.

Arden shook his head, "Well, you must have seen foreign dignitaries, right? When did you ever see foreign females?" he asked. May thought about this and then shook her head. "Aha!" Arden pointed out, "That's because usually women don't travel. Only when moving to a new place." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I do hope they saw us as a recently married couple that is visiting family really."

May felt a furious blush rise to her face, but she wasn't sure whether it was from embarrassment or anger. "I am Drew's, you prick!" she cursed at him while pushing him.

Arden looked critically at her, "We've got a lot of work to do on your vulgarities, princess," he said. May was in complete disregard of him using the title as she let out a long string of colourful profanities and Arden smiled. "That's better," he said and intercepted her fists. "Calm down May! I know you're Drew's. I meant that as a married couple we have a much easier time moving around; women alone are here regarded as women of easy virtue."

May felt the blush rise to her face again. She knew that Drew's mother was one of them, had been, and that she was a lovely woman, but that didn't mean she wanted to be seen as such.

Arden didn't stop: "it will mean that we have to rent a room for two: couples usually stay together. And faking relation will keep suspicion down," he said.

That, May supposed, was a valid point. She didn't think they'd find Drew in one day, as much as she couldn't stand it, in a city so big, so they'd need a room at least for a night. "Very well," she sighed, "Lead the way to a decent inn here then. I wouldn't find one to save my life."

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Arden did find them one quickly enough. May couldn't read the signs above the door as it was the strange script native here but the innkeeper, a burly man who spoke a bit of their language, told them the place was called 'The Camel's Bulb,'. May found this rather odd as she didn't know how exactly a camel looked, but the establishment must be decent as Arden claimed, because there was a good variety of people.

And there had been for a while, May guessed because immediately after helping them, the innkeeper continued with some guy at the bar in a completely different language. And considering the dark skin of the man, he too was far from home.

May and Arden said in the bar for a bit at a small table, observing and eating a bit of a strange flat bread which tasted rather well. They tried to catch bits of conversation that would lead them to where Drew might have been taken but Arden quickly told May to go upstairs when a group in the corner started to get a bit more rowdy, their female companions laughing a bit louder.

The horses were safe in the stable as the innkeeper had assured them: "Bad name is bad customers," he claimed with a big wink. May's guardian said it probably was safe enough.

They took their stuff upstairs up to a room above the bar. The walls were plastered and the bed was a low bed with sheets that had seen better times, "It's good," Arden said relieved.

May was just checking the cabinet and found some strange spots, "You think?" May asked distastefully. Having a not clean space was one thing but to have paid for it?

Arden raised a brow at her, 'Considering what I have seen in Inns, yes it is, Princess,"

May noticed that he nowadays only used her title when she let her heritage shine through a bit too clearly, so May clamped her mouth shut; beggars can't be choosers after all.

Just when she had sat down on the bed, she saw Arden preparing to go outside again. "Where are you going?" she asked him.

Arden grinned cheekily, "I appreciate you wanting to keep up the image but May, inside the room there is no need to act as a wife," he said. May, naturally, threw a bundle of clothes at him and he ducked away laughing. "Calm down," he told her. "I will be trying to mingle with guards and locals to find out where they brought Drew."

Well that was acceptable so she nodded and Arden raised his hand in goodbye, "I won't be back too late, dear," he spoke. May's boot connected with a closed door.

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Arden was back later.

May had been glad for the can of water to clean one-self up and it was good not to have all the sand on her, combined with sweat. She had no doubt that it'd be back soon enough.

The sounds on the streets had quieted down for a group of men singing, a song May couldn't understand the words of but it sounded like either a war-lament of a goodbye song to some lover. May was just wondering what the words could mean when a knock on the door pulled her attention. "Come in!" she called but kept a safe grip on her sword.

It was the innkeeper and he laughed seeing May grab for her sword, "Good mind," he said, pointing at her weapon. May relaxed a bit; the innkeeper sounded like a good man, and she went back to listening to the song while the innkeeper busied himself around the room. She didn't know why he did it himself instead of maids but he was good at it apparently so she didn't complain.

The incomprehensible song annoyed her. "Sir?" she addressed the innkeeper, "What does this song mean?"

The man stopped and listened a bit, a sad smile growing on his face. "This song is not from here. Came a long time ago," he said and sat down on a wooden chair which was in the room. "It is not how we think but we like the song so we sing it. It's a tragedy."

May was interested, "What does it say?" she asked.

The man blinked, "It's about a maiden and her beloved knight," he smiled sadly. "That is already different from us; we live but don't really live. Not like this. The knight was taken away after a fight and the maiden did not want to wait. She goes to find him. She travels and travels, sees strange things and learns a lot. But she does not find the knight."

May blinked, "That is such a sad tale, so this is her lament then?"

The innkeeper shook his head, "Oh, it's a lament, but not at this point. It is sadder. The maiden goes home and on her way meet the knight," he said.

Listening to the mourning cries of the song, May found that it didn't meet up, "But that's happy right? Why is this a lament then?"

The innkeeper shook his head again, "No, miss, It is a sad. The knight did not remember her, he married other woman."

Oh. May did not see that coming, "That is sad," she said softly. "After she chased him so far to lose him to his own memory."

Her company nodded, "She went home. Died of broken heart. That is the lament." He sighed, "It is only a tale miss, and here we love sad tales."

May shook her head, "Perhaps it is only a tale, but the background is something more deep. She'd done everything for love but there was nothing she could do against his own heart."

The innkeeper smiled sadly at her and gathered the sheets he had been carrying. "You come from far. In this land a man and a woman are not often together for love. For us, this is only a tale," he told her.

May pressed her lips together, "That's even sadder," she said with a small voice.

The innkeeper smiled at her, "Perhaps miss, But here we have other ways of being content. Goodnight, miss," and he left, done with whatever he needed to do.

May pondered his words. In her country a man and a woman were together in public. Any statement of bedding another than your spouse was heavily frowned upon. Even if the marriage wasn't born out of love, you were not supposed to look for it in another.

And that was different here, she supposed. She knew of the harems, and to her it might be a pale substitute of a happy marriage but it made sense to look for the next best thing. May shook her head; she was here to find Drew, not to think over the intricate of a different culture.

She listened to the dying words of the song:

Fa solader kored draberden,
elkes tionem moit bill ehefen.
Nol lagete opet elkes murande,
Pelte shemte moiten.

It made her wonder: what if Drew did no longer remember her like the knight in the song? Would she go home just as broken-hearted? She shook her head: she didn't have the time to think like that. Only if she couldn't bring Drew home. She'd allowed herself then to think about what she'd do next. Go home and marry?

She thought of the song again. The maiden went home and died of a broken heart. But the more she saw and learned, the less she felt like she wanted to go home to a protected environment.

Blinking, May scolded herself. She'd just told herself she wouldn't think of this.

The drunkards outside were starting to move, a new song on their lips. It was a slightly more cheerful song and May enjoyed it a bit more. It was nice but it was ruined by the constant stumbling the men did.

Arden scraped his throat and May was distracted from the singing. As she saw her guardian, she pulled her nose; more so than seeing him she smelt him. "What have you been doing?" she asked perplexed. "We didn't come here to go drinking!"

Arden grinned and shrugged off his beer-stained tunic and hung it over the window-porch. "I'll clean it later," he muttered and stretched, "No princess, I didn't," he spoke to May.

May waited for his explanation, and he sighed. "It's true that I went to the bar, the best people are drunken people. I spilt beer over my front on purpose and then lamented at my loudest voice: 'My poor brother! Taken by the army and even here I can't find a trace'." His eyes sparkled, "I must admit I play a rather convincing drunk because soon enough guards on their evening out joined me and told me all they knew."

May felt hopes grow in her body: "what did they know?!' she asked eagerly.

Arden shook his head, "They didn't know much…"

"Arden! What did they know?!" May interrupted impatiently.

Arden smiled indulgently, "Their accent was really bad, but from what I could make out, they told me about the stranger Kamesh had taken with him after ending the war so strangely," he said.

May frowned, "What do you mean, strangely?" From what she had heard, Drew had given himself up to avoid more shedding of blood.

Arden hummed, "To us it might be a lenient way of ending a war; to Kamesh' people it is strange. Defeating is slaughtering him to the last man."

May gasped: "That's barbaric!" she exclaimed, momentarily forgotten the information she wanted to have.

Arden shrugged, "Perhaps but it is effective. No enemy rises again and they have some sweet benefits like enslaving the people." He saw May wanted to comment again. "Continuing out talk," he said a bit louder. "They told me how he had mocked Drew and our people. I told them, I just wanted my brother back. Luckily, they drank to that."

"Did you know," he said slyly, "When the wine is in, wit's out?" May rolled her eyes, and he continued. "They didn't know where he is now, but they told me exactly which slave market I needed to start my search from," he concluded.

It stayed silent for a moment.

"You mean you have a trail?" May asked finally.

Arden looked confused, "That's what I just said, right?" he quipped.

Then May started to grin: "I could just kiss you right now!" she said.

Arden grinned back at her, "I'd rather have you not," he said but May wasn't paying him any attention anymore. They had a trail. It wouldn't take long now! Arden saw May wasn't going to pay any attention to him and made himself a cot on the floor.

He most definitely wasn't going to share a bed.

And with the thought of Drew a little closer, they joined the land of the sleeping.

Doooooone….I am actually doing this at college. And some more, I had to split parts because time was short. Be happy..

Happy Halloween!

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