Now that I have them, I intend to leave you in peace.”
Lyrial shook her head and smiled, as a mother speaking to an ignorant child. “The Soufis have gathered for war. The one you call the Dark Knight, is clearly behind it. He either intends to make war on us, or to march them from the desert and make war on you. Either way, we cannot allow it. If they attack us, then it will be their doom, but if they leave the sands...” Her jaw tightened. “I will not allow the filth of the desert to visit their horrors on the rest of the world. And if this Dark Knight would call on such people to fight for him, he has revealed to us his true nature.”
“What will you do?” asked Aaliyah.
“We have already begun to gather our forces,” said Lyrial. “And our scouts are watching every move the Soufis make.”
“Then you should take care to watch for the Vrykol,” said Gewey. “They are powerful and deadly. It was a Vrykol that killed Pali, and nearly killed Aaliyah. If they are with the Soufis, you must be careful. They can only die if you remove their heads.”
“I will inform my people,” said Weila, grimly.
“If the Soufis attempt to leave the desert, we will stop them,” said Lyrial, determinedly. “Once they are dealt with we will go west for the first time in many generations.” Lyrial got to her feet and looked at the statue, her arms across her chest. “And though this may be our end, we will not be idle while evil floods the world.”
“How many are you,” asked Aaliyah.
Lyrial turned back to Gewey, her chest swelling with pride. “We can raise an army of twenty-thousand in a short time. Twice that, if needed. But it would take longer.”
“And how many are the Soufis?” asked Gewey.
“They have three times our number at least.” Lyrial smiled viciously. “But they could have ten times that and still they could not hope to defeat us. It is long past time we dealt with them once and for all. The atrocities they have visited on the people of this land will finally be avenged.”
“I would hear more of your people,” said Aaliyah. “Your desert is filled with wonders I have never dreamed of. The scholars of my land could spend generations studying the Blood of the Desert alone. And this.” She pointed to the statue. “Who built it?”
Lyrial sat and crossed her legs. “It was here long before we arrived. The legends say it was built by the Gods. As far as our tales…it will be a pleasure to tell you of the desert. For all my people's merits, they care little for my stories.”
“That's not true,” Weila protested, jokingly. “I have listened to you ramble on for six-hundred years and never complained.”
This made both Aaliyah and Gewey's eyes shoot wide.
“How old are you?” asked Aaliyah.
Lyrial smiled. “I am seven-hundred and four. But Weila is far older.” She could see the confusion in their expressions. “This surprises you?”
“Indeed,” said Aaliyah. “I am nearly three hundred. The elders of my land rarely see six. How is it that you live so long?”
Lyrial thought for a moment. “Perhaps it is that we do not steal life from the earth. Perhaps that power shortens your own life.”
Aaliyah looked closely at both Lyrial and Weila. “That may be. Or perhaps it is the desert itself that extends your life.”
Lyrial nodded. “That could be. It is said that the power of the Creator first gave life to the world here. And that it was here that the Gods were born. It could be our legends are more than just stories.”
“If it is the desert that extends your life,” said Aliyah, “then I fear what will happen if you try to leave it.”
Lyrial pondered this for a moment then said, “I cannot allow this to concern me. My people will not be trapped by our own mortality. We will know soon enough if what you suggest is true.”
“But—” started Gewey. Lyrial held up her hand, silencing him.
“There is nothing to discuss,” she asserted. “Our course is set. I will not dwell on it. Now if you still would like to hear stories of my people?”
“Of course,” said Gewey.
For the next few hours, Lyrial told them of how her people were exiled for protesting the enslavement of humans, and how they came to live in the desert. She spun tales of adventure, tragedy, and joy. She told them of