After so long, time still seemed like a trick of the mind. How much had passed, how little? Did it really matter? The sun rose and then fell again, but the desert was forever in this place. He grasped at it, and as he raised his hand the sand slid through his fingers. It fell faster as his grip tightened to desperately cling to whatever he could hold onto. An open palm revealed so little as to be swept away with the next passing breeze.
He gazed upon the nothingness there for a moment, peering down from beneath his hood, past the cloth that masked his face. What he pondered, he kept to himself. There were no others left to share it with.
He turned his eyes up, looking across the moonlit dunes. A deep breath drew in. He moved on.
Some time later he came to the place, near that great chasm. Memories filled his mind - a deep wound, an impassable frustration. A terrible betrayal.
Then came a sound, low and rumbling. And soon, he knew, he was no longer alone.
Annuakat
Months later
It did not take long for word to spread throughout the city, and soon word would find itself through the whole of the Empire. Informants, both legitimate and not, were all too eager to deliver information to their masters. And something like this could be a potential boon of information, despite how widespread and public it would be. Those who knew first would have more time to prepare themselves for whatever may come from the Vizier of the Red Sun's return.
Allegedly, he had only needed to present himself at the palace to be taken in. Word had it, he was worse for wear upon his arrival, appearing to have been lost in the desert for many months. And yet, those who might have felt opportunity were dissuaded - he hardly seemed beaten by the sands.
He'd left the door to his chambers swung open, inviting any who might pass by, and then went to his balcony set high in the palace. Ashuanar peered out over the lights of the city. With the night firmly settled, things had grown cooler and quieter. But like in Ragash, from what he could see, things had settled behind these walls, but the streets below had changed only so much.
He was pleased to see that some things, at least, had remained the way he remembered them.
He gazed upon the nothingness there for a moment, peering down from beneath his hood, past the cloth that masked his face. What he pondered, he kept to himself. There were no others left to share it with.
He turned his eyes up, looking across the moonlit dunes. A deep breath drew in. He moved on.
Some time later he came to the place, near that great chasm. Memories filled his mind - a deep wound, an impassable frustration. A terrible betrayal.
Then came a sound, low and rumbling. And soon, he knew, he was no longer alone.
Annuakat
Months later
It did not take long for word to spread throughout the city, and soon word would find itself through the whole of the Empire. Informants, both legitimate and not, were all too eager to deliver information to their masters. And something like this could be a potential boon of information, despite how widespread and public it would be. Those who knew first would have more time to prepare themselves for whatever may come from the Vizier of the Red Sun's return.
Allegedly, he had only needed to present himself at the palace to be taken in. Word had it, he was worse for wear upon his arrival, appearing to have been lost in the desert for many months. And yet, those who might have felt opportunity were dissuaded - he hardly seemed beaten by the sands.
He'd left the door to his chambers swung open, inviting any who might pass by, and then went to his balcony set high in the palace. Ashuanar peered out over the lights of the city. With the night firmly settled, things had grown cooler and quieter. But like in Ragash, from what he could see, things had settled behind these walls, but the streets below had changed only so much.
He was pleased to see that some things, at least, had remained the way he remembered them.
