Allan COLE - Wizard of the winds

"Yes, master, yes, Badawi wailed, knocking his forehead against the ground in obeisance. I was a fool! Please forgive such a stupid one."

"Rise, human, Sarn said.

Badawi did as he was told, standing before the demon trembling and wondering what would happen next.

"Here is my first command to you, human, Sarn said. You will immediately lead us to your home. And when we arrive…"

"Yes, master?"

Sarn grinned, exposing a double row of stained fangs. You will lead us to the camel first."

Badawi wisely buried his dismay, nodding eagerly in case the demons couldn't read his expression of wild agreement.

"And then, human, Sarn said, when we are done…"

"Yes, Master! Anything Master!"

"…When we are done with your family you will lead us to Kyrania!"

After the demons finished with Badawi's homestead, they raided along the Gods Divide for nearly six hundred miles. Scores of homes and settlements were overrun and many humans were killed. Some were granted a honorable death as worthy enemies. But many were killed for the pot, or jerked for flesh to feed them on the road.

Badawi led the way, picking out the fattest settlements, betraying the human leaders, and generally making himself useful. And whenever the subject of Kyrania came up, the horse merchant would say, Just a little further, Master. Just a little further."

In truth, Badawi hadn't faintest idea where Kyrania might be. He knew the legendary caravan route over the Gods Divide was in the general direction he was leading the demon bandits. But he didn't have the faintest idea where the passage was. Only a few merchant princes knew the route and Badawi, despite his success, was a treasury or two short of actual wealth. So he did what any decent horse merchant would do.

He lied. This way, Master. Only a little further along…"

At first the bandits had been satisfied, gathering up pack animals to carry off their growing booty. In the beginning they'd also taken many young men and women captive for later sale in the demon slave markets. They chained them together, fixing them to long posts which the slaves carried on their shouldersand made them march along with the baggage animals. But the number of slaves and baggage weight became unwieldy, slowing the demons progress to a crawl.

Then the day came when the demons had enough and once again Badawi faced the roasting spit.

They'd hit another settlement typical of the human villages scatted through the remote foothills regions. It was rich in bountiful fields and bursting storehouses, but, as Sarn's chief lieutenant complained, there was barely a copper or two for a decent bandit to rub together.

Sarn and Giff took their dinner that night in a wide pavilion pitched above the main encampment. Below them they could see the main roasting pit where their brother demons were gathered about a shrieking victim, slowly turning over a slow fire.

Crouched among them was Badawi, daring many talons to snatch a piece for himself.

Giff sneered at the sight and turned to his leader, saying, That is the most disgusting mortal to have ever fouled the land. He even eats his own."

Sarn laughed. It wasn't as if we gave the human a choice, he said. He's been allowed to eat nothing else."

"Still! Giff said. Still. You'd think he'd have more pride."

At that moment Badawi made the mistake of looking up from the fire and staring at the pavilion. Giff growled as their eyes met and the horse dealer quickly ducked to avoid the demon's glowing yellow eyes. He muttered a prayer to himself, beseeching the gods to not let Giff take offense. That prayer went unanswered as in the pavilion Giff gnashed his teeth in anger and turned to Sarn.

"The human was looking at us, he said.

Sarn shrugged. What does it matter where the human looks? he asked.

"It matters to me, Giff said. I hate that lowly creature. I feel filthy in his presence. His very gaze makes me want to scour myself with dust."

Sarn laughed. That would indeed be a sight, my good but unclean fiend, he said. Considering that nearly four seasons have passed since you last bothered to bathe."

Giff saw no humor in this. That's not my point, he said. This human offends me. His presence disturbs my demonly serenity. Let me kill him so I can have some peace."

"Be a good fiend and try to learn patience, Sarn said. Peace comes with patience, or so say our priests. This human offends me as well. They all offend me. Their odor is worse than the shit of any beast I've ever encountered. And their looks are as bad as their odor. So soft and wriggly they remind me of worms. But worms with hairy heads and bodies. And their small mouths and flat teeth with only four puny fangs make me think of blood suckers. Sarn shuddered. Two headed demon children have been known to be born to mothers who have looked upon things half so frightening."

"Then why must I be patient, Sarn? Giff asked. Let's make the gods happy and kill that fat slug."

"We still have need of the human, Sarn said. That's why you can't kill him now."

Giff snorted in disgust. Oh, I forgot what a valuable slave he's been to us, he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Why, tomorrow he may lead us to a village rich as this. Once again we'll seize stores of useless grain, poor quality cloth, tools we can't carry, old rusted weapons, and maybe, just maybethe gods willingtwo silver coins for a lucky thief to jangle in his purse."

"I admit the take hasn't been enough to make our enemies gnash their teeth with envy, Sarn said. We've found only small villages and farming settlements to raid. Most of their wealth has been in their crops and animals. Some also might bring a pretty price at the slave market. But we're too far from home to make that sort of thieving very profitable."

Giff gnashed his teeth. Very profitable! he said. You don't see any of us doing a demon dance for joy over the weight of our purses, do you? Why, even if you count the little gold and few paltry gems we've taken, I doubt we'll make any profit at all. And we've missed nearly a whole season of raiding at home."

"It's not the human's fault, Sarn said, circling back to the discussion of Badawi's fate. The terms of the warrant we hold from King Manacia bade us to stay close to the mountains where the population is small. We can steal what we want, do what we like with anyone we find. But we must leave no witnesses. We must not allow any human to live who might carry the news that we've strayed across the border.

"And, most important of all to our kingand the only reason he even gave us this warrantwas that we were to seek a passage over these mountains. To a place called Kyrania."

Giff snorted, gesturing with his talons at the distant figure of Badawi. And that human was supposed to lead us to the bedamned place. Well, he's been leading, and leading and so far we've nothing of it. Bah! He's a horse trader! Therefore he's lying."

Sarn gazed out at Badawi, scratching his horny chin with needle-sharp talons. Perhaps he is, Sarn mused. Frankly, I was a little too overcome with raidmust to think about it."

He shrugged. If he is we'll have to find another. It shouldn't be too much of a bother. Humans are such a traitorous lot."

"Why do need to find another? Giff argued. To the Hells with Kyrania. He snorted. Valley of the Clouds, indeed. I think Manacia is suffering from a royally cloudy mind."

"Without Kyrania, Sarn reminded his henchdemon, we have no warrant. We must at least make an attempt."

"Your precious warrant from the king will be our ruin, Giff said. What use is it to dare the curse of the Forbidden Desert when we get so little in return? The others feel the same way, Sarn. They were frightened to make this journey to begin with. All know a black spell was cast on that desert long ago. Any demon or human who crosses is becursed."