The Tale of Daemonica

Lost in the Desert

   She woke up. It was night again. The same moon shone high in the sky, the same stars flickering dispassionately above it. And yet everything was quite different. It took her a while to remember what had happened and where she was. But when she did, she regretted that her memory remained intact. The horror of last night... she didn't want to remember, but sadly she remembered. Everything. Daemonica shivered. The night desert was uncompromising. She was freezing.

As her senses slowly awoke, she smelled a terrible stench. She rose slowly. Every part of her body ached, yet she still had to get up. When she was back on her feet after a good effort, she turned slowly to her left. And there she saw the dead body of the beast whose carcass was already coming alive with a 'new life' because, unlike Daemonica, the beast's body lay under the sun all day. She remembered what she had done when she first regained consciousness. She bent down at once, holding her knees, and was about to vomit. But nothing came out of her empty stomach. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. Sorcerer's presence made her forget basic needs when he was around. Sorcerer... It took her another while to regain control over herself. Only then she forced herself to turn away from the carcass. Her gaze stopped at the nearby rock, which was still standing there, staring down at her in silence. She knew what she'd find up there. But did she really know that?

Daemonica wasn't sure for a moment, but then she put the thought out of her mind. She should bury his body, but she didn't think she was strong enough to withstand the sight that awaited her up there. But even if she overcame her mental weakness, she certainly didn't have the physical strength. She probably wouldn't even be able to climb up. She had to leave him, she had to leave here - now. She took several steps forward, but then she stopped and began to laugh desperately.

'To leave here!' She cried out into the silent desert and looked around her as she laughed.

'What an idea! And where would that be?' She said only to herself now. 'There's nothing but desert all around...' She just whispered the last sentence. Maybe she should turn around and use her last bit of strength to climb that rock. Then she would just lie down, and there near the body of the last and only friend she ever had, finally die, rather than prolonging what was inevitable with vain effort. Daemonica looked back where the strange rock was still waiting quietly. She shivered again.

No. If she has to die, she wants to be as far away from anything that reminds her... of her failure.

'Forgive me.' She took one last look at the flat top of the rock. Then she gathered up the rest of her strength and moved. She didn't know which side of the world she didn't care. She was desperate, lost, half dead. She wanted to walk as long as her legs would carry her, until finally she’d tripped one last time and fell, until she could not rise again, and the desert animals quickly ended her suffering.

Daemonica was well aware of the many desert eyes that watched her as she walked. They waited behind each stone only for the moment when she gave up, and defenseless became easy prey. Desert creatures were used to waiting, and though they were hungry, they knew she would not last much longer. They had no reason to attack her, for now they would risk her fighting back. No, they'll wait. She could smell them, and their greed was disgusting.

Daemonica had to concentrate on every step now, for she had long since stumbled beyond her strength and will.

The sun was slowly rising when she finally gave up. Her body stopped listening and she collapsed into the sand. She was near the end. She lay lost in the desert, but her mind was strangely clear as she was slowly leaving the realm of the living. Her last thought was the memory of the white towers of Andala above the Sea of the Lost Kings... a sea with so much water in it that she could drown in it...

'I told you once before: Leave her here. Let’s go. We still have a long way to go.'

'No, I never leave a coin on the ground.'

'By all the gods, the lot we have at home! Leave her alone! Aren't we in enough trouble already? Didn't we screw up the whole trade and let those bastards take all our goods, including our horses? We come back to him empty-handed, Spoon-khi and Sho-velhi dead... And don't forget that roar yesterday... I want to be safe in the camp before the sun goes down! Even the fear of his whip is nothing compared to what might befall us here in the desert after the sunset...'

'Aaand… that's exactly why we're taking her with us!'

'Oh, come on, you i***t! Look at her, just look at her one more time and try to think. I know you can if you try hard. She's dead, she'll be a burden to us, and she'll still die before nightfall.'

'No! Look at her closely, you jerk! If she survives, and now please try to use your imagination. I know you can if you try hard. Try to imagine her washed: blonde hair, fair skin, young body...errmm... well, this just isn't something you can get without effort and a little killing. You know what I mean… He could sell her for nice money or even keep her to himself... And we wouldn't come back empty-handed, as you keep reminding me.'

'Damn! Give me your water!'

'Why mine?'

'Because it was your damn idea!'

Daemonica felt someone grab her unkindly and shake with her. She opened her eyes slowly, but everything was blurred for her. As far as she could see, two men were leaning over her. One was tall and muscular, the other short and fat.

'See? I told you she's still alive!' That was the taller one.

'She really is, but not for long. She won't survive, so I'll tell you one more time. Let's leave her here. She can't make it to the camp.'

'Okay, okay... Let’s say I give her some of my water. If she gets on her feet, she comes with us. If she makes it, good for us, if she doesn't, we'll just let her lie where she lands. I can still spare some water, the well isn't that far from here.'

'There’s too many 'ifs' in your stupid plan, but do what you want. I'm just telling you, even if she gets to the well, she won't make it to the camp. She's as good as dead.'

'Eeehh... Then maybe if we see that coming, we could at least have some fun?'

'Don’t even think about it in that pig head of yours with no brain inside! If we really want to bring her to him, she must be untouched and unharmed, both of which I rather doubt, but if it works... Damn! I'm with you. Give her some water and see if you can make her get up and walk.'

Daemonica felt her head tilted back and water poured down her dry throat. How thirsty she was! But just as she thought she was beginning to feel its taste, the water was taken from her again.

'Oh no no…' said the smaller one, shaking his head. 'If you want more,' he kept pointing his finger at her and back at the water, 'you have to earn it. Stand up!' Then two hands gripped her tightly and made her stand up, which, to her own surprise, was still possible.

'Good girl.' The same man then tied her hands with a piece of rope and went on: 'Now you either follow us and survive, or you fall, and then we let you die.'

Even if she knew what the two were talking about, she was in no condition to think of anything but her own survival. She understood only some of the words, but it wasn't hard to guess what they were up to. So she just nodded and the men moved. Daemonica couldn't understand how she could make herself move, but she did. She should have been dead, but she wasn't - again. Knowing this made her desire to stay alive even stronger. She followed those two, remembering only one thing - she must not fall.