The Expedition: Chapter One

This morning she was prim and proper, the perfect model of a worldly woman of adventure. She spent hours preparing for their arrival, wearing the finest undergarments, her fancy slip, poofy skirt, corseted top, and best traveling jacket - along with her perfect round hat to protect her delicate features from the sun. She could not take too many chances in the desert and certainly did not want to get burned.

The wreckage of several of the expedition's ships floated around her in the night as she clung onto a long piece of smoldering timber.

Her father, General von Zinder, had organized an expedition to explore an uncharted continent that his people had heard rumors about. He had taken her along to experience the thrill of meeting another civilization, a people of the desert who believed in superstition and dark magics. Amelia had initially not wanted to go, this summer being one of the biggest fashion galas the Seven Kingdoms had ever seen. Still, she relented when he convinced her she would not only cut two years off her academy degree but also gain the title of Explorer in the Royal League of Explorers.

A giant water snake slid effortlessly beneath the dark water, and she hoped she would not be eaten as she floated helplessly as the battle raged on around her in the night. The beasts were summoned by the wicked sorcerers of whatever cult was attacking the expedition's fleet, supported by giant djinn hurling flaming cauldrons of the explosive pitch. Every ship that managed to fight back seemed to disappear into a sea of flame; most sank. As far as Amelia could tell, there weren't any survivors among the sailors or knights. All those men just vanished before their eyes!

She had a choice: stay in the water, pray for a rescue, and likely be eaten by the snakes, or swim to shore where she would be killed or captured by the evil cultists.

With no other option left, she took a deep breath and kicked her feet as hard as possible, pushing her timber through the water and praying the motion of her legs did not attract a snake. Her life flashed before her eyes as she imagined herself drowned or dismembered by some mad cultist, burning on a stake.

She emerged at a river mouth, dripping wet and gasping with fear and exertion, holding onto a large piece of wood that might have once been part of a mast. She heaved it out of the water and lay flat on the beach, catching her breath. It was the moment of darkness just before dawn, but the sun had yet to rise above the horizon, so everything was still dark except for the few points of light reflecting off the sand and the deep blue light chasing the black of the night away.

A flaming cauldron of pitch sailed over the palm trees far above her, leaving a black trail of smoke and burning embers hanging in the star-filled sky above.

"Damn you all!" she swore under her breath, then rolled onto her knees, coughing up the seawater that filled her lungs, looking about in desperation. There were no signs of any ships. The rest of the fleet must have pulled out to sea to avoid being caught in the ambush, and she knew some ships had assassins swimming aboard in large groups.

There wasn't time for mourning, though, as she needed to make her way away before they noticed her. A quick check revealed that her dress and clothes were soaked, slowing her down until they dried. She knew of a port city, the capital Dara ‘Jamal, towards the east, which was their destination, but she did not have any idea how far she was or if any towns lay along the coast for her to find help in, manage a way to the capital by boat or caravan.

She also supposed the cultists who attacked their fleet would look for survivors or valuable people like herself. If they captured a wealthy noble's daughter traveling alone, that would be a grand prize. She couldn't count on anyone coming after her since she had seen nothing but dead sailors and knights scattered on the shore, and there was no sign of life nearby.

She heard cultists shouting and screaming some distance away. She looked around the sparse vegetation and palm trees and felt safe. She was in a spot where she could not be easily seen, but places like this had their share of dangers, such as large desert cats or crocodiles.

She walked over to the blood-stained tide towards a soldier. She said a small prayer for him and knelt, removing his belt of pouches and securing it around her waist. Something was better than nothing, and the belt had a canteen for water.

The dead soldier also had a dagger in a leg sheath.

She did not know how to fight with a blade, but a heavy knife like this may come in handy for survival. She felt a pang of fear as she touched the weapon, but more shouts from the cultists - that sounded closer - forced her hand, and soon the dagger and its sheath were tied to the belt around her waist.

She stood, saw the torches of the cultists approaching closer, and ran along the shore to cross the shallow river and disappear into the vegetation on the far side. Those wicked men would not capture her, and she would live to see her father - and civilization - again. The thought kept her going through the morning when the sun finally rose. The air was already hot so she would be exhausted by noon. By then, she would be glad for the shade of a tall tree and a little water from the canteen strapped to her belt. She walked forever on a beach so vast and long it would have been beautiful had anything else been around to contrast the edge of the desert and the sea. Instead, on one side was a vast sea of blue, and on the other, a vast sea of sand punctuated by small patches of dry scrub and tall hills of brown and tan in the distance. It was mostly quiet except for some odd bird-call sounds.

By late afternoon, Amelia began feeling hungry despite having eaten some dried fruit in her pouches. Her body craved food, and her feet hurt from the long walk. She kept looking behind herself for anyone who may have followed her, but the same scene lay behind her in front, only with the water on the other side. No sign of pursuit appeared at all.

Amelia needed to rest to continue walking; she did not want to get caught in a sandstorm without shelter or supplies. That left two options: a cave or a building where she could find shelter. She clambered up a dune to get a better look inland. To the south and west was a large pool of fresh water surrounded by a dense palm and date forest and sandy shores - ideal places for cultists to hide and ambush ships coming into port. If that were their plan, then it was likely that any towns nearby had fallen to them already.

She sighed, ruling out such a prominent place. The oasis seemed too attractive for them as a base, and she could make out a few trails through the scrub leading to and from the area.

The only other place she spotted was a ruin on the side of a hill facing the sea. The oasis could not see the ruin, and there looked like a giant cave heading into the mountain as a part of whatever the place had been. The hill sat closer to the oasis so that she could watch without being discovered, and then she could time a run for water to the pool when few were around.

She decided the ruins felt like the better choice until she knew if enemies were camped around the oasis. It would be nice to have something solid around her if another storm came. She crossed a sandy and rocky field towards the hill where the ruins sat, watching for animals or cultists. After trekking an hour across sand and rocks, Amelia reached the top of a dune where she saw the ruins clearly in the distance. A row of low buildings along either side of a wide path led up to the central structure, which must once have held some vital building because a small palace-style tower rose above everything else. It looked like someone had tried to restore its grandeur but failed miserably, with some mortar falling from one corner of the building and weeds growing out of every crack in the stonework. There was no roof now, just four walls standing against the wind and weather, with broken doors swinging open under their weight and rubble littering what floor remained intact enough to walk on.

She sighed and made her way to the ruins, and her suspicions were correct. The buildings leading up to the ruins were partially collapsed and filled with sand. Only the palace-like structure in front of the cave opening seemed habitable. The remains were tall and square - unlike most ancient buildings that had crumbled over time - so she could not guess how old it was.

Amelia stepped into a large chamber and felt amazed at the intricate and colorful tilework of the walls and floor, now dirtied and worn to time but with enough beauty left to appreciate whatever this place was. She walked around looking for a source of fresh water, but there was none to be found, though there were three rooms off a short hallway, all empty except for piles of rubble everywhere. She followed another hall to find another set of rooms; they were also full of debris. All she saw in each room was dust, cobwebs, or the occasional snake curled in an alcove. This entire area was an abandoned ruin, nothing more than memories.

She sighed, returned to the central chamber, and stopped dead in her tracks as the piercing sound of a loud hiss made goosebumps on her skin.

She turned to face a giant cobra snake coiled up and ready to strike, its broad head with the extra eyes staring straight into her frightened soul.

The beast opened its mouth, displaying sharp teeth, but Amelia stood firm despite the urge to flee. Instead, she held the dagger firmly in both hands like a spear and braced herself against the attack.

The creature's long tongue flicked out between razor-sharp fangs before curling back inside its open maw and baring its fangs again. A moment later, the great snake lunged forward without warning, hoping to wrap itself around Amelia's throat while pinning down her arms and stabbing at her torso until she died under its crushing weight. Her instincts were to dodge to the side, but she would likely get crushed under those huge coils of muscle. She stood fast, holding the knife with both hands over the monster's head, keeping it focused on her, daring it to come closer. She stared into its one eye that seemed almost intelligent; it did not blink or look away even when it was seconds away from killing her with a bite or constriction. It seemed aware of her plan that she meant business this time and had a weapon in hand that could slay it quickly...

She backed up towards a door and reached with her free hand behind her. The cobra sensed movement and swung its body towards the threat as she grabbed the door handle and pulled it open just enough for her to slip through. Once past the threshold, the cobra crashed against the wooden barrier, shaking the entire building and making her fear for her life. The serpent hissed and smacked the door repeatedly as she gasped for breath and noticed the room she had fled into contained a giant nest of snake eggs and many other holes leading into the room.

Big enough for a snake to slide in at any moment.