The Sultan's Lie

A small section of Chapter One. Enjoy!

The redness of my hair flickered against the blue sky, the wind danced with it; twisting and rolling. I ripped a piece of cloth from my already tattered shirt and wrapped it around my head shielding my delicate skin from the scorching sun. I was going to blister and burn if I didn’t get out of here. My arms were scratched and bruised from fleeing the forest. The scene of crashing trees and dying druids threatened to re-play in my mind. I gritted my teeth and suppressed it. A few grains of sand touched my delicate feet, I flinched in pain at the sensation of stabbing barbs. A hollow feeling spread through my limbs at the sight of the empty stretch of lonely, sandy hills. I raised my hand up shielding my eyes from the glare of the desert, the heat of the day blurred the distant land. Which direction should I walk in? I wanted to collapse into a hopeless heap, I had nothing left, no home to go back to. I cringed controlling my thoughts, I couldn’t let them go there yet, back to the scene of death and destruction, if I allowed it, even for a moment, I would collapse and crumble like a delicate petal. I had to stay strong for them, for the memory of those who'd died. I put my hand out in front of me, spread my fingers and closed my eyes-- the wind became stronger spraying sand in every direction. Once again the memories attempted to infiltrate my mind, my concentration broke momentarily so I pushed them aside. My teeth tightened, I was determined not to think about them --I would mourn later. The familiar green essence trailed from the earth below flowing around my fingers. I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt my body soak up the energy, the tips of my fingers tingled with delight, excited by the feeling of regenerated power.

If only I’d given it more thought. If only I’d concentrated before re-locating. I was lucky to be alive, baron deserts was nothing compared to where I might’ve ended up-- the ocean or in space, causing me instant death. I was nearing full regeneration now, I looked up at the sky raising my arms. The sky obliged, white cumulus clouds rushed towards me from every direction. They swished and tumbled joining together growing larger, darker and blacker. Small pulses of light flickered in the depths of the darkest cloud. Droplets of rain began to fall. I placed two fingers on my temple willing my essence to form a small barrier around my body, the droplets splashed hitting an imaginary barrier-- I watched the water pool trickle down the sides. That’s better I thought. I hated the hot weather and my almost translucent skin would dry and crack like the desert floor. I missed my ancient forest and its energy, how I wish I could be back there again – it wouldn’t be easy –- I knew there was nothing left of the home I once knew. Was I the last of my kind? I touched the poisoned darts and blow pipe that sat on my hip-- I knew what I had to do, I had to find him, he was the jungles only hope. I collapsed into a sitting position on the now cool wet sand. I whispered to the wind projecting my energy into it. I used it’s consciousness to search the surrounding wilderness. Life forces called to my attention from all difference directions, but I needed a specific type; humans. Eventually I found a small village, I heard people around me squeal as I directed my gust of breeze into the heart of the city, people held down objects that threatened to be blown away as I moved in and around. The people here could be Arabian or Egyptian I couldn’t understand their language, but my grandfather had taught me about desert dwellers -- I would have to enter their minds to be sure. I trailed along one person’s essence traveling into their body until I found their brain, I entered the mind. I inhabited the body of a young boy about twelve, the memory of my son flashed up from my unconscious mind, I repressed it, pushing it back down. Not now! Not yet! I thought commanding my mind, I had to remain strong. The image dissipated as I detached it from myself. I took on the boy’s life force now, he resisted initially, but having entered many minds of men, I knew he'd yield. I searched his mind, the first things I saw were his characteristics he was shy but smart and as I suspected he was Egyptian and spoke Arabic. That was some teleport! So far I’d only accumulated knowledge of English, bird, spider monkey, Portuguese, Mexican Spanish, and several other tribal ones, but no Arabic. I left the boys mind and traveled along the wind again, I stopped just outside the town in a deserted and quiet area. I took in the image, my awareness noted every rock, building, sound and colour. After I was certain I had the image firmly fixed in my mind, I traveled backto my body. When I'd returned back to the sandy hills of the desert I stood, closed my eyes, and pictured myself in the scene preparing myself for re-location.
My body buzzed with electricity as the town materialised around me, it was bigger than I’d expected, rows of flat sand-stone houses spread across the flat plains. The sound of the ocean and ships bells echoed in the distance. The emptiness in my body signaled the need to regenerate my energy sources. I spread my fingers feeling underneath the ground, the energy quality here was weak I needed something more concentrated. Back in the jungle the energy was so strong I survived on very little, here, I would collapse on that amount. The excited tingling through my fingers spread through my body as I became full. I had teleported between two houses and was well hidden. I was in an alley way, behind me was a quiet empty courtyard, in front stalls lined the streets and people bartered and argued. This was obviously the cities market. I was used to bartering with items of value back home, but not with coins. These Egyptians used a local currency. I had encountered money before, but I had never used it, I would have to attain some with the local’s language. I would never make it back home without a more concentrated source of power so I would have to use human travel, which would require money. My fingers traced the smoothness of the sandstone walls as I peeked around the corner. Aromatic spices, meats and incense floated along the wind. I sniffed the new smells curiously as I observed silently, I spotted a little monkey resting in the rafters of one of the stalls. Brilliant! I thought. I pushed my essence away from my body-- trailing along the ground, moving in between pillars, poles, chairs and feet. I floated up to the monkey and inhabited it’s body. His limbs were light and flexible compared to mine. Back home chimps were my favourite animal to inhabit apart from birds. Swinging through the tree tops was almost as good as soaring through the air. I heard the monkey's mind wake up at the intrusion, I willed him back to sleep and he stopped resisting. The urge to scratch the fleas roaming through it’s fur was unbearable, irritation filled his body and I screeched unexpectedly. A large object moved beside me and the stench of a fat smelly man became stronger as I was scratched on the head. The man made weird cooing noises. As he did I felt the supressed monkey inside of me relax at the sound. I didn’t understand any of it except for one word that pricked familiarity in the monkey’s consciousness. Qerd was the name for the critter. The fat smelly man went back to bartering with a buyer and I intended to use his distraction for my own gain. Using my tail for balance I looked around the stall for coins. I spotted the fat man’s stash of coins bulging from a piece of cloth which hung from his belt. Carefully, I untied the pouch easily with my tiny fingers. The pouch nestled between my front legs, I scampered back towards my hiding place. I dropped it at my feet, I inspected myself, I looked terrible, holes in my clothes, hair matted and scratches and bruises everywhere. I'd have to get new clothes and wash. I took the monkeys body back to the stall. Before removing myself from his mind, I took the opportunity to orient myself, Qerd had a keen sense of direction and knew the town well. I removed my essence again thanking the monkey as I left. I welcomed the familiarity of my own agile frame. I had spent too long in Qerd’s body, I was drained. I willed the energy from the earth to rise up, the source of the energy moved and began to drain underneath the ground. I had to be careful not to exhaust this supply --it was waning quickly. The town’s people would need it to grow crops. I chose my next mind carefully. I needed someone with a strong grasp of the Egyptian -Arabic language and an understanding of street smarts. Exotic dancing girls burst through the streets and men cheered and clapped. The women shook their firm bodies fluidly like snakes draping fine pieces of silk around merchant’s necks. The men ogled tripping over themselves. Following the dancing girls were twenty muscly men dressed in black and gold skirts carried a large wooden litter on poles, silken cloth kept the inhabitants from the outside streets. I was certain that inside there would be the perfect mind with knowledge of the intimate parts of the region for I was certain it was royalty. With Qerd’s body still fresh in my mind I readied my essence to become a translucent monkey, I planned my infiltration first. I would push it outwards away from my torso, and then move quickly in between the crowd and into the litter. Patiently waiting for the litter to get closer I sat down on the ground anticipating the energy drain. If I used too much I would faint. The litter was about three meters away when I let my essence leave my body jumping and bounding about the crowd I scampered up the leg of one of the load bearing men, he flinched slightly as I balanced on a wooden pole he was carrying. Pushing a green silken curtain aside I arrived at the scent of perfumed lilies. Inside a young man pressed his head into his hands, his visage despondent and lifeless. Dark eyes matched with dark wavy dishevelled hair -- they contrasted against his white tunic. Black eye-makeup emphasised the almond shape of his striking eyes and golden bracelets lined his arms. I moved closer feeling my essence being soaked up into him. I willed him to sleep but he wouldn’t budge, he fought with so much strength that I couldn’t tap into the information I needed.

“Ekroj halan”

I didn’t understand. He repeated this over and over. Eventually I won the battle but he didn’t sleep. This had never happened before, I could make all humans and animals sleep, I hoped he wasn't aware of who I was or what I looked like. But, I knew he was watching me learning about the locals language and city. This was the Prince and it was his wedding day--he was not happy about it.

“That’s enough now. Please leave my mind”

“How do you know I’m here?”

“We’re not so different. You have what you need. Now go before I find you and kill you.”

I withdrew from his mind and watched him stretch out his limbs in response to my inhabiting them. When I was back, my eyes opened to blurriness and disorientation, I fell sideways towards the ground.