Batic and Allula didn’t know what to expect of this new country. The rebel captain told them that he normally transports spices from the Everlasting Desert to the Lorconian Forests. The people seemed peaceful, but that was most likely due to their savage leadership. Instead of having a Sultan or single ruler, they had several divisions of the country ruled by a leader who provided certain service to the Lorconian forests. In this way they assured no leader would go to war with another.

​The journey to the new land took a month and four days, but by the time that three weeks had passed both Allula and Batic stopped counting. There was a certain meditation they formed while working aboard the ship. Allula could not recall having so many blisters on her hands, but Batic could never forget. He cringed at the memories of torture, but reminded himself that justice had been found. All that mattered now was meeting the new challenges to come head-on and that meant killing the captain before they docked.

​Allula sat happily in the shade of the sail. The crew didn’t seem to notice two additions to their crew, so it was easy for Allula and Batic to find uniforms and play sailor. It was a little more difficult for Allula as she had to play the man, but Batic was soon becoming a respected member of the crew. He worked with strength and conviction. Allula watched him closely, recognizing his natural talent for sailing.

The Royal Harbour was watched over by an intelligent man. He knew how criminals worked better than any other. As he worked on tearing files on known, executed criminals his men walked in with a new set of them. The most terrible criminals were brought to the coastal city where this man dealt with them personally. His name Haq and he soon became the chief pursuer of the Sultan’s murdered. It was nearing night when the messenger in his city walked in with a hawk on his arm.

Batic took Allula’s silence as a sign that she had fallen asleep. It has been a long journey across the desert and a taxing one at that. He had to admire her strength through it all. There was limited water for the journey and they had to leave before the camel could store enough for itself. Through it all she didn’t complain, but she certainly was wondering if they would make it.