The land they crossed was hard and dry, the color of ochre, and studded with large boulders. They had seen no water for the last two days, and their throats and bellies were begging for relief when they caught their first glimpse of Exag.
It appeared low on the horizon; a series of squares and pyramids, built of the same red ochre that they rode upon.
As they came closer, they saw that the curious shapes were enclosed within a high adobe wall that appeared to encircle the city without a single visible break. The strange geometric shapes within grew out of a series of low rises, actually an extension of the mountains that rose up behind the city like a dark curtain.
There was no sound coming from the city, no sense of the bustle and activity that normally marked any great gathering of people. In fact, the walled city seemed to exude an ominous air that sent a chill of foreboding creeping over Mika.
It soon became apparent that all traffic-what little there might be-entered the city through a single, tall, narrow gate, seemingly the only break in the wall that towered over them for more than ten man- heights.
Looking up at the great expanse, Mika could not even imagine how the immense wall had been built or, for that matter, by whom, since there seemed to be no junctures in the smooth surface, no indication of human construction. It seemed to rise straight up out of the hard ground itself.
Turning to ask Hornsbuck about the wall, he discovered that the older man's face was sharp, his watchful green eyes alert and focused on the gate.
"Watch your tongue, lad. Let me do the talking," said Hornsbuck quietly. "I be better skilled at this sort of thing."
Mika had his doubts as to Hornsbuck's diplomatic skills but did as he was bid.
They had trotted within hailing distance of the wall when Mika noticed that two men stood watch at the foot of the great gate. Their skin was as red as was the soil they stood on. So still did they stand that Mika mistook them at first for statues. But as the clansmen advanced, one of the guards stepped out to challenge them.
"What business have you here?" a guard demanded, his small eyes suspicious.
"Our supplies be low, guardsman, and we wish to reprovision," said Hornsbuck with great civility, his hands far from his weapons.
The second guard stepped up and stared at Mika and Lotus Blossom, then returned to examine Mika more closely. Mika silently returned his stare.
He saw a tall man, taller than himself, who was slightly more than six feet. His hair was black and straight, cut square over the eyes and falling to the point of the jaw where once again it was cut squarely around the nape of the neck.
The guards' features were nearly identical, with high-beaked noses and narrow-lipped mouths. Beneath their hard, glittering black eyes were sharp cheekbones that appeared to have been chiseled out of stone.
They wore strange armor, comprised of overlapping circles of reddish-colored metal. It covered them from neck to knuckle to knee and clanked as they moved. Mika guessed that it was effective but heavy. Beneath the armor, bison-leather boots and leggings were visible.
They were well-armed, carrying broadswords slung in sheaths between their shoulder blades, knives at their waists, and powerful crossbows in their hands.
Evidently Mika, Hornsbuck, and Lotus Blossom passed their inspection, for after a few additional questions-most specifically, the dates of their births-the gates were opened, and they were allowed to enter the city.
Mika was stunned. Exag was like no other city that he had ever seen. It was laid out in precise and careful lines, each block divided into an exact number of buildings, ail of which conformed to the same size and shape. The city could have been stamped out of a mold.
As could the people. As Mika stood and watched, he saw a score or more different groups of people, each distinguished by the color of their garb.
One caste seemed to be comprised of a handful of elderly men who wore nought but white robes, affixed at the left shoulder, leaving the other bare and falling ungirded to the ground. They wore no cloaks, even though the days had become quite cold. Their heads were clean-shaven.
Mika thought the men looked quite ordinary but suspected that they belonged to the highest caste and held positions of importance because they were accompanied by a full complement of guards outfitted like those at the gates. A host of lesser creatures dressed in muddy brown robes hurried ahead to scan the ground for obstacles and push the crowds back out of the way.
Mika and Hornsbuck stood aside to watch such a procession pass them, noting the frantic, fearful movements of the brown-robed minions. All around them, the throngs of shoppers and passersby averted their eyes and bowed low in silence, seemingly stricken by the same mixture of fear and awe exhibited by the brown-robes.
Not wanting to call attention to themselves, Hornsbuck, Lotus Blossom, and Mika also bowed low, keeping their silence. But then, with a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach, Mika realized that the procession had stopped in front of them; that one of the white-robed, shaven-headed men was looking directly at them! Mika hoped that the attention did not bode ill, but as the dark eyes traveled over him, he couldn't keep from shivering.
As though reading his mind, the white-robed man lifted his arm and pointed at Mika. Instantly, the crowd fell back, leaving a wide circle around Mika, Hornsbuck, Lotus, and the wolves. The expressions of fear on their faces, along with relief that the fmger had not been pointed at them, bore out Mika's own certainty that something awful was about to happen.
"What the…?" muttered Hornsbuck as he gripped his sword, ready to pull it from its sheath.
"I don't know," replied Mika, drawing his own sword and noting as he did so that Lotus Blossom had nocked an arrow. The huge woman stood ready to let it fly, the muscles of her arm taut with the tension.
He also noted with satisfaction the expressions of concern on the faces of the brown-robed minions as they attempted to close in on the armed trio without any weapons of their own. Evidently, they were unaccustomed to opposition.
An angry expression crossed the face of the white- robe, whose hand still pointed at Mika. He yelled at his underlings, demanding that they seize the armed trio. As the brown-robes inched their way closer, Mika saw that the guards, who were most definitely armed and looked as though they knew how to use their weapons, were closing in as well.
"There's too many, Hornsbuck," whispered Mika. "What are we going to do?"
Just at that moment, a tiny voice sounded behind Mika.
"Psssst!"
Mika slide his eyes sideways, trying to see who it was, but was unable to see anything. Then someone yanked on the hem of his cloak, directing his focus downward.
"Hurry! Get in here, quick!" said the voice.
Even as the guards pushed the brown-robes aside in order to get at him, Mike glanced down and saw a small face. It was topped by a thick thatch of dark hair, and two sharp eyes looked anxiously out at him from a narrow space between two buildings. The boy appeared to be around twelve summers of age and, unlike all of the other inhabitants of the city, wore a hodge-podge of clothing, not belonging to any one caste.
"Stop staring and get in here fast, you big dummy," hissed the boy, grabbing hold of Mika's arm and jerking it with unexpected strength.
Mika, not expecting the boy's action, ail but toppled into the dark passage. "Hornsbuck!" he yelped at the last minute. Hornsbuck, thinking that Mika was being attacked, wheeled and, brandishing his sword, followed him into the thin passage. Lotus Blossom, not understanding but unwilling to be left behind, followed on his heels, drawing the horses with her. The wolves slipped between the horses' feet, and the small passage was thus effectively blocked.
"Follow me!" cried the boy. "I can get you out of here!"
Hornsbuck nodded at Mika, signaling his approved, for even though Hornsbuck was the last person to run from a Fight, he was wise enough to realize that they were badly outnumbered in an unfamiliar walled city that would be difficult to escape.
A cry rang out, the words indistinguishable, but the meaning and the intent were clear. Stop! Halt! It was the harsh sound of authority; the same in all languages the Oerth over.
The boy began to run, a dark shadow dissolving into the darkness, and the small group followed him as best they were able. Mika's heart beat faster as he struggled to keep the boy in sight, afraid that they would become lost and easy prey for those who followed.
The dark spaces were made for small boys at best, cats and rats more likely, and never intended for large nomads. The passage twisted and turned, leading into a complex warren between the buildings.
The sound of pursuit soon faded, though the boy's pace did not flag. He darted across one wide thoroughfare and then led them into the dense maze of the marketplace, teeming with smelly stalls and raucous shoppers. A multitude of eyes watched them as they followed close on the boy's heels.
The boy suddenly ducked into a dark space behind a stall that sold old, wrinkled fruit and vegetables, fit only for consumption by uncaring animals.
Once again they found themselves in a narrow, dark passageway that wandered throughout the innards of the marketplace. It was a complicated labyrinth that could easily confuse any but those who knew it well. All Mika and the others could do was follow the boy and try to keep some idea of their bearings.
The walls were composed of various bits of wood and plaster, occasionally brick, as generation after generation of vendors had added on to their establishments without benefit of skillful builder or knowledge of construction.
The corridors were open to the sky, and more than once Mika looked up and took comfort from the clouds that passed overhead and the occasional bird that hove into view, reassuring himself that the world still existed.
And then they stopped. The passage ended in what appeared to be a solid brick wall, which was all but covered by a mound of moldering debris. Mika, seeing no way for them to continue, wondered suddenly if the boy was a purse thief who thought to rob them! Well, if that was his intent, he had a surprise in store! Mika's hand crept toward his knife.
But the boy did not even look at the nomad. Bending down, he reached into the pile of garbage and fiddled with something. There was a nearly silent exhalation of air as the brick wall swung aside, revealing only darkness beyond.
The boy looked up at the rooftops nervously and scanned the passage behind them as though expecting to see some sign of pursuit. Then he quickly gestured them forward, urging them to enter. Hornsbuck readily passed the boy and entered the darkened doorway, followed quickly by Lotus Blossom and the wolves. Mika, though, hesitated. He glanced back and saw a contemptuous grin on the boy's face. Swallowing his fear, he glared down at the urchin, gripped his knife more tighdy, and entered the chasm, leaving the horses behind.