I looked down at my new recruits with a satisfied nod. Three dozen desert nomads, all tied up at the feet of my camel, their faces still raw from the sudden sandstorm and the sun now beating down on us with no shadow in sight, my guards arrayed in a circle around them.

They stared up at me, equal parts of hate and fear in their eyes.

"I'm sure you are wondering why you are still among the living," I said in their language, waiting for the question to bypass the haze of pain they were sure to be in.

"It's quite simple really. For your crimes you've all been enrolled into the Armed Forces of Roh. As the highest authority of Rog, you are now my direct subordinates until we return to the city."

"I didn't sign up to no army!" one of them yelled.

My eyes swiveled to my example, a small smile on my face.

"You didn't, did you?" I asked with a pretty smile, "Did I ask you to rob me? To try and kill me?"

He shook his head frantically, fear clear in his eyes.

“I didn't, did I?” I mused and took control of the sand deep inside his lungs and moved it just a little, watching with cold eyes as he went white and collapsed back into himself.

"That's your first and only warning," I stated. "Your life is mine. Do not shorten it unduly."

My recruits nodded in agreement and I hummed in satisfaction, idly noting my blonde hair practically glowed in the sun as I glared down on them a little longer just to drive the point home.

"I'm not unreasonable to your plight, life in the desert is quite hard after all" I continued. "So I will offer you freedom in exchange for your cooperation in a small endeavour of mine."

My prisoners kept silent, none daring to speak up after the last one.

"I've been tasked to conquer the Iriloh Oasis to secure my claim on the throne," I explained freely.

A different wave of fear spread through the bandits.

"You will help me in this or die trying," I stated.

Half of them looked ready to risk running away, the two mages chief among them.

I sighed.

"We're not entirely without resources of course," I said, pulling the stupid piece of broccoli out of my saddle, still perfectly preserved in the stasis field.

"This will help us," I said, watching with glee as every single one of them looked at me in confusion. "Now get moving, we have lingered here long enough."

My new soldiers staggered to their feet, their eyes still full of confusion, but also filled with a desperate bit of hope. My guards sniggered at me, the treasonous assholes knowing just how stumped I was.

I shot them a warning glare, causing them to shut up.

"Are you sure this is wise, my lady?" Acharo asked. "They're lowlifes, bandits, not soldiers."

"Exactly," I agreed. "They're going to make a run for it the moment they can. And they know I have the broccoli."

"And how's that going to help us?" he asked.

“I'm not sure yet,” I admitted, “but a plan is starting to form.”

And it was a disgrace, without the labyrinthine foresight one of my station ought to show.

“I will have to trust you on that, my lady,” he said drily.

“You will,” I agreed. “But let's really leave this place behind before something even I will have problems dealing with comes to investigate. It wouldn't do to fail now after I acquired a set of so useful pawns.”

“Death is something I would very much like to avoid myself,” he remarked.

“Don't we all,” I said.

I flexed my magic once more, the sand beneath our feet rolling over the sandstone, speeding our travel and erasing both the evidence of my battle and our tracks.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Get me their leader,” I said as the sun set a few hours later. “I want to talk to him.”

“At once, my lady,” he said, urging his camel forwards as my guards dismounted around us. I stayed up here, carefully moving my dune to cover us, hiding the fire about to be built and shielding my group from the cold winds to come.

“Your name?” I asked as my head guard returned with the man, clad only in thin rocks.

“Orev,” he hissed after a moment.

“Orev,” I mused. “You're quite far from the southern desert.”

My new minion reeled, his eyes suddenly on the sand in front of him.

“Not that it matters,” I continued. “Clan politics are something I will not have to deal with for years yet. Perform well and I might lend my ear to you in due time.”

“You're actually serious?” he asked, the truth dawning on him. “You are the real Lyra al Roh?”

“I am,” I affirmed.

“What is the heiress of Roh doing out here with just a dozen guards?” he yelled.

“I told you. I'm on a mission to conquer Iriloh,” I said.

“You usually use an army for that,” Acharo stated, my minion nodding in fearful agreement.

I shrugged.

“It’s a tradition for the ruling family,” I shrugged. “Those don't always make sense.”

“Your father did not have to conquer an oasis as powerful as Iriloh,” Acharo added.

“He didn't,” I agreed. “But then again father dearest is not me.”

Acharo looked at the rolling dunes still settling down around us with a roll of his eyes, but nodded nonetheless.

“You're right,” he agreed. “He’s far more subtle.”

I sighed.

“I should have you written up for insubordination,” I stated.

“I'll see if I can fit it in my schedule, my lady,” he quipped.

“See that you do,” I agreed. “Now. Orev. Tell me what you know about Iriloh.”

“It's one of the few oases not under control of the likes of you,” he said. “The oasis itself is located on a massive mountain of sandstone and heavily fortified. It’s led by a coalition of merchants that”

“Stop,” I cut him off. “Everyone knows that. Tell me what the likes of you care about. Bribable guards, corrupt merchants, that sort of thing.”

“I'd never risk selling anything there,” he admitted. “That's just asking to die a painful death.”

I looked down at the middle aged bandit, finding him ringing his hands.

“I see,” I said approvingly.

He cringed.

“I know a few people that do,” he added hurriedly. “I can lead you to them.”

“My lady,” Acharo stated coldly, mentioning towards me.

“My lady,” Orev added.

“Very well,” I said. “Tell me more about them. Where do we find them? How many of them are there?”

“There's a small town of like minded individuals near Iriloh,” he explained.

“I see,” I mused, intrigued. “Tell me more.”

“There's a small massif of sandstone no two days from the oasis,” he explained. “A pair of enterprising mages tunneled inside to seek shelter about a decade ago and found a connection to a deep water reservoir inside.”

“They did not get to report it to the oasis before someone else found them,” he continued. “An exiled mage from your illustrious city. He killed the two and built his own little empire in that rock.”

“About a decade ago?” I asked. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

I gulped a little.

We did not exile mages. All mages in Roh had two choices. Serve or died. There was only one reason to exile a mage and only one exile from that time I knew about.

“Fuck,” I cursed. “This just gets better and better, doesn't it.”

“Do you know of him?” Acharo asked.

“You do too,” I grumbled. “Father exiled only a single mage in the last two decades.”

Acharo drew in a breath.

“You don't mean him, do you?” he asked, before hurriedly adding. “my lady.”

“Who else could I mean?” I asked. “I guess I will have to pay my brother dearest a little visit.”

“Warlord Lydan is your brother?” Orev yelled, all heads in the camp turning towards us.

“He is,” I said with a sigh. “That explains how the town managed to hold out for so long too. And how you managed to hide from me.”

I'd kill the fucking oracle once I got back! There was no way she didn't know I'd run into Lydan on my quest!

Exiling Lydan was the second best thing my father could've done back then and killing a mage of his caliber would result in too many casualties to be worth it for any but the worst of rulers.

“You will lead us to this town tomorrow,” I commanded. “I will need to get into the city one way or the other so its best to bring this behind us as soon as possible.”

“Are you sure, my lady?” Acharo asked. “You did not part with your brother on the best of terms if I remember correctly.”

“None of us did,” I agreed. “And I'm not feeling all that confident, but I need access to his minions and it'd be rude to steal something of his without telling him first.”

“My lady,” Orev mumbled. “You're powerful, but I've never seen a mage like lord Lydan before.”

“He is a damn talented mage,” I agreed. “But I'm his sister and still have a trick or two up my sleeves should we come to blows.”

Not that we would.

Lydan was a rock mage just like Orev and those did not fare well against the likes of me. No, our reunion would be most awkward to say the least, but a fight was not something that would happen.

Between the two of us at least.