Desert Sands

By Kaitlyn Carter Brown

Aham drew a deep breath, anxious anticipation swirling through him like dust kicked up across the Sancen Desert.

It’s a race, like any other.

Hasi rested her scaled snout on Aham’s shoulder, as if she sensed his anxiety. The reptile stood twice his height and her girth rivaled a wagon’s. Glorious creatures, cardants were built to brave the Sancen—and made wonderful racing partners.

Stroking Hasi’s scales, Aham smiled. “I’m counting on you, Hasi.”

She blinked her ebony eyes, unperturbed.

Cardants lived simple lives. Bond with their riders, thrive on the sun’s rays, and run across the sand. Wild and free.

What did they know of competition and status?

Footsteps echoed across the stables. Aham turned, his eyes catching the orange of the guards’ turbans and the glint of their scimitars’ hilts.

Between them stood her.

Aham dropped to one knee.

“Rise.” Lystra, the queen of their fair kingdom Instanolde, beckoned. As Aham obeyed, a gracious smile alighted upon her face. “You have a beautiful cardant. Hasi, isn’t it?”

No one in Instanolde loved cardants as much as the queen. Her stables were among the most revered in the kingdom. Gaining the queen’s notice in the races rivaled placing first.

If the queen sponsored me, my family would never hunger again.

“She’s as good as they come.” Aham ran a hand along the reptile’s sleek neck. Hasi’s eyes closed lazily.

The queen stepped closer, glittering like an emerald in her green kaftan. “Indeed. Your handling of the dunes during yesterday’s qualifier was impressive. A keen display of the bond you’ve nurtured with Hasi.”

Aham’s face warmed. “Thank you, your highness.”

“Which is why I have come.” Lystra nodded to one of her attendants. The servant stepped forward, lifting the lid of the box he bore. “I request that you wear my colors today.”

Aham’s eyes widened. Inside, a rider’s uniform of a deep, rich purple lay folded beside a matching turban and scarf. Only the queen’s best riders wore purple—a distinction even among those she sponsored.

“Th-thank you, your highness.”

“A provisional arrangement.” The queen smiled. “Race well, and we’ll see about your future.”

Race well. Aham returned the smile.

As Aham led Hasi onto the track, the midmorning sun beat down upon his purple-clad shoulders. He pulled the scarf up over his turban, shielding his skin.

The other riders lined up at the starting positions. They watched Aham, their eyes dark beneath their turbans. Those whom the queen sponsored wore palace orange.

No other rider is wearing purple.

Aham skirted their gazes, looking to the pavilion where the queen watched beside her king. She chose me to stand out. Let them stare. He mounted Hasi and settled into the saddle. “We can do this.”

“Aham,” the rider to his left called out. “Watch yourself through Djinn’s Throat. Wouldn’t want your fancy clothes ruined.”

Aham gritted his teeth. The narrow pass of Djinn’s Throat marked the most difficult portion of the course. A few times, Aham had lost his seat and had been nearly trampled by his fellow racers.

Not today.

With a blast of rams’ horns, the race began. The cardants sprang from the line in a side-winding gait while their tails flicked in the air like dancing cobras. Aham gripped the saddle’s horn with one hand and Hasi’s reins in the other.

“Yah, Hasi!” As she pulled away, Aham smiled, trusting her speed.

The desert lay before them. Mounded, windswept rocks. Red washed canyons. Golden dunes of glittering dust. Harsh, yet beautiful.

The course took them through a maze of rocks with cliffs rising to their left. Here, the cardants pounced from boulder to boulder, such maneuvers critical to gaining ground.

An orange-clad rider leapt from a precipice, cutting in front. Aham snarled.

There’s still time to prove that I’m worthy of this uniform.

Once he survived Djinn’s Throat.

The pass cut off both sun and heat. In the shadows, the corridors blended into the rock walls, making it difficult to navigate. Aham gripped his saddle, focusing on the orange rider ahead—

Hasi stumbled. Aham pitched forward as his cardant rocketed into the cliffside.

No! He held on. He would not fall.

Scrambling for a footing, Hasi made a low, warbling sound deep in her throat. Pain. The orange rider grew smaller—and then vanished altogether.

Aham’s heart plummeted at the sight of her mangled foreleg. I can’t allow her to injure herself further. A crevice in the rock afforded them shelter. Aham dismounted to inspect the leg. Bits of pale bone protruded from twisted, bloody flesh.

It’s over.

Only Hasi mattered now. Aham unwound the purple scarf from his shoulders, using it to bind up Hasi’s leg. The cardant nuzzled his shoulder.

“It’s not your fault, girl. Rotten luck.” He rose, peering into her deep, unblinking eyes. “Let’s get you home.”

By the time Aham arrived at the finish line, the race had long ended. The pavilions were dismantled, and most of the crowd had returned to the city. A few cardants lounged on the rocks, absorbing the sunlight.

Aham’s stomach twisted as he spotted the queen conversing with the lingering riders.

When she saw him, her face brightened. “Oh, thank goodness.” A shadow eclipsed her brow at the sight of the limping cardant. “Send for a healer, immediately.”

Aham dropped to one knee. “My queen, she was too injured to continue. I’ve failed you.”

Lystra stroked Hasi’s snout. “You did well, Aham. Pushing her through might have maimed her. Any great rider shares a bond with their cardant. No race is worth damaging that.”

Rising, Aham swallowed. “I’ll have the uniform returned to you.”

The queen blinked. “I did not say that you were unworthy. Come to the palace and train with my riders once Hasi has healed. I would be honored to sponsor such a committed team as Hasi and yourself.”

Aham smiled. “Thank you, your highness.” Hasi gave an affectionate nudge. His family would indeed be well cared for.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kaitlyn Carter Brown, audacious adventurer and book lover, began writing at age 11 and never stopped. She writes for the undaunted and unafraid, spinning tales of courage, loyalty, and plenty of intrigue. She lives in southern California with her husband and devoted beta fish and enjoys the outdoors (especially national parks).

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