Sandborn - Awakening of the Frozen Sand

[The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.] - Helen Keller

"Why have you decided to befriend Garul instead of enslaving him?" Araumir asked, leaning against the shadowy part of a stone where the desert's terrible heat couldn't reach him. "I mean, we could've played it safe and ensured his full cooperation, right?"

"I think you overestimate my ability to control people," Azar replied, resting beside his friend. "When someone I've enslaved tries to resist or act against my orders, there's a battle between our souls. As I told you, even though my cultivation is lower, my soul power is stronger than some of the Bellator Class flux-weavers. But after my failure with Zahabis, i've become more prudent."

"Until now, I control three Bellator Class flux-weavers, but they are not among the strongest and most gifted. If one of them resists my orders, he can't escape my control. However, I do feel tired when that happens. So, if two or more resist me simultaneously, there's a high probability they'll break free, and I'll suffer a backlash. That's the last thing I need right now," Azar explained.

"So, are you saying that if Hamsha and Surumadur, let's say, decide to rebel against you at the same time, you won't be able to resist them?" Araumir asked, gazing at Azar in surprise.

Azar nodded. "I am a 5th Star Mit'chalel flux-weaver, Araumir. Controlling Bellator Class practitioners is already a feat worth bragging about. But I have to be careful. If I don't play my cards right, this situation will turn against me."

"But this is too dangerous. Why didn't you inform me before?" Araumir asked.

"Would you have let me enslave Surumadur and Yusuf if you knew?" Azar answered with another question.

"No, of course not. But there was no need for you to do that. They are much weaker than me, so I could've just scared them into submission," Araumir replied. "Why put yourself in so much danger for such a simple matter?"

"It's not that simple," Azar said. "If we use just fear with them, I'm not sure we can trust them. And I have to trust them for my plan to succeed. We currently have no backing, and if even a single tribe targets Mirha, you will have to defend it. I only have you, so I can't let you stay for long in one place for now; you have more important things to do."

"Master, you think too much. You said it back at the Calabi: I can wipe out a tribe by myself. So what's there to be concerned about?" Araumir said.

"Let me have it my way; you know how i like to act," Azar said.

"I know. I just hope you won't end up hurt from this. Yusuf is alone, but the two from the Calabi are together. We can't be sure they won't do something together."

"Why do you think I acted so friendly with them? Why do you think I pulled the strings to make Surumadur submit to us willingly? Because I'm such a friendly and forgiving person?" Azar asked. "They killed my descendants; they almost killed Faira. You know I let them off lightly, but I acted the way I did because I had to take precautions. I had to befriend them so I wouldn't risk my skin."

"You always think ahead, but sometimes I think you have too much faith in people," Araumir said.

"High risk, high reward. That's how life is. If I stopped trusting people every time I was betrayed, I wouldn't have achieved anything. I would've remained alone," Azar said.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Araumir said, a little depressed.

He had chosen the other path. He chose not to have faith in anyone other than himself and his master, and that path brought him more suffering than joy. Yet it was hard for him to change; he didn't know how.

"You alright?" Azar asked, seeing his friend's depressed expression.

"Yes, I am good," Araumir replied, breaking out of his emotional state.

"Then let's go see what the Sarabians have decided. I see the smoke," Azar said, and Araumir opened the shadow world for them to submerge into it.

. . .

A few minutes earlier.

"Are you sure he will come?" Faruh, another elder of the Sarabi, asked.

"I've never seen you this impatient, Faruh. Is your niece influencing you to act so childish?" Devash, the only woman present at the discussion, said, trying to irritate the old man.

"Watch how you speak to me. You know I never forgive anyone for disrespecting me," Faruh said.

"Enough, you two," Garul interjected to stop the conflict. "Faruh, if you can't wait, you're free to leave."

"Hm? What's gotten into you, Garul? Are you kicking me out?" Faruh asked, not understanding why the two seemed to have made a common front against him.

"Everyone knows about you boot-licking Zahabis, so don't expect us to trust you. I only summoned you because I want the whole tribe to be united in taking this decision. Now that you made it clear you're against our departure, I do not see why you should remain here," Garul clarified.

"Hahaha, so that's it, huh? Now that you've found someone else to back you up, you throw away all the good Zahabis did for this tribe," Faruh said, infuriated. "Good, good. I'm glad you all showed your colors in the end."

"Just because you decided to support him and accept his cruelty, that doesn't mean we all have to," Mahtius, the last elder present and the youngest of all, spoke unrestrained. "You seem to forget how he became the chief. Is that what you support? The suffering of the people for a few coins?"

"A few coins?" Faruh burst out. "You have no idea what you're dealing with. You can't even comprehend what will happen to our tribe if we betray them."

"Betray who, Faruh?" Garul asked. "Do you know who supported Zahabis?"

"It doesn't matter," Faruh waved his hand dismissively. "You can't understand anyway." He headed for the exit.

"Faruh, I will not allow you to leave until you tell us what you know!" Mahtius jumped to his feet, going after him.

"You want to stop me?" Faruh yelled, pulling something out from his robe.

"Emir!" Garul called for his eldest son, Bodul's father.

Appearing from behind a curtain, Emir stabbed Faruh's neck, his right hand grabbing the elder's hand with the unknown object.

"You knew," Faruh murmured, taking one last look at Garul, his old friend and arms companion.

Letting the elder drop to the floor, Emir quickly took hold of the object, which looked like a brown ball.

"What is it?" Mahtius asked. "Is it dangerous?"

"I don't know," Emir replied.

"Hurry, take it outside," Garul instructed, and without waiting another second, Emir left the tent.

"What now?" Devash asked.

"Now we make a fire," Garul replied.

. . .

"Have you decided?" Azar asked, right after emerging from the shadows. "I see it was a heated discussion," he said, watching two women clean the blood on the ground.

"We had some misunderstandings," Garul said in a friendly tone.

Both Mahtius and Devash remained silent, shocked by Azar's young appearance and low level of cultivation, but careful enough not to say anything inappropriate. After all, Garul had noticed them about those aspects.

"I hope those that mattered managed to keep their lives," Azar said to Garul.

"Yes, those present," Garul replied.

Azar nodded. "I'm glad everyone's fine then," he said, saluting the two elders with a short bow. "Have you made a decision, I assume?"

"Yes, we have decided to trust you. However, we can't just relocate like this," Garul said. "We'll have to be sure of a few things."

"I'm listening," Azar answered.

"First, if we're going to partake in your alliance, we need proof of its existence and purpose. We also know little about you, so it's hard to place our fate in your hands," Garul explained. "Then there's the problem of our settlement. Will we have food? Will we have a water source close by? There are many things to discuss."

"Yes, there are," Azar agreed. "But time is short, and I can't disclose much information to you right now as I don't know if you can be trusted."

Hearing his words, all three elders had a change in expression.

Devash opened her mouth to ask something, unable to control her impulse, but Azar raised a hand, stopping her.

"Let me finish," he said. "I can assure you that the terrain will be prepared for you to move in a few days. I will also supply you with a water source. As for food, I think I can find a rich enough area to sustain you for a while until we find a permanent solution. You can talk with the Calabi Chief, Surumadur, to learn more about me. While he won't be able to answer all your questions, I think he can satisfy your curiosity for the moment. Does this sound good?"

"How can we confirm what you said?" Devash asked, a little calmer than before.

"You can send a group of people to the Calabi. They will be guided from there to where you will set up camp," Azar replied. "If you like it, you can stay there; if you don't, you can go wherever you want."

Mahtius nodded in acceptance. "We have good ties with the Calabi. If they are involved, then I think we can trust them."

"That's what I said from the beginning," Garul reminded the two elders.

"And then what?" Devash asked. "What do we do after we relocate? Do we pay you tribute? I don't take your help for granted."

"Do you think you have enough money to pay me?" Azar asked, silencing everyone.

"I want allies. After you relocate and confirm that you can trust us, someone will pay you a visit to discuss the terms of our alliance, and clear your tribe of 'impurities'," Azar said. "Then, if everyone agrees, we will work together to create a force strong enough to defend itself against the kingdoms and other threats."

"Won't it be better if we discuss the terms of the alliance right now?" Devash asked. "For everyone to know if we can cooperate or not?"

"I can cooperate with you," Azar answered. "You don't know if you can cooperate with me. And to strictly respond to your question, yes, it would be better to discuss the terms of our alliance right now. However, we won't do that."

"And why is that?" Mahtius asked.

"Because I do not trust you. I have told you a few things about my plans and allies, but I will not divulge the depth of my power so easily. As I said before, my main goal is for you not to become the allies of the enemy right now. Because I am sure that after my organization reveals itself, every tribe will want to take part in it. So, whether you join me now, or later, the result will be the same," Azar said.

"I help you with the relocation because I can use another ally, and I will take your response as proof of your trust. Araumir, reveal yourself, please," Azar said.

Emerging from his master's shadow, Araumir showed his imposing figure with an air filled with superiority.

"I can't sense his cultivation. He's at least a Magister Mancer," Mahtius said.

"And what if he is a Mancer? The chiefs of the strongest tribes are also flux weavers of this class. Some of them even reach the Magister Magnus Class," Devash said, unimpressed.

"He is a Magister Magnus himself," Azar corrected, gathering everyone's attention. "Don't get me wrong, elders, I have not presented him to show off. I allowed you to see him just to prove my point. With your current power, knowledge, and resources, you don't hold much value. That's why, in our alliance, like the other tribes, you will be placed under rigorous training, provided with knowledge and resources.

"All to increase your strength. So please, stop being arrogant and thinking that you're in danger and I want to lead you into a trap," Azar said. "For you to be of any major use to me, I have to groom you first. I have to train, feed, and teach you before I can do anything else. That's why I can't trust you now; you have not proven your worth."