The Society - Part 3

This is Part 3 of Clever’s short story, “The Society”. If you haven’t read the rest of the story, you can find it on our profile!

...

The pull of the genie had led Zynia to an inn in Al Sanad. As soon as she stepped inside, she spotted the girl. Zynia walked up to her and leaned in close.

“We need to speak privately.”

The girl nodded. “We have a room.”

Zynia followed them up the stairs and down a cramped hallway. Once the door is closed and locked, she examined the room. She lifted the coverlet to peer under the bed and opened the creaky wardrobe. Now that she is certain they are safe, she turns to the girls.

“How many wishes do you have left?”

“Two,” replies Alainn.

“That leaves you with two choices,” says Zynia. “I cannot risk sending the genie home with you. The Black Cloaks will find you and take him. So, you can either make two wishes now and return home on your own, or go with me to The Society to drop the genie off there. If you come with me it would be safer for the genie, because the Black Cloaks cannot steal him until you have made your wishes. And The Society would make sure you got home safely in return.”

The girls looked at each other, and Alainn plopped down onto the bed.

“Who are the Black Cloaks, anyway?” Myla asked.

“They are a group that formed in opposition to The Society. We protect the genies’ powers from being used for evil by limiting who has access to them. The Black Cloaks believe everyone should have an opportunity to use the genies’ wishes, no matter the cost. They have been trying to get ahold of a genie for a long time,” Zynia says. “They are dangerous, so I would not blame you if you just want to be done with this and go home.”

“But it would help if we went with you,” Myla says.

Zynia nods in answer.

It’s quiet for a long moment. Alainn spoke. “I would like to see this adventure through to the end.”

...

After a night’s rest in the inn, the party rises at dawn to continue their journey. Zynia told them that if they left early enough, they would only need to spend one night in the desert before reaching their destination. They saddled their horses and covered their heads before riding out.

The horses kicked up sand as they rode. They didn’t speak much during the day, because their voices are muffled by the scarves. When they stopped for water, a thought occurs to Myla.

“How did you find us?”

Zynia smiles for the first time since they met. “All members of The Society are attuned to their genie, the one they are assigned to protect. I feel a tug.” She places a hand on her heart. “It pulls me in the direction I need to go.”

“Maybe you should hold onto this,” Alainn says as she removes the necklace.

“You should keep it until we reach The Society, in case you need to make a sudden wish,” Zynia says. “ But I would like to say hello if you don’t mind.”

Alainn held out the necklace to Zynia. She took it and rubbed her palm over the gemstone. There is a pulse of light, brighter than they’ve yet seen, and a thick cloud of purple smoke erupts from the pendant. It began to form into the shape of a person; a head, arms, and torso revealing itself. The lower half of the body is a trail of smoke binding it to the jewel.

“My friend,” the genie says in a low, smooth voice. He reaches out a vaporous arm to pat Zynia on the head.

“I’m sorry I had to leave you,” she replied.

“No one can predict the twists of life’s journey. You did what you had to, and now we are together again.” The genie turns. “Besides, these fine young ladies took good care of me,” he adds with a smile.

The girls dip their heads in respect. The genie lets out a laugh like the rush of a fire catching. The genie bows in farewell, before dissolving back into the pendant. Myla and Alainn just stare in silence.

Zynia cleared her throat and handed Alainn the necklace. “We better get moving.”

They rode until shortly after dark, they come upon a spring surrounded by cottonwood trees. The horses drank heartily and they refilled their water skins. As they are removing their saddlebags, Alainn laughed.

“Do you happen to need a bedroll?” she asked Zynia, holding up the spare.

“I do,” she replied. “I’m guessing this is my genie’s doing?”

“He knew we would find you.”

...

The next day’s journey is long and hot, but they pushed on, knowing it is their last. Sand stuck to the sweat coating their skin. They rode slower today, not wanting to push the horses to exhaustion. They stopped to rest in the waning afternoon light.

As she is drinking, Myla noticed something in the distance. A large cloud of sand moves toward them.

“I think a sandstorm is coming.” She points behind them.

“That’s no sandstorm,” says Zynia. “Get back on the horses, NOW!”

They all scrambled into their saddles and ride hard.

“I want you to keep riding, even when they catch us,” Zynia called out over the hoofbeats. “I will slow them down. Once you’re in range of The Society, they will sense the genie’s presence and allow you entry.”

Myla glanced behind them at the now visible horses. “You won’t be able to slow them all,” Myla yelled. “There’s too many. The ones you can’t hold off will still catch us.”

“We need to fight together,” Alainn agrees. The pendant thumped against her neck, as she rides. She knows she cannot wish to be at The Society, so she does the only other thing she can think of. “I wish Myla and I had weapons and could fight better than the Black Cloaks.”

With a flash of light, short swords appear at their sides.

“Fine,” Zynia says, “but if it goes south and I tell you to run, you don’t question me.”

They rode a little further before Zynia turned her horse to face the oncoming enemy. Reaching into one of her saddlebags, she pulled out half-a-dozen small knives.

“Is that entire bag full of knives?” Myla asks.

Zynia lets two knives fly in rapid succession, and two Black Cloaks fall from their horses. Two more follow shortly after.

“I think I should’ve wished we could fight better than Zynia,” Alainn says in awe.

“Get ready to fight,” Zynia yells as the closest group of riders approached them. She flung another pair of knives before reaching for two scimitars.

The riders collided into them with a ring of steel as their swords clashed. After they pass, they jump from their horses. The women meet them blow for blow in the sand. Myla is surprised to find that she is able to tell from the enemy’s shifting body weight where he will strike next. She brings her sword up to block a downward strike aimed at her shoulder.

Zynia cut through two of the Black Cloaks and turned toward the others riding up. She fells one with a knife before rolling to avoid the sword of another. She clashed with two at once as they dismount trying to keep them from the girls.

Alainn screamed. Myla turned to see a man clutching his stomach in front of her. Alainn stared at the blood running through his hands.

“Lookout,” Myla yelled as another man rushed toward Alainn.

She snapped back to the present and gets her sword up in time. Alainn stole herself. She will need to kill more people before this is over if they are to survive.

The desert became a blur of clashing swords as they lost themselves to the movement of battle. It’s not long before Myla and Alainn are panting and their arms become heavy. Zynia was moving like the wind but she is facing too many opponents in order to protect the girls. This left her vulnerable to a strike that sliced her thigh.

Her leg buckled but she quickly rights herself. She spun to avoid a sword but her wound slowed her. She took a slash to the side with a grunt but swings her scimitar to finish off the opponent. She looked up to see the last wave of Black Cloaks but knew she is too injured to win this round.

“Get to your horses,” Zynia cries out. “RIDE!”

She doesn’t wait to see if the girls obey her. She flung two knives hitting her mark. She faced the remaining five riders and raised her scimitars. At the last second, she ducked, swinging her swords out to take down the first two horses.

With a scream at the pain in her thigh, Zynia leaped for another rider, pulling him off his horse. The final two riders galloped past after the girls.

...

Myla and Alainn ran to the horses and scrambled into their saddles. They gave the reins a snap and lean forward. Tears left streaks in the sand coating Myla’s face but she doesn’t look back. She heard hooves pursuing them.

They ride hard, trying to stay ahead of the Black Cloaks long enough to reach The Society. Myla thought the hoofbeats sounded closer but she can’t be sure. She only hoped they didn’t have far to go.

She glanced around the flat desert, looking for any sign of where they needed to go. The only thing she saw is what looked to be a hill ahead of them. She angled toward it, seeing no other option.

After a few paces, a blur of movement caught her eye. It’s coming from the hill. She heard a rider close behind her spurring his horse on. The Black Cloaks are catching up.

Myla blinked at what she saw moving toward them. It looked like a small group of people riding on… rugs. They fly through the air at an incredible speed. As they approached, the people stood up on the rugs and raise bows.

“Duck!” she yelled to Alainn.

They flatten themselves over their horses as arrows struck the riders behind them. With a storm of wind and sand, the flying carpets whiz by.

...

After a brief struggle, Zynia stabbed the man she tackled with a knife that was strapped to her thigh. She stood to face the remaining two Black Cloaks, hoping the girls could outride the others.

Her eyes narrowed at one of the Black Cloaks and her chest tightened with hatred.

“Hello, Zynia,” he said.

“Harun.” She spat blood at his feet. This is the man that tortured her, one of the leaders of the Black Cloaks.

Whilst she is distracted, the other man charged her. She ducked his sword and flipped him over her back. Spinning, she stabbed him in the chest. She turned back to Harun.

“It looks like it’s just you and me,” he said with a wicked grin.

Her adrenaline is pumping so hard that it kept her from feeling the pain of her wounds, but she knew she needed to finish this fight before she lost too much blood. She spins her scimitars and settles into a fighting stance.

Harun charges with an overhead blow, and she raised her swords to meet it. The fight is on. The battle is a dangerous dance, and the throbbing of her leg is just one beat of the song. It’s there in the background, altering some of her movements, but not the primary melody.

If Harun wasn’t such a despicable person, she would call him a worthy opponent. He is strong and quick and answered her blow for blow. But he knew she was injured and will expect her to be slow and careful.

Taking a deep breath, Zynia braced herself for the onslaught of pain. She launched into a flurry of aggressive movements, acting as if her wounds do not exist. She took Harun unawares and he is left on the defensive. With one smooth movement, she sliced open his side. He goes down on one knee but she showed him no mercy.

After Harun collapsed in the sand, Zynia dropped with him. Blood poured from her wounds. Shock and pain dragged her into darkness.

...

The people on the flying carpets return with Zynia unconscious atop one. The rugs are ornate and colorful, and those riding them are draped in light silks. They motion for Myla and Alainn to follow, as they float toward the hill in the distance.

When they get closer, they see that it is a sandstone structure. Pillars mark the entrance to the rounded dome. Once they are inside, the flying carpets lower to the ground and the riders step off. The entry room is covered in various rugs, looking quite ordinary until someone sits upon them and they rise off the floor.

The carpet carrying Zynia floated above the ground. As they walked down the hall, the rug moved behind them. Outside every door they passed, another rug layed at the threshold. They entered a lavish bedroom and the carpet lowered Zynia onto the bed.

Sheer silk curtains hung from the bed and windows, and piles of cushions surrounded a low table in the corner. A woman came in to tend to Zynia’s wounds.

“Please, sit,” another woman told them, motioning to the cushions.

Myla and Alainn plopped down, exhausted.

“I know you must have questions, but first, do you have the genie?” the woman asked.

Alainn lifted the necklace and handed it to the woman. With a rub of her palm, she sets the genie free. The cloud of purple smoke floated to Zynia’s side and formed into its humanoid shape. The woman turned back to them.

“Thank you for your help in returning him to us. Do you still have any wishes?”

“Just one,” replied Alainn.

“You can rest here as long as you need, but you will have to use the last wish before you return home.”

Alainn nodded.

“My name is Lyendah,” she tells them. “I will take you to a room of your own, and after you have all recovered,” she looks to Zynia, “We will speak more.”

...

When they awoke, a carpet was waiting at the door. After they sat upon it, the rug took them to Zynia’s room. She is reclining in the cushions next to Lyendah.

“Ah good, you found your escort,” Lyendah said with a smile.

“I could get used to this,” Alainn replied as the carpet lowered to the floor.

Zynia and Lyendah exchange a look.

“You should be the one to tell them,” Lyendah says.

She motioned for them to join her at the table. Myla and Alainn raised their eyebrows but settled into the cushions. Zynia cleared her throat.

“I was with you for part of your journey here, and my genie filled me in on the rest. He has spoken with the others of his kind, and they have judged you to have used your wishes wisely and in service of others. Most importantly, you have protected one of their own,” Zynia paused. “The genies would like to offer you membership into The Society.”

Myla looked to Alainn.

“What does that mean? I know The Society protects the genies, but what would being a member entail?” Myla asked.

“Well, you are both now talented fighters,” Zynia said with a grin, “So you would keep up on your training. You could be sent out on missions, as guardians for the genies when they need to be transported outside of The Society. Some of our members are stationed around the kingdom, looking for a need and those who are worthy of a genie’s wishes. We would find which role is the best fit for each of you.”

“Would we live here? Could we go home?” Alainn asked.

“Yes to both,” Zynia answered. “This would be your primary residence, but the flying carpets can take you to see your family whenever you aren’t needed on a mission. They can travel quite fast.”

Alainn turned to Myla and took her hand. “It’s up to you Myla. I won’t do this without you.”

Myla smiled at her best friend. “I think our adventures have only just begun.”

...

Did you enjoy this story? Would you like to read more of Myla, Alainn, and Zynia’s adventures? Let us know in the comments!

Thanks so much for reading!

-Clever & WTF