----------------------------- The Territories, Rashidun ----------------------------- Pain was her companion, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, her limbs felt like they were on fire, her chest felt as though she were being crushed, her breath came in ragged gasps and sweat stung her eyes, leaving trails in the dust that caked her skin. She was oblivious to the strong breeze that was blowing in from the mountains and strong scent of spice that came with it, the sweet inviting smell that had destroyed so many lives in the little town below her. [i]One foot in front of the other.[/i] She kept repeating it over and over again to herself as she ran, eyes focused on the narrow goat track in front of her. Her long black hair seemed to float behind her like a dark cloud despite an emerald green clasp at the back of her skull. One hand held a short spear, the other a light shield, and she wore only a thin white robe for protection from the thorny branches that tore at her as she passed. Birds burst into the air screaming in protest as she tore through a small clearing, her footsteps loud as they echoed back from a small rock face decorated with a shrine to some local deity. She glanced up. The summit was nearing, one more bend and it was a straight sprint to the top. She tucked her chin down, summoned all her courage, and picked up her pace. Her legs were screaming at her, every fibre of the muscles that rippled through her shapely body seemed ready to burst at any moment but she could not, would not stop. Her shoulders ached from carrying the shield and spear. Her feet hurt, bruises already well formed on the soles. Even her abs felt as though they simply wanted to give up. She gloried in it. The pain meant she was getting stronger. The final bend dropped away and she found herself on a straight section of path. It was flanked on either side by short grass and small purple flowers that grew in abundance throughout the mountain meadows. Ahead of her was a small pool, no more than a table in size, with stones that stood about it like a wall. She had built that wall to give herself to have a bit of privacy when she exercised and now, as she saw it, she poured the last of her energy into a headlong sprint. The remaining distance seemed to fall away in a flash as she powered through her last few strides. She passed the outer edge of the wall at a full sprint, almost tripping relief as she dropped the spear and shield with a clatter. It took her several yards to come to a complete halt, her breath coming in desperate gasps as she nearly toppled onto the ground. She steadied herself on the wall and took deep breathes in through her nose, aware for the first time of the spice. It was a faint but still pleasant scent that mingled strangely with that of her own sweat. She wiped at the moisture running down her face and managed only to rub dirt into her eye. She cursed and rubbed at it some more, still gasping for air. Dirt somewhat under control, she straightened her back, pulled off her sweat soaked robe and tossed it to one side. The breeze, ignored until now, felt wonderful on her naked skin as she stood, arms spread, face to the sun, taking deep breaths to calm her body. She stood that way for several minutes, eyes closed, her breathing slowly returning to normal. When she felt sufficiently recovered she began a stretching routine. At length she opened a pair of midnight black eyes and looked around her. She was on the top of a small mountain that rose above her village. It was no name, it was simply a smaller part of a much larger peak behind her. She could see small figures moving about between the houses below and she fancied that at least one of them might have seen her but she didn't care. She didn't plan to stay for much longer. Beyond the village the long range of mountains marched into the hazy distance. A great forest carpeted the lower slopes and only a handful of sparsely inhabited villages were betrayed by the small curls of blue wood smoke that rose above them. The folk here were a simple lot, raising sheep and pigs, harvesting wood to sell in the lowlands, but only enough to get by. No one here had much ambition. The world seemed to stand still at the best of times. But not for Aharish. She was her parents only daughter and she wanted to fight. Even as a little girl she had sought out conflict with the boys her age and, though she took some beatings, she quickly began to win. Her parents, like most of the locals, had been impressed. Was the Queen's own guard not filled with such women? They had encouraged her and her father often gloated about her fighting ability. To Aharish it was only natural, the desire to be the fastest, the strongest. She had not even been aware of life beyond her little valley until she was old enough to witness the arrival of the Heralds. The two, for they always travelled in pairs, had come to help settle a land dispute. They attended the remote regions like hers every several months to mediate disputes, pass judgements, and bring news from the Queen. Aharish had been spellbound as the two riders, clad all in white and riding white horses, had rode into town. As was custom the Heralds had been fed by the village Headman and then a long table was set before the small temple. The Heralds sat behind it while the villagers brought forward grievances, real or imagined. Aharish did not remember what had been discussed that day but she had never forgotten the awe she felt when looking upon the Heralds. They were both women, superbly fit, and clad, she discovered, not in white cloth, but fine white leather armour, specially crafted to fit them individually, taken from rare beats that lived deep in the Caliphates interior. Aharish had been to shy to approach the pair but they returned again six months later and her mother had pushed her forward to speak to them. Her mother had hurriedly explained how her daughter was the toughest child in the village and they had laughed but one of the Heralds, the taller of the two, had taken a knee to speak to the little girl. She had hair like Aharish, jet black, and her cream coloured skin glowed with the warmth of the days late sun. She had been beautiful to Aharish. The little girl and the Herald had spoken for some time. Aharish learnt more in the short time about the world beyond her valley and from that moment on knew that she was going to be a Herald one day. The other children had laughed and teased her but as she grew older and her body developed she began to train, and train hard. Once a week she travelled to a nearby Temple where a Priest, once a soldier, trained her in what weapons he knew. To her delight, and his admiration, she was a natural born fighter. Now, as she turned and walked toward the small pool, she could feel all the aches and pains, the bruises and broken bones, that she had suffered in the twelve years since she first saw the Heralds. She could feel the burning in her lungs from all of the running she had done. She could see the scars on her arms and legs suffered during any number of activities. But most of all she could feel the burning desire deep down inside of her, the desire to be the best. She dipped a toe into the pool and smiled to herself. It was warm. The black rock that formed the mountains in this region were volcanic and many small pools like this were heated by water coming from deep within the earth. She gingerly lowered herself into the pool, the heat instantly relieving some of her aches. The bottom was smooth, though covered in small rocks, but nothing else grew in the water. She had wondered if it was unsafe but a travelling Chemist had assured her that it was simply heavy copper deposits in the mountains that, once leaked into the water, proved poisonous to plants. Though he did advise she not drink any of it. She lay back until her whole body was submerged save for her face, her black hair floating around her like some strange cloud. The sky above her was a shocking blue colour, completely devoid of any smoke or clouds, a pure and stunning colour. The Heralds would be returning in the next month and when they came she would submit herself for examination. This meant a physical inspection and the Trials. The Trials. They had no other name but they were legend throughout Rashidun, and a closely guarded secret. Every Herald or Maiden, the Queens elite guard, were required to undergo them before even being considered for the actual selection tests that took place in the capital, Rashidun. Those who failed died. Rashidun, there was another unknown. Aharish had never left the valley, rarely even her village save for the Temple. She had heard of Rashidun of course, the capital. A million people. A million! She couldn't even begin to fathom the number. She had seen flocks of sheep numbering in the hundreds, those had seemed a large enough number for anyone. She closed her hands into fists and then stretched her fingers out, letting the warmth ease the tension she felt in every fibre of her being. She closed her eyes and began to relax. She would be ready when the Heralds returned.