An Excerpt from The Persian Rug

"Join me on a long and perilous quest to The Empyrean Stairway..."

"Sit," Maveree said as she stretched herself out on one of the divans in her living room. The princess stood staring at the ceiling, which was covered with paintings, and looked at it as she made her way to the divan, almost tripping over a small table with a necklace made of fangs and a skull of what appeared to be a human who had three eyes. She watched as Maveree took a swig from her flask. "Tell me why you really came to my abode this night. I know all, but I must hear it from you," the seeress said. "I need to leave Laaven," the princess replied. "My life depends upon it."

"Care to elaborate, princess?" Maveree replied, sounding quite bored.

"It is a fact that Phallé-Nal intends to conquer every kingdom in this land. They have already done so in the north. It is only a matter of time before they set their eyes on a southern kingdom. Being that Laaven is the largest and most powerful, not to mention they do not like us for harboring so many of their former slaves, it would be only logical for it to be their next target. They have already destroyed kingdoms that are far superior to Laaven in the north, being that my father is an idiot and managed to bring it almost to ruin. Our military is a farce and we are crumbling from within. When they come, there will be a massacre unlike anything the world has ever known.

"But why travel here with Sern under the pretense of worrying for Nerin? You must know how much he has risked for you."

"No one can know of my flight. If anyone were to learn of this, they would only see me as a weak woman in love, not a traitor deserting her country. Also, I want no one searching for me."

"So, you mean to tell me that you care nothing for either of these men who would both die for you?"

"A beautiful woman is allowed such liberties."

"You are wretched."

"I know this, but will you aid me? You will find yourself in possession of a diamond the size of a human heart if you agree."

"I am rather fond of diamonds. However, I have not made my proposition yet."

"I am listening."

"I have seen the future and I can honestly tell you that your body, being unaccustomed to the severe cold, would fail you within three years of escaping to the northern isles. Your death would be a slow and painful one by infection of the throat. You would suffer coughing and choking episodes that will grow worse and worse and more frequent until one day one is so strong that it does you in. You can run away to the northern isles and enjoy your final years or you can accept my offer."

"Which is?"

"You can join me on a long and perilous quest to The Empyrean Stairway."

"Pardon?"

"Far in the frigid lands of eternal night in the north, atop the tallest mountain there sits a shrine of ice. Within this shrine there is a fountain that runs ceaselessly with the blood of a fallen race. One draught of this fount and you are granted your deepest desire. It is ancient, unforeseeable magic and there is a grave history behind it. However, I doubt such mere details matter to you. Just know that once you serve my purpose you will forever be under my protection and the true rulers of the very kingdom you fear will answer only to me."

"Why would you need me to accompany you? I cannot protect you and would only prove a burden."

"Do you know who the first king of Laaven was?" Maveree asked and the princess shook her head. Maveree sighed. "His name was Amíen I and he was a descendant of the Ziríva, or elemental witches. It is his ancestors’ blood that flows from the fount atop The Empyrean Stairway and therefore distantly yours. Spirits guard the fount that can only be disarmed by one of their blood."

"But I do not know any magic."

"It matters not."

"And I know that name. It is not associated with your foul brand of witchery."

"Of course not, his ancestors had denounced their powers millennia before he was born. The Ziríva have passed out of all knowledge and were I not a seeress of past, present, and future. I would not know of them or of your blood. The fount atop The Empyrean Stairway as well is only known to few. However, I am the only one among these few who has the means by which to enter it."

"You speak of me? I cannot be the only descendant of Amíen. There must be others."

"There are exactly one hundred seventeen descendents of Amíen I living as we speak. Throughout all of the kingdoms, there are in this land of ours nine hundred sixty-three of this ancient bloodline. Another was just born last week in the northernmost part of the Oran." "Then why choose me over a thousand others?"

"Convenience. I have spent millennia searching. When one such as I need comes willingly to me why waste my time in pursuit of another?"

"So, if I had not come here tonight you would have sought another?"

"Most definitely," Maveree replied nonchalantly and the princess parted her lips as if to speak when the seeress stopped her. "I grow weary of being questioned. In actuality, only these questions linger between us. Do you want to aid me in my quest and live or do you want to die young, housebound, and alone as you freeze and drown in your own fluids?" The seeress finished.

"I-I want to live!" Aralé stammered. The seeress’s words rang in her ears and played like a horrid dream before her eyes.

"Then do we find ourselves in accordance?"