Roderick
The hot sun beat mercilessly upon the three adventurers as they rode through the barren wash toward the sun-baked desert beyond. Nearly a week had passed since leaving the last town on the edge of the desert wastes, and Roderick’s friends were beginning to grow restless.
“Gods above,” Andrej murmured, “what I wouldn’t give for a jug of Kevonan wine right now!”
“Forget the wine,” said Jura. “Where are we supposed to find water in this waste? And what about grazing for our horses?”
“The next oasis is less than a day’s journey ahead of us,” said Roderick, though he knew that grazing was going to be a problem. Perhaps they should have traded their horses for camels.
“To hell with this!” said Andrej. “Rod, this quest is a fool’s errand. We’ll die of thirst before we find the lost city of Xulthar.”
“Or on the way back,” Jura concurred.
Roderick clenched his teeth. He knew that his friends had grown disillusioned, but he had hoped that their loyalty would outweigh their doubts. Regardless, this state of affairs could not be allowed to continue.
“So be it,” he told them firmly. “If you both want to turn back now, then go ahead. But I will not turn back, even if it means that I must walk through the gates of Xulthar alone.”
He spurred his horse forward, leaving Andrej and Jura to exchange looks of resignation before hurrying after him.
“Rod—wait!” Jura called out. “We’re coming!”
Andrej swore. “Will you slow down and wait for us? Gods above!”
Roderick pulled up his horse short and turned around to face his two friends, his eyes narrowed.
“The time of decision is now,” he said grimly. “Will you come with me to Xulthar, or will you turn around?”
“Peace, Rod, peace,” said Andrej, panting from thirst as he wiped his brow. “I meant no offense.”
“And none was taken,” Roderick said quickly. “Come, let us go. The horses grow hungry, and we are all in need of water and rest.”
As they rode on, the desert heat grew increasingly intense, and the parched ground of the unwatered plain turned to sand that shifted beneath the horse’s hooves. By midday, however, they reached the oasis that Roderick had spoken of: a small pool of brackish water surrounded by withered palm trees.
They dismounted and drank deeply from the pool, feeling the water wash away their fatigue. But as they prepared to settle in the shade until the cool of dusk, a strange sensation began to overcome them.
At first, it was little more than a feeling of lethargy—nothing unexpected, given the rigors of the day’s ride. But it quickly intensified into something much more. Wave after wave of vertigo and dizziness assailed them, making them stagger and swoon. Roderick stumbled and fell to his knees.
“What in the name of the gods is happening?” Jura cried, as if from a great distance.
Andrej’s face went slack, his eyes rolling back and his tongue lolling. “I… I don’t know,” he muttered before collapsing.
Roderick tried to stand but his limbs felt like lead weights. As he gazed out upon the oasis, the palm trees seemed to swirl around him like a whirlpool, their trunks twisting in impossible ways.
Then everything went black.
Roderick
When Roderick awoke, he found himself lying on his back, the hot midday sun beating on his face. The oasis was gone, as were his friends, the horses, and their supplies. All that he had now were his sword and the things on his immediate person.
He groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. Had it all been a hallucination? The oasis, his companions, and the strange spell that had come over them? But no—he remembered it all now. And as his memory returned, a shudder ran down his spine.
He stood on unsteady legs and scanned the desert, searching for any sign of Andrej and Jura. He called out their names, but his voice was weak and hoarse, and scorching wastes seemed to deaden every sound.
Panic began to rise like a serpent within his gut, but Roderick ignored it and set out in what he hoped was the direction of the oasis. Using the mountains on the horizon as landmarks, he trudged across the sandy, sun-baked desert.
After what felt like hours, Roderick spotted a figure in the distance. He drew closer and saw that it was Jura, lying motionless on the ground.
“Jura!” he called, rushing to his friend’s side. Relief mixed with fear as he searched for any sign of life. Fortunately, Jura was only unconscious. As Roderick checked him over for injury, his eyes fluttered open. Roderick helped him to sit up.
“What happened?” Jura groaned.
“I don’t know,” said Roderick, shaking his head. “One moment we were at the oasis, and the next, we were here.”
Jura rubbed his head. “Where’s Andrej?”
“I haven’t found him yet,” said Roderick, scanning the horizon. “We have to keep moving. We won’t last long in this blasted heat.”
Jura nodded weakly, and Roderick helped him to his feet. They stumbled forward, searching for any sign of their missing companion.
As they walked, Roderick couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that something in these wastes was watching them. He glanced over his shoulder, but there was nothing behind them except the earth and endless sky. Still, the sensation persisted, and he knew that they were not alone.
The hot afternoon sun had already begun its descent when they finally found Andrej. He was standing still, staring off as if dazed.
“Andrej!” Roderick called out to him. He didn’t respond.
Roderick and Jura approached him with caution. Men possessed by sorcery had been known to wander in a dazed and trancelike state, lashing out at friends until they finally came again to themselves. And indeed, Andrej looked like one possessed. His clothes were covered in dust and sand, and his skin was dry and parched from dehydration.
At length, Roderick stepped forward and gently placed his hand on Andrej’s shoulder. He startled, but did not lash out.
“What happened?” Andrej croaked, his eyes blinking rapidly as if he’d just awoken from a deep sleep. “Where are we?”
Roderick shook his head. “We must have fallen under some sort of witchcraft or dark sorcery,” he told his confused friend. “It began when we partook of the water at the oasis. We all blacked out shortly afterward. I do not know how long each of us wandered, but when I awoke, both of you were gone.”
Jura nodded slowly, stroking his beard as if in thought. “I remember a strange feeling,” he told them, “as if something was trying to take over my mind.”
“I don’t remember a thing,” Andrej said softly, his once-merry voice full of bewilderment and fear. “It’s as if my mind and memory both went blank.”
Roderick and Jura exchanged worried glances. “Come,” said Roderick. “Let us go.”
“Where?” asked Jura. “To the oasis?”
“Where else?”
“No,” said Andrej, his eyes wide with terror. “If we go back, that same power will possess us. Who knows what will happen to us then?”
Roderick drew a deep breath of the hot, dusty air and gazed off at the barren horizon. “We have no choice. We need our horses and supplies if we are to cross this barren wasteland, and for good or for ill, we left them at the oasis. It is the only place of water for miles—surely they must have wandered back there, or else remained while we were under the throes of that strange spell.”
“We should have abandoned our quest and turned back days ago,” Andrej moaned. “We should not have come out here.”
“It’s too late for thoughts like that,” Roderick said grimly. “Now come, let us go before we all perish of thirst.”
The trio trudged through the sand, their feet growing heavier with each step. The sun was halfway from its zenith when they finally spotted a faint shimmer in the distance. At first, Roderick feared it was only a mirage, but as they drew closer, its shimmering form solidified into something real, not just a thing imagined by their dazed and frenzied minds.
Sure enough, it was the oasis. Their horses were still there, grazing peacefully on the sparse grass and drinking from the muddy water. Whatever dark magic had possessed the three friends, it had left their animals unmolested. Indeed, the whole scene appeared just as they had left it, as if nothing fey had happened at all.
“I’m so thirsty,” Andrej moaned. He knelt down to drink, but Roderick gripped his shoulder and stopped him.
“Wait,” he commanded, his voice urgent. “We cannot drink from this water yet. Remember what befell us the last time?”
“Yes,” said Jura, eying their surroundings with dread. “Who knows what will become of us if we drink from these waters again?”
“But I’m so thirsty,” Andrej protested weakly.
“We all are,” said Roderick, sensing again that something was watching them. “Let us test the waters first. One of us will drink, and the others will wait to see…”
His voice trailed off as a strange mist began to billow from the surface of the tepid pool. It began to swirl and thicken, until a strikingly beautiful nymph emerged from the water. Her long, dark hair cascaded over her slender, naked form, and her eyes glowed with sinister intent.
Roderick, Andrej, and Jura instinctively drew their weapons. She smiled, sensing their fear.
“Welcome, travelers,” she cooed in a sultry-sweet voice. “I am the undine nymph who guards these waters. What brings you to my oasis?”
“We mean no trespass,” Roderick said in an attempt to pacify her. “We ask only to fill our waterskins, and then we will be on our way.”
“Ah, but why leave so soon?” the nymph purred. “I could offer you so much more than just water.”
Andrej and Jura’s eyes suddenly began to glaze over, their jaws slackening and their tongues lolling like dogs. Their hold on their swords loosened, and with a pair of loud clangs, they dropped their weapons onto the stony ground. Roderick watched in horror as they began to walk aimlessly, mumbling in strange tongues. Once again, they wandered out into the desert sands.
Roderick tightened his grip on his sword as he turned again to the nymph. Her magic pulsed in waves around him, whispering promises of power and pleasure. But he refused to succumb. His heart beat with wild abandon, and his forehead beaded with sweat as he mentally prepared for the fight of his life.
The nymph laughed, and the sound was as dark and dangerous as a thunderstorm racing over the thirsty desert. “Oh, brave little warrior,” she crooned, “you think your measly sword can save you from my power?”
“I will not stand idly by while you harm my friends.”
“Harm them? I was just playing with them. I have no intention of harming them, unless you give me a reason to.” The undine nymph tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. “But with you, I sense something different.”
Roderick frowned. “What do you mean?”
The nymph glided nonchalantly over the surface of the water, moving toward the animals who grazed on unperturbed. “Unlike your wretched friends, you are a man of integrity and honor.” She pulled a strand of hair behind one ear and gave him a sensuous smile.
“They may not be the best of men, but they are still my friends,” said Roderick. “Please, fair nymph—release them from your spell.”
The nymph’s smile widened playfully, and she sat nearby him on the edge of the pool, her long and slender legs stretched out to one side. “Very well. I will release your friends if you give me one very simple thing in return.”
Roderick slowly lowered his sword. He doubted it would be of much use against the magical water nymph anyway. “What do you require?” he asked at length.
“A kiss,” she said, mischief sparkling in her eyes.
“A kiss? What sort of a kiss?”
“A kiss of passion,” she answered, looking deep into his eyes. “One that would make me tingle down to my bones.”
She laughed, and the sound was like the gurgling of a crystal clear spring in the mountains. Even so, he sensed that it would be a terrible mistake to give in to her seductive demands. Many a traveler had been led on to his death by the nymph’s illusive mirages, and he sensed that beneath her playful demeanor lurked a terrible, deadly mischief.
“And if I refuse?” he asked.
The nymph’s smile turned into a scowl. “Then you can die of thirst with your friends in the desert!”
“My apologies,” Roderick said quickly. “I mean no offense, fair undine.”
Her smile returned, though strained. “Don’t push your luck,” she said sulkily. “There is no other water in this desert, but mine.”
“Why must you ask for a kiss?” he asked, trying to stall. “If you can cast a spell over my mind, can you not simply take it?”
She smirked and rose gracefully to her feet, flaunting her slender body in a most seductive manner. Remembering the wench at the tavern, Roderick knew that Andrej and Jura would not have hesitated to give in to her demands. But though a part of him yearned to surrender to her deadly embrace, for his friends’ sake he resisted the urge to succumb to the sensual temptation she presented.
“Because a kiss is nothing if it is not freely given,” she told him, her eyes never leaving him.
Roderick sheathed his sword and reached for the pouch of money at his belt. “Perhaps we can come to some other arrangement. I can offer you coin—”
“The coin of Xulthar? You and I both know that it is cursed.”
“I have other coin,” he said lamely. But his pouch had lightened considerably since the start of their travels, to the point where he began to wonder if the pouch itself was cursed. With trembling fingers, he counted three silver pieces and—
The nymph turned away and sighed. “Coin is so… transactional. So impersonal. Not like a kiss.” She wet her lips and eyed him eagerly. “A kiss is always personal, not at all like the cold metal flecks you carry on your belt.”
Roderick’s hand instinctively went to the pendant under his shirt. Suddenly, he realized that he had something much more personal to offer. His breath caught in his throat at the thought, but he did not seem to have any other choice.
“What about this?” he asked, pulling it out to show her. The pendant was a silver locket that contained a lock of his mother’s hair. This he quickly removed, knowing that any piece of a person’s body could be used to gain sorcerous influence over them.
The nymph stepped forward to examine it. “I would rather have the kiss,” she said sulkily, “but a gift freely given is a gift freely offered. Very well.”
She took the silver locket from his hands and tossed her hair over her shoulder. With her hips swaying sensuously, she descended into the pool.
“Wait,” said Roderick, suddenly remembering Andrej and Jura. “What about my friends?”
“Go and find them yourself. And don’t you dare come back to this oasis with them. I won’t be so generous with you next time.”
With that, she disappeared into the muddy shallows.
Roderick
Roderick emerged from the oasis feeling both relieved and unsettled. The horses were fed and watered, and he had escaped with his faculties intact, but now he was alone in the midst of a vast and unforgiving desert. Somewhere out there were his friends, still suffering from the deadly undine’s spell. He knew that he had to find them soon, for night came swiftly in the deep desert, and the sun already hung low in the cloudless sky.
He searched diligently for any sign of Andrej and Jura, but the desert wastes were empty. Panic rose within his chest, and he spurred the horses onward, pushing them from a trot to a gallop. The wild and untamed lands of the deep desert were cruel and unforgiving, where even the most experienced traveler could easily perish.
Just when he was ready to give up hope, he found them huddled under the shade of a rocky outcropping. He called out eagerly, but they barely looked up at him as he approached.
“You’re alive,” Andrej observed dryly as Roderick dismounted. “We thought the undine nymph had taken you.”
“Aye,” said Roderick. “She nearly did. Are you all right?”
“What happened?” Jura asked, ignoring his question.
“Never mind that,” Andrej snapped, rising to his feet on unsteady legs. “Did you bring any water?”
Roderick’s heart fell. “Nay,” he answered dismally. “When the fey undine released me, I departed as swiftly as I could. I dared not fill the waterskins, for fear that she would…”
But Andrej was already at the horses, fumbling through their supplies. He untied one of the waterskins and pressed it to his lips.
“Water!” he said, drinking eagerly. “We’re saved!”
To Roderick’s great astonishment, the waterskins were all full, nearly bursting with clear, clean water, as pure as if it had been drawn from a mountain spring.
“When did this happen?” he wondered aloud. In his eagerness to find his friends, he had not even thought to stop and drink.
“Who cares?” Jura asked, laughing as he drank his fill.
The undine nymph, Roderick realized. She must have filled them with her magic, granting him a parting gift.
For a time, he feared that her spell was over these waters just the same as over the oasis pool. But Andrej’s and Jura’s eyes did not glaze over, and Roderick’s thirst soon overrode his caution. Nothing had ever tasted so pure or so sweet.
“And now,” said Andrej, wiping his mouth, “tell us your sordid tale.”
Roderick told them about the nymph and her sensuous request: how she had bargained with him for a deadly kiss, refusing Roderick’s coin as she flaunted herself before him. But before he could tell them how he escaped, they began to grow angry.
“You nearly abandoned us for a woman?” Andrej spat, his eyes flashing with rage.
“I didn’t abandon you,” Roderick protested. “Did I not just save you from dying of thirst?”
“After cavorting with that hussie nymph through the hottest part of the day. Don’t tell us you fell for her tricks, Rod. They’re known to be deceitful creatures, using their beauty to lure men to their deaths.”
Roderick bristled at Andrej’s words. “If I had, I would not be alive now—and neither would you.”
“We mean no offense, Rod,” Jura said quickly. “But surely you must see now that it was a mistake to come this far. After all, if we cannot trust the oases, how can we hope to survive in the desert, much less find the ruins of Xulthar?”
“Is this it, then? Are you going to abandon me?”
“Only if you don’t come with us,” said Andrej. He climbed wearily up onto his horse, and Jura did the same.
Roderick drew a sharp breath of the hot, dusty air. “So be it,” he said grimly. “If that is how it is to be, then I will continue this quest alone.”
“Your horse will die out there,” Jura pointed out. “Outside of the oases, there’s no grazing for—”
“Then take him. I’ll continue on foot.”
Jura frowned. “But Rod, what about you? On foot, you won’t last more than a couple of days.”
Roderick ignored him as he took the waterskin and several days’ worth of supplies. His anger was so fresh that he didn’t trust himself to speak civilly with his friends—though he had to admit, they were right about the horse. It would be a shame to let the beast perish with him in the wilderness.
“Don’t be a fool, Rod,” Andrej said sharply. “Come back with us.”
“Nay,” grunted Roderick. “My destiny lies in the desert.”
“Or your death, more likely.”
“Then so be it,” he said angrily, throwing the bags over his shoulder. He looked Jura and Andrej each in the eye. “Go back to your drink, and your women. I have no more appetite for either.”
“But what about your friends?” Jura asked.
“Friends,” said Roderick, spitting in disgust. “If you were my friends, you would understand why I must seek the ruins of Xulthar—why I cannot bear to live another day without confronting the truth behind my family’s fall. But if honor truly matters nothing to you, farewell!”
Andrej regarded him coolly for several moments before turning away. “Come, Jura. Let us leave this fool to his fate.”
“But Andrej—”
Without waiting, Andrej spurred his horse to a trot. He did not look back.
“I am sorry, Rod,” Jura said sadly. “I wish it hadn’t ended this way.”
“Go,” Roderick whispered, turning away.
Jura nodded and followed after Andrej. Roderick watched them until they were barely larger than specks on the horizon. Then they crested a hill, and were gone.
The words of the old crone suddenly came to him: If you do not allow yourself to be swayed or tempted away, then fate will provide all that you need. Those words made him laugh with bitter mirth. If the old woman’s prophecy were true, then why had he just lost his horse? On foot in this barren wilderness, he was already as good as dead. And yet, death was preferable to admitting defeat and returning in dishonor. For good or for ill, his fate now lay in the forbidding desert.
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