The Longest Journey Part 1: The Road to Al-Tana

The 1st of Zilitu in the 447th year of the reign of the Malika of Saba

Today marks the beginning of my final days in Tarshish. I will miss the city, but it is good to finally have permission to travel south to Al-Tana. I will be joining an expedition to the Al-Kubra that the Burj Alhikma is undertaking. My duties are to document the trip with my sketches, which was always my intention anyway. I have also been asked to keep this journal of our trip for the Burj's archives. They do not care that I am writing it in Amhrán rather than Nagari, but have asked that I use the Sabaen calendar when dating my entries, which is a simple enough request.

I only barely made it into this expedition. In my final interview with Sathradin al-Nahash, the Burj sorcerer who will be leading the expedition, he barely looked at me before denying my petition. I was flustered and upset and fumbled my portfolio when I stood up, scattering my drawings across his desk. Al-Nahash did look at them, and pinned one down with his talon before I could retrieve it. He studied it, and then asked me where I had been when I drew it. He never looked up as I explained that it was not a drawing from life, but that this was a place I had dreamed of. Somehow, that decided him - I was instructed to make myself ready to travel before the week's end.

When I asked what I must pay to join the expedition, he waved a hand at the drawing and said nothing - just draw what you see for our records. I did mention that I do not draw people, as they never look right in my pictures, but he did not care. The landscapes will be satisfactory, he said.

I spent the rest of the day wandering Tarshish in a daze. I have been in the city for nearly a year, and my dreams of the Al-Kubra have persisted. This was my last attempt to gain the permission to travel - if I had been denied again, I would have attempted to sneak south and into the desert somehow. But this will be much better. I will be able to enter through Al-Tana, rather than some uncharted mountain pass, and I will have companions in the desert who know how to survive there. It is a great relief to me to have this.

---

The 6th of Zilitu in the 447th year of the reign of the Malika of Saba

We have left the city this morning, and traveled south. Our group is substantial, some forty-five or fifty people. I am the only foreigner among them, although not the only human. We have several wagons in our caravan, but I am not in one, nor must I walk. I have been provided a horse of my own to ride, one of the magnificent Sahibazam horses they breed here. I have named her 'Sithchain', although it is more hope than truth - she is a spirited animal and while not bad-tempered, calling her peaceful is a bit misleading. Riding her took all the skill I had, and in consequence the day passed in a blur.

We have stopped at an inn for the night, and I have taken my leave of the group to step out into the night air. The stars are beautiful overhead, and I spent some time trying to sketch them, but as usual when I compare my drawings to the sky, the stars do not line up. It has always been thus, and I greatly admire those who can create accurate maps of the heavens.

Tomorrow we shall reach the river Nahr Zahim, which is a tributary to the great Nahr Alab. Most of our journey will be on the river, first going west to the Nahr Alab, and then south towards the mountains. It will take a week or more before we disembark again. Then it will be a day or so to reach the gates of Al-Tana.

---

The 15th of Zilitu in the 447th year of the reign of the Malika of Saba

Today we reached the final stage of our journey to Al-Tana. Much of the morning was spent getting the caravan off the barges and ready to travel along the road, a task which I was not well suited for. I spent my time exploring the area around the docks, and came across one of the famous obelisks that mark the road we are to follow. I had heard of them before, but hearing and seeing are very different. It was as tall as a tree, with a black glassy surface that seemed like it should show a dim reflection in the light, but was empty instead. There are said to be several of these along the way, but I doubted I'd have as good an opportunity to draw one in the daylight, so I took the time to sketch it.

I had barely finished when it was time to mount Sithchain and begin the journey up the road. It was steep, and slow going with the wagons. I saw several more of the obelisks, and noted a curious sensation of being watched as we went by them. Given the late start, it seemed like we only made a few miles up the road before al-Nahash called for the stop. I believe we will reach the canyon of Al-Tana tomorrow, or the next day.

---

The 17th of Zilitu in the 447th year of the reign of the Malika of Saba

I am writing this from within the walls of Al-Tana, sitting within the great cave of Khalif Raat. At the far end of the cavern, I can see the passage that leads through the mountains to the Al-Kubra. Tomorrow, we will enter that dark tunnel and pass through to the other side.

The final day on the road to Al-Tana was long. The road was steep, and one of the wagons broke an axle, stalling us for hours while it was repaired. The obelisks were appearing in groups along the road, and I noticed that al-Nahash gave them a strange salute each time he passed one.

It was nearing sunset when we finally reached the canyon of Al-Tana. It seemed deserted, and I wondered at first if something had happened to the town that we had not yet heard of. The doorways carved into the canyon walls were unlit, and the sun was so low that most of the canyon was already in darkness. Al-Nahash did not hesitate, though - he rode directly towards one of the largest doors. As he approached, several soldiers in the uniform of the Malikate emerged from the darkness, and saluted him. In short order, we all vanished into the shadows beneath the mountains, and I'm sure the canyon once again looks abandoned and empty.

Once inside, the town was lit with great brass braziers that cast dancing shadows along the walls. They have a distinct sweet aroma that permeates everything, and I'm sure I will carry that scent with me for days after we depart. Our guides showed us where we would spend the night, and then we were free to wander the tunnel-streets of the town.

I found my way to Khalif Raat in the center of the town, and have settled myself on the banks of the great dark lake that fills the bottom of the chamber. Time slipped by as I gazed into the darkness across the water, and I contemplated the days ahead. I don't know why I dream of the Al-Kubra, and why I have been drawn to it. But soon, I will pass through the darkness, and emerge into the sunlit desert, and maybe there I will find the answers I seek.