The clans of the desert part 1

Rufus's friends were taken to the village's clan leader's house, or basically the biggest room inside the cave complex. The room was very humble and didn't have many luxurious items.

The village looked poor and didn't seem in anyway prosperous, but they still kept living in such a treacherous place.

The locust witch was able to control the ants and was able to use them to guard the people living in the village hidden in the rocks from antlions or other Saracen clans.

The ants tunneled deep into the earth and were able to gather water and share it with the Saracen humans.

They gave grilled lizards as supper for them, which didn't seem appetizing at all. The witch sat down and started to eat by herself. She still hadn't said a word.

"Are all witches mute?" Edward asked.

"Nope, but ours just happens to be a bit special I take it. She hasn't even talked to us much," the clan leader explained.

The Sahira continued to eat alone like she wasn't bothered at all, though she perfectly knew that they were talking about her.

"What's your name?" Haley said and tried to get to know her.

"Even we don't know it," the clan leader said.

"She seems to have some screws loose if you ask me," Joan said, who felt annoyed by her.

"The angry monkey with a sword shouldn't have anything to say about a mute bug lady," Yosef said back.

"Why can't you be mute?" Joan said back.

"Why can't you both be mute...?" Doreen said back who was tired of their bickering.

The clan leader then coughed and asked "So tell me. Why are knights and warriors of Aesis, the main world, here on our humble moon?"

Rufus then was allowed to answer.

"We wish to meet with queen Satifa of the desert," Rufus said.

The witch stopped eating and stared at Rufus.

"If you want to meet with the queen, your most safe bet is to get our witch here to help you to get an audience with her," the clan leader explained.

They looked confused.

"The queen trains and educates every locust witch in the desert at Kairouan, the city of flowers. Every single witch after education is then sent to a clan leader to work as a judge and a mediator between the other clans, so warfare can be avoided.

"Our witch here was known as the best pupil of the queen so I am sure she can get you an audience with the queen if you like to," the clan leader explained.

They stared at the witch, hoping for a response, but she then kept eating her grilled lizard, like she didn't care.

~~

For the next day, they all in turn tried to persuade the young witch girl in helping them to get an audience with the queen. Every single time one of them tried to open a conversation, the witch floated away with her Scythe or seemed indifferent.

Doreen tried to have an educated conversation with her, but the witch just took a nap and fell asleep, When Joan tried to intimidate her, the witch didn't even flinch. When Yosef tried to be funny and have an easy small talk conversation with her, the witch looked annoyed and escaped down underground through an ant hole.

~~

"We are getting nowhere with this...."Edward said, who was tired of trying to get the witch to talk.

"We need her still and we are losing time by being in this literal hole. And I mean we literally are living now in a hole," Haley pointed out.

Rufus hadn't tried yet to talk with her.

"No luck I take it?" the clan leader came and asked.

"Any advice on how to get her to help?" Doreen asked.

The old man looked to the sky and pondered before he answered.

"We Saracens live on this moon world do you know why. Even though how inhospitable and hostile it is, it is not as dangerous as your world would be to us. Look at our skin color, and think what your people would have done to us if we would have lived with you people.

"Aesis's knights and people are the most brutal who we know and our witches' jobs are also to protect us from you. So you must prove to her that you are not a threat to her and especially to her queen."

After the clan leader had spoken, a group of horsemen with weapons rode through the rocks and arrived at the village hidden in the rocks. These Saracen riders were from a village that was located a two days ride away and lived near a small oasis.

"I suggest you guys should hide for now," the clan leader advised and went to greet these riders.