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inlet.
    A short while later Nareash, Mizak, two shamans, and three dozen warriors led by a Kifzo named Guwan, slid their ships onto white beaches. The pale sand made him feel guilty for intruding on the ground as if their crunching footsteps might tarnish its beauty.
    He stared out over the wild land. Hills that looked like a staircase for the One Above disappeared into a distant mist that covered the highest peaks. All texts led Nareash to believe that the ruins of Quarnoq sat somewhere within that shrouded area.
    And within the ancient city lies a means to counter Amcaro now that he has the scepter.
    His gaze slowly drifted down the green landscape as he shielded his eyes from the sun, scanning the peaks of the lower hills. He read that smaller cities leading to Quarnoq had littered those hilltops, when mankind still inhabited the lands.
    Nareash saw nothing.
    “I have men scouting the shoreline to find the best place to camp for the night,” Guwan said as he approached the High Mage. Naked from the waist up, the tall, lean warrior carried a long sword strapped to his back.
    “We’re not stopping here for the night,” said Nareash.
    “It’s past midday. It would be wise to make use of the remaining light to get a lay of the land and formulate a plan for tomorrow.”
    “I did not travel weeks at sea only to arrive without a plan. We will leave now and make camp within the jungle when the day has abandoned us. Not a moment sooner.”
    “I don’t want to risk the lives of my men.”
    Nareash eyed the warrior. “Need I remind you of your orders from Tobin?”
    Guwan’s tone hardened. “No.”
    “Then have your men search for a stone road leading into the jungle.”
    “A stone road? After hundreds of years, it would be impossible to find. It’ll be covered in a foot of dirt and plant life.”
    “Not this road.”
    Guwan narrowed his eyes. “Do you have any other information about this road? It may help in locating it since you’re in such a hurry.”
    “It’s thirty feet wide and constructed from a variety of colorful stones. From what I gather, it’s a breathtaking sight. I’m sure your men should be able to find something so unique.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
    Guwan clenched his jaw and walked away.
    Nareash chuckled. Tobin had insisted that one of his best Kifzo should command the regular warriors the High Mage requested for the trip. Guwan obviously did not appreciate his orders.
    He found himself too filled with excitement about the journey ahead to care.
    * * *
    After an hour of searching, they found the road. Ancient descriptions did not do the legendary path justice. Slabs of white and black marble formed the base of the road while patterns of jade, jasper, and agate gave it a life all its own. Each step seemed more wondrous than the last, and Nareash had to keep reminding Mizak not to waste time studying the road when what they came for lay at the end of it.
    That first night and the two that followed, the party camped on the road. Guwan and his men scouted the jungle, but other than coming back with local animals and fruit to replenish their supplies, they discovered nothing of importance.
    In the late afternoon of the fourth day, that changed. Low lying limbs and vines that hung over the road parted near the top of the first rise. Mouths hung agape as they took in the scene.
    Less than fifty yards away, the remains of a limestone wall encircled the ruins of a city. White statues adorned the tops of the walls. Nareash assumed the figures had been important in their time though they meant little to him. Gray towers rose behind the walls, their architecture unlike anything he had seen before as the dull color still managed to shine.
    “Which one is it, Mizak?” asked Nareash.
    The scholar rode atop one of the pack animals. He cleared his throat. “Poliktas. ‘The Beginning,’ if I translated it correctly. The smallest and first city we’ll pass through.”
    Guwan came up beside them.