Darius recognized his friend Raj’s voice, and he turned and followed his glance and saw what he was looking at: there sat two Empire zertas, large, proud, beautiful animals, all white, twice the size of horses, looking much like horses, but taller, wider, with thick skin, almost like armor, and instead of a mane, having long, sloping yellow horns that began behind their ears. They were glorious animals, and these two, tied up beneath a tree in the shade, chewing on the grass, were the most beautiful Darius had ever seen.
Darius could see mischief in Raj’s eyes as he examined them.
“I don’t know about the rest of you,” Raj added, “but I don’t intend to stand here all day and wait for their return. I want a break—and I think those zertas can use a ride.”
“Are you crazy?” one of the other
