The sandstorm caused everyone on the outside to retreat inside a building in Hatly, where they sat or stood in various parts of the room, some more tired than the others, including Karisa, who had been completely drained.
"This... is... absurd. All that running from one point to another, it sure gives you a good rundown onto your body. I feel like I'll collapse to the floor any moment now..."
She sat down on the sole bench left inside the home and spread her arms across the top of the bench's backrest, her face flushed and partly sweating, while the rest of the house people seemed to have more stamina.
"You seriously got tired after one sprint for the safety? You women from the outside aren't very fond of running through a desert, pity..."
Once Vrook mentioned Karisa's fatigue, it infuriated her to the point of yelling out loud with complaints and intelligible statements, even pointing her fingers at him while her furious face flashed in front of him.
"Who are you to judge?! Using those sharks as your transport. All you have to do is keep balance, and you don't even need to move your feet in the deep sand like that!"
"Oh, well. It doesn't matter. I suppose I "should" thank you for your assistance, but you still messed up our sharks. It's far too hurtful to think that our sharks nearly ended up caught in the typhoon."
Karisa's inner wrath was triggered, and she nearly launched an attack with her arms already stretched out, but she was stopped by Nina, who battled to keep her steady or keep her from attacking.
"Stop it Karisa! This is no time to complain! Besides, you were the one who told us to rescue them!"
"I don't care! I'd thought they'd at least show a proper gratitude, not this kind of selfish reasons! Let me choke them to death, these unthankful swines!"
Karisa continued to pull forward with such power that Nina almost lost her grip on her and asked for help as soon as Elliott and Codey started pulling, whereas Elliott's face suddenly curved a large smile and love hearts inside his eyes as he held the front of the woman's hip.
"Heavens finally called out to me! Reaching for the woman's fresh and soft body! What an honor!"
He began to bleed from his nose, but he suddenly sensed Karisa's rage, which erupted in a widened stare and a pissed-up mouth as she turned around and swung her fist at the top of Elliott's body, while Codey and Nina quickly let go and dodged the punch. Elliott was struck on the floor, a bump protruding from his head, as hearts continued to circle around the top of his head.
"Will you stop holding me so rough, you jackass?!"
"Worth it..."
The silence was shortly broken by Walmo's serious question directed at the others. With his arms crossed, he gently raised his head and looked at everyone he had to confront.
"Why? Why did you help us?"
Karisa also crossed her arms, swung her head to the side, and closed her eyes, indicating that she had no desire to respond. However, she chose to respond gently but with a lot of fun digested.
"I wish we didn't. I think that suffering in a sandstorm is the finest punishment for such jerks as you, you ungrateful swine. It was just a choice, considering that I'd rather go back in time, and return to this town without you."
Walmo dropped his gaze toward the ground with his arms dangling over his knees. He sighed and then stood up and stepped toward Karisa who quickly prepared herself for a possible conflict and happened to sweat a bit from seeing the serious glare in Walmo's eyes. Suddenly he bowed forward in front of Karisa with his arms pressed against her torso.
"We apologize for the trouble we've caused you. We were only following our commands, and there was nothing we could do to prevent it. With all honesty, we truly didn't intend to cause any murder or assaults without others' permission, nor would we want to do such, however we were following the rules."
"Then why would you follow these stupid rules? If you didn't want to kill anybody, then you should've just backed away! What was the point of attacking, when we were only passing by through the desert?"
Codey wondered aloud while everyone sat in silence, hoping for a good explanation why they'd want to fight or even kill passers-by, only to be interrupted by Walmo's words.
"You see... We were just like any other trial goer; a civilian, until the kingdom began to be led by Byron, the son of our king Artemis, but if we want to survive, this is our responsibility. We've been forced to work under Lord Byron's orders as his assassins. As you may have guessed, the Sand Shark Riders' mission is to eliminate any trial attendee who breaks the regulations. We don't want to keep killing these innocent people, but if we don't, we'll be the ones compelled to decapitated on the spot. That is why, no matter what we desire, our aspirations are simply unattainable."
"Then why don't you just retire from this attendance? You can do that with ease, can't you?"
"It's not as simple as that. It's impossible to say whether we want to keep working or not. We were regular troops who were allowed to surf on top of the Shore Sharks' backs ever since King Artemis controlled the land. We were told to listen to Lord Byron's demands once he was imprisoned. King Artemis was like a father to us, always showing us thanks and unconditional affection. The King instructed us to obey any and all demands in order to survive, since we were vital to his kingdom's survival. That is why we were assigned to this heinous and unforgiving duty. We had to carry out our responsibilities because, as I previously indicated, we were in danger of losing our lives or family members if we didn't. That's why, no matter what, we cannot escape this work, which is really a jail for us."
~ Walmo and his close friends hurried through the castle's corridors, terror and worry written on their faces, searching for King Artemis, who was shackled by Byron's subordinates who had shown no mercy.
"King Artemis! Please don't hand this country over to your son!"
As their sweat drops splattered on the floor and their eyes shivered, they all sank to their knees and bowed before him. King Artemis smiled at them with the strong warrior's understanding that the kingdom had no other choice but to continue to be controlled by his own leadership.
"Walmo, Devia, Tisch, Dora, Vrook, and the rest of the group... Sorry, but if we don't want this kingdom to fall, we must make this option."
"But, majesty! Don't you realize how cruel your son is if we lose you? If he becomes our king, the entire country will be in despair! You must reconsider your decision!"
"Walmo... I truly regret doing this, but unless I accept this as my fate, this region will perish completely. I recognize that this is the start of a difficult era, but the time for a new king has finally arrived, since my days in this world are drawing to a conclusion."
"But-"
"As your king, I implore you to pay attention to and obey my decision! However, there is one condition I would like you to meet. I'd like you to fulfill any demands made by my son after I'm imprisoned. That way, I'll know your lives aren't in peril. So, no matter how draconian the requirement, our kingdom needs troops like you."
"You expect us to follow your son's orders?! That can't possibly be correct! He'll most likely force us to do the most heinous task possible! What if he demands that we kill a civilian? What if he tells us to expel the people from the country?! What if--"
"SILENCE! These are the last of my orders! Please grant them, even if his want is as evil as what you mentioned. My son, on the other hand, may wreck havoc if you break the rules! The last thing this country needs is for him to become enraged." ~
"We had to slaughter so many innocent people for no apparent cause. Our kingdom has descended into despair, and less and fewer people have begun to appear, with some already fleeing their homes. This must be done. This heinousness, sorrow, and terror are unfathomable. Since Byron's takeover, people's lives have changed dramatically. From bad to worse..."
"I realize this is a last-minute request, and I sincerely hope we've never met at such a bad moment, but I'd want to ask everyone for a favor. It might be too much, or even impossible, but please do try. I'd like to ask of you to enlist your help! We request the return of our king! We want people to get back to living happily! So please, help us! We beg of you!"
Walmo, Tisch, Dora, Vrook, and Devia all dropped to their knees and pressed their foreheads on the ground, their eyes glistening with horror, surprising even Ireene, who was experiencing the same sorrow and misery.
"I realize we don't have permission to ask for such a difficult favor, but there's no one else who can help us, and we're powerless to end this kingdom's suffering. Please, you're our only hope!"
Tim's serious face quickly shaped a wide and approving smile as he slipped the hood on top of his head and raised his head.
"Yeah, of course! No prob. We got this!"
"H-Huh? Y-You really mean it?"
"In fact, we had already agreed to assist Ireene in overcoming this nasty Artemis, or whatever his name is. It's enough for you to explain to us why you caused such stupid actions. So, no prob. We got this. I'm gonna kick this Artemis guy's butt!
"T-Thank you so much! We are grateful for your assistance! We truly are! Please forgive us!"
"Well, looks like there's definitely no turning back now. Our "Captain" made a decision, so guess we just gotta follow it through!"
Tim's allies returned the nod as he smiled and stretched in preparation for a combat, while Kou remained silent.
The journey continues...