Yigritha had risen enough. It was morning, Malaes had been walking ahead of Griswa and Yesdar for quite a while now. It seemed like she wasn't interested in talking anything, but was just thinking about Sivera.
Griswa didn't sweat a bit, Yesdar was walking alongside him and was already bathing in sweat, thanks to the desert climate, but he was anyway used to it.
"You don't sweat? Being a God is quite advantageous I guess." Yesdar broke the silence asking Griswa.
"With this much heat? No. I hit the ground as a fireball myself and yeah, being a god might be advantageous, but everything comes with a price."
"I see, maybe something like the fate of the universe rests on your shoulders? That kind of responsibility might be the price you say?"
"Who knows? Not till we find Ehayor, whatever or whoever it is."
Malaes stopped. She turned back to the boys wiping her sweat with her right hand from her forehead.
"What happened?" Yesdar inquired as they both stopped.
"We have been walking to wherever this endless desert is taking us, but where are we going?" Malaes spoke to realize that she was too engaged with the thoughts of her father that she forgot she was walking to nowhere, blindly.
"Well, I guess we were the ones who were following you?" Yesdar's answer was quite the answer.
Malaes and Yesdar stared at each other for a while, both giving a relying look on each other.
"Don't worry, we are on the right path." Griswa confirmed and moved forward.
"Wait how do you know? Where are we going? We didn't really plan how we were gonna find this Ehayor." Malaes asked Griswa, her tone puzzled as she moved forward with him followed by Yesdar.
"Why do you think I crashed as a fireball in this desert, Yesdar?"
"Fireball? What you talking about?" Malaes puzzled again.
"Griswa crashed here as a fireball, I mean somewhere in the desert, everyone in the slave order talked about a meteor falling down, that fireball was actually him, that was his arrival on the planet, rest you know." Yesdar answered.
"So what about that?" Yesdar continued, his eyes shifted to Griswa.
"Yeah, so listen, if I think about this clearly, crashing here wasn't simply an accident, it was meant to be, maybe because of my subconscious that had recorded from Hezick that I need to find Ehayor, also resulted in me crashing in this desert only. When I was travelling dimension by dimension, to reach this planet, it was all that my subconscious did, like it followed an order by default, like it was programmed to do so."
"Ah, okay so?" Yesdar demanded his continuation.
"Yeah so it means, I sensed something, if Ehayor is something connected to us, the Skaar Gods, then it means we have the power to sense it. My subconscious acts like a separate me. But now that I am in my senses, I am still able to sense something that is leading me to the place I need to go. That's why maybe it doesn't matter if it's subconscious or not, I crashed in this desert, I could have crashed somewhere else, but I didn't. It's not a simple coincidence. Maybe it means, Ehayor is somewhere near."
"Ohhhhhh I see, okay. But what's a sub...con...scious?" Yesdar's lack of knowledge triggered the question.
Griswa silently sighed and answered with a head tilt, "Umm, you know what? Now is not the time to explain everything, just follow me, when we find Ehayor, things might start making sense."
The trio walked a bunch of kilometers, Griswa being the lead, some hours passed by. Malaes and Yesdar took breaks in between, for drinking water, it seemed like an eternity (Aeartha too big, lol).
They had collected the little water that had remained in the barrels in the caves. The oasis of the chasm did not have suitable drinking water anymore because it was mainly used for washing bodies and was only fit for bath. Also sand particles were mixed in the water, it became way too mineral rich, making it unfit for consumption over the time. Sivera and team never thought to rely on the oasis water because their heists were going good, except the last one.
It was afternoon already, No Ehayor found officially. Griswa wasn't tired but Malaes and Yesdar were exhaustingly exhausted. Griswa lead a way to a rock shelter nearby, so that both of them could rest, away from the scorching heat. All of them sat inside the rock shelter, Yesdar stretched his legs out resting his back on a wall.
"At this rate we will never reach this Ehayor." Malaes began the conversation.
"Yeah, you sure you leading us to the right way?" Yesdar asked, his head up.
"Of course I am. Don't doubt my instincts, it's just you two are exhausted from the heat too soon, you feel like it's eternal already." Griswa replied.
"Too soon you say? Please, you a God." Malaes said, her voice stuttering from the exhaustion.
There began an argument between the three, until Griswa sensed something.
"Shhh wait." he commanded both of them, his eyes fixed on the outside.
"Something is coming."
Griswa's eyes were locked onto the horizon, his posture suddenly tense and alert. Yesdar and Malaes, still panting from exhaustion, turned their attention to him, their curiosity piqued despite their weariness.
"What is it?" Malaes asked, her voice a mix of concern and curiosity.
"Not sure yet," Griswa replied, his tone low and focused. "But there's something approaching. Stay quiet."
Yesdar squinted towards the horizon, trying to see what Griswa was sensing. "Are you sure it's not just the heat playing tricks on you?"
Griswa sighed. "Idiot that's you. It's something real. And it's coming fast."
In the distance, two Yahunyens' flying ships appeared on the horizon, their dark silhouettes growing larger as they approached.
Malaes, peering out from the shadow of the shelter, felt a cold dread settle in her stomach. "Oh shit," she muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible over the desert wind. "What are we going to do? How do we hide from them?"
Yesdar, equally anxious, looked to Griswa for guidance. His face was a mix of fear and desperation. "We can't just stay here, Griswa. They'll find us for sure. What should we do?"
Griswa, in contrast, seemed remarkably calm. "There is no need to hide," he said, his voice steady and reassuring. With a surprising nonchalance, he stepped out of the shelter, gesturing for them to stay put. "Stay here," he instructed, a hint of amusement in his tone.
Malaes and Yesdar exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes wide with disbelief. "Did he just... go out?" Malaes stammered, struggling to process what she had just witnessed. "What the hell is he thinking?!"
Yesdar, equally stunned, could only nod. "He's crazy," he muttered, his voice tinged with awe and fear. "He's absolutely crazy."
Griswa, meanwhile, had stepped out into the open desert, standing tall and unflinching in the face of the approaching ships. With a confident wave of his right hand, he signaled to the ships, a gesture that seemed both defiant and inviting. As the ships continued their approach, he extended his right hand forward, aiming it directly at the vessel on the left.
Without warning, the ship in the left exploded, its metal hull disintegrating into a shower of flaming debris that rained down upon the desert. The sight was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, a vivid display of Griswa's formidable power.
The second ship, witnessing the sudden and violent destruction of its companion, veered sharply to the right in an attempt to evade a similar fate. It began to unleash a barrage of energy blasts, bright streaks of destructive light arcing through the sky towards Griswa.
Griswa moved with supernatural agility, his form a blur as he dodged each blast with effortless grace. The desert sand kicked up in swirling clouds around him as he twisted and turned, each movement precise and calculated. Despite the ship's relentless assault, not a single blast found its mark.
Malaes and Yesdar watched from their hiding place, their hearts pounding with a mix of fear and exhilaration. They had never seen anything like this before. "How is he doing that?" Yesdar whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the explosions. "It's like he's playing with them."
Griswa, seemingly unperturbed by the onslaught, came to a sudden stop, planting his feet firmly in the sand. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, focusing his energy. When he opened them again, they glowed with an intense, otherworldly light.
No visible attack followed. Instead, an invisible shockwave rippled out from his body, a pulse of raw, concentrated energy that surged towards the remaining ship. The shockwave struck the ship with overwhelming force, causing it to shudder and lurch violently.
It spun through the air, but the shockwave's impact was too great. With a final, agonizing groan of metal, the ship descended, crashing into the sands in a slow, rotating descent. It landed with a heavy thud, kicking up a massive plume of dust and sand, but there was no explosion. The ship lay there, the engine still on.
Malaes and Yesdar emerged from the shelter, their faces a mix of relief and amazement. They approached Griswa cautiously, still trying to process what they had just witnessed. "Griswa," Malaes began, her voice trembling slightly, "what... what did you just do?"
Griswa turned to face them, a calm and confident smile on his lips. "I simply dealt with the threat," he said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "There was no need for alarm."
Yesdar shook his head in disbelief. "You call that 'simply dealing with the threat'? You just took down two Yahunyens' ships like it was nothing!"
Griswa's smile widened slightly. "Indeed being a god is advantageous. Now here's how we can keep moving."
Griswa approached the fallen ship, its engine still humming softly, a sign that it was still operational. The massive vessel lay at an awkward angle in the sand, partially buried from the crash. He eyed the windshield—the large, transparent panel at the front of the ship—then raised his fist and brought it down with tremendous force. The glass shattered instantly, splintering into countless pieces.
He carefully climbed inside, his eyes adjusting to the dim interior. Two Yahunyens, clad in their armored suits, were slumped over in their seats, unconscious from the shockwave Griswa had unleashed earlier. He turned and gestured for Malaes and Yesdar to follow him.
"Come on in," Griswa called out. "It's safe."
Malaes and Yesdar exchanged a glance before carefully climbing through the broken windshield. Inside, they were greeted by a scene of technological marvels. The control panels were covered in a myriad of buttons, switches, and screens displaying various readouts in a language they couldn't comprehend.
"Wow," Yesdar breathed, looking around in awe. "This is incredible."
Malaes nodded, her eyes wide with wonder. "I've never seen anything like this before. It's so...different from what our eyes would usually see."
Griswa nodded. "So, Yahunyens have always been ahead in terms of technology. But that's not our concern right now. We need to figure out how to pilot this thing."
"Pilot it?" Yesdar asked, raising an eyebrow. "You mean we can actually fly this ship?"
Griswa nodded. "Yes. If we can learn to operate it, we might be able to reach our destination much faster. No more walking under the scorching sun, and we can cover a lot more ground in a shorter time."
Malaes looked at the unconscious Yahunyens. "What about them?"
"They won't be a problem," Griswa assured. "The invisible shockwave that I released knocked them out. We have time to figure this out."
Griswa examined the control panels closely, trying to make sense of the controls. "If we understand and learn to pilot this ship, we can avoid the heat and exhaustion. This will be especially beneficial for you two," he said, glancing at Malaes and Yesdar.
"Sounds good to me," Yesdar said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Anything to get out of this sun."
Malaes nodded in agreement. "We should start figuring it out then. But how do we learn? We don't even know what any of these things do." pointing to the buttons.
Griswa looked thoughtful. "To create something like this, Yahunyens are methodical. Their technology, while advanced, will have logical patterns that I need to scan. Plus, I can sense some energy flows in the ship. That might help us understand how it works."
Yesdar glanced around, his eyes landing on a compartment near the pilot's seat. "Maybe there is written something in those compartments or somewhere on how to control it?"
Griswa nodded. "Let's check it out."
They opened the compartment and found several documents, along with a small device that looked like a tablet. Griswa picked up the tablet and pressed a button. The screen flickered to life, displaying diagrams and instructions in Yahunyen script.
"This looks like a user manual," Griswa said, scanning the contents. "It's in their language, but the diagrams are clear enough. I think we can figure this out."
Malaes and Yesdar crowded around the tablet, studying the diagrams. "So this thing controls altitude," Malaes pointed out. "And this one seems to control direction, hmm not so different from navigating dragons, just with a different technique here and there."
"Exactly," Griswa said, nodding. "Let's take it step by step. We don't need to master everything right away. Just the basics to get us moving."
As they continued to study the controls, they began to piece together how to operate the ship. Griswa's keen senses and the logical layout of the controls made the process easier than they had expected.
"Looks like we're getting somewhere," Yesdar said, a smile spreading across his face. "Soon, we'll be flying out of this desert."
Malaes glanced at Griswa. "So, is that why you didn't blow up the second ship like you did the first one?"
Griswa nodded. "Exactly. I needed to keep one ship intact so we could use it. Plus, there were only two ships, not an entire fleet like in Shiyahval. It was easier to handle them without needing to use too much power."
Yesdar frowned. "But what if there had been more ships? Could you have managed?"
Griswa sighed. "If there were more, I would have had to use more power. And when I use too much power, I risk losing control. My subconscious can take over, and that can be dangerous. That's why I try to limit how much power I use. It's not just about the enemy count; it's about managing my own strength."
Malaes nodded, understanding dawning in her eyes. "So, you're saying you could've destroyed both ships easily, but you chose not to because you didn't want to risk losing control?"
"Precisely," Griswa said. "I have to be careful. If I lose control, things could get out of hand quickly. And I don't want that to happen, especially not when I'm with you two."
Yesdar nodded slowly. "Makes sense. You've told us before about the dangers of your power. We get it. And we're with you, all the way."
Malaes looked at Griswa with admiration. "Just don't scare us like that again. When you walked out so recklessly, our hearts skipped a beat. We thought something terrible was going to happen."
Griswa smiled reassuringly. "Laugh out loud, it doesn't matter, nothing's gonna happen. After all, I am a God."
Yesdar laughed. "You sure do have a way of making dramatic entrances, though. Just try to give us a heads-up next time, alright?"
Griswa chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind. But seriously, we're in this together. Nothing's going to happen to any of us. We'll find Ehayor, and we'll make it with this ship."
Malaes felt a sense of relief. "Thanks. We trust you. Just...try not to be so reckless, okay?"
Griswa nodded. "Now, let's focus on getting this ship ready. We've got a lot of ground to cover, and flying will make it a lot easier."
Griswa turned to Malaes and Yesdar, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Honestly, I don't know for sure how this is going to work, but we can try. Let's see what we can figure out. It can't be as hard as saving the universe, right?" He grinned, trying to lighten the mood with a bit of humor.
Yesdar chuckled nervously. "Well, when you put it that way..."
Griswa moved to the unconscious Yahunyens. "First things first, we need to clear some space." He grabbed one of the soldiers by the arm and pulled him out through the broken windshield, tossing the body onto the hot desert sand. He repeated the process with the second soldier, who landed next to his comrade in a lifeless heap.
"Do you think they were sent to find us?" Malaes asked, watching Griswa work with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
"Most likely," Griswa replied, dusting off his hands. "They were probably under orders to scout the area and report back. But now they're down for good."
"Are they dead?" Yesdar asked, his voice a little shaky.
Griswa paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, they're dead, but just 'cause they were enemies. Leaving enemies alive when we're in the middle of a journey like this one, isn't a good idea."
"This is no less than a war zone, we are being hunted. Mercy can sometimes be a luxury we can't afford. If we left them alive, they'd report back in one or two or in some days, and we'd be facing even more trouble. It was necessary for survival." he continued.
Malaes took a deep breath, trying to not care about the people who killed her father. "Okay. So, what's next?"
Griswa walked back to the control panels and looked at the myriad of buttons and switches. "It's already on, so that's a good start that it's till vibrating. Let's see if we can make sense of these controls."
He motioned for Malaes and Yesdar to join him at the front of the ship. Together, they began examining the control panels, trying to decipher their functions. Griswa pointed to a few key buttons and levers, explaining their potential uses based on the diagrams they had found earlier.
"Yeah these were the ones for controlling the altitude and direction, as shown." Griswa said, tapping the corresponding controls. "And this one looks like it might be for speed."
"Right," Malaes said, nodding along. "So, if we push this lever like thing, we should be able to take off?"
"In theory, yes," Griswa replied. "But we should be careful. We don't want to crash right after figuring out how to fly this thing."
Yesdar leaned over, studying the controls intently. "So, what's the plan? Do we just start pressing these weird things and hope for the best?"
Griswa smiled. "Not quite. We'll take it step by step. First, let's see if we can get it to hover a bit. That will tell us if we've got the basics down."
Malaes took a deep breath, steeling herself for the task ahead. "Alright. Let's do this."
Griswa nodded. "Remember, flying this ship is easier than saving the universe."
Both chuckled.