The golden sand particles violently heaved upwards by our fast-moving caravan speckle the sunny sky, creating a sight to behold.
No matter how hard I try to steady myself on the caravan, the rough movements of the leashed sand sharks wobble my body every which way, making an already disastrous trip even worse. If I had anything in my system to throw up, it'd be gone by now so I suppose a little starvation has its pros. I chuckle to myself, slowly scanning the small caravan, fastening myself to the ledge of the carriage. All beaten and battered from the sweltering heat and blistering sand grains, men, women, and children stand somberly. It's been days sailing the golden sea and our few emergency rations have quickly dried up. I never thought I'd be jealous of a child but seeing them have the last rations quickly changed that, though it's for the better, I suppose.
Just then, a bump on our course causes the entire caravan to experience a few seconds of airtime, before roughly landing on the sand, toppling several people over. Losing balance, I almost tumble over the railing used as leverage before an older man quickly grabs hold of my collar, preventing me from being stranded in the middle of the golden sea.
"Prince! Are you trying to drown in sand?!" The old man breaks the silence of the ride, scolding me as he pulls me to the center of the caravan. "We're halfway to safety and you're trying to take a swim!" Flustered, I rise to my feet and bashfully dust myself off. Soft laughter fills the air, lifting the tense atmosphere momentarily. I look down at the man who saved me, a short elderly man with a bushy mustache and a scruffy look about him. He's been my loyal, mouthy servant for as long as I can remember, lovingly nicknamed Gramps by me and what was my father's royal court. Though, that life is far behind us, as violent sandstorms have completely decimated the once calm Opal region of the Golden Sea.
I attempt to rebuttal in our usual playful back in forth, but opening my mouth served as a dry, painful reminder of our situation.
I'm in desperate need of water.
"Gramps, do we have any water left?" I manage to croak in a hushed tone. He looks up at me, his playful smirk instantly replaced by worried eyes. "Jasper.." Gramps whispers my name as he reaches under his sand cloak, pulling out a small canteen from behind his back. "Wait- Gramps, that's your personal can-" "Hush." He quickly cuts me off, opening it and pouring lukewarm water into my mouth. Well, that's definitely all the water left on this damned ship. "What will you drink now, Gramps!?" He doesn't respond, simply smiling and staching the canteen back into his cloak.
Damn it. This isn't the first, second, third, or tenth time he's done something like this for me. It's his duty to protect me, entrusted to me by the King - my father... But I hate it. I wish I could be the one to help him someday.
"I need you to be hydrated incase of a Jinn attack, prince." He remarks, reaching up to pat my head before taking a seat on the floor. That's right, those accursed Jinn who hide from the sun, beasts who supposedly dig their way up from Jahannam on certain nights, when the moon has authority over the sun, and terrorize the lands, have been increasing in ferocity. In fact, the huge sandstorms that wiped out my promised kingdom and caused this mess in the first place is rumored to be the work of an exceptionally powerful one.
A few passengers visibly react to Gramp's mention of Jinn. The meer mention of Jinn would have anyone on edge. I'm glad I've never had to encounter one of those dirty beasts thanks to the safety of my palace.
.
.
.
The swift harnessed sand sharks effortlessly pulling us through the golden sea, have slowed to a moderate, fatigued pace as the all-seeing eye of heat in the sky lowers to half mast. A shimmering orange glow illuminates the sand, creating a peaceful moment of respite admist the hectic trip to refuge.
The caravan drags along slowly with many passengers already having fallen asleep. My stomach growls and my throat is drying up, but I look down at Gramps who I haven't seen eat or drink anything yet since our journey started. He has his eyes closed, his bushy mustache flowing gently in the wind and his face a soft orange as the sun sets. I think back to my nineteen years of luxury in the palace, and my father and mother whom treated their prince like a king. I feel the sensation of tears well up in my eyes, but they soon start to burn due to an extreme case of dry eye.
I stand, looking down towards the people of the caravan, all of whom know me as the prince but I share no personal relation too. Back in the palace, these people would be living their lives peacefully within the gates of Sakya. I can't help but notice a mother with her young son, both admiring the tranquil vastness of the golden sea, wondering how she may have supported him in school or taken him to the market. But all of that is lost now.
The soft glow of orange slowly fades as the sun sets, and the once sweltering heat descends into bone-chilling cold. The sand sharks, steadily pull forwards, toward refuge, though the atmosphere has changed drastically. The silver glow of the moon illuminating the golden sea gives an ethereal, dream-like sensation yet a sense of dread wells up. A rich purple color blankets the night sky while the temperature plummets. Now on my side lying down, I can't help but chatter my teeth and huddle into the fetal position as the cold overtakes me. A campfire has been set up, hosting the warmth of more than two dozen people as everyone lies around it trying to get a hint of rest.
Gramps and a few other men, up, alert, and equipped with curved blades take watch, scanning the quiet golden hills for the emergence of Jinn from beneath. I close my eyes, feeling brittle and corpse-like in the cold breeze.
.
.
.
The sound of sloshing sand in the distance sends a chill down my spine as I quickly jolt up. I look towards Gramps who's looking in the direction of the noise, gripping onto his blade. A man keeping watch with Gramps quickly rushes to put out the campfire. A distinct, in-human noise, like that of a demented pig's squeal, is heard in the distance, waking those half asleep and sending a cold shiver down my spine. The pig squeal sounds continue as without warning, a large column of sand debris is launched into the air, causing a strong gust of wind and sand to barrel towards our direction. I cover my eyes, quickly rushing to Gramp's side as the caravan is pushed backward by the explosions' sheer force.
"This can't be happening!" A man stutters. A woman bursts into prayer as tears stream down her face and children scream, hugging their parents tightly who watch in horror as a tall, muscular abomination with an assortment of different animal parts and a goat's head emerges from the ground meters away, atop a sand hill. The creature seems fixated on the moon, turning its grotesque figure away from us to stare at it. Terrified, passengers begin to run in the opposite direction of the creature, abandoning the ship as the sand sharks are sent into a frenzy, breaking their damaged harnesses and speeding off. I quickly join, practically dragging Gramps with me. The creature, after minutes of staring at the moon, slowly turns its gaze towards the caravan, letting out a shriek, sending a shockwave of wind pressure in all directions, knocking some people off their feet. Gramps escapes my grasp, facing the creature and getting into a battle stance with his blade. "What the hell are you doing!?" I called out to him, reaching to grab his shoulder.
"Run, heir of Sakya, and do not look back."