Chapter 8: Into the Sands
The first rays of dawn spread across the sky as Kade approached the village well. Toren was already there, adjusting the straps on his pack and checking the blade slung over his back. A pair of sturdy camels stood nearby, their restless grunts breaking the early morning silence.
"You're on time," Toren said without looking up. "That's a good start."
Kade gave a small nod, his eyes scanning the horizon. The Red Desert stretched beyond the village, a seemingly endless expanse of sand dunes and jagged rocks. The faint wind carried a fine dust that clung to everything, giving the air a sharp, dry edge.
"Do we have everything we need?" Kade asked, his tone brisk.
Toren smirked. "Water, supplies, a map, and enough experience to keep us alive. But let me give you some advice, traveler — no amount of preparation guarantees survival out there." He climbed onto one of the camels and gestured for Kade to do the same. "Stay close, listen to what I say, and maybe we'll make it through."
Kade mounted the other camel without a word, adjusting his pack to sit comfortably on his back. The animals moved slowly at first, their hooves sinking into the loose sand as they left the village behind.
The Red Desert was unlike anything Kade had experienced before. The heat rose quickly as the sun climbed higher, baking the sand beneath them and shimmering in waves across the horizon. The dunes shifted with the wind, their shapes ever-changing, while sharp rock formations jutted out like jagged teeth. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional gust of wind or the creak of the camels' saddles.
---
For hours, they traveled in relative silence, the desert swallowing all sound. Toren led the way, his eyes constantly scanning the terrain for signs of danger. Kade followed close behind, his senses on high alert. The Red Desert wasn't just a harsh environment — it was a place filled with stories of ancient curses and monstrous creatures, the kind of tales that kept travelers awake at night.
By midday, they stopped to rest in the shadow of a large rock outcrop. Toren handed Kade a waterskin, his expression grim. "Drink, but not too much. Every drop matters out here."
Kade nodded, taking a small sip before handing it back. "You said there were creatures in the desert. What kind of creatures?"
Toren leaned against the rock, his gaze distant. "The kind you don't see until it's too late. Sand wraiths, mostly. They hunt in packs, moving under the sand like shadows. They're fast, and they don't leave survivors."
"Anything else?" Kade asked, his voice calm despite the growing tension in his chest.
Toren shrugged. "There are worse things. Some say the deeper you go, the more you'll find — ancient ruins, cursed oases, even whispers of something darker. I've seen enough to know the stories aren't just myths."
Kade didn't respond. He had no interest in the superstitions of the desert, but he couldn't ignore the possibility of danger. If the guild had already crossed into the deeper parts of the sands, they might have unleashed something far worse than Kade could anticipate.
---
As the sun dipped lower, the shadows grew longer, and the temperature began to drop. Traveling at night was safer in the desert's heat, but it also brought new dangers. Toren lit a small lantern as they set up camp for the evening, its warm glow casting flickering light over the surrounding dunes.
"We'll rest here until the moon rises," Toren said, setting up a makeshift perimeter of spikes around their camp. "Keep your blades ready. The wraiths are most active at night."
Kade nodded, sitting cross-legged near the lantern as he sharpened his daggers. The silence between them stretched, broken only by the occasional rustle of sand. Finally, Kade spoke.
"You said a group passed through the village a few days ago. Armed, kept to themselves. Do you think they survived?"
Toren glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "Doubtful. If they didn't have a guide, they'd be lucky to make it a day. But if they were as dangerous as you suggest, they might've pushed further than most."
Kade frowned, his thoughts racing. The guild's operatives weren't ordinary assassins; they were trained to endure harsh conditions, and their obsession with the Shadow King's prize would drive them to extreme lengths. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were closer than he realized.
---
The moon rose, casting a pale glow over the desert. Kade and Toren resumed their journey, their camels moving silently through the dunes. The cooler air brought some relief, but the darkness also heightened the tension. Every shifting shadow, every faint sound set Kade's nerves on edge.
Hours passed as they moved deeper into the desert. The landscape became more alien, the dunes giving way to jagged cliffs and stretches of cracked, dry earth. Kade noticed strange markings in the sand — patterns that seemed unnatural, almost deliberate.
"What's that?" Kade asked, gesturing to the markings.
Toren's face darkened. "Wraith tracks. Fresh ones. We need to move faster."
They quickened their pace, the camels responding to Toren's commands with uneasy grunts. The air grew colder, and a faint, eerie howling began to echo across the desert. Kade's grip tightened on his daggers, his instincts screaming that danger was near.
The howling grew louder, and the sand around them began to shift. Toren cursed under his breath, drawing his blade. "They've found us. Get ready!"
The ground erupted as the first wraith appeared, its form a swirling mass of sand and shadow. It moved with unnatural speed, lunging toward Toren with razor-sharp claws. Toren swung his blade, the weapon flashing as it sliced through the creature. The wraith screeched, dissipating into a cloud of sand, but more were already emerging.
Kade leapt from his camel, his daggers flashing as he engaged the nearest wraith. The creature twisted and writhed, its form constantly shifting, but Kade's strikes were precise. He drove his blade into its core, the wraith dissolving with a shriek.
"They're surrounding us!" Toren shouted, slashing at another wraith. "We need to break through!"
Kade scanned the shifting sands, his mind racing. The wraiths were coming from all sides, their forms flickering in and out of the shadows. There were too many to fight, and the camels were panicking, their screams adding to the chaos.
"Go north!" Kade yelled, pointing toward a narrow gap between the dunes. "I'll cover you!"
Toren hesitated but nodded, urging his camel forward. Kade followed close behind, his daggers slicing through any wraiths that got too close. The creatures were relentless, their movements fluid and chaotic, but Kade's training kept him one step ahead.
Finally, they broke free, the wraiths disappearing as suddenly as they had appeared. Toren brought his camel to a halt, breathing heavily as he turned to Kade.
"You weren't lying about being different," Toren said, his voice filled with grudging respect. "Most wouldn't have lasted a minute back there."
Kade didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on the horizon, where a faint, flickering light glimmered in the distance.
"What's that?" Toren asked, following his gaze.
Kade's jaw tightened. "The guild. They're ahead of us."
Toren cursed softly. "Then we're walking straight into more trouble."
Kade nodded, his expression grim. "That's exactly where we need to go."