Vizo began to stir, the weight of his exhaustion still there, but his senses had sharpened. Distant sounds caught his attention-footsteps, voices, maybe the faint clinking of metal. He knew instantly, desert scavengers. His heart began to thump against his ribs as he turned to face Indra.
"Indra," He whispered into her ears urgently, reaching over to gently shake her shoulders. "Wake up."
Indra woke up, groggy at first but quickly became alert to the seriousness of Vizo's voice. She got herself off the ground and quickly glanced around.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice low.
Vizo leaned in closer, his eyes still surveying the rocky terrain around them for any signs of life. "I heard a group of scavengers nearby. We need to move, now."
Hearing his words her heart began to speed up. The brief freedom she had obtained was now threatened again by a new party.
"How close?" she asked, her mind began racing through the endless possibilities. The rocky maze managed to thwart Zara, but could it do the same to an entire group?
"Close enough," Vizo quickly replied back, his voice became tenser. "We can't risk being found here. I wouldn't be surprised if these scavengers were hired by Zara either."
Indra nodded in agreement, she began to quickly gather what little they had left around at this makeshift camp of theirs. She was full of anxiety and fear, but she knew better than to freeze in moments of importance. She glanced back to the rock formation that had hid them just before, but they could easily become a trap.
"Given your condition I doubt either of us could outrun them in an open terrain," she whispered, her voice was filled with doubt but she remained strong. "Should we hide again, or try to go further into the maze?"
Vizo was thinking similarly, he had dealt with desert scavengers before. Though not necessarily dangerous in of themselves, they traveled in groups of thirty to fifty. And if they even caught a glimpse of them, it would be a fight they couldn't win-not in his current condition. His Zephrya reserves were still recovering, and Indra's newfound strength was still too raw to rely on.
"When we went into here I saw a narrow pass just east of us," Vizo said quietly, his voice just above a whisper. "If we can make it before they spot us it would give us some cover, and a good place to run from. But we need to move now."
Indra nodded again, she tightened the straps on Vizo's bag and began to move followed him as they moved forward. They moved with care and precision, making sure each of their footsteps were silent on the sandy terrain. As they continued the scavengers voiced behind them begin to grow louder, causing a faint echo in the canyon-like formation.
A few minutes went by, each minute felt like an eternity. The scavengers voices had become more clear than ever-rough voices that talked about their loot, payment for the mission, and making sure they find the two they are looking for.
Their words began to send chills down Indra's spine as she realized that either Zara, Icago, or Edon had put them up to this, and that they would not give up so easily.
Suddenly in front of her, Vizo raised a hand signaling for her to stop. He began to crouch low behind a nearby boulder and signaled for Indra to do the same. Through a narrow gap in the rocks, they saw a group of the scavengers moving closer, their weapons began to twinkle in the moonlight. Indra counted five of them, each wearing a mismatching set of armor, and carrying makeshift tools and weapons.
Indra held her breath, her pulse began to quicken as they crouched further down the path. If one of the scavengers had heard something and turned their head just a little bit more they could spot the two of them. She grabbed onto the bag tighter, and her mind flashed to the small amount of Zephyra training she did earlier. Could she even use it in combat? Should she risk it?
Vizo, more perceptive than he lets on, shot her a quick warning glance detecting her lost in thought. This pulled Indra out of her mind, and she nodded, they couldn't afford to make a sound.
The scavengers passed by after a few minutes, Vizo and Indra were both careful not to move a muscle to alert them of their position until the last of the group had gone past. Only after the last made it past did Vizo give Indra a nod signaling for them to carry on moving down the narrow path he had spotted earlier.
The path went through a series of jagged cliffs and sharp turns. It would be next to impossible for anyone to see them through here unless they were directly on top of them. Every few minutes they would hear the faint voices or footsteps of the scavengers, but they pressed deeper into the narrow passage.
After what felt like a marathon, the rocks surrounding them began to open up, and they found themselves at a towering rock formation. Almost like a fortress, and at the base of it they found a small, concealed entrance. The night was getting darker and soon they wouldn't be able to follow a path.
Vizo sensed something off about the entrance, it seemed too deliberate. He mentioned to Indra to stay low as they approached.
"Looks like this could lead somewhere," he whispered. "Could be a cave system... or worse a dungeon."
Indra's eyes widened, she studied the symbols etched into the entrance. They sent a chill down her spine. "Do you think anyone's inside?" she asked him discretely, remembering to main a low voice.
Vizo began to look around, his exhaustion still there, but his senses sharp as ever. "Hard to tell, but scavengers love places like this-anywhere there's loot or artifacts they usually swarm into."
Just as he finished speaking they heard voices again, but this time the voices were much closer. Vizo signaled for Indra to stay back and keep quiet as they crept around the side of the formation. Eventually through a narrow crevice in the rocks they could see them, a small group of scavengers. Similar in size to the last group, seeming to be only four or five. They were guarding what seemed to be an old, hidden entrance to a dungeon deep in the cave.
"They're far from the rest." Vizo's eyes began to narrow as he spoke. "If we can take them out quietly we can go into the dungeon, seems like our best spot for safety."
Indra looked at him, she seemed to be filled with concern, "Vizo, are you sure? You can barely even walk in your state, how will you handle multiple scavengers?"
Vizo gave her a weary smile, "I've got enough in me for this for sure, let me show you the true power of Zephyra that you were so eager about earlier."
Reluctant, but left with no other options, Indra nodded and crouched behind a boulder. She kept an eye on the scavengers to monitor them, as Vizo crept into the shadows of the cave with practiced ease. He slowly crept near to the closest scavengers, footsteps silent, and a dagger in hand.
As he approached, Vizo began to close his eyes for a moment summoning the remaining Zephyra he had left in his reserves. His body began to faintly glow with a reddish-black aura, giving a strong resemblance to the depths of hell. With ease he was able to bend the aura to his will, and with a sharp exhale he quickly placed his hand palm-down on the floor beneath him.
Summoning the the desert wind around him, the sands began to move around him like a protective veil. He was close enough now.
With a flick of his wrist, his dagger began to shine unnaturally as he coated it in a small layer of Zephyra. Vizo's movements accelerated as he dashed forward, the wind accelerating his approach. And in a blur he slashed the first scavengers throat, the dagger infused with Zephyra cut through the scavengers leather armor like silk. The man barely had time to gasp before his body crumbled to the floor, as his life crept out of his body.
The second scavenger, now nearby turned after being alerted by a subtle shift in the winds, but Vizo was too quick. He waved his hand that was coated in the same flaming aura that surrounded his body, and beneath the scavengers a wave of sand beneath him erupted. Leaving the scavenger blinded Vizo quickly dashed to him, and struck with another fluid motion, the Zephyra moving from his hand back to his dagger and piercing through the second one's armor with ease once again.
He managed to take two down, but his Zephyra reserves were dwindling far faster than he expected. He felt the strain in his muscles, the toll of previous battles weighed heavily on him.
The third scavenger notice the chaos, and ran to sound the alarm to let the rest of the desert scavengers know to in the maze swarm into the cave. But Vizo dashed at him too, he started to stagger slightly. His Zephyra reserves faltered, and the scavenger quickly noticed. As Vizo took a final lunge to silence the scavenger, his footing slipped just slightly, his exhaustion had finally caught up to him. The scavenger managed to parry his strike and countered with one of his own. It caught Vizo on the shoulder as he managed to slip it, forcing him to stagger back. Vizo winced in pain, and in realization this mistake had cost him precious time.
Indra, watching the fight unfold from a distance, felt her heart begin to race. She couldn't wait any longer.
Taking one deep breath, she tried to summon the Zephyra she had felt just a few hours earlier. Once again the tingling sensation returned, and the Zephyra flowed into her hands. She began to mimic Vizo's motions to the best of her ability. Grains of sand began to stir around her and caused a swirling current of wind. Her fingers began to tremble, but her determination was stronger than her fear.
Indra stepped out from behind the boulder, her eyes fixated on the fourth scavenger who Vizo hadn't noticed. He was quickly running to Vizo's dash to impale him with a fatal strike. She extended her hand forward, with her palm facing the scavenger. And in a single motion, she unleashed a powerful burst of wind. The current of air whipped the scavenger, throwing him off balance, and sending him flying onto the ground.
Before the fifth and final scavenger was able to react, Indra summoned the Zephyra into her hand once again, pulling the nearby wind into her palm. She directed it like she would a blade, slicing through the air with precision. The gust slammed into his body, and sent him flying back, the wind managed to disarm him as well. She began to hesitate, but then using the last bit of Zephyra that she could muster, she thrusted her hand forward, and a concentrated vortex of wind cut through his chest. The scavenger hit the ground, lifeless.
Now panting, Indra quickly looked to her hands, astonished by the dangerous power she just wielded. Her heart began to beat with body anxiety and joy, She had done it.
Vizo, now clutching his shoulder but still standing, had managed to finish the third scavengers, and finish off the first one Indra had sent flying. He gave her a weak but approving nod, "Impressive," he managed through ragged breaths, but the strain was still clear on his face. "Guess I wasn't the only one showing off."
Indra gave him a small shaky smile, her mind still racing from the battle just seconds ago.
They both stood there for a moment, catching their breath, Vizo then motioned to the entrance of the dungeon they had just discovered. "Come on," he said softly, his voice still carrying a note of his exhaustion. "We haven't got out of this yet."
Together they headed into the darker tunnel, both knowing that this was just the start of what laid ahead of them.