[A cool breeze blows from over the dunes]
[A warm breath fills the air before you]
As Sarah looks out over the horizon, the crisp red and yellow sunset still shattering the sky, she contemplates getting this lump of skin and bone back to the village. [Solan], now formally named Egan as Sarah so gracefully dubbed him, is passed out on the legs of the young mage, quietly dreaming away.
The kind-hearted girl is too much of a pushover to wake the poor man up, so instead of doing anything about the problem, she just sits thinking about how she would fix it.
"Ow!" She yelps as she realizes Egan's horns have begun digging into her stomach.
After gently moving them over to the side, she examines them thoroughly, for this is the first time she's seen a human have horns. They are grand in size, almost the length of her head, and the same thickness as her arm. Starting at the base, the horns slowly curve forward. Then, halfway up, they sharply curve back, forming a deformed S shape. Upon closer inspection of the sleeping beauty's face, she notices small cracks across both of his cheeks. As she runs her small, cold hands along the surface of the incisions, Egan quickly reaches behind and grabs her hand, almost out of instinct.
Scared, she looks around at his face, wondering if her touching him had awoken him. To her surprise, he was still fast asleep, despite holding her hand in his. Even while asleep, his grip was firm, too firm. It took some effort from Sarah to pry his hand off hers. Though the fatigue from the many battles might finally be catching up to her, especially without her support mage backing her up.
"Wait…" Sarah contemplates, finally piecing together the situation she's in.
"Did that bastard just ditch me?" She screamed, furious at her client for up and leaving high and dry,
"Not that I blame the guy, anyone would have run in his situation. What really sucks is I don't have my payment! The next time I get to that village, I'm gonna ring him for all he's worth!" She threatened, materializing her staff, ready for anything.
"He could have at least healed me before scampering off like a little coward, he is the one who wanted to come out here in the first place."
Sarah begins looking around the surrounding sand, staff still in hand. As an experiment, she tries to shoot an ice crystal. But not to her surprise, the only thing that shot out was a tiny little snowflake.
"Now I'm really out of essence, adrenaline finally wore off, I guess." She said dematerializing her staff, sulking.
"But Geez, this guy's heavy, my feet are going numb."
[A low grumble can be heard echoing throughout the sand.]
The ground around the pair begins shaking violently, more so than ever before. The body of the now deceased sand worm royal lineage now begins sinking into the desert floor.
[The tearing of flesh rings out from in between the sand]
BOOOM~
"You have got to be kidding me…" Sarah, more dumbfounded than scared, begins violently shaking Egan, trying to get him awake.
"Wake up! Please, wake up! I need you, it's an emergency! Hey!"
Snore~ Snore~
Sarah looks down at a fully asleep Egan, a snot bubble forming out of his nose. He is beyond passed out, he's comatose. With a struggle, Sarah manages to push the young dragon out of her lap in a desperate attempt to stand ready. But frozen with fear, and exhausted beyond belief, her body isn't reacting how she wants it to.
Sarah begins crying, desperately trying to move, but her body isn't budging
As the sand clears, she looks up at what caused the massive explosion. Arieth told her that sand worms primarily hunt solo, because if three of them were to fight over prey, then nothing would remain, and none of the worms would get the nutrients they would need.
So Sarah was beyond terrified looking at the scene before her, for not one, not two, but three sand worms stood towering over the pair, fangs barred. Sarah noticed that one of these sandworms has two holes on the sides of its face, which looks like the sandworm from earlier called for backup.
Her heart begins racing out of control.
She begins losing her senses, adrenaline pumping throughout her small body faster than ever before.
"No…" She begs, looking up at the towering monstrosity before her.
"Egan saving me before was nothing more than a miracle, and he's out. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?"
Frightened, Sarah, like any other wild animal in this situation, loses control of her bladder. Her fight or flight has now kicked into full gear, not even her eyes can glance away from her certain death. Sarah never believed in the whole "your life flashes before your eyes bit, but here she is, memories flooding her head. Images flashing of the culture festival she only just experienced. Long nights with Liz as they drink together at a local tavern. Her first time completing a quest and accepting the reward. Finally passing the entrance exam to become an adventurer. Her parents…
Her dad, knitting her clothes that never fit quite right. Her mom, boiling the best crab you could ever eat. The family dog laying on her lap as they look out over the sunset. The times her dad would get home late; watching as her mom scolded him for it. Her mother kissing her forehead just before she drifts off to sleep.
She gets it now
Her life… The one her mother fought so hard to protect… had now flashed before her eyes.
"Mom…"
[A low hiss emanates from the titans above you]
They begin to charge, barreling down at the defenseless young mage. Fast and precise, all 3 monstrous beasts surrounding the poor girl. There is no escape now. They charge from all directions.
Her heart rate increases.
Her vision becomes blurry.
She closes her eyes.
"No…
"I don't want to die."
***
[Three distinct slashes barrel out from all around you]
[Three booms echo out across the sand]
Three massive ice shurikens fly out from behind her, cutting the arthropods clean in two. Suddenly, the massive shurikens disappear, as though never there in the first place.
Sarah, crying, scared, weak, and defenseless, opens her eyes. What were once three omens of death now lie sliced in half. After a slight hesitation, blood from the now decapitated worms fly out in all directions, covering the young mage in a wave of hot liquid.
"What… what just…"
The three lifeless bodies of the sand worms now collapse to the ground, a shockwave blowing sand in the young mage's eyes. After slowly whipping the sand and blood off her face, she looks around her, noticing Egan, still fast asleep, lying beside her.
*Sigh*
With a large sigh, she collapses on the ground. Lying back, facing the still bright red sky.
She begins to laugh. She laughs so violently, if anyone around her were to hear her, they would think she just heard the funniest joke of all mankind. She laughs at the pain - for being so weak and helpless.
The truth is.
She's laughing at herself.
[Light footsteps echo out from behind you]
[A cold snowflake delicately lands on your nose]
The sudden chill confuses Sarah.
"How can there be snow in the desert?" She thought, looking up at the still red sky.
Out of the corner of her peripheral vision, a large shadow now looms over the pair. The figure walks directly behind the young girl, staring down at her. Sarah, too tired to be scared anymore, just looks up at the man. Upon closer inspection, she notices the familiar eyes of a man she had met in passing. His dark blue eyes resting atop his white, flowing beard, his face still obscured by the familiar large gray cloak he adorns.
"I know you…" Sarah said, realizing who the man in front of her is.
"I don't believe we have formally met." A raspy voice bellowing from under the hood.
He slowly flips off the hood, revealing a face she recognized all too well.
"The name's Thaerin Frostbane."
"And I have come to help."