Chapter 1A - The Wandering City of Tel'naraa

The desert sun was scorching Airen's bare shoulders. Vulture-like magical creatures circled overhead, their pair of dark, beady eyes surveying the scene below. Two garbed men sat on two camel-like horses pulling a hood-less caravan. Airen sat listlessly on the wooden floor, next to several well stacked crates, the sweltering heat caused him to sweat profusely, and the rope binding his legs and arms were already soaked with sweat. A blindfold blocked his sight.

"Here, drink." Airen raised his head and felt his one of his captors holding a canteen towards his mouth. The liquid of life poured into his throat, and he almost choked while swallowing it.

"Why are you wasting water on him?" his partner scoffed. "If he isn't killed by the magical beasts or the everburning heat after we leave him... he's just going to be a meal for the cannibalistic tribes that live here." The man shuddered.

"Dji, he's just a child," the man retorted. "Why did you accept the job of getting rid of an innocent child?"

"Hmph." the man named Dji spat while turning around. "A child of some noble I'd reckon. The pay is good, the captive won't struggle, and neither of us would have been wiser to turn it down, Loys."

Loys said nothing but waited for Airen to finish coughing and gave him some more water. When he returned to his mount, he mumbled. "Just about the age of my son..."

Dji sighed and patted him on the shoulder... they continued to ride in silence.

It has been two days since Airen had woken up and found himself in this situation. At first, he had screamed at his captors, and they gagged him after the sound started to attract magical beasts at night. He had tested the ropes that bound him a few times, but to no avail. He also suffered greatly from the heat, and struggling only caused him to get hotter and sweat more. He had considered several scenarios on how he would deal with his captors, but he realized they were clearly experienced mercenaries when they slaughtered several groups of magical beasts by themselves. Behind the darkness of the blindfold, Airen tried to visualize himself in a cool, tropical oasis. A lush waterfall splashed down in the background, creating a cool mist that flowed forwards.

After a few minutes, Airen thought he was starting to lose his mind from the heat. The sounds of the waterfall had seem to come alive and was approaching close. As the sounds grew louder, Airen realized it wasn't the sound of a waterfall, but a wave of hoofbeats on the sand.

"By the goddess," Airen heard the man called Dji cursed under his breath, and the sound of a sword escaping its sheathe.

"Perhaps this is goddess' justice," Loys laughed. "What's the plan, boss? There's no way the both of us can deal with those numbers."

"Damn, is there a month where we don't get attacked?" Dji grumbled. "I reckon we can try to reason with those barbarians again."

"And the boy?"

Dji said nothing more. The two of them got off their camel-like creatures and stood in front, waiting for the desert people's arrival.

A small horde of strangely clad people on horses approached the caravan. They wore sandals and reddish-brown robes that blended so well with the sand that, if not for the horses, it would have been extremely hard to spot them if they had stood still. They had large, curved blades drawn as they approached, and a short bow sheathed to their back. Upon spotting the two men, the aged man in front held up a hand and the rest of the band sheathed their swords. He alone approached, and his horse galloped towards them, his sword on his lap.

"Give us the caravan and you may leave with your lives!"

"And if we refuse?"

The sound of a single arrow hitting the ground was heard, and when Dji looked down, several arrows had been stuck in front of him in a neat little line with deadly precision.

"That is your only warning," he advised. The first row of people behind him had drawn their bows and several already had nocked arrows.

It was clear that their little entourage was outnumbered. The two mercenaries started arguing.

“But our mission was to dump the boy into a bog after killing him…” Loys said.

“If we give them to these cannibalistic barbarians... It would serve the same purpose, perhaps even better,” Dji argued. “Plus it give us some time before we have to head back! Think of it as a shortcut.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a brown bag. The jingle of the coins reached Airen’s ears. “… And a trip paid by our contractors. I’ll introduce you to a nice brothel…“ Dji laughed.

“Fine…. But it’s your funeral.” Loys sighed, sending a glance at the leader of the raider band.

"Leave the coins as well!" The raider leader bellowed out.

"You- no way am I going to give the earnings of my hard work, you filthy barbarians!" Dji yelled out a battle cry. Just as he drew his sword, four arrows impaled themselves in his arms and legs.

"You.. filthy... cowards," Dji cursed, but he still managed to draw his sword. "A few arrows is nothing compared to the magical beasts I've dealt with before. Loys! Draw your weapon, so we can deal with these-" His sentence was interrupted when a sword sprouted from his chest.

"Sorry boss." Loys said. "Should have just upped and left, and it wouldn't have come to this."

Realization dawned on Dji. "Loys... you son of a bitch... When have you started selling me to the barbarians?"

"Since the very beginning," the aged man replied. In one fluid and merciful strike, he lopped off Dji's head.

Loys crinkled his face as the spurt of blood covered his clothes. "Elder Duncan, did you really have to do that? He was as good as dead." he complained as he withdrew his weapon from the slaver’s head..

"Thieves and criminals are made, not born, Loys. He deserved mercy." Duncan dismounted and wiped the blood off his blade with the desert sand. "And I'm only twenty years older than you, so stop calling me Elder."

"As you wish, Elder Duncan." Loys smirked. He walked off to greet some of his friends among the horseman, leaving Duncan as he quietly strolled towards the caravan.

Do your worst. Airen thought as the footsteps approached.

Entering the caravan, Duncan removed Airen’s blindfold and held up his hands to show that he meant no harm. Then he drew a dagger and released Airen's bindings. Surprised, Airen rubbed his limbs and looked at the smiling face of the old man.

"The goddess's grace seem to have smiled upon you this time, young man."

"Wait.. so you're not going to eat me?" Airen asked hesitantly.

"Eat you? Do you want me to eat you?" Duncan chuckled. He plucked at Airen's arm. "You're just skin and bones, not much to eat anyway, better fatten you up first. Hah!"

He gently pulled Airen out of the caravan. However, he quickly realized that he was not suited for desert wear with his ragged clothes and lack of sandals. He shouted at another man a few meters off in a strange language, and the man nodded before spurring back to the group. A moment later, he returned with a girl. She appeared to be a few years older than Airen, and handled her pony skillfully and with grace. She had a small bundle of clothes with her and a gourd of water. After dismounting, she tossed these to him.

Airen fumbled and tried to catch the items, but his arms were too stiff from being tied up and the items fell to the ground.

"Eullina, did you really have to toss it?" Duncan scolded and picked up the items from the ground, scraping away the sand that stuck to the bottom. "Our friend here is probably starved and weakened from being a captive." He uncorked the container and passed it to Airen.

Like a deprived beast, Airen held the bottle up and chugged. Several streams of water trailed down his chin, quickly being absorbed by the desert sand. A look of annoyance flashed in the girl's eyes for a second, and she opened her mouth to reprimand Airen.

"Peace, Eullina." Duncan waved. "We should praise the goddess that we managed to approach in time, let him enjoy the gift of the goddess."

Airen realized that they were talking about him and he slowed his rate of drinking into a less wasteful pace. After he finished, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and handed the bottle back to the girl named Eullina.

"I apologize... and thank you for... rescuing me?" he ventured. They did not seem to mean him any harm.

"Oh, he's a rather polite one." Loys had returned and was now watching Airen. "Totally the opposite of you, Eullina. Remember how you punched and bit Horly when we rescued you?" he teased as he reached out to pat her head.

She swatted the hand away. "Loys, why in the name of all that is holy, did you choose to rescue this... this kid. He's not going to be of any help to us." Eullina snorted.

"'Cause it seemed interesting." Loys began, tossing up the gold pouch and catching it. "I mean... who pays this much just to get rid of a kid?" He turned towards Airen. "Hey boy, who did you piss off?"

Airen opened his mouth but quickly closed it, unsure if he should answer.

"The kid's still coming to his senses. Give him some time." Duncan reprimanded. "As for you, strange child from a distant land, you do not have to say anything you don’t wish to say."

Airen nodded his head in thanks at Duncan's words. Turning to the white haired man, he asked "Where am I?"

Duncan shook his head. "Eullina will answer your questions, I need to arrange for our return home. Come along, Loys, stop slacking off now that you're finally back."

Loys groaned in annoyance and followed Duncan's footsteps.

Eullina and Airen stood for a while observing the other. The first thing Airen noticed was her tan skin, short raven black hair and almond-colored eyes. In return, Eullina took in the sight of a dirty boy in what was once quality robes.

"First, change into these clothes, and then I'll answer your questions." Eullina handed over the bundle of clothes.

"I'm supposed to change... out here?" Airen looked incredulously at Eullina.

"Yes, now get on with it. " came the curt reply. After a few moments she added "Do it inside the caravan if you’re feeling shy."

She turned around and motioned with the back of her hand for him to go. Airen clambered back into the caravan and quickly changed, throwing backward glances behind him. The clothes he was given were rather strange -- the inner layer consisted of a short sleeved shirt and long pants, while the outer layer was a large hooded cloak.

Upon hearing footsteps, Eullina turned around and nodded in approval. "Not bad, maybe you will actually manage to survive the journey back to the city."

"The city...? When did the Hero's Desert have a city?

"The... Hero's Desert? We're in the desert of Tel'dora, south of the Red Slate Republic." Eullina gestured towards the sandy horizons. Seeing the look of confusion on his face, she explained. "We're not part of any nation you know of. These lands are wild and are inhabited by all sorts of creatures. Most of the people here... are former slaves of the Red Slate Republic that either ran away or was left to die."

"Slaves...." Airen had heard of the concept of slavery but was too naive to fully understand what it entails. "So… servants?" he asked meekly.

That did not sit well with Eullina -- anger flashed in her eyes and she raised her hand to slap him. However, she stopped when she noticed the befuddled look on Airen's face.

"Be glad that you don’t understand what it means," she replied. "Now, get on." She gestured behind her from atop her horse.

"But I don't know how to ride a horse."

Eullina extended a hand. "No better time to learn" she laughed with a malicious smile and a twinkle in her eye. Airen did not like that look. Not at all.

After mercilessly falling off the horse a few times, they had changed spots and now he was sitting in front of Eullina. The desert people had finished salvaging what they could from the caravan and they were making preparations to leave. Right before they set off, Duncan dragged Airen out in front of everyone.

"Child, introduce yourself." he nudged.

Tanned faces watched him in anticipation.

"Um... hello... I'm Airen." he forced out.

There were mixed reactions from the group. Some had pitying eyes, others curious, but a majority of them wore friendly faces. They raised their hands in the air as if in a salute. Turning around, he noticed they had held a fist to his chest. Airen had not expected such a welcome.

Duncan placed a hand on Airen's shoulder as the group returned to their original spots, and the band started to move forward.

"No matter where you hail, or who you are, you are part of our family now. " Duncan informed him warmly.

"I... well..." Airen mumbled, eyes downcast.

Duncan stopped and stared in Airen's eyes. "Airen, I do not know what circumstances have brought you to us, but you can trust in us. We mean you no harm and we will do our best to help our own."

Airen's eyes glazed over. "....Thank you. I want to ask.. if you found another caravan with a young girl..."

Duncan shook his head. "Loys was our spymaster for the past few years. He sends word when a prisoner or slave is sent out into this area. But that only happens once or twice every year." Seeing the pained expression on Airen’s face, he added. "If it's a female, it's likely that she was kept as a maid in the Red Slate Republic."

"How do I get there from here?" Airen's eyes burned with a grim determination.

Duncan took heed of the recklessness of the boy in front of him. "Listen to me carefully, Airen from a distant land, if you go now, to the place from whence you just left, you are as good as dead."

He squeezed Airen's shoulder with a clenching vise. "The way you are now, you would just be a snack for a Dune Worm. Come with us.."

Airen considered his options. He did not have any information on his enemy, who the enemy actually was. He had been knocked unconscious and retained no fragments of memories afterwards. He slowly nodded. "Then... I'll be in your care for a while."

"Good, good." Duncan said, sensing that the crisis had passed. "We are going to make a few stops and then we will return to the city. When we get there, Eullina will take care of you. She.... is in a similar situation like you, but don't tell her I told you that."

"Did someone call for me?" Eullina rode up beside them.

"Speak of the she-devil, and she would appear." Duncan mused. "Nothing special, Eullina, I was just telling Airen here I was thinking of having you take care of him."

"What?" she turned her eyes on Airen. "This little runt? Why are you pushing him onto me?"

"Because I said so." Duncan said firmly. "Little lamb, the world is not your enemy."

Eullina turned around and faced the other way.

"Fine," came the muttered reply. "I'll look after the ignorant noble since we're all in the same shoes now."

Duncan turned back to Airen. "Airen, today you are a free man. No matter your past or history, it won't be held against you. On this day forward, only the goddess will judge you by your actions instead of your shadows." When he finished, he patted Airen's shoulder twice, once on each side, and spurred his horse towards the front of the group.

"He sees something in you." Eullina commented, a lot warmer than before.

Airen said nothing, still wondering why she had dubbed him an 'ignorant noble', but was too afraid to ask.

"What's the matter, Airen?" the mention of his name jolted him from his thoughts. "Too much things happening for you to process?"

"Yes... I mean... no." Airen replied. "I understand what's happening, but I guess I'm just not used to it."

"It was like that for me... and everyone else too," Eullina responded. "You'll get used to it." she added. They rode in silence for a while.

"Where are we going?" Airen asked.

"To the Seafoam Oasis, or that's what we call it here in the desert."

Like the others, Airen reached down and cupped his hand full of the blue-green water.

"Can I actually drink this?" he asked Eullina next to him.

"Yes, despite the color. Plus, it's really good." Eullina had already drunk as much as she can and was proceeding to fill her water-skins.

Airen turned to the liquid in his hands and sniffed it. It had an aroma akin to mint leaves, and he gingerly sipped it. The instant it entered his mouth, he forgot about the desert heat for a moment as the liquid brought down his core temperature.

"This is great!" Airen started cupping the liquid to his mouth over and over. The aftertaste was akin to that of a fizzy drink and was almost addictive.

"Don't drink too much, it has some side effects."

Airen nearly choked and started sputtering and coughing. Eullina laughed at his predicament and patted his back until he stopped.

"What... side effects are we talking about?"

She pointed over her shoulder behind her, several of the horses and their riders were in a pile, deep in sleep. "The water here, we call it the Seafoam, is supposed to bring forth a peaceful slumber. "

She handed over the water-skin she just finished filling. "Here, this one belongs to you now. Don't lose it and don't drink it all at once." Airen apprehensively took the water-skin, and Eullina tossed it at him rudely.

"There won't be any side effects if you keep it to a minimum. Plus, pure water is extremely rare to find here unless you are a water mage. Later you-.”

Before Eullina could continue. A hand picked up both her and Airen by their waists.

“Well, well. You two kids are getting along just fine.” Loys chuckled. “Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but it's time for dinner.”

Airen’s stomach growled at the prospect of food. Loys burst out laughing and even Eullina had a shadow of a smile on her face.

“Looks like our star guest is ready and willing!” He placed the two back onto the ground again. “Come along now, Airen, was it?”

“Er… yes.” Airen replied as they made their way towards the center of the camp, Eullina trailing behind them.

“It’s a bit late for introductions, but I’m Loys, the most handsome and charismatic man in the entire city- no, the entire desert.” He flashed a smile.

Eullina snorted.

Ignoring her, he continued. “If you need any help with women, big brother Loys will be glad to share his experiences and stories.” He winked with a smile.

“Uh… I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Don’t listen to him Airen. All his stories end up in him drowning his sorrows in alcohol anyway.” Eullina jeered.

“You wound me, Eullina.” Loys made an exaggerated gesture of him clutching his heart in pain. “Love is a fickle mistress, I simply haven’t found the one yet.”

Eullina simply shook her head and tugged Airen by the hand as they ran ahead towards the campfire, leaving him behind.

“This is…amazing...” Airen proclaimed, spooning the rich stew into his mouth. “It doesn’t taste like anything I've ever had before…What’s in it?” The sun had sunk into the sandy horizon and the hot stew warmed him from the chill of the desert night.

“Jackal meat,” Duncan, who was sitting next to him, replied with a knowing grin.

“Jacket meat…?” Airen’s spoon halted momentarily, but in the end, he still brought it to his mouth.

“Mhm, our hunters caught a few Desert Jackals. Our chef, Lilrim, made a stew with them along with some dried rations and water.”

Didn’t Eullina say something about water being a rare resource… Airen thought.

“And if you’re wondering about the taste, that’s probably because it’s monster meat.”

“Monster meat..?” Airen stared at the chunk of grilled meat in his spoon. He had thought it was a trick of the light, but upon closer inspection the meat had a yellowish tinge to it.

Duncan noticed the look on Airen’s face. “Don’t worry, other than its strange appearance and texture, it’s perfectly fit for human consumption, as long as it is prepared properly.”

“Is this what you eat out here?” Airen asked.

“Partly.” Duncan said. “Back in the city we grow a few plants and process them.” He took out a rugged bag and removed what appeared to be a white slab and handed it to Airen.

“These are part of the rations we carry when we traverse the desert. Give it a try.”

Skeptical, Airen placed a corner of the slab into his mouth and bit off a piece. It quickly melted into a sweet creamy paste in his mouth, but it left his mouth parched.

“It’s called Teq bread. We make it from a type of hard wheat and cream of mushroom. What do you think?”

“It’s a bit dry...” Airen said honestly.

“Hahaha, that it is...” Duncan confessed. “But it can be kept forever. Some people have said they’ve had ten-year old Teq bread and it tasted fine.”

“There’s a bit of it in the stew right..?” Airen commented.

“Oh? You must have a rather impeccable tongue if you can taste it.” Duncan complimented. “Most people would never know unless they actually see the cook put it in”

“Thanks… I’ve once thought about being a chef actually.” Airen replied.

“What stopped you?” Eullina joined in as she took a seat next to Airen, legs extended into the soft desert sand.

Airen hesitated for a moment. Duncan kept silent as he watched him weigh the scales in his heart.

“My duties.” Airen slowly revealed. “It was unfit of one of my standing to be spending time practicing how to cook.”

Duncan and Eullina glanced at each other and decided not to probe any further.

“Well, in the present day, you have all the freedom to do what you’d like.” Duncan assured. “Our small city can always have another chef!” he nudged Eullina.

“Hmph, it's not my fault people just don’t know how to enjoy my cooking,” she complained.

Loys had snuck up behind them, and at that point, he whispered loudly into Airen’s ear, “please learn how to cook well so she never has to do dinner duty. Make sure she never gets close to the kitchen, for all our sakes.”

Just as he finished saying that, he turned to see Eullina towering over him. “Woah, Easy there Eu-” he croaked out before she kicked him in the shin.

“You’ll eat my cooking, right Airen?” Eullina smiled as Loys hopped around the camp clutching his feet.

“Um...”

“Right?”

Thinking it couldn’t be that bad, he nodded.

“Good, I’ll take first shift dinner when we get back.” Eullina replied.

Duncan shook his head as he realized what he did to Airen by having Eullina take care of him.

“Wake up boy.” A voice called out to Airen.”Wake up!”

“Mmm, what is-” Airen woke up to Eullina slapping his face several times. As he shrugged off the effects of sleep, he felt the sand beneath him shaking.

“Come with me quickly.” Eullina half-dragged, half-pulled Airen outside. The sun was just starting to rise as they passed a small line of mounted warriors in a crescent-moon shaped formation, and headed towards a small group of people holding up torches, their back towards the Seafoam lake.

“Get behind us, and quickly. The quakes are starting to grow stronger,” one of the women holding up torches whispered. “It’s coming.”

“What is coming-” Airen said but Eullina quickly shushed him.

“It hunts by sound, so stop yelling.” she reprimanded him quietly.

Lowering his voice Airen asked. “What is coming?” as the ground shook harder and harder.

At that moment, the sand forty meters in front of them shot into the sky as a giant snake showed its head and hissed at the group. The width of its body was the size of a large tree trunk, and was covered with green and brown scales.

“A Dune Worm.”

“Archers! Release!” a familiar voice directed. Airen strained his eyes in the darkness and he realized the voice came from Duncan, who was on horseback. “The rest of you, FORWARD!”

At his command, the warriors behind him started sprinting towards the Dune Worm as the remaining group released arrows from their short bows. A few of these arrows glanced off the magical creature’s scales, but a majority landed on the beast’s fleshy bottom-side. The Dune Worm reared back in pain and spat out gobs of dark green acid at the oncoming riders.

“Vanguard!” Duncan shouted, and at his call the soldiers in front tossed their small bucklers like boomerangs at the acid balls, deflecting them away from the group. The Dune Worm hissed in frustration and swiped its tail at the advancing warriors.

“Engage!” Duncan roared. Several war-cries followed his proclamation

“Now!” Loys shouted. Several of the warriors jumped up and impaled their blades deep into its tail, while others slid below it slashing the fleshy underside. The Dune Worm waved its head back and forth in anger and opened its mouth to spit more poison.

“Mages! Bolts!" came the cry from Duncan, and a few moments afterwards, several balls of humming magical energy flew straight into the snake’s maw.

Airen watched in amazement as the large magical beast was skillfully dispatched under Duncan’s commands. After one particular deep cut by Loys, it had attempted to bury into the sand and escape, but several mages had hardened the dirt beneath it into sandstone, cutting off its escape route. From afar, Duncan relayed directions and controlled the battlefield, and the Dune Worm slowly succumbed to its wounds.

“They were… perfectly in sync.” Airen thought aloud.

“You seem impressed.” Eullina chuckled.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a magical beast being taken down.” Airen admitted.

“A Dune Worm? They are the usual source of meat out here on the Tel’dora desert. Despite their size, they’re actually quite weak.”

“Wait.. you’re going to be eating that?” Airen shakily pointed at the corpse, greenish-yellow blood soaking into the sand.

“‘We are indeed going to be eating that. Come along now.” Eullina tugged Airen’s arm towards the corpse, laughing at the expression on his face.

“Wha- why are you pulling me towards it?” Airen blurt out as the group walked towards the carcass, a sudden thought flashed through his mind. “We’re not eating it raw right?”

That statement caused a wave of laughter to roll through the group.

“No no no, we’re butchering the corpse for the meat and preparing it for the journey back.” Eullina managed to get out while bowled over in laughter. “Ohhh it hurts.”

Airen could feel his face turning red.

After Eullina finally stopped laughing she started to explain. “I was going to have you watch and learn how to slice and bundle up meat for the journey back.”

"Oh...” Airen mumbled.

Upon arriving in front of the corpse, Airen realized the Dune Worm was even larger than he envisioned. It was as tall as the two horses that Eullina brought him. Duncan greeted the two as they arrived and directed them towards the tail end of the beast. Eullina nodded her thanks, and they made their way towards the designated point, passing a few other groups that were already at work.

Upon arriving, they noticed that there was someone waiting for them. Eullina bowed her head and Airen quickly followed suit after seeing her do so.

“Senior Lilrim.” Eullina politely greeted her.

“Eullina my dear, there’s no need for formalities.” the middle-aged woman waved her hands. “We’ve already known each other for years, call me Lilrim.”

“Nevertheless, I am indebted to you for guiding me, Lilrim.”

Lilrim sighed and turned to Airen.

“So this is the little boy that we’ve rescued.” Lilrim leaned down so they were at eye level. “Nice to meet you, Airen. I’m Lilrim.”

Out of habit Airen responded. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Lilrim.”

“Lady is it..? It’s been a long time since I’ve been called that...” She patted Airen’s head. “Quite a particular manner of speech you converse in, Airen, this politeness reminds me of the old days.”

She stood up and gestured for the two to follow her. “Duncan told me that you wanted to be a cook -- is that true, Airen?”

“Um… yes.” Airen wasn’t sure where this was going, so he replied in a meek voice.

“Louder.”

“Yes!”

“Good, from this moment on, your first lesson begins.”

Eullina butted in. “Wait, Lilrim, I thought that you had denied everyone that came to ask you for apprenticeship.“

“I didn’t deny them” Lilrim disclosed. “None of them passed the test.” she elaborated as she took out a pair of knives and giving one to Airen.

“Then why did you make me your apprentice?” Airen asked, confused.

“Because you were the first to realize that the base of the stew last night was made using the Teq bread.” Lilrim applauded. “For someone your age, you have a refined taste. Duncan was also quite adamant when he tried to convince me.”

That’s probably because I had spent all my years in the Imperial Palace. Airen thought to himself.

“And that is what it takes to become a great chef. Unless, of course, you do not want to become my apprentice?”

“No, I’d like to be your apprentice, please.” Joy coursed through Airen’s veins as he realized that despite his circumstances, he may actually pursue his desires here.

“Good. Then maybe you can survive living with Eullina, and she would finally be able to eat well again.”

“Lilrim!”” Eullina moaned.

Despite Eullina’s comments about her perfectly edible food, Airen paid close attention as Lilrim showed him how to harvest and prepare the meat.

“This is actually pretty good.” Eullina grudgingly admitted, tasting the roasted snake meat that Airen had prepared. They had spent the entire day harvesting the meat and loading it on the horses and the salvaged caravan. What couldn’t be carried was being eaten now as a second dinner.

“Your roasting method needs a little work” Lilrim commented as she also sampled the meat. “But for your first time... this is rather impressive.”

“I actually have a little bit of experience when it comes to roasting” Airen confessed, remembering the time when Jourmind had showed him how to prep and roast a wild goose over a fire.

“Did someone teach you?” Eullina asked between bites. “Or did you watch someone do it?”

“A bit of both.” Airen responded.

“It sounds like you had a teacher, Airen. “

“I did. I don’t know what happened to him though.”

“Oh.” Sensing that she had trudged onto an unpleasant topic, Eullina dragged Lilrim into the conversation.

“Say Lilrim, aren’t you going to be busy in the mess hall as the city’s only chef? How are you going to find time to guide Airen?” she questioned.

“I’m not going to find time, whenever he wants to learn, he will come with me.” Lilrim snorted and turned to Airen. “Boy, when you are ready to learn cooking methods and techniques, you’ll know where to find me..” And then she stood up and walked towards the line of tents.

“Another chef would be nice” Eullina admitted. “That way, we don’t have to waste any food that comes from the hunters’ and warriors’ expeditions.”

“What are these… ‘expeditions’?”

“It is our term for a trip outside the city walls. Most of the time, these expeditions are usually a small group of people. This hunting party is the exception, as the more tremors in the sand we cause, the higher the likelihood of attracting Dune Worms.”

“I see...” Airen nodded slowly. “This Tel’dora desert isn’t as bad as I thought then….”

Eullina shook her head. “If you underestimate what it means to live out here, you will surely regret it. About a third of the small scale expeditions never make it back to the city on time.”

“A third?” he exclaimed.

“A. Third.” Eullina stressed. “When you set up an expedition, you plan the date of your return. If you don’t return within a month past that date, you will be presumed dead. Such is the way the desert.”

“Wait… you don’t send people out to try and find them?”

“It’s too risky. Whatever prevented them from returning… could very well prevent the rescue party from returning as well.” Eullina sighed.

“But isn’t it still worth a try..?” Airen pressed.

“Duncan told me that they did try once, a long time ago before he was the city leader. He said that they lost forty warriors that day and refused to say anything else.”

“Oh...” Airen was speechless, he had counted around twenty able-bodied warriors in the current group, and they had flawlessly executed the Dune Worm without sustaining any injuries. What could possibly take out or prevent forty warriors without a single one remaining?

Eullina must have seen the look on his face. “There are two stories behind what happened. One was that they were ambushed by mercenaries, and they succumbed to their wounds while they were taking shelter from a sandstorm at that time. The other one was… they had offended a Great Spirit, and it had buried them.”

“A Great Spirit…?” Airen questioned. “Is it a ‘Divine Beast’?”

“No, no.” Eullina waved her hands. “What we believe in, our faith, is different than those of the Five Countries of the Eiloong Continent. I... don’t quite know how to explain properly, It would be better for you to ask Duncan, he is the Elder after all.”

Airen gazed across the embers toward the empty desert sands. The foreign land now seemed even more strange and less welcoming than before. He rolled around sleeplessly for a while that night, before exhaustion brought the bliss of sleep.

“Hey Duncan.” Eullina called out. They had trekked out early that morning to evade the midday sun, and were currently taking a rest stop for lunch. A few warriors, including Loys and Lilrim had left and returned with a large lizard-like creature for their meal.

“Have a seat, Eullina. You too, Airen, don’t be strangers now. We’re all children under the eyes of the goddess.” Duncan smiled.

“Are you a priest?” Airen asked.

“I was... Once.” Duncan shook his head sadly. “The church may have taken away my title, but I am still a humble servant of Lady Ecclisa. But never mind this old man’s stories, what can I help you with?”

“I was hoping that you could explain to me what Spirits are.” Airen started.

At the mention of the word ‘Spirits’ Duncan dropped the scimitar he was holding and stared at Eullina. “Little lady, just because you’ve recently had your Dream Rites doesn’t mean you should mention it to outsiders so quickly. For the goddess’s sake, how old are you Airen?”

“Almost thirteen” he responded meekly.

Duncan turned back to Eullina. “Two years younger. Four years less experience surviving in this forsaken wasteland. He is not remotely ready to go through the Dream Rites.”

Eullina held her head down at Duncan’s outburst. “Elder Duncan. I simply wished that you explain the dream spirits to him. It would prepare him when we return to the city... It is his choice whether or not he’ll take the Dream Rites anyway.”

Duncan furrowed his brows, but relented after a moment. “Very well... Airen, let me warn you beforehand, a spirit can be your best friend, or your very worst enemy. Now, what would you like to know?”

“What is-”

“A spirit?. Thirty years ago, my predecessor, the one to found our little desert city, chanced upon some ancient ruins from a bygone civilization. The stories recorded there spoke of beings that were connected to the forces of nature. In the center of those ruins, it is said that he had fallen asleep and had dreamt of all sorts of creatures. In that dream, he had approached one that had the appearance of a white wolf and touched it. And then he had awoken, and next to him was a sword of the purest white with an insignia of a wolf on the handle.”

“So a spirit is… a sword?” Airen’s disappointment showed on his face.

“Not exactly… although most people can learn to manifest their spirit as a tool of sorts, they’re something different. At first people believed that the dream spirit is the image of a person’s soul made manifest. A blacksmith’s spirit would be in the form of a hammer, a writer’s the form of a quill, and so forth.” Duncan returned back to polishing his blade as he continued.” Some other people believe the dream spirits are ghosts of that ancient civilization, or the ghosts of things from another era given form.”

“So these… dream spirits can appear as people?”

“I have never heard of it happening, but I won’t deny it.” Duncan reasoned. “But what you should know is that as leader of Tel'naraa, it is my duty to guide newcomers there.”

“So… am I going to take this Dream Rite?”

“It is entirely up to you Airen. Most people take it because it gives a glance into your potential, as well as show your magical affinities. It’s our version of the Hidden Potential Ceremony, with a little extra. Now that it’s past midday, it is time we head off. When you are ready to take the Dream Rites, tell Eullina to find me.”

He brushed the sand off his robes and stood up. Airen followed suit and Duncan gave him a slight push towards Eullina, who was already saddling up the horses.

“Welcome to The Wandering City of Tel'naraa, Airen.” Eullina smiled mischievously as the small band slowed down and descended from a windswept dune.

“I don’t see anything...” Airen mumbled.

Several of the group members exchanged glances and chuckled.

“Um...” Airen mumbled as they continued at their normal pace forwards at the wall of sand in front of them. The group continued to move forward and Eullina gripped Airen’s shoulder tightly. Just before they crashed into the wall, a hole opened that allowed them to pass through. Airen’s eyes widened and Eullina laughed at his expression.

“The city’s entrance is constantly shifting and we call it the Wandering City because Tel'naraa constantly moves itself across the desert. A few nobles from the Red Slate Republic had the notion of trying to claim the city for their own, but they never managed to find it.” Loys explained from afar.

As Airen walked through the hole, a large hand made from sand plucked him up and lifted him up in the air. A deep voice called out.

“Well, well, who do we have here?” The hand tossed him up a few feet in the air before a larger hand appeared out of the sand wall and caught him in the middle of its palm. “Another one, eh? And this one is so young too!” There was laughter among the small band.

“Put him down Gunter, you’re going to scare the poor boy to death.” Duncan called out. “Must you do this to everyone that passes these walls for the first time?”

A deep rumbling sound emanated from the sand, terrifying Airen before he realized it was laughter. The hand carefully set him down behind Eullina and withdrew back into the shapeless sand. Eullina turned around, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Are you alright?”

Airen felt his face flush red and quickly nodded. He followed her lead and proceeded through the tunnel. Despite just being tossed around like a pebble, Airen couldn’t take his eyes away from the tunnels walls, they were constantly moving and writhing, like a burning flame. When they left the tunnel, Airen saw the desert city of Tel’naraa for the first time.

The sun’s rays filtered through the roof of the cavern and fell onto the houses carved into the sandstone. The homes were like small cubes as they stacked on top of each other, unnatural, but with a beauty of their own. In the very center of the town was a large stone fountain that released pure blue water. Compared to the outside, it was much more comfortable and Airen could feel the fatigue wearing off. The group split off and he was left with Eullina.

“Welcome... to the city of Tel'naraa.” Eullina echoed. “It’s different than the ones you’re used to, but it’s a cozy place we call home.”

“It’s… spectacular.” Airen mumbled. “It’s like an entirely different world down here...”

“Gunther would be happy to hear that. But first, we have a few things to do before I show you around.”

Eullina led her horse towards the nearby stone building, where the horses were given to two men. Another man looked at Airen and came over with a large crate.

“You are Airen, the new guy right? Here, Duncan said to give this to you.”

When the man placed the box in Airen’s outstretched hands, he was nearly crushed by the weight. The man looked down at Airen and picked back up the crate.

“Where do you live, boy? I’ll have one of my men drop it off tomorrow”

“With me.” Eullina answered. “Fourth Lane, Second Story.”

The man nodded and walked away. Eullina nudged Airen and tilted her head.

“Um.. thank you!” Airen shouted at the man’s retreating back.

The man held the crate in one hand and waved back.

“Good, respect will get you a long way in Tel'naraa.” Eullina clearly approved of his behavior.

“How many people live in this city?” Airen questioned.

“A bit over six hundred. The number constantly changes but that’s about right.”

“Was everyone here once a...” Airen hesitated to say slaves, remembering Eullina’s reaction before.

“Yes… and no. A majority of us were once slaves, some of us are wanted men, and there are some rogues and criminals among us.”

“Criminals…?”

Eullina turned around to face Airen as she walked. “If you want a better word, you can say murderers. Like me.”

“You? A murderer?” Her eyes had a dark glare to them as she approached Airen. “Wha-”

She leaned in close and whispered into his ear. “And if I had to make the choice again, I will gladly kill that bastard who killed my sister.” She turned around and they continued walking silently.

A few moments later, they arrived at a large stone house. Following Eullina’s gesture, he walked through the doorless entrance and saw several large rows of tables.

“Airen, welcome to the Tel'naraa mess hall.” a voice called out. Airen looked across the room and saw Lilrim standing behind a counter, decked out in an apron and holding a butcher’s cleaver. “Have a seat, my new dish will be ready soon.”

Airen did as asked, and Eullina took the seat in front of him. He avoided looking into her eyes. Before long, a two large bowls of yellow stew was placed in front of both of them, as well as a loaf of dark brown bread that Eullina split in half and gave to him. They dug into the meal as Lilrim watched them expectantly.

“Fabulous as always, Lilrim” Eullina commended. “I wish you would stay in the city more often as our head chef instead of adventuring outside.” She sighed dramatically.

“It can’t be helped. I’m one of the few with a spirit that is capable of detecting life out there among the sands.” Lilrim shrugged, pointing at the cleaver in her other hand. “Even though its designed to cleave away life.” She chuckled at her own joke.

“Ha ha...” Eullina laughed unenthusiastically along before returning to her meal.

“Your dream spirit is a cleaver?” Airen asked between spoons of stew. “Did you use it to cook the meal?”

Lilrim shook her head. “It was only used to cut dried jerky into smaller chunks and dice the Dune Worm meat. What do you think of the dish, Airen?”

“It’s really good. The taste of the smoked jerky blends really well with the Dune Worm meat.” Airen confessed. “The odor from when I roasted the Dune Worm is non-existent as well. “

“Good, good. It is nice to have a certain someone that can understand and appreciate my cooking. You see, Airen, it's one thing to enjoy the cooking, and another to understand the artistic creation of it. The buffoons in this place don’t know how to enjoy quality work.” Lilrim huffed.

“There’s also some herbs that I’m not familiar within it.“Airen added.

Lilrim turned to Eullina. “Have you shown Airen here the underground farm yet?”

“Not yet. I was going to take him there afterwards...” Eullina admitted.

“Well, when you are finished, why don’t you take him there?” Lilrim said.

Eullina nodded and Lilrim returned back to the cooking station. A few minutes afterwards, Loys bustled in.

“Lilrim, my dear! Kindly give this tired soul some of your glorious food! It’s been eight weeks since I’ve enjoyed your cooking!”

“Loys, sit your butt down and tell me what you’d like. The least I can do is feed you before you head back.”

“I’ll have the usual as well as whatever you gave those two lovebirds over there.” Loys pointed a thumb behind him. After he placed his order, he walked over to where Airen was sitting and plopped down next to him, and put an arm over his shoulder.

“Airen boy, welcome to Tel'naraa, the only city where you can eat food this good!”

“Um… thanks... Where are you going?” Airen felt like he heard the term ‘welcome’ a bit too many times already. Were they trying to make him feel comfortable?

“Back to the mercenary company in the Red Slate Republic,” Loys replied. “My job is to bring back news and tidings to the city.”

“He’s a spy,” Eullina put bluntly.

“Well, I suppose the term is spy.” Loys shrugged. “I used to be a spy before, but after my employer left me for dead and gave me this.” he pointed towards the long scar that went from his left eye down to his chin. “I was picked up by Duncan on the brink of death and came here.”

He pulled Airen closer with his arm and proclaimed loudly “If there’s anything you need Airen boy, just ask. You’re one of us now, fellow brothers in arms.”

Airen hesitated for a moment, thinking back to Eullina’s words about slavery, before speaking quietly. “Loys, can you try to find my sister?”

Loys stopped messing around and his demeanor changed. He passed a glance at Eullina before speaking. “Tell me what she looks like and her name.”

“Her name is Yuelei, long black hair with black eyes, she should have a hairpin with three jewels on it.” Airen quickly stated.

“Got it.” Loys noted. He stood up and walked to the counter. “Hey Lilrim, give me all the food to go, I’m going to head back tonight instead of tomorrow morning.”

Airen was surprised at Loys’ sudden change in attitude, just as he turned to ask Eullina, he stopped at the sight of her face. Her head was down and a bitter smile was on it. She wordlessly placed her empty dishes on the counter and left the door. He looked at the counter to see Loys clenching his fist and Lilrim mouthing at him ‘Follow her’. Airen quickly placed his dishware onto the counter and sprinted after her.

“He’s a good boy, that Airen.” Lilrim mumbled, placing a large parcel in front of Loys as well as a bowl of the yellow stew. “You need to stop blaming yourself, Loys, it wasn’t your fault. You did all you could.”

Loys spooned the stew into his mouth in silence.

Airen had quietly followed Eullina for a while. She showed Airen around the city in silence, taking him to the underground gardens where the herbs, mushrooms, and a black wheat were grown. Then, the armory where four blacksmiths and armorers crafted items, and finally, they arrived at her home as dusk was falling.

She opened the door and beckoned Airen inside. After she turned on a small lamp on a stone desk, Airen saw what would be his home for the first time. Two fur-covered beds were in each corner of the room, and in the center was a large circular stone table with chairs protruding from it. Several herbs that hung from the ceiling gave the room a pleasant aroma. There was a small fireplace in the other corner, and assorted metal utensils dangled above it. A large slab of stone with a handle was in the last corner covering on the ground.

Eullina gestured for him to sit as she walked towards her bed and hung her gear above it. She took a small pot from the fireplace and lifted the slab of stone.

So that was actually a water basin. Airen thought as she filled the pot with water and started the campfire. The sound of the crackling flames echoed in the quiet chamber, and Airen was starting to get anxious.

When the water started to boil, Eullina tossed a few herbs in, and after a minute, she poured the tea into two ceramic cups and placed one in front of Airen. As he reached out an arm for the cup, Eullina’s voice broke the silence.

“Since we will be living together now. I’m going to be honest with you, and I suppose you’d want an explanation,” she started. “My full name is Eullina Ludurva, and my younger sister was Sillena Ludurva. We were born two years apart as children of a fallen noble from the Dew Plains. Our parents were not interested in power struggles and wanted to have simple lives. We were traveling to the Red Slate Republic to escape the warring factions of the Dew Plains, but we were ambushed by mercenaries. Everyone died except for me and my sister, who were sold into slavery.”

“...It’s a common story.” She added bitterly.

Airen stared at Eullina across the table, but did not say a word- rather, he did not know how to respond. She sipped her tea and continued her story.

“I was the lucky one. As I was being transported to who knows where, I was rescued just like you were. My sister, on the other hand, was sold into slavery. At the time, I had asked Loys to find her, but it took him an entire year to track her down. When we finally found her, she was… a husk of what she was before... She was used as a plaything and she was…no longer my sister.“

She paused for a moment to collect herself.

“I personally killed that abomination of a human with my own two hands. I gutted him like the pig he was and dragged out his guts and rubbed it in his face.Then I carved out his eyes, removed his testicles, and poured his favorite red wine over his wounds. Magic is an amazing tool when it comes to torture you see.” A haunting smile crept onto Eullina’s face as she recalled the memory.

“When I was done with him, he was unrecognizable. My anger slowly drained away and I had cradled my broken sister. Loys pulled me away at that time, saying that we had to leave before the guards came. When I refused to leave, he took matters in his own hands. He knocked me out and ended my sister’s life, or what was left of her, then he knocked me out again when I tried to stab him.”

Eullina smiled bitterly. “He may have saved my life that day, but I just can’t forgive him. Sometimes I tell myself, if only Loys had found her earlier, if only Loys hadn’t killed her, then maybe she would recover and call me ‘big sis’ again.”

“And that is my story of how I became a murderer, Airen. It’s something you should know.” she paused and they sat in silence for a while.

“...I used to have a teacher called Jourmind, but my sister and I called him Jomin.” Airen’s words broke the silence, and he quietly revealed bits of his past to Eullina, making sure to leave out certain details like how he was actually the prince of the Kingdom of Macha.

After a few more minutes, they retired for the night. This time, it was due to the feeling of guilt that he could not fall asleep.

Airen woke up that morning to the sound of Eullina’s voice.

“Wake up, Airen Casteya. There are things to be done.”

He shrugged away the sleep from his eyes and sat up. He noticed a hand holding a cup, and he took it and drank.

“Bleh, what exactly is this?” Airen took a look at the pitch black liquid in the cup and then at Eullina, who was calmly sipping her own.

“A type of herbal tea. It’s good for you so drink it down.”

Making a butter face, Airen chugged down the vicious-tasting tea and true to her word, his fatigue from staying up late slowly left him and he felt energized.

“Woah…” Airen commented, staring at the inside of the empty cup.

“Stop dilly-dallying and get moving, there are two places that we need to visit.” Eullina reprimanded, no trace of the gloom from the night prior.

“Where is it?”

“You’ll see soon enough.” Airen did not like the mischievous look on Eullina’s face.

Sometime later...

“I yield! I yield!” Airen had been disarmed again by Eullina’s pair of short daggers. They had been sparring for the past half hour, and each time resulted in Airen losing the bout.

“Come on, Airen. You told me last night you were some sort of prodigy, don’t tell me you were exaggerating.” Eullina taunted.

“This rapier doesn’t really fit my hand” Airen complained. “It’s nowhere near like the one I used to use!”

“Of course not, this one’s made from steel while the one you used was made from a hardwood.” Eullina shrugged. “Did you think we can actually find wood out here to make a training weapon? Surely you jest, Airen.”

He sighed and picked up the blunt metal rapier again.

“How about this, Airen. If you manage to beat me in the next round, we’ll go have a bath and breakfast.”

A bath? Airen thought. “I thought water was a precious-” As he spoke, Eullina closed the distance and hacked at his hand.

“Wha-” Airen blocked the blows that came in succession. Seeing an opening between Eullina’s flurry of jabs, he swung the rapier, causing Eullina to retreat backwards. Before she could catch her balance Airen quickly released a Sonic Thrust.

Eullina deftly spun and evaded the projectile, and in one fluid motion, closed the distance and knocked Airen’s rapier upwards and sent it flying.

“Not bad, not bad.” Eullina commended. “You surprised me for a moment there.” she walked and picked up her metal rapier.

“Apparently, it wasn’t that big a surprise.” Airen lamented. “I still would have lost anyway.”

Eullina chuckled and returned the dull weapons to the training rack. The blacksmiths nearby had watched their short brawl and clapped at Airen’s effort.

“There’s no way you’re gonna beat Lina anyways. She’s a little devil with those daggers of hers. Even Duncan commended her on her strange techniques.” one of them shouted out. “But good show out there, new boy.”

“See Airen, you didn’t do too bad.” Eullina nudged.

“I didn’t think you were such a capable warrior…“ Airen complimented.

Eullina turned away in response, hiding her face.”...It’s a necessity. But you surprised me Airen, what sort of move was that?”

“A Sonic Thrust. “Airen explained.

“How does it work?”

“I don’t really know” he admitted. “I just do it and it works.”

“Huh, you’re pretty weird, you know that right?” Eullina teased.

“Am not...” Airen quietly mumbled.

Eullina shrugged her shoulders and gestured for him to follow her. A few moments later they arrived at the local bathhouse.

“Go in and wash up, if you finish first, come outside and wait for me.” Eullina instructed.

“Alright.” Airen was wondering what a bathhouse was.

After fumbling around outside in the men’s changing room for awhile, not sure what to do, he asked one of the patrons who pointed him towards the hot-spring.

When he entered, he noticed Duncan sitting in one of the corners, with his eyes closed.

Is he sleeping? Airen wondered. He tried to quietly tiptoe towards the water, but slipped on the wet stone and landed face down. At the sound, Duncan opened his eyes.

“Oh, hello Airen. Watch the ground, it is rather slippery.” He laughed. “Why don’t you come over here and have a seat by me?” he patted the stone bench he was sitting on.

Airen meekly walked over and sat down. “Thank you, Elder Duncan.”

Duncan groaned “Not you too, Airen, just call me Duncan, or Father Duncan if you insist.”

“Yes Father Duncan...” Airen mumbled. He felt awkward sitting next to a naked man for the first time.

“How do you like Tel'naraa? I hope we have been accommodating to your needs,” Duncan said, breaking the silence of the steaming water.

“Everyone’s really kind,” Airen responded.

“Good, good.” Duncan laughed heartily. “If you have any questions, you can ask anyone

you know, and I’m sure they would be glad to help.”

Airen fumbled for a moment but decided to ask anyway. “What… am I supposed to do now?”

“What do you need to do?” Duncan turned to Airen and stared into his eyes.

“To find my sister, but I’ve already asked Loys to do so.”

“Are you fine with another man finding your sister? What if she isn’t in the Red Slate Republic?” Duncan pressed. “What will you do then?”

“Then I will find her myself,” Airen said with conviction.

“And what if she already passed into the Goddess’s embrace?”

“Then I will find who caused all of this and have my revenge.”

Duncan furrowed his brows. “Revenge is a dangerous thing, Airen. I have seen many good men ruined themselves because of it.”

Airen thought about Duncan’s words for a while. His own father walked down that path, and was it the reason they were separated in the first place?

“Then… I want to find out why.” he concluded quietly. “And when I know, I’ll decide what to do from there.”

“That’s good, Airen.” Duncan commented. He leaned back contently and relaxed, thinking that he had just guided another lost lamb on the right path.

And for that, I need strength. Airen thought.

“Father Duncan.”

“What is it, my child?” Duncan stretched his legs out. He was anticipating Airen asking him for training and was wondering who should be his teacher.

“I want to take the Dream Rites.”