Jorish and his companions approached the overturned caravan. He saw as carriages were thrown around, broken. Their owners sat in anguish as a few men worked on trying to fix as many of the caravans as they could.

The party kept moving toward the caravan as they were approached by two men. The men’s scarred faces told of their battle experiences, and their bodies telling of their strength. As they got closer, the approaching men stopped as the larger man started speaking.

“Greetings, strangers. Please excuse us, we would’ve hosted you as fellow travelers of the harsh deserts. But as you see, fortune wasn’t on our side for this journey.”

Jorish stepped forward replying. “Sun’s blessing to you, brother. Can you tell me what had happened? Mayhaps we can give you a hand.”

“I am not sure, all of a sudden the ground had started shaking violently. It wouldn’t normally be a problem if not for our rides panicking, causing all those broken carriages you can see now. We are fortunate they didn’t run away.”

Hearing that, Jorish furrowed his brows, thinking. He turned to Traves, who nodded as they both said. “Kriels.”

Jorish had expected that the reason for the rides to panic was the presence of Kriels. Many animals had significantly better senses than humans. As Jorish thought to ask Cail if he could see anything, he was interrupted by a shout.

“We are under attack!!”

Jorish looked at the horizon as he saw a pack of Kriels rushing towards them. 9, maybe 10? Decided Jorish as he looked at them, walking towards that direction as he said. “I call dibs Anise, they are mine.”

“Ahh, damn you Jorish! I was too slow.” replied Anise, sticking her tongue out.

It felt like I didn’t face a Kriel in years. Thought Jorish. In reality, it had been possibly a month or two since the last time he faced a Kriel. But the training in the temple did feel like forever for sure. Jorish snickered at the memory of how happy he was beating one Kriel without a major incident previously as he kept walking forward.

Finally far enough from the caravan, the first of the pack reached him. Jorish kept his relaxed stance as the Kriel jumped towards him. Jorish quickly stepped back, pulling his staff back before stepping forward. He thrust his staff, as it went to crush the first Kriel’s head. One down.

As soon as his staff got rid of the first Kriel, two more had jumped him from both sides. Jorish stood still until the last moment and stepped to the side at the very last moment. As he sidestepped, he swung his staff at the Kriel at his left, crushing its head.

With the other Kriel still recovering, Jorish extended his hand as he grabbed the base of the Kriel’s claws before pulling. Kriels were armored but relatively light, so he lifted it effortlessly before smashing it to the floor dislocating its joint. Causing it to screech in pain until his foot came down, crushing its head and ending its suffering.

Now, finally able to see all of the remaining Kriels. Jorish rush towards them. He stepped to the left swinging his staff upwards before switching his staff to the other hand, sending two Kriels flying. Before those Kriel’s could recover, he went for the remaining 3 Kriels. He easily sidestepped their attacks as he crushed the first with the tip of his staff, and he grabbed the other one’s head with his hands, imbuing it with enough energy as he slammed it to the floor.

Jorish looked around finding the remaining Kriel, as well as the two he knocked back, were ignoring him and rushing towards the group. Jorish shrugged his shoulders indifferently as Anise stepped forward, making quick work of the remaining Kriels.

Jorish walked about towards the group as he looked at the stunned men. The larger man immediately recovered as he spoke. “Thank you, brother. As the bigger group, it was our responsibility to deal with those Kriels, yet you took care of it.”

Jorish quickly replied. “No need to worry, we are fellow travelers under the blessing of the sun. I am Jorish, and you?”

The larger man answered. “I am Sitki, and this is my younger brother Mitki.” As the rest of the group exchanged names, Sitki invited them to meet the rest of the caravan and to make use of the shade of the carriages. The group cheerfully followed behind them.

“Fellow Travelers, if you don’t mind me asking. What was your destination for your trip?” asked Mitki meekly, contrasting his well built and scarred body.

Traves smiled as he replied. “We were actually headed towards the Capital, and you?”

Mitki replied, with a smile on his face. “What a coincidence! We are also headed towards the capital. Do you mind joining us for the journey?”

Mitki was interrupted by his older brother as he said. “Mitki, don’t bother our friends just after they had rescued us. You know we can’t afford to pay for any extra guards if we want to break even.”

Traves smiled as he replied. “Ah, no need to worry! If you are willing to have us, we will be happy to tag along. And we don’t need any payment or anything of the sort.”

Sitki looked, conflicted as he asked. “Are you sure? You are making it harder for yourself by doing that, having to move in a larger group means attracting more beasts around here.”

“I am sure. After All, my young friends here are lacking some excitement!” pointed Traves at Jorish and Anise who were bickering whether it was fair for Jorish to have had all the fun fighting the Kriels. And whether Jorish let the Kriels behind him reach the group because he was not good enough, or because he “felt pity for Anise” and thus let her have a few.

A while later, everyone gathered as food was made. Jorish sat next to Mitki as they spoke.

“Hey Mitki, I was curious. Which City are you from?”

“Oh, I am from Vorul. And you?”

“Oh, what a coincidence! Then we are from neighboring Cities. I am from Zeltol.”

As the two of them talked about their lives in their cities, their conversation flowed further.

“So, Mitki. What are you doing here? The capital is far off from our Cities. And those people in the major cities probably look down on us.”

Mitki looked at Jorish in the eye, looking determined as he spoke. “Ever since I was young, I really wanted to be a practitioner. But as you know, life isn’t fair. Neither I nor my brother had the talent, so we were fated to live life in obscurity.”

“But then I decided! If cultivation was not my path, I and my brother would work together and become the wealthiest merchants in all of the cities! After many years, we trained and fought to learn to protect ourselves. We saved up for many years until finally, we were on our first trip. It has been less than a year since then, but we are now trying to make a name for ourselves.”

Jorish felt a special resonance with that story. Another fellow dweller of the cities who was cursed, fated to live insignificantly. Yet he couldn’t but respect his will and hard work.

After they ate, everyone went to work on something. Some were helping stand guard while others focused on fixing the carriages. Jorish wanted to assist them, but Traves insisted that he maintain his daily ‘torture’ as well as his spars with Anise.

As they started sparing, some of the caravan members stopped to watch them. A few minutes later he was defeated, as usual, but he was met with a round of applause. He walked back, blushing, as Sitki walked to him, hitting him on his back.

“That was amazing! You bunch are great!”

Jorish smiled as his eyes darted to the side as he looked towards Traves. I am way stronger than I have imagined I could be. It is all thanks to you, my teacher. No, my friend. He thought appreciatively.

As dusk settled, people joined around a campfire except for whoever was tasked with guarding for that shift as well as Cail, who was still helping fix some of the carriages. Everyone sat as they chatted and laughed.

“And so, Mitki just kept going to the trainer begging him to train him. And the latter kept refusing because he was way too meek and gentle. And the trainer kept beating him up every time he went there. Until the trainer finally accepted him as he sighed ‘In sun’s name if I hit you anymore. my ancestors are gonna come down and smite me by now’.” finished Sitki, imitating the trainer’s tone as everyone laughed. While Mitki just dropped his head down in embarrassment.

Everyone kept laughing and telling stories. Jorish looked towards Traves who was unnaturally silent. He would normally be causing some disaster somewhere by now. I wonder… Thought Jorish.

When it was time to switch shifts, Sitki stood as he moved to take his shift. Before getting interrupted as Traves stood, volunteering to take the shift.

“Are you sure? You are our guests and unless it was something we couldn’t handle, I wouldn’t want to distract you with those mundane chores.”

Traves shook his head as he answered. “It is fine, I need some fresh air and this would be good for a change.”

Jorish looked at Traves’ back as he left. He was thinking about it, Traves always appeared invincible, inhuman even. Yet, he was after all just a man. Indeed, time can be cruel. As chat and laughter went around him, Jorish couldn’t sit still and his mind was still going around, thinking about everything that had happened.

Finally, he stood up as he said. “Ok guys, I want to take a walk around.”

Jorish walked further as he looked for Traves. Finally, after some time, he found him. His back turned as he stared at the horizon. A glint of crimson reflected off his eyes as he stood, looking as if he carried the weight of the world on his back. Just a glimpse at his eyes told Jorish how much pain and rage he carried in his soul. Yet he stood, the laughing face that cheered everyone up. The mighty warrior who can defeat anyone. The teacher, who had turned Jorish’s life around.

Jorish walked as he stood next to him. They stood in silence, motionless. Time went by as nothingness reigned, no motion or sound breaking the thin veil of peace. Traves’ eyes were still, yet ever-changing with emotions as he stood. Jorish extended his hand as he put it on Traves’ shoulder. Traves turned, surprised, as he looked Jorish in eye. Jorish returned the gaze, the same gaze that terrified him previously, without flinching.

Finally, Jorish just nodded reassuringly before he lifted his hand and moved back to the camp. As he walked back, he felt at peace as he glanced at a hint of a smile appearing on his face. One that was more genuine, more true than any smile he had before. Jorish reached the camp as he went to sleep.

The next few days were uneventful as the caravan was repaired and the group resumed their journey towards the capital. The more Jorish spoke with Mitki the more he felt connected with him, he felt that he had finally found someone who truly shared his experiences and past. Someone who could understand him.

As they walked, they saw something on the horizon. As they got closer, everyone froze in astonishment. The eye of Slenham stood, tens of meters in the sky. At least ten times larger than the eye in Zeltol. Around it, many smaller eyes floated all around. Below the fearsome display was a city, unlike everything they ever saw.

Instead of small houses and tents were tall towers that pierced the skies. In the center of everything, just below the eye of Slenham stood a castle. Everyone stared in awe, So this is what it means to be a Monarch. To be a king of kings.

And thus, the group moved, approaching the capital of the sun-touched cities, the impregnable fortress. Home of the Sovereign of the sands. Maketh.