We descended down the dune so quickly that for a moment I fear we’ll overtake Desperation. But the canine proves just how fast it is by moving all the faster and increasing our speed.

Piles of corpses, some only three hares tall others looking like small hills, spread about us. Many are carved to bits and the chunks have been shoved into the grooves or holes within the hills.

“This wasn’t just the hares.” Samira announces.

She points out an overly large man wearing orange wraps about his head. He looks to have Reversalar genes from the look of him.

“Reports did mention bandits.” Aster suggests.

I nod, its a safe bet.

“I would think that someone with his lineage would know better than to try and work in the desert.”

“There’s not telling what people will do if they think they can get something without to much effort.”

I snort. “Honestly, I think being a bandit would be harder work than most would think at first.”

Aster snorts. “Right because taking other people’s stuff is super hard when you outnumber them.”

“Thats what I mean. Its more than just bullying the other person. There’s the constant fear of death and capture. The possibility of freezing to death as bandits typically can’t enter cities. Thats not to mention the training, and planning.”

“It almost sounds like you admire them.”

I shake my head. “Pity them maybe.”

Ahead of us, one of the corpses, this one a slender woman pushes herself from a pile and rolls down to the ground. She burst to her feet and flings something toward us.

Another corpse follows suit.

I duck to the side dragging Aster with me allowing the knives to flash by.

Pulling on the reins, we curve around the nearest hill. Ahead of us another body is already rolling down the hill. This ones screaming though it doesn’t seem to care about the oozing wounds that stretch across his face.

What the hell! I didn’t put zombies anywhere!

“Since when do the dead rise?” Aster yelled as we swerve around a bloated woman.

“They don’t!” I call back, “they’re either faking or they’re sick.”

Another pull at the reins brings us back to the path we’d originally abandoned where Samira’s spinning a spear about with two hands and guiding her mount with two more.

As for her mount its ingnited its tail, wreathing it in cobalt flames, though it was more or less batting those behind it aside as it slowly backpedalled.

A bloated body raised itself from the pile ahead of me and manages a step before it detonates.

The body burst apart, gorey chunks raining down around us and amidst them something catches my eye. A tan and red grub about the size of my thumb.

‘Shlck.’

Looking at what impacted my hand I find what looks like a bit of intestines and another grub.

Grubs?

Something about that is itching at me. The larva was important, but they weren’t the ones doing this were they? Insects were always important, disposing of waste and rot, fertalizing the land, balancing nitrogen and ph levels in the soil.

I’ll be really upset with myself if I ended up just making a creature like the hair snake and set them to human.

With a flick of my wrist the grub tumbles off and away into the sands.

“Hey there’s people out there!” A young voice called. “Sasha open the gates!”

It only takes me a moment to spot the source. A kid standing amidst the battlments garbed in purple.

The gates slowly creak open and four soldiers rush out their spears raised.

I’m already bringing Desperation around when the boy shouts again.

“Hurry! Get inside!”

[Through the gate.]

Desperation barks and tramples over one of the bodies and sends up another wave of flesh, bone and worms. I think I can even see the barest hint of skull in there.

“Charge!” Samira roars encouraging her mount forward.

One of the guards, a gangly young woman that seems to be all knees and elbows rushes us, an odd spear in hand. It looks to be an amalgamation of a spear and a shepherd's crook.

“State your purpose here!” She says though his teeth are chattering and his knee’s knocking.

“Kida, we can do that inside!” An older muscular woman announced as she approached him, then gave him a shove back toward the gate.

“Baba! You’re making me seem less intimidating!” He whines and hightails back into the city.

The buff lady laughed, “I’m afraid there’s not the slightest chance of that.”

Though she addressed the boy her eyes never left us and her hands rested on the hilts of her short swords. They look like they belong there.

“Danda, break the pouch.”

The man beside her doesn’t hesitate, he takes hold of something at his side, I can’t see it but something tells me that I don’t really need to. Rearing back he sends the blast pouch flying.

It passes more than a foot above my head.

“Countdown!” Danda calls.

Three.

Two.

One.

Boom.

“Move it!” The woman yells gong so far as to take hold of Samira’s lead and begin pulling her in through the gate as meat falls freely around us.

Passing through the gate I expect to see a force of soldiers at least twenty strong, all with their weapons drawn.

I can’t get any wronger.

Six people. Four of them, children.

“Is your number so low because of the hares?”

“Naw, most of our people went chasen those cottontails down when we realized they managed to get through to (Prius). Felt that anything getting to the kings door is an insult.”

Baba the buff older woman waves me off and falls onto her stool and a split second later her entire demeanor changes. Gone is the warrior coming to our rescue and in her place a soldier readying herself to slit our throats if we say the wrong thing.

“How about y’all tell me who ya are.”

Samira dismounts and gestures grandly at me.

“Prostrate yourselves! You are in the presence of his Royal Highness Prince Vandal! Chosen of the Goddess!”

Baba stared at me for just a moment before she slides from her stool to her knees her blades buried in the sand up to their hilts.

“My apologies, Highness.” She murmurs as Danda follows her example and drops to his knees.

The children are a different story however.

“You can’t be serious! Just cause we aint been to the city doesn’t mean you can just tell us he’s the prince.” Kida snapped as she crosses her arms.

Aster steps around me and clears her throat but Baba beats her to it.

“Kida.” She says warningly.

“Red eyes.” Another of the children says pointing at me while pulling at Kida’s shirt.

“Right Dien, the royal family has red eyes. Stop trying to lie to us!” She trails off as she catches my eyes and drops to her knees.

“Like rubies….”

The words slip from her in a whisper.

“Highness please forgive this child her tresspasses!” Baba rushes.

I can understand where she’s coming from, if Kida had spoken to Evander that way it’d likely end with her being whipped on a good day.

I raise a hand to forstall anything further. “Look, the mistakes of children and all that. I would be appreciative of a meal and an explanation of what exactly is going on.”

The tension slips from her body and she nods. “Danda if you’d be so kind.”

She raises an arm and allows the younger soldier to take it and help her to her feet.

“I am Babaleon. Baba to most.” She says and I freeze midnod.

Babaleon. Dozens of minute details about her fill my head. Named for the kingdom babylon she is every bit as capable as Gilgamesh himself. She also happens to be Tolwren’s mother and the Kings first guard.

“I know who you are. I’m sorry for your loss.” The words slip from me nothing more than a whisper before I have a chance to stop them and her eyes go wide.

She shakes her head.

“It is I who am sorry Highness, losing your royal brother must have been difficult.” She said quietly, but her message is clear. Keep what I know to myself.

Fair enough.

Those who called the goddess their mother never had a mother of flesh and blood. Merely a vessel. They’re not supposed to be attatched to the child.

Of course present that to a mother and see how fast she makes a snarky comment. And thats if she’s feeling pleasant.

Baba was sent away by the King for that reason.

“Tolwren will be missed.” I say stiffly and she nods.

“So, whats happened here? We thought the hares would retreat back to the mountains.”

Baba nodded, “they probably were on their way to do just that when they caught scent of the bandits that have been tormenting us recently.”

My response was cut off by the grumbling of my stomach.

A piece of jerky was suddenly in my vision and my stomach turned. I push it away and offer Aster a glare as she bites into the meat.

“Let’s get some food in you, and while you do, Kida will see to your beasts.”

Kida steps forward. “Do you have preferences for their feed?”

I shake my head. “Any meat will do. Oh and,”

[Up and out of the sand.]

“Reee” Tenacity screeches as she bursts from the sand ready to fight.

Attack! Danger. Enemy. Danger. Wrong. Wrong. Danger!

I grab my head as I work through the impressions. Its so jumbled. The grub. The taste of their blood. The smell of something sweet, like gasoline.

“Calm yourself.”

I snap at the creature, she doesn’t seem eager to listen but does as I ask. Even if she kept flexing her claws as if hoping I’ll turn around so that she might do what she would like.

“Could you see that she’s fed and cleaned?”

As I turn back to Kida I find her eyes are locked on to Tenacity along with everyone elses. The young warrior edges closer to the massive weasel and jumps back as Tenacity screeches in challenge.

“Enough. You’ll be perfectly safe.”

I direct my words more at Tenacity than Kida and the creature curls itself into a ball but doesn’t close her eyes.

“She wont eat me?”

I shake my head. “No. The only way she’s going to hurt you is if you try and stab her or something.”

Tenacity rumbles but doesn’t argue further.

“I see, this is why they call you sage.”

Baba says and Iu hang my head.

“I’d like them to stop.”

Instead of understanding my plight she just laughs all the harder. In fairness I probably would do the same in her position.

Shaking my head I gesture to the door and Baba guides Samira into room. Thankfully her inspection of the room is short and I walk in a minute later.

“Any reccomendations?” I ask as I drop into the nearest chair.

Its not Baba who answers but Danda. “Well, we have fried pasta if you’d like.”

My stomach rumbles again. “Done, I’ll take a plate please.”

“Make that one for all of us please Danda.” Baba says with a smile, “Easier to make a full batch and all that.”

Danda nods and disappears into the back.

“So about these bandits?”

Baba leans back into her chair and returns her hands to the hilts of her blades. She taps her fingers against them for a moment before looking at me and pulling them away. Instead she folds her hands on the table.

“Bandits have been an issue for a better part of a decade though not the same ones. We keep wiping out one band after another.”

“They’re coming for the Dartite arent’ they.”

She nods, “and the gold.”

Of course.

“How did they even hear about it?”

She shrugs. “Don’t know. As best as we can figure the ones here are from the plains, one wore the sigil of Crawn.”

Crawn. Thats the trade city just north of the Gerosin lands and a major trade hub. Any one of the less scrupulus people would send errand boys to ‘collect’ a product for them. Especially if they considered the ones who owned it to be country bumpkins.

You know, like the Romabaec.

“I see you understand.”

I nod.

“If that were all we’d just keep whittling away at their forces until they gave up or all died. But now they’re doing something to the dead.”

“It’s not right.” Samira murmurs. “The dead are meant to be buried.”

“Did any survive the hare’s?” Aster asks.

I feel I already know the answer to that.

“More than i’d care for. At least fifty managed to flee from the hell that was this morning.”

Okay, that’s a bit more than I was expecting.

“Of course that is a Lyomenos problem. Perhaps after your meal you’d care to enjoy the steam rooms or a hot bath?”

As she says this a steaming plate of pasta is placed in front of me. Its got a wonderful aroma that reminds me of a buttery garlic pasta with pork and losts of onions that I used to eat at home.

Scooping up a forkful I eagerly shove it into my mouth. It tastes better than it smells and no longer reminds me of what I had at home. The past in front of me blows the stuff I use to eat out of the water with extreme prejudice.

A second scoop joins the first.

“I’ll take that as yourway of saying you like the food?”

Enthusiastically I shoot her a thumbs up. “S’good.” I add around my mouthful of food.

“Highness!” Samira cried scandalized.

I wave her off and turn my attention back to the problem. A band of fifty is nothing to dismiss, especially if they were able to get away from the hares as they had. Still, as long as anyone manned the walls there’d be no way for them to get in let alone undetected. A trained soldier would be able to hold a decent length of the wall for a time. Long enough to strike the warning bell.

Still with most of the forces away this was their best chance. If they’d a capable leader and I can believe that if they’d the idea to try and lead the hares toward their enemies, then they’re going to make a play for the mine.

Pausing the fork partway to my mouth I ask my question.

“How long before the forces should return?”

Baba’s eyes narrow, no doubt not liking the fact that I’m more or less ignoring her statement that it isn't my problem. Still she answers.

“A day, perhaps two? They chased the hares toward Lux and plan on crushing the remainder between them. But as I said—”

Ignoring her I turn my attention back to the matter at hand. Getting rid of the bandits so I’d a chance at enjoying this micro vacation presented to me.

Coiling the noodle about my fork I take the next bite and shiver as it makes contact with my tongue. Even not piping hot its fantastic.

So we needed to last two days? Yeah I can do that. I’m pretty sure at least.

The best way would be to find out where they lay their heads and if they’re dumb enough to sleep in the sand, send Tenacity in to cut their throats one at a time.

Alternatively leading the group as a whole into a trap and just striking at them until they’d nothing left to give and accepted the end of their days, is also an option. Already a plans starting to form in my head.

The scrape of my fork against my plate drew me from my thoughts and and I’m saddened to find that its empty. Setting down my fork I lift the goblet of water and take a sip.

“Did you finally break through whatever spell the goddess put on you?”

“I was just thinking.”

I interject.

“Highness, perhaps we should leave this to the people of Lyomenos?” Aster asks quietly.

“Impossible I’m afraid. It’s the kingdoms duty to decively remove threats to its people.”

Its not me who answers and Samira. She raises her hand and I sigh. It looks like she’s trying to get her nose out of range of a babes messy diaper.

“You are of course correct, but do we not get a chance to deal with this issue ourselves?”

I wave my hand through the between them. “Tell you what, I’ll take care of it right now.”

If they’re going to keep making comments about being a sage I might as well take advantage of the fact. Clutching my hands together I take a deep breath.

[Find them and cut their throats. You can eat them after your done and remember. Do not draw attention.]

WIth the command sent I look at Baba and smile.

She raises an eyebrow. “Just like that?”

I understand her doubt, for most the older warriors either they believe in the goddess to the extreme or very little. Baba just so happens to be the ladder.

But thats okay. Smiling, I spread my hands in front of me.

“Just like that.”

My stomach turns as my vision turns to black and it feels as if I’m being pullled underwater.

***

Once upon a time, before the master, before everything things were simple. Eat, sleep, hunt, repeat.

Yet somethings wrong. It seems the same, but not. I still hunt, still eat and still sleep, just as I did before, but did—?

Hunger.

It claws at my belly, it always claws at my belly. I must find food.

The master’s order rings in my ears. [Find them, bite throats. You can eat them after your done and remember. Do not draw attention.]

But what doest that mean? Do not draw attention.

The rest is simple. Find the enemy. Kill the enemy. Eat the enemy turned prey.

Duty. Kill. Feed. Simple enough.

The master has ordered it, the other’s like the master but not, decidedly not, must die. I must help him.

But what does it mean, do not draw attention?

Maybe I will understand later.

My nose twitches in the cold air and adjusts. Folding part I continue warmer.

Another breath.

They smell of blood.

Again to make certain beyond a doubt.

They smell of blood, and of rancid excrement and fear.

My stomach rumbles resounds uncomforatably demanding to be filled.

Duty. Kill. Feed. Hunger. I’m so hungry.

Claws meet that which is traversable and I begin the practiced movements that have been apart of me for so long.

The smell if the small things like the master but not reach my nose. I want them. So hungry. But master directed the targets. I must get them.

They must die. I must eat. I must listen to the master. They must die!

Hunger.

I increase my pace. The food is ahead. How far ahead?

Has that ever mattered? Days have been spent on the hunt before. Master cares. Master cares. Matters because master cares?

Danger. Its taste floods my nose. They are of the below but not. Not as I am. They are prey but they are danger.

Move around them. I change directions and redouble my pace. Hunger. It claws at my stomach. Faster.

They must die. For the master, for my hunger, they must die.

Hungry. Hungry. Hungry.

Close. They’re close.

Go. Must go. Hungry. Here now.

Surface for duty. Surface for kill. Food up.

Empty air. Breathable. Stagnate, old.

I take breath and find first kill. A other much bigger than master. More hair. Prettier than master.

Master smells better. Yes. Much better.

Everything says leap, tear, kill, cry challenge. Master’s orders say otherwise. Demand otherwise.

Move quick, move quiet. Find throat.

Hungry. Soon. Salivation increases.

Throat. Rearing up I open mouth and bite. Flesh is torn and bones snap, the hot gushing blood coating my tongue. Divine, I need more.

Cant. Why?

Hungry, blood, food, want, want, want.

Master said no. But why. Why. WHY.

He flails, dead but still struggling toward life. Futile.

The next one is small. She doesn’t struggle as I bite into her. Tender. So tender.

The urge to eat them grows. I need them. Want.

Focus. Master says all first. All.

How many? How many? Not sure. Scents wrong. More but not. Others, but not enemy others. The ones that smell like grasses. These are of home, of sand. Dropping the small ones throat I dive back into the beneath.

Master said move through the above. Shifting sand wakes. This I know. I’ve seen. There are ways to avoid such things, tricks. Tracking the next isn’t difficult.

Just heartbeats away really. Just past the stone wall that doesn’t belong. I ascend, the sand shifts but doesn’t wake prey.

A jolt of something runs through me as I draw closer.

Hungry. Hungry. HUNGRY.

I must eat. So hungry.

Can’t. Master is cruel. Cruel? What does that mean?

It doesn’t matter. Duty first food second.

I close the distance and bite again. His blood, so delicious. But tis not enough. I need food.

Glancing about I start to tilt my head back. I need it, just one bite. It’s not like it will hurt.

Hunger. Food. Pain. Hunger.

No. Orders first. Duty first.

Dropping the flesh I take to the beneath and move from one den to the next.

My claws rake across the prays throat and with a ragged breath I move on.

Orders and duty.

Each other I came across quickly became prey and as if there were something wrong with each of them in turn I walk away.

Blood. Not blood I spilled but blood. Food.

Emerging from the sand I find a small other though still a bit bigger than the master. He’s dragging one of his other claws across his wrist as he whimpers like a hungry kit.

Prey. And the best kind. The kind that takes its own life. It was so much sweeter wtithout the taste of the hunt.

Slowly I stalk closer, my saliva weeping from my mouth. He falls back into the pile or prey hair they keep.

I surge forward and leap onto his chest and lunge. Skins torn asunder, bones fracture and break and blood sprays all over me.

It’s wonderful.

Tilting my head back I swallow the chunk of flesh and announce my victory. “Reeee!”

The sound of others stumbling about draws my attention. They’re coming. I rip into the opening again and leap into the beneath a moment later.

“Shit! Look at this Paulie! One of those giant weasel things got him!”

“I can see that Johnny. Go warn the guards. I’m gonna get Bill and do a sweep of the—“

The other screams as I bite his foot, and end up taking a little more than half before digging deeper.

Wait what did the master say? Right. Kill them without drawing attention.

What does it mean, do not draw attention.

As the wounded one falls forward I strike. My claws shear through his neck and face. The one on the way out must’ve heard as he turns around.

“Paulie!” He trundles towards the dead one unconcerned that he’s throwing his own life away.

What is wrong with other’s? They always do things like that! Rush toward the fight and not away when they are always the weaker of the predators in the fight.

My newest prey drops to his knees and grabs hold of the dead one. Can he fix it? Bring it back to life? If not its mine. I killed it, its mine.

Mine!

He looks at we with all the hatred of prey thats been backed into a corner. Its going to fight.

It pulls on its ohter’s clawm the one that somehow gets pulled from his body and is still used.

“Ree.” I scream my challenge. It flinches!

Seeing the opening I strike. Swinging I gouge its eyes, face, and neck and as he fals to the ground I look over at the dead others. The fool obviously had poor teachers. No one I know would die so easily.

Pain spreads through my side, sharp and hot. And I skid across the sand as I turn to face the newest foe.

“Ree!” I challenge.

He bashes his chest and crows somthing.

To bad any victory it might have had is too late. The grey skinned man smiled and it was the smile of a predator. Huh, I didn’t realize other’s had predators. The master not withstanding of course.

They must all die. I must feed.

[Return here.]

Rage. Hunger. Exhaustion.

I burrow once into the beneath.