Stars drifting. Stars twinkling. Falling along the backs of beasts. Behemoths of crystal that devour and destroy. Let them sleep, do not wake them, shred apart everything they see. Do not wake the lethal stars. The stars that we made.

-Doc Vorran

TALEA:

Othin is scaring me, he looks so unsure. Frightened like he’s terrified to his core. It tears at my heart, for something to be so horrifying that it scares Othin, we’re in real trouble.

He shakes his head like it’ll shake the uncertainty from his mind. “We must scatter to divide their attack and hope they do not kill all of us.”

I frown. “There has to be a better plan than that. Nobody dies today.”

His eyes blaze and he snaps at me. “No! Talea, people will die today.” He takes a deep breath through the nose and refocuses. “But you will not. That is all we can strive for.”

Othin begins shouting commands to the pack assuming control. “Pull any weapons you need from the bags, leave everything else in the sand.” The pack looks at me, I nod and they comply.

The fear radiating from them is palatable. Confidence is the key characteristic of nightstalkers, they can kill anything. But, seeing those monsters rising from the sand, everyone becomes unsure. Othin looks around the pack, every muscle in his body tense and alert. The monsters are circling us, off in the distance they dive in and out of the sand like it’s water. I count four of them so far, they move in a predatory loop, waiting.

Othin resumes his commands. “Gi’mntat and Kr’thitch, you will mount with Lesedi and Echo. Go now!”

The two obey at once grabbing their weapons, throwing the supplies to the ground, and leaping over to Lesedi and Echo’s zigon. Lesedi grabs her journals from her bag and secures them in her pockets just in time for the rest of the supplies to be cut free and fall to the sand with a thump.

Lesedi’s eyes widen with terror, everything is happening so fast. She looks towards me and shakes her head. “No Talea. I can’t. I don’t-”

She doesn’t want to be separated from me and I feel the same way. I want to stop it, but I know this is the only way. The groups have to be divided this way. Othin knows if she rides with me I’ll be too focused on protecting her, that could compromise our own crossing. I need to trust my pack; they’ll get her across.

Gi’mntat takes Lesedi’s hand in a gentle grasp, smiles, and holds it to his chest. “I will protect you Lesedi. You will see your sister on the other side. I swear by the Moon Mother.”

Lesedi glances at me and I can feel it’s taking everything in her person to not panic. She closes her eyes for a moment to push down the fear, it doesn’t go away but it softens. “Thank you.” She glances at me with worried eyes and I smile. Her eyes narrow with determination. “Let’s do this.”

Gi’mntat beams and slaps Kr’thitch on the shoulder. “We keep them safe.”

Kr’thitch twitches and shoots Lesedi a smile. “Promise. We keep you safe halfmoon.”

Echo crosses her arms. “Hey, what about me?”

Kr’thitch smirks. “You do not need protecting.”

She smiles with pride and shrugs. “Yeah, let’s thrack ‘em up.”

Othin nods and turns away. “Daku, Viko, you are with Tu’kari and I.” The twins appear in an instant. He looks at them with a stern expression. “Your only priority and duty is to get Tu’kari to safety. Understood?”

The twins nod. “Want the safe, she be safe.” Viko promises. “Tu’kari ours, want the duty.” They look at me with uncompromising loyalty in their faces.

I smile but I feel more and more worries. “Thank you.” Their terms of duty unsettle me, they make no mention of Othin.

The twins settle behind me with eyes scanning for danger. Othin continues his orders pairing people off and cramming as many as he can onto zigons without compromising their speed. By dropping all supplies, it should lighten the load enough. I worry what we’ll do on the other side, but let’s focus on making it there alive first. Meekala and Jar’kog pair onto a zigon and Rala is assigned to one of her own. Four zigons are mounted, four are empty of gear and riders.

We form into a line, one person wills the zigon they ride, one person wills a free one. With the exception of us, where the twins each will a zigon. Rala is left on her own with no spares, I see what Othin is doing.

He speaks out to us one last time. “They will target the zigons. Get as far as you can before they take yours. Loose your bait only when it is necessary. Before you are lost jump and keep running. Do not attack. Run. Get to the other side, protect those with you.”

I gulp, Rala is as good as bait. He has left no one to protect her, given her no zigon as a distraction, he might as well have sentenced her to die. What’s worse, I know Othin didn’t do this for the sake of tactics. It’s from spite, not that she doesn’t deserve it. I glance over to see her, she does nothing but smile. I know it’s cruel, I know she’s Othin’s sister, but I hope one of those things gobbles her up.

I can see the fidgety nitghtstalkers with fear in their eyes. Othin lifts his chin with a somber voice. “You will die. Accept it now.” I can almost see them gulping. “Your only task is to get the halfmoons to safety. In return they will remember you and spread stories of you. Today we die for them, so that they will live for us.”

My heart starts racing. What’s happening? I didn’t ask for this. I don’t want anyone to die for me, that’s not part of the deal. Othin turns to me. “Tell them you will remember them.”

I balk. “Wait-”

He grits his teeth. “Promise them!” He barks in a hushed voice.

I put on a mask of confidence. “I will remember each of you. I will spread your stories through the world until they reach the Moon Mother and she will add you to her songs.”

Lesedi speaks up. “I have written down your stories and drawn images of your faces. We will make sure you will be remembered forever.”

Our words firm the nightstalkers. Their fear gets pushed to the back of their minds and is replaced with determination and ferocity. The mounds of sand splash in violent plumes as the attack begins. The circle around us tightens.

Othin bellows into the crisp air. “Run!”

✽✽✽

LESEDI:

Kr’thitch kicks our zigon with his powerful legs. I’ve never seen the nightstalkers kick their animals before, the beasts always obey their will. Rather than an emphasis on obedience I think this was more telling of Kr’thitch’s lurking fear. In addition to driving his will into the animal he beats it into running past its limits. There’s no forethought of driving the zigon too far or causing its heart to give out. The animal is as good as lost anyway.

Kr’thitch screeches as loud as he can to compensate for the deafening cloud of noise around us. “Gi’mntat! To left!”

I crane my head back, to our left a behemoth bursts from the sand covering us in a wave of particles. The mighty beast rises into the sky high above us like a wall. The scale of these things is mind boggling. They make the zigon look like little more than rikue. In comparison I feel miniscule and helpless.

Though dangerous they are, there is also a beauty to them. Their armor sparkles like crystal in the moon light. Their movements are graceful, like a dance. Even that pervasive vibrating sound is like music. Beautiful predators, like the soleena. Though, these are decidedly more formidable.

The monster dances back and forth ready to make its strike towards us. It does resemble a snake, in that it has no legs and has a long winding body. Gi’mntat lets out a breath and as he does the bare zigon beside us bolts away in a panic. He pulls out his sling, loads it with a sharpened stone, and flings it faster than an arrow. The stone pierces the air and lodges itself into the brain of the panicking animal. It screams and falls into the swimming sand. The towering crystal creature eyes us and then turns, diving back into the sand towards the easier meal.

I heave out a breath of relief. “Thank you.”

He smiles with a mouth full of teeth I’m no longer afraid of and bows his head. “I told you. I will protect you, Lesedi.”

We lock eyes for a moment and I smile. I shake my head, now is not the time for that. There will never be a time for that even if we make it out of here. In the past weeks we’ve become friends, which is something I never thought would be possible. But it stops there.

Echo elbows me hard in the side. “Hey! You can thrack when this is over. Focus!”

I gasp in shock. Before being able to object Echo puts her largest knife into my hand. It’s the size of my forearm, I don’t even know where she was keeping it. She shakes her head. “Shut it. When we get bumped you need something pointy to stab with. And with your aim, you need something big.” I glare, but concede. She nods. “Try not to stab yourself on the way down.”

Kr’thitch’s voice calls over the sounds of zigon screaming and dying. “The body is in pieces!”

Confused, I ask him to repeat. I’m not as fluent at understanding them like Talea. He points into the distance; the body is in pieces. I watch as one of the beasts curves and bends in and out of the sand. The body is in pieces.

I gasp. “The armor! When it moves there are gaps between the plating! Do you think it’s a vulnerability?”

Gi’mntat nods. “Before dying, we will wound them. It will make it easier for you to escape.” My chest tightens. I don’t like the death-centric attitude of his. He doesn’t by any means expect to live through this. I feel like a fist grips my lungs. No, Gi’mntat is not going to die, we’ll all make it through. As Talea says, nobody dies today.

Kr’thitch reaches back and tugs on my arm. “To right, Tu’kari, tell her.”

I glance to my right and sigh with relief that Talea is still ok. The twins stand on Guzu’s wide haunches, their almost naked bodies glowing under the moonlight along with the sand and almost everything else. It’s fortunate the moon is full; we need as much light as we can get. One of the crystal snakes dives in and out of the sand chasing along their side. Daku dives from Guzu and lands square on the valley floor. I gasp. I’m still not fond of the twins, but I don’t want them to die.

Viko leaps to the sand with her sister, they don’t miss a single step. In perfect sync they run side by side, moving with the grace of wild fand galloping along the plains. Deviating from Guzu they bolt to the left. In synchronous Daku leaps onto Viko’s shoulders and catapults onto the back of a lone zigon. Daku holds onto the zigon’s back by her wiry leg muscles and lays herself backwards. She grabs Viko’s wrists and launches her up. Together they grab the zigon and in a fury take control.

They drive the screaming terrified animal towards the source of its panic. Both of their wills work as one, they have to, the more frightened the animals are the harder they are to control. Under the cloud of noise I swear I can hear Viko and Daku laughing. They run their beast at breakneck speed in a diagonal line to catch up with Talea and Othin. The mammoth snake is by their right readying its strike. The twins accelerate until they ram it with their zigon. Moments before it hits the enormous body, they propel into the air. Mid-leap they flip backwards and land on Guzu.

The giant shudders and pauses, and taking the meal it had been handed dives under the sand. My mouth hangs agape. I cannot believe what I just saw. No wonder Othin put the twins with Talea, they’re amazing. Amazing and insane. I wave my arms to get Talea’s attention. She waves back. I need to help her; I need to tell her. But how? There’s no way she can hear me.

While I have her attention, I point to another snake nearby. Then I point to my arm while moving it in fluid motions. I point to the fleshy part of my elbow and mime stabbing it, then I let my arm fall down still. It’s farfetched, but I have faith she’ll understand the message. Father Sky help us.

The decoys seem to be working, though they are limited in number. But with the speed at which we’re travelling they might last long enough for us to get to the other side. I let my hope rise that we won’t have to fight them at all. Our zigons will be dead by time we reach the other side, but we could make it. We can do this. We have to do this.

✽✽✽

TALEA:

I look over at the giants sparkling in the sand, I watch them move. Lesedi’s movements play in my mind. I watch one rear up and then curve to dive back down into the sand. While it curves the plating pieces pop apart, in the gaps there’s darkness. Their armor plating sparkles and glows in the moonlight, the darkness must be flesh. It could be a vulnerability.

I tug on Othin’s shoulder. “Othin! When they turn there’s a gap in the armor! Maybe we can hurt them there.”

He looks over and nods. “Good. But you will not be fighting them.”

I balk. “What? Sooner or later we’re going to be in that sand. I’ll have to fight.”

He shook his head. “No. You run.”

I persist. “But I-”

Her turns his head back and bellows, eyes blazing. “No!” I’ve never seen him like this. Realizing he’s losing control he shrinks back, trying to keep a lid on his fear. “You. Will. Run.”

I cross my arms. “Then you will too. Remember? We. We will run. If you die, I die.”

His voice is quiet, but I can still hear his whisper. “You will not.”

Before I can push him on it Viko taps me on the shoulder. She and Daku sport broad smiles and gasp for breath. This is the happiest they’ve been the entire trip. I can’t fight a grin in realizing this as I look at the smiles of my deranged companions. Despite our rocky start, I’ve become the closest with them, the most unstable of us all.

Viko speaks with laughter cackling in her voice. “Want the we will fight. Fight the kill all!”

I take a deep breath decoding her words. Viko closes her eyes for a moment, her face still points towards me. Daku stares straight into my eyes pulling my full attention. Viko’s voice comes out slow and determined. “We will fight. For you. Tu’kari.”

Viko’s eyes open and her smile flashes back. “Want the we die, we die for you.”

Soft wet tears touch my cheeks. Nightstalkers do not choose something to live for, they choose something to kill for. The closest thing to their heart is what they choose to die for, what they love most. For most nightstalkers it’s their own glory and pride. For these two, it’s me. I accept it and pat Viko on the forearm.

My voice trembles. “Thank you. I would die for you too.” It’s more than words, I mean it. I would die for them, and any of my moonrunners. They are my pack and I love them. I raise my eyes into a glare. “But thrack that noise! We run together. Is everybody clear?”

The three of them tense but nod. I can’t handle this. I’ve never cared for my wellbeing, not really. Lesedi cared, she nagged at me. My family worried about me, but that never mattered. I always felt things wouldn’t be different with or without me, when I risk my life it affects me alone. Now looking into those intense red eyes, I see my existence matters. It matters to them. More so than my mission, they need me to live for living’s own sake. Because they love me.

In a flash I understand all those years of Lesedi’s lectures and scolding. I understand she has been in the same position as them. All these people need me to live, why? I hate it. I don’t want to die, but the pressure of taking care of myself for them is too much. I miss the days when I ran in the outlands with Othin.

Viko’s voice speaks while she points to the left. “Problem.”

I look and see the zigon that carries Meekala and Jar’kog. She barrels forwards with unparalleled courage. Jar’kog holds tight to his will over their second zigon and march forwards keeping it in tow. The animal kicks in panic as it tries to break free, but in the face of relentless will it runs forwards. An explosion of sand plumes into the air and Jar’kog lets go, as he does the zigon is swallowed up and dragged under. They move forwards unimpeded.

Thank the Mother for Othin’s forethought, the zigon decoys have been working. I come to an alarming realization. We’re all out, we’re now down to four zigons. One of which Rala rides with hateful resolve.

My heart thumps so hard it feels like it’ll pop out of my chest. I look behind me to see waterfalls of sparkling sand fall from the sky when the gigantic creatures rise from below. The wave of particles burst into the air as they crash back down. The whole valley looks fluid like a river. It’s a wonder the zigon can run at all, though they are having trouble with their footing. Waves of sand crash against us covering us. My eyes sting and itch. It seems like it’s in every crevice everywhere.

We keep driving forwards, another one surfaces with an explosion of sand. Othin steers Guzu to the left dodging the predator. Onward we keep going, a short distance away the black shape towers into the sky. The end of the valley. It’s close, but far, so much can happen in just a few moments.

✽✽✽

LESEDI:

The scent is in the air, we can all feel it, death looms above us like an inescapable shadow. We won’t all leave this place, no matter how much Talea wants to believe it. It all comes down to a matter of who will be the first to go, we firm our nerves for the inevitable. I hold on to blind hope that we can avoid it and push the doom to the back of my mind, the wall is so close.

A raucous cry howls into the air with such shattering volume it shakes my bones. I snap my head to the left, Meekala. A crystal snake heaves up from the sand and comes hurtling down onto her zigon. She and Jar’kog catapult into the air like dolls tossed across a field and crash into the sea of sand. The wind gusts into the air obscuring the moon with glittering specks. It would be beautiful if not for the horror of it all.

I tense and gulp as the beast takes the zigon in its mouth and dives underground with the torn limp body. Meekala and Jar’kog are nowhere to be found, someone had to be the first to go. My heart twists in my chest, not Meekala. I realize I don’t want to lose any of them, now as I’m about to lose them all I see how special they all are. I look away to forge ahead, nothing will be gained by dwelling. Grief can come later, but first we must live long enough. Meekala and Jar’kog pull at my mind, I glance over my shoulder for one last look. The clouds of flecks dissipate and I see figures rising from the sand and run.

I shove Gi’mntat in the shoulder. “They’re alive! Hurry! We have to help them!”

He shakes his head and we continue forwards. I look to Kr’thitch. “Turn the zigon around! They need our help!”

With a twitch of the head, he remains silent. I turn back to Gi’mntat. “We can’t leave them! They’ll die!”

He lays a hand on my arm. His red eyes are cold with resolve. “If we save them. We die.”

Echo pulls on my shoulder to turn me towards her. “He’s right Les. It’s them or us. If we go back, we’re dead for sure.”

My mouth falls open and I feel like I can’t breathe. “No! We can’t just leave them!” After everything we’ve been through together?

Gi’mntat shakes his head and turns away. “It is done. I will not save them, and sacrifice you.”

I look back at the figures running with all their fury along the sand. Sprinting for their lives on wobbly legs while the sand rocks beneath them. Echo pats my shoulder; her voice is low. “Look away. You don’t want to see this.”

I throw her hand away from me. “No. These are their last moments. The least I can do is remember them to write down later.”

Kr’thitch kicks the zigon and pushes in harder with his will as he propels the zigon faster. I can hear the faint wheeze of the animal struggling against it all. I lock my eyes onto our companions as I watch them fight for their lives.

This is wrong. All of this is so wrong, so cold. Meekala whips through the sand at an incredible pace, she will fight to her dying breath. She runs like an animal at break neck speed, to compensate for the sand’s unsteady movement she moves in an almost lateral line using her arms to help keep her balance. Her thick strong legs kick her forwards, there’s no sign of panic within her, only graceful movement and determination. Among the glittering sands her red eyes glow with full nightstalker ferocity.

Hope attempts to spark inside me, she can make it. I feel it in my bones, she can make it. Sand explodes around her as one of the monstrous creatures appears beneath her. The sand that was her footing falls away revealing a large open mouth leading to an abyss down the throat. Meekala is fast, but the sand demon is faster. In a matter of seconds, the enormous mouth closes around her. It turns its pointed face back towards the sand to delve beneath the surface with its prey. As it turns, it jerks. The mouth drops open and it screams.

Jar’kog rises proud and tall on the sand, he’s dwarfed by the crystal menace. The improbable animal leans to the left as if trying to protect a wound in its neck. Jar’kog hurt it. How? Did he see my hand gestures? He must have exploited the weakness between the plates but it happened so fast.

In a flash Jar’kog disappears and the beast screams again. This time it bows to the right flinching at another wound in its neck. The old man stands with noble presence and a lifetime of killing under his belt. He’s quicker than my eye can track, the fastest movement I’ve ever seen. But already he looks tired. He’s fast, but doesn’t have the endurance he used to.

Mid-scream Meekala dives from the monster’s mouth into a plume of sparkles. I see the figure of Jar’kog climbing up its armor, Meekala pauses in the sand and turns back to look at him. He reaches the neck and I see him call out to her, but with all the chaos I can’t hear what he says. She begins running towards him, he yells again and I can feel his fury. I can feel anger and grief and pain and I know it’s coming from him. Meekala hesitates, and then she runs without looking back.

The crystal beast thrashes harder, I know it’s an animal but I feel a hatred for it I’ve never felt in my life. Determined and propelled by a sense of deeper purpose Jar’kog climbs with furious speed and reaches the head. With all his strength he plunges his arm elbow deep into the narrow black eye of the evil creature. A deafening scream shrieks through the nightmarish desert as I see the towering snake topple to the sand. It dives head first with Jar’kog at the point of impact. I gasp and my eyes flush with tears. No! I knew it would happen, but still.

The injured wails of the blinded animal are followed by even more powerful screams of agony, from Meekala. I can feel deep pain and grief, but she keeps running. I can see light reflecting in her watery eyes as she gets close. She can make it; she has to make it. Jar’kog died for her, he pulled an enemy out of this arena for her.

I look to Gi’mntat, pleading with him. “She needs us! All we have to do is slow down for a moment, she’ll catch up.”

He glares. “No.”

Echo rolls her eyes at me. “You don’t get it. Another person will slow down our zigon. We need to get as far as we can before we get bumped like they did.”

Gi’mntat looks up to his right. “Not long now.”

A mound of sand is moving straight towards us. I grit my teeth. “Isn’t there anything we can do?”

He shook his head. “Be ready.”

Echo leaps into a defensive crouch. “Get ready to jump.”

My eyes widen. “What?!”

Echo glares and punches me in the arm. “Listen! We won’t make it. When I say jump, you jump. It’ll eat the zigon and that will buy us time.”

My hands start trembling with fear and my breath quickens. “After what we just saw? We don’t stand a chance on the sands!”

Gi’mntat looks towards the mound of sand hurdling our way, then looks at us. “She is right. You need more time to get closer.”

I nod. “Exactly. We need to figure out something to keep us on this thing as long as possible. We can’t sacrifice it yet. Kr’thitch, is there anything you can do?”

Gi’mntat pinches my chin between his long skinny fingers and pulls my face to his. “No. But there is something I can do.”

I furrow my eyebrows with complete confusion. A fist clutches my heart as part of me knows what he’s planning. He moves into a crouching posture. Wait! No!

Sand explodes around us as an open mouth appears, ready to come crashing down on us. Now would be the time to jump. Gi’mntat smiles at me. “Live Lesedi.”

A picture explodes in my mind, a picture of me. Flowers are woven into my hair and colors beam from me in rainbow swirls. The swirls rupture into bursts of color against an indigo backing. With each pop, like soap bubbles, an emotion manifests. A dynamic one, potent and overwhelming.

In his last moments he sends me his picture of his feelings for me. Love. Not like Talea and Othin, different but pure and powerful. I feel his admiration of me, I feel how he’s watched me these past months, I feel his trust in me, I feel his yearning to protect me. There are so many emotions, it’s so much, too much.

He jumps from the zigon and into the mouth of the evil monster. It clamps down on his body and dives back into the sand. In just a handful of moments, he’s gone. I couldn’t even say goodbye. I couldn’t tell him, tell him what? Tears stream down my cheek as my mind thrashes with mixed emotions. My breaths become short and forced, my entire body shakes as I cry.

Echo smacks me in the back of the head. “Cool your reds Les! It’s not like he was your mate or anything.”

Heat bursts from my eyes and I can feel them blazing, I’m powerless to stop them. I try speaking between angry, hateful, crying breaths. “I-I know!”

She shakes her head. “Then knock it off! You can cry later. Right now, we need to survive.” She turns towards Kr’thitch. “Pick up the pace grayskin!”

Kr’thitch throttles the zigon faster, its body trembles from the exhaustion. I can hear the grunting heaving breaths of our mount. It’s strained to the breaking point, as am I.

✽✽✽

TALEA:

“Who does that make now?” I ask with a heavy heart.

Othin replies with a shout. “Jar’kog and Gi’mntat.”

Jar’kog and Gi’mntat, so far. Couple those on top of who we’ve already lost, Thrik and Vrx. The body count is rising and I feel powerless to stop it. I swallow hard to push the hurt down. Seven of us left now, eight if you count Rala, Meekala is unaccounted for. She made a good run of it but was swallowed by a sand wave, I haven’t seen her rise up from it. I hold back the grief weighing on me, there will be time to mourn later. Maybe.

I can’t see Lesedi well through the chaos, but over the madness I can hear her cries. I want to hold her, tell her comforting things, watch her laugh when I mess it up. The thought enters my mind that I might not hold my sister again. I stuff it down far away from my mind with all the other unpleasant thoughts. We need to survive now, focus on that.

It feels like we’ve been out here for a lifetime, an eternity of peril, but it’s only been a night. A long, long night. The thick blackness of the sky is lightening now, turning to a blueish gray. The suns will rise soon, and I hope they will rise on a better day. That seems unlikely.

What had started as four had grown to an innumerable amount. With every passing minute Guzu struggles harder, with every wheeze Othin tenses with pain. He knows he’s killing her, but there’s no other way. He loves Guzu in a way no nightstalker has loved an animal. But we both knew from the start she would not leave this valley.

Mounds of sand explode with crystal monsters bursting from their waves. They heave out and dive back in, their immense crystal backs catch the light and slice back into the ground. Another comes charging towards us, it pops from the sand and its entire body sails over us. I look up to see the huge crystal underbelly fly over our heads and dive back into the sand. A wave of glittering specks spew into the air. It’s an awesome sight, beautiful predators.

I stare, fixed in my awe, until reality shakes me free. Awesome though the sight was, the beast crashing back into the sand creates shockwaves. Mounds of sand now ripple across the way straight towards Lesedi’s zigon. I can’t breathe, panic forms a knot in my chest.

“Lesedi!” I scream reaching my hand out towards her wishing I could reach her, but I can’t.

The wave crashes against their zigon and sends them flying to the merciless desert floor. My scream intensifies. “No!”

A mouth appears underneath them and takes the zigon before diving into the sparkling sea. There’s nothing but this infernal sand! It plumes into the sky, particles hang in the air, every bit of our bodies is covered in grit. From instinct I try to leap from the zigon towards my sister. She has to be in there some somewhere, alive. Othin’s long arms wrap around me with uncompromising restraint.

I shake my body in violent heaves with wild screaming. “Let me go! I have to help her!”

Othin holds me tighter. “No Talea!”

I fight with brutal swings against Othin’s arms. “Lesedi!” I scream with blaring howls of pain shrieking into the air. All the breath in my body forces itself out. “Lesedi!” I scream my lungs empty as my cries echo into the air.

Viko places a consoling hand on my shoulder. “Gone the halfmoon.”

I thrust my forearm up and smack her hand away. “She’s not gone!” I feel the heat of my eyes flaring red. “She’s out there! She needs me!”

With blood and fury revving through my body I bite down hard on Othin’s arm. He flinches and pulls his arm back from instinct, smearing the blood I drew across his skin and my mouth. That moment is all I need. I slip away from him and jump from the zigon’s back.

Othin’s yell sifts through my mind like a vague blur. “Talea! No!”

I bolt over the sand, it’s harder than it looks. It’s not all fluid like it appeared from the mount, but it’s not regular sand either. It’s like it changes consistency from hard to soft in random patterns. One moment I’m running, the next I’m falling like I hit water. She has to be alive; she has to be.

I hear commands shouting from Othin, I glance over my shoulder, he’s jumped into the sand after me. “Viko! Cut her off!”

I barrel onward, my mind fixated on one singular focus. Save Lesedi. Only one picture sits in the forefront of my mind. Lesedi. In moments that feel like hours I find myself in the settling plume of sand where the zigon disappeared.

I screech into the unforgiving valley. “Lesedi! Lesedi I’m coming!”

A crest of sand splashes over my body. I look up to see Viko and Daku glaring down at me from atop Guzu. “Tu’kari stop! Come! Want the not lose you.”

I can’t do that. I can’t leave her. She’s, Lesedi. Thoughts spiral in my mind as I feel the clarity of the world fall away. I shake my head and start digging as I mutter. “No no no. I’m coming Lesedi. I’m coming.”

A force tackles me into the sand from nowhere. My arms are wrapped behind my back and pinned in place. My body is picked up and hurled over a pair of gray shoulders. Othin has caught up with me. He grumbles under his breath. “She is gone. You will not follow.”

I attempt to struggle against him, but he’s too strong. Contained by one arm I try to twist and break free as he climbs back onto Guzu with me as his prisoner.

“Let me go!” I scream again. “Lesedi!”

Othin pushes me down onto Guzu’s back and crosses his legs over my body for extra restraint. Viko and Daku sit at the head and will Guzu into action again. I thrash and kick trying to throw myself back into the sand, I have to save her. I have to. A hand grabs my face and yanks me towards a pair of glaring red eyes.

His voice regresses to a growl. “You will not die.”

Tears stream from my eyes while powerlessness falls over me like a curtain. No. We can’t leave her. My lips pucker and my cheeks feel hot. “She’s my sister.”

His glare softens as he nods. “I know.”

I look away from him taking in the sands that swallowed her. I whisper to no one. “I can’t-” Wait, I see something. Something moving in the sand. Not the large mound of a sand demon, something smaller. “Othin! Look! The sand is moving! They’re alive!” I start shrieking in equal parts laughter and screaming.

Othin shakes his head refusing to break eye contact with me. I jerk my head to the left. “Look! I promise you! She’s there!”

He looks into my eyes. The brightness of his red fade and he sighs. Looking to his right his head jerks, but he doesn’t command the twins to stop. Why are we still moving when he obviously saw them? Arms pull themselves from the mound of sand. They’re alive! Why are we still moving?

I laugh with nervous chuckles of euphoria and panic. “Othin! See?! She’s alive! Stop!”

He looks around the plains in silence, he doesn’t give the command. My voice falls to a whisper. “Othin?”

He shakes his head. No. My expression contorts into terror. “Othin! We have to stop!”

He points to another one of those thracking snakes coming our way. It’s headed towards the bodies emerging from the sand. If we stop, it could get us too. I understand his thinking and I refuse to accept it. Othin is determined to keep me alive at all costs, but my sister’s life is not a price I’m willing to pay.

“Othin.” I look into that familiar face. “I love you. You’re mine. But I can’t leave her, I can’t.”

He forms a weak smile as if against his better judgement. A thin finger caresses my cheek and he nods. Pulling away he lets go of my arms and surveys the area. Nearby Rala is still riding strong, alone on her single zigon. We’re the only ones left.

He commands Viko. “That way. Fast!”

Guzu turns. We’re headed back! Othin is visibly upset, I can see why, we’re almost at the end of this nightmare. The tall black wall stands high above us, we’re almost out. We’ve almost made it, and I’m making him turn back. But we can do it, all of us can get out of here. Nobody else needs to die.

Echoes slam into my mind deafening all other noise.

YOU LET FEAR BLIND YOU.

Shamira. I shake my head, not now. I don’t need this now.

A FIGHT IS NOT WON BY ANGER.

I pull at my hair and shout into the air. “Where have you been?! Save Lesedi or go away!”

YOU MUST THINK OF THE END OF YOUR FIGHT. NOT ONLY THE CURRENT STRUGGLE.

I shout again as I see the black figure swooping closer. Why hasn’t she stepped in? Why hasn’t she tried to help? I thought she’s supposed to be my guardian or something. I don’t need her anyway, we’re fine. We’ll get Echo and Lesedi and then get to the door. I gasp. I forgot about the door.

I turn to look at the solid black wall. We have no way out. We don’t know where the door is and none of us know how to open it except Lesedi. We can make it to the wall, and still die trapped like rikue. Our survival rests on the girl in the sand with a mouth coming straight for her.

✽✽✽

LESEDI:

I reach down and pull Echo from the sand, it falls away from her like gritty water. She comes to her feet without a word and scans our surroundings. Without warning, without reason, she runs. I see Echo take off without even glancing over her shoulder. My body goes cold, she left me. After everything, she left me?

Lifting my eyes, I see a zigon in the distance mounted by four riders. I smile, Talea. She’s coming for me. That is clearly Echo’s target, but why would she race off towards it leaving me behind like this? She must know Talea won’t just pick her up and leave, she’ll come for me. I know it, I feel it. I would almost think Echo’s actions are born of panic, but there’s no sign of that in her. There never is.

My heart races and I don’t know what to do. I feel lost and alone, my only idea is to run. Follow Echo and try not to hold everyone behind. Seconds matter in this place, every second they don’t have to back track for me is one in their favor. I prepare to sprint into the unmerciful desert when a plume of sand billows beside me. I flinch and turn around expecting another one of those blasted snakes to appear beside me.

I shout with borderline euphoria. “Kr’thitch!”

With sand covering every tiny bit of him, he pulls himself up and rolls across the ground gasping for breath. I drop to my knees and hold his head as I help him to sit up. He winces and groans.

“What hurts?” My eyes scan over his body looking for injuries.

He points to his legs with another groan. I look and see his right leg broken at the knee. The shin twists the wrong way, the bone hasn’t broken through the skin but he definitely needs rest and medical attention. My breath seizes in my lungs, I know what it means. I know how this will end but I can’t accept it.

Kr’thitch knows it too. With a twitch of his head he nods at me. “Go.”

I shake my head. “What? No!”

He glares. “Go! Now!”

I ignore him. “I can support you on the right side, like a cane. If we move together, we can get you to the zigon. Talea-”

“No Lesedi!” He cuts me off with stubborn resolve in his eyes. “A friend-” He pauses to take a labored breath “Someone who will not harm you.”

“I can’t-” Tears gloss over my eyes.

He shushes me with a raised pointer finger. “You stay, you die.”

Another explosion of sand rains over us and I’m too emotionally exhausted to care this time. The sharp crystal nose of another demon bursts from the sand. Now is the time to run. Run and hope I make it to Talea’s zigon, run and leave Kr’thitch to die. I know I should, I know it’s smart, but I can’t bring myself to move.

In a show of resolve and fortitude Kr’thitch pulls himself to his feet. He leans heavily on his good leg and even still I can hear bones cracking further. But he doesn’t collapse, he stumbles but he doesn’t fall. His narrow red eyes glare as he grits his teeth against the pain. Looking at him I feel overwhelmed with feelings I can’t identify. There’s too much, it’s all too much.

He takes a deep breath with his hair whipping in the wind. He looks at me with a tight-lipped smile. “Friends fight for you.”

He pulls a blade from his belt and turns towards the giant bursting from the sand. His eyes track the armor and as the beast bends, he stabs his blade into its body. The momentum of the animal carries Kr’thitch off his feet, his broken leg dangles lifeless beneath him as he holds on to the animal. Holding on tight with his free arm, he cuts the knife deep into the soft parts of the animal. The beast screams and bends to see its attacker.

I need to run. Move. He’s doing this for me, he’s buying time for me. Run! But I can’t move my feet. I’m frozen, transfixed. As the armor bends it snaps into his arm and pins Kr’thitch in place, try as he might to stay strong he screams a cry that howls through the nightmarish valley. I feel powerless, all I can do is run. Live, make this agony worth something.

I turn my back on my friend, I run. As I do, I feel something grabs me around the upper arms. The ground falls away beneath my feet and I feel the full weight of my body being suspended in the air. I look up to see the stark black body of Shamira. She carries me away with me facing the enemy that now holds my friend in its clutches. But not for long.

With one motion the snake jerks its head forward and stabs its sharp pointed beak of a nose through Kr’thitch’s abdomen. My body is pulled through the sky and all I can do is scream.

✽✽✽

TALEA:

I can hear Lesedi’s screams from the sky, I feel sick to my stomach. But I can breathe easier knowing she’s safe. I can focus, now that she’s safe. If worst comes to worst Shamira can carry her to the safety elsewhere. I feel the cloud of panic dissipate and my mind is left with clarity. Echo is bolting towards us, Kr’thitch is dead. We can at least save one person and then get out of this deathscape.

Othin switches places with Viko. “Pull her up!”

Viko protests. “Daypeople bring the slow.”

He grits his teeth. “Do it!”

Viko nods. I scoot closer to Othin to make room. Instead of stopping we make a wide turn, in the peak of the turn Viko holds onto Daku’s foot while clinging to Guzu. Daku’s body swings out as she grabs Echo’s wrists. The momentum carries them onto the zigon in a wide swing landing with a thump.

“Thrack! That was amazing!” Echo smiles and hoots.

We continue our turn racing back into the right direction hurrying towards the valley exit. I look up to see Shamira sweep across the sky and land Lesedi at the wall diagonal from us.

I point. “Follow Shamira.”

Othin nods and we continue racing towards the exit. He hollers a demand at Echo. “Blade!” She complies without snark.

Again, Othin changes spots atop this chaotic, and overcrowded, mount. Daku now drives Guzu, hard, with Shamira as our beacon.

“Othin, what are you doing?” I ask with worry.

He looks behind us with intense concentration. The murderer of Kr’thitch is gaining on us. If it catches us, we’ll be dead, being bumped now we won’t make it to the door. Othin pulls back his arm calculating his aim in his head. Without so much as a flinch or hesitation he throws the knife, not at the monster chasing us, at the head of Rala’s zigon. He hits his target. Her zigon roars and fumbles into the sand. Our pursuer takes the bait and changes course to gobble up the decoy.

My mouth falls open. “Othin, that was Rala!” He looks at me with a cold stare. I touch my hand to his cheeks. “You just-she was your family.”

He shakes his head. “No.” His long, clawed finger runs its way down the bridge of my nose. “You are.”

An overwhelming chaos of emotions fill me. Joy, Lesedi is alive. Love, for Othin. Guilt, because of me he sacrificed his sister. Grief, we’ve lost so many. I don’t know what to think. All I know is that while we race towards the exit, we’re still together. We made it.

✽✽✽

LESEDI:

Twenty feet. That’s the only distance they have left to cover. A lot can happen in twenty feet, and it can happen so fast there’s no time to process it. Guzu’s heart gives out, her body tumbles in exhaustion, her massive body twisting over her legs. They’re vaulted from their mount into the hazardous sand.

The wind keeps whipping as the sand encircles them. So much chaos and adrenaline, fear and instinct coursing through all of them. All they can do is run. Powerless against all other measures, just run. Run!

My feet itch to burst in there after them, but instead I stand in the archway of the opened door. Upon our entry into this horrible place the door closed behind us after we stepped through. If I leave it now, it could close and we won’t have time to get it open again. Again, I’m powerless, again I can’t help anyone, again they’re dying.

They’re equal parts climbing as they are running. The ground has become so loose and sloshing at this point that running through snow would be easier. I can see the pain in their faces as their muscles burn, I can see the fear in their eyes as they grit their teeth to keep moving forwards.

Echo, though at first struggling like the rest, somehow finds a way to move through the sand with little problem. In a matter of seconds, she bolts ahead of everyone else. Even though secure on solid rock, irritants sting at my face and eyes making it hard to see. I squint to find Talea in the mess, Othin is yelling something that’s hard to make out. She holds his hand tight as they barrel through the sand together. Behind them I can see another monster appearing from the sand. By the void! I hate those things!

“Come on!” I can’t help but yell even though I doubt they can hear me. “RUN!”

Never giving up, never yielding to fear, they run. They push as hard as they can and then push harder. They’re so close, but so much can happen in twenty feet.

✽✽✽

TALEA:

Othin clutches my arms with his warm, gritty, hands. One hand spans most of my forearm as if to hold me is to swallow me. It makes me feel safe and secure despite the monster chasing us. My chest heaves with labored breaths, all of us are at the end of our rope, but we can do this. My heart aches with the sudden loss of Guzu but I push it back. We can do this.

Hot lips touch my ears and speak with a tone of finality that digs daggers into my lungs. “You are my heart Talea.”

His comforting warm hands let go of me. In an instant the twins swoop in from the sides, they knew I would fight, he knew I would fight. That’s why he made this secret with them. Without time to prepare myself, without time to fight, I become a lifeless doll as they throw me forwards. Against my will I am now a part of their insane acrobatics. I vault into the air with the gritty wind stinging my face. I feel a hand fall away from me and another one grip me as I’m slung between them across the sand. My body jerks and wrenches against my limbs. I can’t fight or kick, I’m powerless. Four arms catch me as I stumble onto solid ground.

I glance around to see Echo and Lesedi holding onto me. “Othin’s still out there! I have to help him!”

“Stop it Tal! You won’t make it out there a second time!” Echo holds me tight as I thrash against her, and then sighs with a classic eyeroll. “But I will.”

Echo shoves me back and then leaps back into the sand. Her voice carries behind her. “You’ll owe me for this!”

She moves through the sand in fluid motions, she doesn’t stumble or fall, it’s impossible and yet she’s doing it. Another sand demon comes onto the scene speeding along the swimming floor, but this one is different. A figure is gripping tight to its head, Meekala? Her braids sail in the wind behind her as she crouches low and holds on for dear life. The snake charges forwards bringing her closer to safety. Her mount twists and bends, but she holds on. In a sudden change of movement, it dives towards the sand again and as it does Meekala leaps into the air tumbling into the sand. She rolls and hops to her feet to keep running.

They’ll make it. They have to. My head is spinning and disoriented, but my eyes seek out Othin. He has to still be alive out there, he’s only making sure I made it safe. He’ll make it too. My eyes scan the sand finding the face of the man I love more than I ever thought could be possible for me. By his side is Meekala, the only two still out there. The twins burst through the door shaking sand from their bodies and falling to the solid rock beneath their feet.

“Come on!” I scream into the void since screaming is all I can do. “Run!”

Echo reaches him and grabs him by the back of his neck. She pulls him forward with her as she turns and runs. My hopes rise and my fists clench. Come on, come on! Together they bolt across the sand with Meekala following suit. In a sudden flash Othin’s eyes widen with surprise and pain. He stumbles and falls in a clumsy motion. Echo trips forwards, her grip on his neck letting go. Her eyes widen with confusion and shock.

A mouth rises from the sand and swallows him up from below and disappears into the sand.

“Othin!” I scream and again the twins grab my arms. I scream with a howl so loud and piercing it echoes in these rocky halls and bursts into the sky amplifying my pain. Pain that feels so deep it cuts my soul in two.

I sink to my knees falling to the hardstone beneath me. My screaming continues. It feels disembodied from me, as if I’m hearing it from another person. My eyes fill with water obscuring my vision and my body loses its strength. The twins’ strong arms are replaced with Lesedi’s soft ones.

Meekala and Echo stumble through the door. With their prey gone, the sand goes quiet, and all I can do is scream.