Whoosh!

The Dawn Sky Crusher retracted with a jerk, depositing Sorah onto the narrow mountain path beside the escaped prisoners and villagers. He stumbled slightly, feeling the tremors of exhaustion coursing through his aged body.

"Master Sorah!" Daichi exclaimed, rushing to his side and helping him to his feet. "Are you alright?"

"I'm... I'm fine," Sorah replied, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "Just a bit... drained."

He glanced around, noting the relieved expressions on the faces of the others. They had escaped Nathor Prison Camp, but their road to freedom was far from over.

Sorah said urgently, "We need to leave before they come after us."

"But where do we go?" Elara was uncertain. "We're surrounded by mountains and desert. And those... those guards will be on our trail soon."

Sorah surveyed the landscape. They were high up on the mountain ridge, overlooking a vast expanse of barren desert that stretched out as far as the eye could see. The only signs of civilization were the distant, flickering lights of scattered settlements and the faint trails of smoke that rose from their hearths.

"We'll head north," Sorah decided, pointing towards a range of jagged peaks that loomed on the horizon. "There's a hidden valley there that can take us to the Rendil temple. Hopefully the portal mechanism still works. If it does, we can evacuate to the Aerithra Kingdom safe and sound."

"But how will we get there?" Brokk asked. "We're on foot, and those Sand Devils have those... those flying lizards. They are bound to catch up to us."

"We will be-“ Sorah got cut off.

WEEEOOOO—WEEEOOOO—WEEEOOOO—

Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared from the direction of Nathor Prison Camp, garnering their attention. With that, Sorah and the others turned to face the prison. With dwindling hearts, they watched as a horde of Sand Krayt Dragons rising from the chasm, their riders brandishing torches to light the shadows.

"They're coming!" Daichi began to panic.

The Sand Krayt Dragons, with their ability to fly and burrow through the earth, were the perfect pursuit creatures. They could easily track the escapees across the rugged terrain, and their riders were armed with Aether Sabres and other weapons.

“There they are!”

“After them!”

“Capture those Aerithran scums!”

The shouts of the pursuers was carried by the wind.

"We're doomed!" one of the Aerithran prisoners cried.

"They'll catch us!" another added, trembling with fear.

“We should split up,” suggested a villager. "That way, they can't catch us all."

Sorah, however, remained calm. He knew that panicking would only worsen their situation. He had to think clearly, to find a way to outsmart their pursuers. He raised his hand, silencing the others. "We will not split up. We are stronger together."

“But Master Sorah, they’re gaining on us,” said Daichi.

Sorah turned to the Rice Guru, who had been observing the situation with a stoic expression. "Rice Guru, do you have any ideas?"

The Rice Guru chortled. "Always the strategist, Master Sorah. Very well, follow me."

He led them away from the edge of the cliff and onto a broader path that wound its way through the mountains. He stopped at a spot where the ground was soft and covered in loose rocks.

“Grah?”

With a shrill whistle, he summoned a familiar creature from beneath the earth - the Gepporaptor that had helped them escape Kahless's clutches days prior.

"Our furry friend shall aid us once more," the Rice Guru said with a mischievous grin. "If you wish to escape those pursuers, you must follow it... into the earth."

The Aerithrans and villagers stared at the Gepporaptor apprehensively but they had no other choice. In order to survive, they had to become molerats.

"Into the earth?" Elara questioned. "But... how?"

"This way," the Rice Guru gestured towards a network of tunnels that the Gepporaptor had created. "Quickly, before they catch up!"

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Their bodies vanished into the darkness as they crawled into the tunnels one by one. The last of the fugitives entered the dirt as the Rice Guru and Breeze Plume stayed outside.

"Just follow the Gepporaptor, he knows where to go." the Rice Guru whispered, before hopping onto Breeze Plume's back.

“Kyuu!”

With a powerful beat of its wings, Breeze Plume took flight, soaring into the night sky and heading in the opposite direction of the approaching Sand Krayt Dragons.

"Let's lead those sand-loving fools on a merry chase," the Rice Guru laughed as they disappeared into the darkness.

Boom!

The entrance to the Gepporaptor tunnels collapsed behind them, sealing their escape route and leaving no trace of their passage.

…

“They’re gone!”

“Where did those bastards vanished off to?”

The Sand Devils and Pyro Warriors arrived at the mountain range where they had spotted the escapees earlier.

"Damn those Aerithrans!” one of the Sand Devils cursed. “The old man must hopped across the sky with them."

“Spread out and search the area!” ordered Warden Poahf. “They couldn't have gone far. Find them and bring them back to me!"

“Yes ma’am!”

The soldiers fanned out with their torches as they searched the mountainside for any sign of the escapees. But they found nothing. The Aerithrans and villagers had vanished out of sight, leaving behind only the echoes of their defiance and the faint scent of hope on the wind.

***

There was a glow to the underground tunnel, caused by the occasional colonies of bioluminescent snails and tiny creatures clinging to the moist walls of the soil. The musky smell of the Gepporaptor guiding the way and the smell of damp dirt hung heavy in the air.

"Ugh, this place is darker than a Carrion Pit. I can't see a damn thing!" Daichi complained, tripping on a loose rock and sending little pebbles skittering down the tunnel.

"Easy there, young one," A hand reached out and steadied him before he could faceplant into the dirt. "I can illuminate our path," said a female Aerithran with a gentle tone.

She held out her hand with a delicate flourish. Her palm began emitting a gentle, dreamy light. She uttered, "Aire Light," and a tiny whirlwind materialized in her hand.

Daichi watched in fascination as the woman, whose air affinity brand glowed faintly on her forehead, manipulated the swirling air currents.

She explained with a hint of pride, "I'm morphing tiny air molecules. By bashing them against each other at high speeds, I'm agitating them, causing them to release energy in the form of light."

She fanned her fingers, and the tiny whirlwind grew until the whole tunnel was illuminated with a gentle white glow that showed off the Gepporaptor's glittering trails and complex web of roots.

"Whoa..." Daichi breathed in amazement. "That's... that's incredible! Can you teach me how to do that, Master Sorah?" he asked, turning towards his mentor who was limping just behind him.

Sorah, who had been lost in his own thoughts, simply shrugged and replied vaguely, "Perhaps another time, Daichi. For now, we must focus on reaching our destination."

His thoughts strayed to the amber seed crystal that pulsed inside him; it was a continuous reminder of the necessity of their mission and the rising effect of the Sage Curse. Before the curse swallowed him completely, he had to figure out how to perfect the Five Legendary Dances of the Titan Avatars.

This was easier said than done. Locating the remaining Dances of the Titan Avatars was the actual issue. Sorah was on a clock and thinly woven sheet. The more he relied on the Sage Curse to assist him, the more he expediate the spreading of the corruptive element throughout his body, causing the curse affliction to elevate to the third stage – The Ritualistic Obsession. Thankfully, he hadn’t progressed fully into this stage yet, however, he was reaching closer to the bottleneck of the second stage affliction – The Branding Mark.

After he brought these people to safety, Sorah would have to get his priorities in order. Either safeguard his health or continued the pursuit of his still missing students.

Rumble—

They followed the Gepporaptor through a vibrating maze of tunnels, winding and turning until they came out into a spacious cavern with a tall ceiling. The bioluminescent microbes and snails displayed odd shapes and complex patterns reminiscent of prehistoric carvings.

In the middle of the tunnel, Sorah noticed a familiar figure sitting on a mound of sand, which caused his eyes to widen in surprise.

"Rice Guru?"

The wizened scarecrow figure turned with a impish grin. "Ah, Master Sorah, you've finally arrived! I was starting to think you'd gotten lost in those tunnels."

“Grah! Grah!” At his feet, the Gepporaptor nudged against his leg, seemingly seeking affection.

The Rice Guru chuckled and patted its head. "Well done, my furry friend. You have led us to a most suitable resting place."

"How the heck did that scarecrow get here ahead of us?" Daichi exclaimed, pointing at the Rice Guru.

"Quiet, Daichi," Sorah hissed, glancing around nervously. "Do you want those Sand Devils to find us?"

Daichi lowered his voice, but he still looked puzzled. "But... how did he get here? We left him behind at the entrance."

Sorah frowned, sharing Daichi's confusion. He turned to the Rice Guru. "Indeed, how did you manage to arrive before us?"

Tilting his straw hat at a jaunty angle, the Rice Guru chuckled. "Ah, Master Sorah, you underestimate the resourcefulness of a seasoned traveller. While you were busy trekking through the tunnels, I swiftly detoured the Sand Devils elsewhere and shook off their pursuit. Afterwards, I separated from Breeze Plume and hitched a ride with a rather... accommodating flock of migrating Cloud Sparrows. They were heading in this direction, a route I already had memorized, and they seemed quite amenable to my company, especially after I regaled them with a few tales of my culinary exploits. They dropped me off at a burrow and I hastily made my way here and await your arrival."

He paused and added with a wink, "Besides, I wouldn't miss this adventure for all the rice paddies in the Aerithra Kingdom."

Sorah shook his head in amusement. The Rice Guru was an enigma, a walking paradox of cowardice and courage, wisdom and eccentricity. But he was also a loyal friend and a valuable ally.

"Speaking of adventures," Sorah said, glancing around the cavern. "Where is Breeze Plume? Is it safe?"

"Ah, that gluttonous wood-eater." The Rice Guru shared, "It's up above, feasting on a particularly succulent grove of ironwood trees. Don't worry, Master Sorah, as I’ve said earlier, I ensured those Sand Devils were led astray. They're probably still scouring the mountainside, searching for our tracks."

With a sense of relief coursing through him, Sorah nodded. Breeze Plume was a useful asset, however it did seem to put food before everything else. It'd saved them more than once with its ability to change from a Cloud Butterfly to a Woodworm.

"Now then." The Rice Guru clapped his hands together. "Let's settle in for the night. We have much to discuss."