Amidst the jubilant atmosphere of the general festival hullabaloo, Zeni found herself locked in a fierce, breathless battle.

It wasn't an actual skirmish, of course, but a game of skill that had attracted a sizable crowd of onlookers, including several Kephri’s Rest villagers and a handful of out-of-towners. The game was called "Sands," and it was truly a whirlwind.

This specific iteration of the game (for there were many) was played on a circular board divided into concentric rings, each ring marked with intricately carved symbols representing various elements: water, fire, earth, air, and so forth. In the center of the board, a small pyramid housed an hourglass that counted down the game's duration. The objective was to maneuver one's game pieces—exquisitely crafted figurines of gods, goddesses, and their elemental warriors—into advantageous positions on the board to control the elements and eventually dominate the center of the board.

Zeni had been drawn into the game by the cheers and gasps of the crowd, her competitive spirit incensed by the challenge. She’d positioned herself around the table with seven others and through the fog of strategic combat, she’d somehow found herself in the top four. The final three formidable opponents she was facing off against were Aken, the village blacksmith; a cunning, young out-of-town showboat named Seke; and the mysterious, silver-haired woman with eyes as sharp as a hawk's she’d seen earlier in the day.

The game began initially with a flurry of activity as the players rushed to claim their initial territories on the board. Now, having captured the majority of their former rivals’ positions, it was a mad dash to the finish. Zeni strategically positioned her figurines to control the fire element, hoping to harness its power to her advantage. Aken focused on the earth element, using its stability to fortify his defenses, while Seke and the silver-haired woman vied for control of the water and air elements.

As the game progressed and the sands of the hourglass dwindled, the intensity of the competition only heightened. Each player had developed their own unique strategies, and the crowd watched with bated breath as the figurines darted across the board.

Zeni's heart pounded in her chest as she made a daring move, sending her fire god figurine to challenge Seke's water goddess. The crowd held its breath, waiting to see if her gamble would pay off.

"Bold move, girl," Seke smirked. "But this isn’t the children’s tournament."

“Then how’d you sneak in?” Zeni shot back. “Surely you won a contest or something? Or maybe the village just took pity on you and let you play with the adults?”

Zeni had realized that a large portion of the fun in the game was in the trash-talking. It was apparently a fantastic way of rattling your opponents into making mistakes or being otherwise unobservant. Or, at least, that’s what she and Seke had been doing: exchanging barbs in good natured banter.

“Speaking of pity,” Seke said, swiping a piece to the side to move forward in a pincer maneuver. “You’ll receive none of that from me.”

With a swift, unexpected move, he countered her move, capturing her fire god and sending it back to her starting zone. Zeni's jaw clenched in frustration, but she refused to be deterred, her eyes scanning the battlefield for her next move.

"You've got spirit, kid, I'll give you that," Seke taunted. "Unfortunately, I enjoy breaking spirits."

Meanwhile, Aken had been quietly and methodically focusing on his earth element strategy, building up a strong defense. The crowd began to murmur as they noticed his progress, and a few excited shouts erupted as he made a particularly brilliant play, capturing one of the silver-haired woman's air element figurines.

"Nicely done, Aken!" Zeni cheered from her side of the board, her eyes gleaming with admiration.

"Thank you," Aken replied, his voice steady and focused. "But there's still much to be done. And you should be focusing on your own territory at the moment."

As if to emphasize his words, one of her lesser tokens was immediately captured by the other woman’s goddess, and Zeni frowned.

As the game wore on, the tension mounted. Zeni, despite her inexperience, managed to hold her own, surprising nobody more than herself. With each successful play, the onlookers grew more invested, their cheers and gasps punctuating the fierce competition.

"Ha! Take that, ya doofus!" Zeni exclaimed, as she reclaimed one of her captured fire gods, her face flushed with determination.

"You’re getting brave," Seke acknowledged, a hint of admiration in his voice. "Or is it foolishness?"

“Kill him, Zen!” She heard Basim roar from somewhere within the crowd. “Chop him apart and drink his bloooooood!”

Yikes, Zeni thought. People are getting really into this, huh?

The silver-haired woman remained silent, her icy gaze never leaving the board. Her calculated moves and unwavering focus unnerved her opponents, who couldn't help but feel the pressure of her presence.

Aken, having built up an impressive, nearly-impenetrable defense, made a bold offensive move, attempting to seize control of the board's center. But in his haste, he left himself open to a critical vulnerability. The silver-haired woman took full advantage, sweeping in and capturing several of his key figurines in one fell swoop. A collective gasp echoed through the crowd as Aken's position crumbled, and he was summarily knocked out of the game.

With Aken eliminated, it was down to Zeni, Seke, and the silver-haired Ka-sen whose name she didn’t know. The remaining grains of sand in the hourglass signaled that the battle was nearing its end. The crowd was going wild and growing bigger by the second as everyone watched the masterful match unfold before their eyes.

As Zeni tried to make a comeback, she failed to notice the silver-haired woman's strategy taking shape. The silent woman had been slowly and methodically building her forces, positioning her air element figurines in strategic locations near Zeni’s own fortifications on the edge of the board. By the time Zeni realized the danger, it was too late; the silver-haired woman launched a devastating attack that took the Traveler out of the game with an unexpected ferocity.

The crowd reeled in shock, both of Kephri’s Rest’s champions having been unhorsed from the fight after such hard-won gains. However, spectators were fickle folk, and immediately the excitement grew as the final showdown between Seke and the silver-haired woman began. Seke, apparently the showman, played to the crowd, his witty banter and trash talking keeping them entertained and on the edge of their seats.

"You may have taken out the child, but you won't find such an easy opponent in me!" He boasted, his eyes locked onto his opponent’s stoic face.

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In response, the silver-haired woman offered nothing more than an enigmatic smile, her icy gaze never leaving the board. The tension in the air was palpable as the two expert players maneuvered their figurines, each seeking an opening in the other's defenses.

The match continued, with Seke and the silver-haired woman trading figurine captures and territory control. The crowd, enthralled by the display of skill, cheered and groaned with every twist and turn of the game.

As the sands of the hourglass reached their terminal point, Seke seemed to gain the upper hand, his water goddess figurine capturing a key air elemental. He grinned, confident in his impending victory.

"I think this is where we bid one another farewell," he declared, a cocky smirk plastered on his face.

However, Zeni, who had been observing the game intently, noticed something Seke had missed: the silver-haired woman's air element figurines had been gradually encircling the man’s water goddess. It was a trap, and Seke had walked right into it.

"No!" Seke shouted, his eyes widening in horror as he realized the gravity of his mistake.

Without a word, the silver-haired woman moved her final piece, capturing the man's deity and securing her victory. The crowd erupted into applause and cheers, celebrating the intense battle that had just unfolded before their eyes. Seke, defeated but gracious, offered a nod of respect to his silent opponent.

Zeni, though not the victor, surged with pride. She had held her own against seasoned players and had shown her true grit in the face of fierce competition. She would definitely carry the memories of this thrilling game for ages.

With the exhilarating match behind her, Zeni beamed as she exited the area, eager to find Basim and Yasmine in the crowd. She’d hardly taken a few steps when Seke appeared beside her, a sly grin on his face.

"Well, well, you certainly surprised us all," he began. "Not bad for a beginner, but a good showing nonetheless."

Zeni couldn't help but roll her eyes, but she smiled. She wouldn’t allow his arrogance to put her in a foul mood.

"Thanks, Sekey-boy,” she said. “Maybe next time, huh?"

"Next time," Seke affirmed, his grin widening. "You know, I come from the great city of Seke-Ankh, where games like these are played all the time. If you ever find yourself there, I'd be happy to show you around and introduce you to some real competition."

Zeni chuckled

“Seke, huh? They named you after your town?” She wondered.

Seke paused, then shook his head with a laugh.

“My dear, no,” he said. “The town is named after me.”

Zeni frowned, confused.

“Huh? You’re, like, famous or something?”

“Ah, no. I suppose well, I am a little…” he began, trying to find his bearings. “But what I mean to say is, my predecessor—that is, my namesake and my previous life—-was called Seke-Ankh. As I am his spirit reborn, the name is both my genesis and my birthright. He founded our glorious city.”

“Reincarnation?” Zeni asked, mentally adding it to the list of new things she’d have to keep track of about this world. “Sounds complicated and exhausting.”

“Well…” Seke said, considering. “You get used to it. With enough time.”

Zeni couldn’t imagine ever introducing herself to people if she happened to be from a place called Zeni Town. It would sound ridiculous. It did sound ridiculous, actually, now that she thought further on it. However, if Seke’s city was so glorious, or whatever, what brought him out to the edge of the desert?

“So, why are you here then?” she asked. “Too much competition in your neighborhood?”

“Oh,” he said with a laugh. “Hardly. I’m off on a whirlwind adventure—seeing the sights and all that. But your village’s festival is well known, and I’d have been a fool not to attend for at least one day on my journey.”

My village, she thought to herself fondly.

“So you’ll visit? I promise, my city is everything and more that you would desire in a retreat.”

"I'll keep that in mind, Seke,” she said. “Thanks for the offer."

Seke nodded and gave her a playful nudge before disappearing back into the crowd, leaving Zeni to resume her search for her friends.

However, as Zeni scanned the faces in the crowd, she startled as she noticed the silver-haired woman standing not far away. This was made all the more unsettling by the fact that the woman was staring right at her.

Not knowing what else to do, Zeni offered up a little wave. The mysterious victor of the match seemed to see this as consent, and approached Zeni, her manner still painfully aloof yet somehow endearing in its awkwardness.

"Your performance in the game was... impressive," the silver-haired woman said, hesitating slightly as if unsure how to phrase her compliment. "You possess a natural talent for strategy. I enjoyed competing against you."

Zeni, taken aback by the unexpected—and emotionless—praise, blushed and stammered out a response.

"Th-thank you. You were amazing, too. I've never seen anyone play like that before."

She conveniently left out the critical detail that it was only her second time ever viewing the game, but she didn’t think that was relevant enough to mention.

The silver-haired Ka-sen's lips curled into a small, enigmatic smile.

"Perhaps we shall meet again on the battlefield of the board," she said, her voice suddenly airy and melodious.

Before Zeni could respond, Basim appeared out of nowhere, loudly exclaiming, "Zen! That was in-cred-ib-le! I can't believe you held your own against those absolute monsters!"

Zeni shot a look at him, beaming. Basim continued, barely pausing to breathe.

"And that Iah-sha’ar woman's final move! The Coiling-Serpent-Hides-The-Egg Gambit! That was a damn…stroke of raw genius! I've only seen it done once before, and never as flawlessly as that."

Zeni turned back to the woman, but found that she was not where she once stood. She’d disappeared during Basim’s exuberant interruption. She turned back to her friend, her confusion melting away to joy.

“Wait, you know the rules?”

Basim nodded, sneakily grabbing a candied fruit from a stall nearby and munching on it.

“‘Course I do,” he said. “Everybody around here knows the Kephri Rules for Sands. You’d be a real silly salamander if you didn’t.”

“Well, how come you didn’t compete?” Zeni wondered, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

“Are you kidding me?” Basim exclaimed, finishing his treat and licking his fingers free of the syrupy sugar. “I’m not trying to get murdered. Why would I want to embarrass myself in front of all these visitors? I mean, Zen. Come on. There are pretty ladies out there.”

Casting another glance to the crowd where the silver-haired woman had been, Zeni nodded.

“Besides, Aken pummels my plumage every single time we play—and he got knocked out first! Honestly, that was a little satisfying. ‘Course that means he is just going to destroy me even more thoroughly the next time I’m unfortunate enough to have a match with him.”

Zeni was only half listening, reflecting on the term Basim had just used.

“What did you call that woman, by the way? Ee…uh, sha…”

“Iah-sha’ar,” Basim said.

“What’s that?”

“You don’t know?” Basim asked, confused. "Oh! Right. I sometimes forget you haven’t lived here your whole life like the rest of us. Anyway: they're a rare and mysterious folk, the Iah-sha'ar. They all have that silver hair, and it’s said to be a sign of the moon's blessing, you know? And their knowledge? Ah, Zen, you wouldn't believe it! They're just bursting with ancient secrets and Ka wisdom. It's like they've got a direct line to the gods themselves! I think their settlement is called like…Moon Village or Starry Oasis, or something. But, yeah, I dunno, it’s a ways away so I can’t really remember."

Zeni thought about that.

So she’s a long way from home… I wonder what she’s doing in Kephri’s Rest? Surely not just to play Sands against a bunch of villagers and tourists?

“Since you’re playing historian,” she said to Basim after a moment. “I saw a girl with…cat ears, earlier? What was that about? Was it like…a costume, or something?”

Basim chuckled.

“Oh, you’re talking about the Meru girl,” he said. “Nah, that’s probably just her form here. You see them from time to time. The Meru can change their physical features based on their animal aspects. I don’t know as much about them, but hey, it’s pretty cool, right?”

Zeni nodded, vowing that she would try to learn as much as she could about the various types of people alive and wandering in this world.

“Hey,” Basim said. “Anyway, great work out there. I’m going to be reliving Aken’s defeat for a long, long time. Let’s go find Yasmine and brag about your near-victory. I think she was planning to compete in the archery competition this evening. We should go check it out and cheer her on.”

“Archery competition?” Zeni mused. “Well, she’s got that one in the bag.”

Basim shook his head.

“Not necessarily,” he said seriously.

“Huh?”

He leaned in conspiratorially, adopting a look of pure mischief.

“They brought in a vellum this year,” he whispered.

“A…vellum?” Zeni asked. “What’s that?”

“Let’s go find out, shall we?” Basim said, offering her his arm. She nodded, and slung her own through the crook of his elbow. Together, the two of them moved into the crowd, intent on finding Yasmine and seeing what sort of shenanigans they could encounter.