Part 2: Heavenly demon

Chapter 11: Everyone is out to prove their worth

The hours of the day and the days of the week passed quickly. The disturbance caused by Ssyba's crimes and killings did not spread or grow to have any consequences, and nobody asked questions in the three entrances warehouse either. The small-scale incident between Riyara, Murza and Ssyba had died down as soon as it arrived and the regulars acted like nothing ever happened.

One day Zioz collected Ssyba and brought her to what must have been one of the largest rooms in an upper-class tavern known as the Howling Paladin. Though he moved with the same self-congratulatory impatience as always, the usually puffed-up nanza seemed too quiet this time around. Whether it was due to some quarrel between him and somebody else, or was it health related, or perhaps even related to whatever her brother Fagan had planned for their troupe, Ssyba could not tell.

The room and indeed the whole tavern at large was aristocratic in decor, the likes of which Ssyba had never seen, with polished light wood furniture, richly colored paintings on the clean whitewashed walls, and the tables sported silverware and expensive eastern porcelain.

In addition to her, Zioz and the other three nanza-cats (Ran, Fagan Stabs and Zioz' brother Shan), another man awaited them.

He was clean shaven and elegant, with noble features and an air of militaristic dignity about him that suggested a practiced self control and discipline. He looked somewhat younger but Ssyba knew that it must have been the effect of many vraja potions which maintained his health and vigor in peak condition.

"Are they all here?"

"I have recruited twenty other nanza-cats, as you suggested, my lord," attentively replied Fagan. "Should I have collected them as well?"

"No need. Are these four your captains?"

"In a sense. They are the ones I trust the most."

"Then we should leave them under your command," said the man.

Fagan bowed his face to a degree that denoted acknowledgment. To Ssyba, however, it looked absurd for a nanza to apply human etiquette not because she couldn't respect their civilization and sophistication, but that it looked like a learned trick coming out of Fagan, something that a dog might do when prompted by his master.

"To the rest of you, my name is lord Jayaza, principal officer serving under lord Talamar. While you answer to Fagan during this mission, Fagan answers to me. We have a plan and we have the resources to bring it to fruition. All I am asking of you is cooperation in following orders."

Except for Fagan, neither nanza bowed or made any attempt to convey recognition of authority, but Jayaza went and shook hands with all of them, one by one. Ran was about as tall as him and looked him straight in the eye, while the others were somewhat shorter, as the nanza-cats came. He quickly ended the ludicrous exercise of mock civilization between man and animal, an opinion obviously shared by the hotshot twins of the Bend, and went on to explain:

"Just as Fagan had probably explained to you, it isn't mercenaries that we need, but a compact, efficient and mostly discrete task force. It isn't war that we want, but an expedition into the pitch plack depths of the Tomb of Ba Busal."

"So do you need nanza-cats as cannon fodder?" asked Zioz without a single hint of malice of negative emotions.

"I'm guessing they wish to keep the vraja potion consumption to a minimum for this mission," added Ssyba in passing.

For the nanza-cats it wasn't anything strange to consider that, it's like using dogs to guard a perimeter instead of hiring sentries for a wage.

Jayaza paused, disconcerted by their nimble mind and penetration. Cannon fodder and the use of as little resources as possible were indeed the two main points of hiring nanza-cats.

He had his own orders, he did not like it any more than these felines did.

"We need your particular skill set in that environment, there is truly nothing in this city better suited for raiding those tombs than your troupe."

"I'm guessing there is ample compensation, is there not?" asked Shan.

"Yes, there is, trust me," said Fagan, to which Jayaza intervened:

"You shall be all handsomely rewarded to such a degree that, even should you wish to retire, there would be enough in terms of capital to live the rest of your lives without the thought of acquiring food. It's as simple as that."

The man did not even hide the fact that he needed professionals who did as good a job as anybody else, without the strain of vraja potion expenditure. It was far less demanding to take care of and feed twenty or so nanza-cats, provided they all survive, than to supply someone else with vraja potions. Who did Jayaza try to fool anyway? In many ways, the nanza were just as cunning and intelligent as any human.

Then Ssyba asked:

"What lies in the Tomb of Ba?"

A hard moment of silence. The question fairly took Jayaza by surprise, and much more than the serenity with which these nanza accepted their role as expendable troops. At first it was unnerving to him how easily these beasts accepted death as a part of existence, but then he remembered their religion and primary god, Marduni, who reincarnated them over and over. Mad beasts.

"I mean no disrespect, but what does it matter to you? We are searching for a sorcerous hoard, it is more metaphysics than anything you'd know about."

"I was just nosy about it, my lord, because I have had some experience regarding vraja potions brewing."

"She is the strangest among us," offered Fagan to explain as if to make amends for a disabled sibling who had spoken out of line.

"Did you?" asked Jayaza in what seemed genuine curiosity in Ssyba, ignoring Fagan entirely.

"Yes my lord."

"Whom did you serve under?"

"Lady Tisila, although once I joined big brother Fagan's troupe, I had to leave her business."

"Tisila does sound familiar. Healer?"

"Brewess of healing potions," answered Ssyba.

Jayaza slid his nad'm bowl onto the table and leaned forward to better look at Ssyba. She had learned a long time ago the art of patience and polite watchfulness, and she had grasped better than any animal the true nature of mankind. So she never met his gaze, only carefully circled around the frontier of his soul and spirit, protecting her meaning with implications and mystery. That's what intrigued men, realized Ssyba some time ago. They'd never ask questions, never probe further if the need for mystery was satisfied. Humans only were as curious as it allowed them to further the areas of the unknown.

"So when are we expected to leave?" asked Fagan.

"We shall settle into ranks at the southern gate tomorrow past mid-day and set out along the Efayan rock-spires until…"

"I am sorry, lord Jayaza, but as far as my knowledge serves me, the Efayan rock-spires are overrun by the izzii."

"Were overrun," corrected Jayaza to which Fagan made such a face, that Ssyba nearly imagined him jumping at the man's throat to rip it. Not a day into the expedition and the humans would already see the nanza-cats killed.

Everyone knew that the izzia hives of the Efayan country couldn't have been exterminated. Yanamusad did lead many hunting trips into the rock-spires, true, but the country, although bordering Yasha'Lafiq, was never tamed and even the badawin made long trips east and westward just to avoid it. The rocky geological formations made for natural habitats for izzia breeding and hunting grounds.

"Isn't tomorrow too soon?" asked Ssyba.

"We need to recover the hoard from the Tomb before the next full moon."

"That is two weeks from now," observed Shan, rubbing his chin.

"It can't be done," added Fagan.

It was obvious to Ssyba, and perhaps to the other nanza-cats, that Fagan did not enjoy making plans from a position of hierarchical inferiority. He wanted to collaborate with the humans but he hated the death of nanza-cats. At this point in time, most of his close collaborators knew his plans for the future of the nanza-cats of Yasha'Lafiq.

"Yes it can," said Jayaza. "Now more than at any other time because the first prince is leading an expedition into the rock-spires as we speak."

He paused after that last point, as though to let the implications resonate. The nanza-cats all glared at one another, as Jayaza crossed his arms and leaned back a little. He had to remind himself that these were not men he talked to, but animals, base and uncomplicated.

"Does the first prince plan to exterminate the izzii for good?"

"His mission is two-fold: one, conquering the Efayan hive because it is the closest threat to home, and two, clearing a way for our own small expedition so we can increase the rate of success. Gentlemen, the first prince himself is clearing a way for us to reach the accursed Tomb of Ba Busal!"

"I did not know that," Fagan said eventually with genuine penitence.

"Look Fagan. Were it not for the first prince's Declaration, an expedition such as this would be out of the question in the best of times. Outright insanity is more likely, we would never do it. The Tomb is too far gone into the wastes for it to be even attempted, but now there are extermination troops set loose against the hives. With the planetary collision storm looming just beyond the horizon, we all have to pitch in for the survival of Yasha'Lafiq! Trust the first prince's plan."

The nanza-cats listened in some sort of animalistic disciplined silence, and Fagan nodded, narrowly suppressing the indignation in his voice.

"Tomorrow it is then."

"Once we leave the city and you look across the horizon past the wall, you'll understand the perils we are in," Jayaza said evenly, with less emotion than he had previously displayed.

***

Fagan Stabs commanded a full muster of his troupe the following morning. The nanza-cats assembled along the southern wall, by the gate, some arriving as early as the sunrise, some lazily walking as the day progressed. They were a colorful group of twenty in total, including Fagan himself, sporting all sorts of felid variations. Some males, a few females, some were lithe and tight like rope, resembling panthers on two legs, patiently waiting in the sun with their eyes closed. A few were of the large, brawny and tiger-like variety, like Ran who was the largest of them all, and Ssyba who had grown up to be muscular and cut. Some other nanza-cats seemed savage and uncouth, and they eyed one another with the animalistic lechery of those who only bordered the nanza-cat community of Yasha'Lafiq, never truly joining. Where did Fagan find such beasts, Ssyba couldn't know

"What have you done these days, Zibby?" asked Fagan, crudely pinching her arms and feeling the unnaturally dense musculature underneath her fur, like a stone cliff waiting hidden just under the waves, ready to crush the hull of a ship.

"I have been training, big brother."

"It seems like you're a late bloomer, so to speak. You're resembling Ran more and more each day, it's in your genes to be strong."

"If I'm a late bloomer in terms of strength, does that mean Rauuka is a late bloomer as well and she'll grow to be just as handsome and capable as you?"

Fagan laughed bitterly.

"I simply noticed that you are so bulky. What have you been eating?"

"A ton of fish from the market," admitted Ssyba. "I've been trading my green tokens for cash to buy real food this time around."

"You're taking care of yourself, good…" said Fagan, also pinching her quads. "Take a look at those legs, Marduni save those who meet these iron clubs!"

"I've been doing squats," laughed Ssyba with some embarrassment.

Without having a point of reference as wide as Ssyba's, Fagan merely laughed and accepted her explanation without further commentary.

Once they all arrived and lined up near the wall, Fagan began describing the nature of their expedition, what was expected of them and the rewards. Ran stood off to the side, tall and broad, with ruthless orange eyes scavenging each and every single one of these nanza-cats as if to stab them if one even dared step out of line.

Fagan explained the extraordinary perils that they would face, that they would likely battle izzia monsters and brave the untold depths of the Tomb. Would they risk it all to become princes, or nurse to their pulse and die a worthless stray? He mentioned the rewards that they would reap, each and every single one of them. Most importantly, there won't be anything to fight and die over, as they would all be paid their share in full. This, in particular, sparked everyone's interest, as they all eventually stood up and paid heed.

And throughout all of this showy display, the crazed nanza-cats listened with a predatorial attentiveness that others would have thought impossible. The essential thing tying together such a motley troupe, realized Ssyba there and then, was the ungodly fear these nanza-cats had for Ran and the legend that was Fagan.

"King of the nanza-cats," she had murmured under her breath, and this is how he raised his princes.

The incoming odyssey concerned Ssyba, to be sure, but on so many nebulous levels that the anxieties seemed to cancel each other out. She had no illusions about the many undertakings they would confront, but if their superiors found reason that the nanza-cats would do a fine job, it only reinforced the idea that it was indeed doable. Even she had to admit, there was a tremendous advantage for the nanza-cat animal to traverse those ruinous catacombs.

Following this muster of Fagan's troupe, lord Jayaza quickly joined them alongside two other men, and more than a dozen busy servants. The ensuing hours were dedicated to outfitting and supplying the expedition force, assigning tasks and rehearsing their plan, getting ready for the first night's trek. The three men quickly surrendered whatever unnecessary items and trinkets they had and put on the same gear as every other member of the troupe, quickly selling the idea of a unified, cohesive band. The nanza-cats seemed impressed by this gesture, that apparently humans would step down from their high fortresses and silks and join with the rest of them in the mud. Even Ssyba joined in the general enthusiasm.

Fagan, however, was unimpressed.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Shan.

"Convince them to take a step alongside you, and they'll walk the next mile just to prove themselves right," said Fagan, showing with his chin toward the assembly.

These humans, for all Fagan knew, were fundamentally indestructible when compared to their flimsy troupe. The only reason they hired nanza-cats was to save up on potions.

Shan shrugged and checked his baggage and gear one last time, then he left to join his brother with the rest of the company.

Fagan glanced at all of them and genuine sorrow crept from the nether into his expression, the regret of kings forced to condemn innocents to appease the masses. For the first time, he felt the cumulative weight of all the things he had achieved and said, the lies and truths all tangled to lead to this moment: nanza and men fighting side by side the hazards of this world. The only question remaining was, how many would die until his full dream would come true? How many was he willing to sacrifice? The twenty before him? Even his brother and sister?

Sucking the thick, dusty air, Fagan looked up to the heavens as though peering beyond a thin veil for just a glimpse of the truth. Below him, the company had already coagulated into smaller clumps, booming and cackling and shaking with laughter, revelry and typical nanza brash rudeness, making bold promises and tying friendships, daring and proclaiming. They would all spend blood and kill under the pretense of thoughtless fellowship, when in truth it all came down to the same thing: instinct.

Simple and animal, and infuriating the more it contrasted with the sharp strictness of Jayaza and the two other men.

And Fagan realized, with the euphoria reserved for the guiltless, that he would sacrifice a hundred, a thousand, however many nanza fools it took for the ascendancy of the entire nanza species!

***

The company trod through the southern gate into the incoming chill of the desert evening, an abrasive train of nanza crisply led by three men.

They began by scaling the tall sand dune closest to Yasha'Lafiq, named Baza's Pyramid. It was treacherous to climb the sands and by the time they were three fourths into the ascent, they all huffed and puffed hungrily. Most of the nanza-cats however could handle it because their beastly anatomy allowed them to. In Ssyba's opinion, it seemed appropriate that such a toil was already required so close to home. It made palpable the extent of their limits. Leaving the walls of Yasha'Lafiq was not enough, they had to strap through the fringe of civilization and turn their back completely to the princedom that protected them, leave everything they had known out of sight and out of mind and turn their attention to the desert ahead.

It was only fair that all passages into dread should exact a toil of exhaustion.

"Watch for the southern horizon once we reach the top," said Jayaza, elbowing Fagan gently.

Fagan did his best to keep pace with the man before him and as he gained the crest of the dune, a soft breeze greeted him, tugging gently at his whiskers.

"This is…?" he barely murmured, astonished at the sight.

He stood there paralyzed until the nanza behind him bumped into him.

"Why did you stop? Oh, Marduni save us…!" said Shan, putting his paws over his head.

"Is that the…?"

"What in the hell?"

One by one, as the nanza-cats gained the top of the dune, they all stood in disbelief and wondered at the spectacle.

The planetary collision storm piled on the southern horizon in all its glory. Titanic event horizons circled one another like floating ethereal eyes, dark filaments of elemental matter mawed at the earth and the heaven, lightning flashed like swords engaged in a myriad war, and the sky seemed close enough to touch and shatter the rock beneath.

But the distances remained crisp with silence.

"By the heavens, is this what awaits us?" asked Ssyba through pained gasps.

"It's a distance away," answered Jayaza. "Do you now see why it's imperative we complete the mission before the full moon?"

The other man, named Yamsoor, added:

"By my own estimates, the storm ought to hit Yasha'Lafiq in nine months, but the elemental pressure will increase the closer the storm gets. We can't relax, we can't be wasteful. I doubt we'll see another badawin caravan until it passes, so we better tend and preserve our strength, no?"

"Nine months?" asked Fagan, though he could barely believe his own eyes.

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Ssyba's gaze was fortunately hidden under the shadow of her hood, otherwise one might see the intense cold glare with which she inspected the planetary collision storm. The storm's mountainous mystical gate was surrounded by what appeared to be millions of other gates, all belonging to the army of elementals flying and lashing wildly at the earth below. In a way, the planetary collision storm was a purposeless war between elementals, each tugged against one another by an ancient evil compulsion.

Under the threat of the storm, any other non-issues were quickly sidelined by the first prince, the nonsense of princely battles for ascension had been completely stalled and proof of it was the relative silence coming from the higher estates and the Azure Fortress. Many had begun to realize the enormous scale of the storm and the looming threat, so people have begun taking care of their resources and accumulating more firepower.

Yanamusad's Declaration resonated deeply with Ssyba now. Indeed, when was the last time the people of Yasha'Lafiq had glanced over the desert to observe the incoming apocalypse?

***

The plan was to travel south all the way to the border of the mountainous country of Efayan, then run eastward on the northern edge in order to avoid the immediate threat of the inhabiting izzia swarms. The Tomb of Ba Busal stretched there on the northeastern corner of the country, sculpted into the mountains of that wild land. The group looked forward to a five to seven day journey and they would travel during the night, while during the day they would set up camp and take refuge from the flaming sun. Yamsoor had assured that their way was an oft traveled route used by the badawin who came from the east and wanted to avoid Efayan entirely, and it was as reliable and safe as anything in the Alyriam desert.

That first night, setting off from Yasha'Lafiq, the expedition force traveled south until the sand dunes slowly started to reveal rocky ground and that's where they made camp the moment the sun was beginning to show its face. They made for the top of a tall dune peaked by a rocky cliff. There they found a sheltered hollow cavern and from a certain distance, it looked like the eye socket of a stone cyclops. Yamsoor told the group that this cliff was named Raya'nailsir, the Giant King's Skull in the badawin language.

"How can anyone survive in the desert is still a wonder to me," commented Shan.

"The badawin are bred and trained for this life since before they could walk, they have methods that we can't decipher" explained the man Yamsoor.

"Were you once traveling with the badawin?"

"I have some experience in tracking for them for a pay, but nothing beyond that. But this cliff is not any secret. Raya'nailsir has been an outpost as old as time and a geographical mark on every map in Alyriam. The blackened walls of this cave are the result of fires being lit during the night, see?"

The nanza gazed around as if noticing the cave for the first time.

"Does that mean the badawin travel in the day, as opposed to at night?"

"It is nothing unusual," replied Jayaza to Shan's concern, then he brought out a vraja potion bottle. He drank it, glanced up and his eyes glowed an ominous black, showing traces of black smoke. Instantly, the shadows all around them thickened and the entrance to the cave seemed to darken as if covered by a silken canopy. This was the grade one dusky velarium vraja potion, a standard issued potion supplied by the princedom to desert outrunners. It was easy to brew and undemanding, the materials plentiful and the storage conditions made it a popular choice throughout the entire Alyriam. Even lady Tisila used these vraja potions in her tea club business, when the day turned too hot. The dusky velarium potion created a thick shade and a veil of darkness all around the user, offering shelter from the sun and the heat.

Jayaza settled down and drank another potion. This time the small portable kettle in his hand started heating, and the water that he poured sizzled and boiled. He used the grade one fire touch vraja potion.

"Does anyone else drink coffee?"

"I'll have one," said Yamsoor.

"I also wish," said Zioz.

"Me too."

"I want a cup."

The other nanza quickly gathered courage and relaxed in the presence of these men, seeing as they weren't tyrannical nor too demanding. Jayaza started introducing as they all sat down to sleep or relax:

"Derdal will be our eyes and ears on this entire expedition, he is a reconnaissance specialist and detection expert. His methods include observing the presence, distance, speed and type of incoming enemies."

The man named Derdal merely nodded, his bald head covered by a turban.

"But Yamsoor here is by far our most prized man. Everyone is expendable, including myself, because he's the only one who can reliably navigate these shifting sands and get us back home."

From the other side of the camp, Yamsoor stopped doing whatever he was doing and made kissing gestures towards Jayaza.

"If he so much as gets a chill, one of you gets skinned and gives him the fur."

There was a sparkle in Jayaza's eye and a humorous note in his voice. Fagan and the others chuckled amicably.

Ssyba retreated in a lower and secluded corner of the cave, where Ran was devouring a rose-back crawler that he caught on his own. Due to his size and ferocious demeanor, other nanza-cats felt safest to simply keep a distance from him. This also suited Ran fine, since he liked to sit a little apart.

"Something's concerning you, Ssyba," said Ran when he saw her arriving.

"This is only the first resting place and they are already preparing a large meal. Didn't Fagan warn us about it? We need to make our food to last."

"There is food in the desert though most know it not, it's not all wastes," said Ran battling with a fleshy bit. He nodded in the direction of Yamsoor. "He knows it, the badawin know it but many shamefully don't. Remember that the nanza come from down south and they have survived on these lands for as long as creation."

"That's where you got the crawler?"

"I hunted it."

Ssyba then turned her eyes thoughtfully to the others, her ears peeking towards the talk and the laughter. Starting out as a large group of twenty-four, the expedition force gradually congealed into smaller clumps, some groups of blood and brotherhood, some of common ground and some of rank. Among the latter, Fagan, Shan and Zioz had their place. Shan in particular felt at ease talking to Jayaza and even Yamsoor at times, due to his careful and polite attitude.

After that first day of camping, the pace had been forcefully hastened by Jayaza, they took less and less breaks and arduously marched further into the day, going past sunrise. However, the nanza grew restless and energetic, their nature demanded battle and savagery, movement and action, they couldn't be easily restrained by Jayaza even with the help of the oppressive sun. They began hunting the sands for scaly trout, rose-backs, twin-head salamanders and other varieties of edible fauna to supplement their ratios.

It was just as Ran had said, that to the curious eyes not blinded by desert anxiety and dread, the sand wastes were seething with life.

Ever since leaving the confines of Yasha'Lafiq, Ssyba had been afraid that her body would fail her, that she would fall behind the expedition, that she couldn't carry her own weight and become a liability. That certainly wasn't the case. In fact, Ssyba was far stronger than any of the present nanza-cats, somewhat surpassing even Ran in terms of robustness, and she easily kept pace alongside the humans in the front. This feat of endurance and strength was of course attributable to the vraja enhancements upon her body. Currently she had amplified her strength to be on par with an adult human and body density far greater than what was natural. Coupled with a newly healed body from previous injuries and strains, Ssyba could be said to be at the universal peak condition of the nanza-cat physique.

For a long time they had walked only southwards in order to reach the border with Efayan before the end of the fourth night. The planetary collision storm loomed vast and magnificent above them, wide as the horizon. Its peak swallowed the empty sky above like a dark monster and the dry mountains below lost and consumed by its endless elemental rage.

"Better keep up, don't stop sightseeing" urged the man named Derdal continuously, towards which the nanza mumbled angrily.

He spoke with a low and deep voice that oddly resonated across the expedition force. Although the nanza-cats harbored malicious intentions towards him, on the trail he was the undisputed leader and they did not dare act impudent. Even Jayaza and to a lesser degree Yamsoor kept their mouths shut in front of his authority.

Ssyba kept her expression indifferent. During the journey, she had always managed to follow tightly behind, and up until now her breathing was barely noticeable heavy. Only Ran, Fagan, Zioz and another panther-like nanza kept up the pace. Ran swept his gaze over Ssyba, showing a hint of praise. Fagan's look also softened a little towards her. In the beginning of the journey he had been slightly nervous about Ssyba's performance, but now he had to reevaluate her in the light of the past few nights. She had tolerance for exhaustion and the dry heat of the desert. Although her appetite was as large as Ran's, she had learned quickly to moderate her rations and supplement the daily meal with freshly caught desert fauna.

What Fagan saw was a diligent nanza with unmatched potential. A female version of Ran.

"Truly, the blood of our family is regal and strong," Fagan thought. Among the four siblings, three were matchless in capability and physical prowess and while Rauuka was still too young and has yet to prove herself, she was very beautiful and could still grow up to become a rightful nanza princess. In the right circles, she could even become part of a harem.

In front of the expedition force, Derdal's bald forehead split to reveal a dark purple orb that vaguely resembled a larger orb. His job was reconnaissance and was an expert pathfinder, the others followed his every move and acted accordingly. As the orb pulsated with a shadowy luster, he opened his mouth and he spoke:

"There is a grunt type izzia five to six hundred meters ahead. I suspect it to be a four-sword lean stalker."

"Halt!" shouted Jayaza.

"Numbers!" called Fagan instantly, and the nanza-cats assembled into ranks.

"Two… four… fifteen… eighteen? There's only eighteen. Who is missing?"

The nanza-cats glanced up and down their ranks and shrugged as they questioned one another. In the meantime, Yamsoor straightened his back and walked some way towards the direction of the unseen izzia stalker, his gaze flashing with concern. It was too dark to see much ahead, but he had an inkling.

Fagan returned to Jayaza to report:

"Lord, two are indeed missing. It has been confirmed to me that they walked that way in search of crawlers," he said, stepping forward and pointing in a direction.

"That is the direction of the izzia stalker," said Derdal.

"Can you investigate further?" asked Jayaza with a calm and collected tone.

Derdal nodded. He drank a potion and undid his boots. After a few moments, his bare feet transformed into what appeared to be fleshy tree roots and they dug deep under the sands.

"I have confirmation now. According to this method, the lean stalker ahead is indeed a four-swords grunt, though it appears to be in a catatonic state or otherwise it is stationary. Perhaps its overmind had been destroyed already and the creature was simply left behind."

"Or perhaps it's done killing the cats and it's feeding," said Yamsoor returning to the expedition force.

"What should we do?" asked Fagan.

"Engage. Either the cats are already dead, or the izzia is dormant and we have nothing to fear. Let's go," answered Jayaza after a short moment of consideration.

He ran in front and took the lead while preparing a set of potions to drink if need be. Although nanza-cats were expert hunters and had a keen sense of awareness, the four-swords lean stalker was a beast entirely created by the izzia swarm for the sole purpose of assassination. It could easily burrow under the sand and move silently as though through water, it had a lethal array of weapons and were relentless. If the two nanza-cats awakened it, they had no chance to face such a monster.

Derdal, who was ever in front of Jayaza, suddenly shouted:

"There it is, it awakened out of its dormancy!"

"What's the situation?"

The purple orb on Derdal's forehead pulsated one more time.

"There's no mistake, one of the nanza-cats is on the ground and I observed no more traces of life leaking into the nether. The other is fighting a losing battle against the izzia grunt."

Everyone's expression changed. Fagan rushed in front and demanded:

"Let's go join the battle!"

"It might not be advantageous," retorted Yamsoor. "If we battle the four-swords grunt, we might lose more nanza-cats and we need the cohesiveness of our force intact by the time we reach the Tomb. Right now we can quietly take a way around this place and leave the izzia stalker with only two kills. It's almost a fair trade."

Jayaza pondered, but Fagan walked in front of Yamsoor and crossed his arms indignantly.

"I'm not going to bleed my troops every time we engage with izzia monsters. We go and fight and try to save at least the one who is alive."

Hearing Jayaza, Yamsoor's expression went cold as ice but the nanza-cats set forth with newly found light and fervor in their eyes, and the respect they felt for Jayaza increased. Only by relying on one another could any group and unified force surpass the dangers of this world.

The expedition force moved through the night heading towards the location. Beyond the dunes in a small dusty valley, a lone nanza-cat was making a desperate stand against the izzia four-swords lean stalker. His name was Sielo, he was a rugged nanza with dark brown fur and slanted black eyes. His claws flashed from time to time as he fiercely battled the stalker, drawing the cold moonlight and sending traces against the darkness.

Sensing the incoming reinforcements, the izzia grunt rotated one of its many eye stalks and roared hauntingly. Its lean body was full of injuries and cuts and many eye stalks have already been severed or squished. It sensed the disadvantage and it escalated its efforts to decimate Sielo.

The monster was as tall as a towering man though it walked hunched at the back, its tail offered counterbalance and the beast could move exceptionally fast and agile. It mostly resembled a bipedal skinny bird with metal-like smooth feathers covering all the vulnerable parts. The head was lean and elongated and looked like a flower when it opened its terrifying many-jawed mouth, and all around the base of its arrowhead skull it had rows and rows of eye stalks, waving in motion like tendrils.

But the most eye-catching feature of this izzia grunt variant were its four arms, each ending in a great claw that looked like a sword of the same metal-like biological structure, giving its aforementioned nomenclature. The four-sword lean stalker was a beast designed by the izzia hive to annihilate its victim with viciousness and uncanny skill.

The expedition force did not get closer, but observed from a distance for a few moments. Jayaza's expression was unchanged as he watched silently.

Around this time, Sielo also realized the situation and began pacing backwards towards the expedition while dodging the incoming attacks.

"He isn't going to hang in there much longer," said Fagan.

"Four of the strongest nanza-cats will go forward with a vraja potion aid and bind the izzia's arms. Derdal will deal the killing blow, preserving the…"

"I can't!" interrupted Derdal.

"You can't?"

"I have used too much mana tracking and assessing the situation and I have not recovered nearly enough to unleash the lightning fang gaze."

"No matter, then I shall do the killing blow. Yamsoor, please enhance the nanza-cats and let's do this as cleanly as possible."

Yamsoor snorted but he still bent down and spit a transparent green substance at Jayaza's command. As instructed, the four chosen nanza-cats dipped their claws in that substance and immediately, their claws began glowing faintly with a green hue. These four were Ran, Zioz, the black panther-like Sibaud and another nanza-cat named Bulion.

"This is the binding gel potion. It's a grade one vraja potion that enhances the user's touch with an adhesive substance. This gel can expand and contract at will and it can even stick other surfaces together.

After Jayaza explained the effects of the potion, Fagan took over the lead and ordered the nanza-cats to their understanding:

"The four of you will go, battle the izzia grunt and bind its arms to the best of your ability so that it won't attack. Once it is done, lord Jayaza will go in and kill it swiftly in order to preserve its valuable body and preserve as much mana as possible, while keeping the rest of the expedition force as safe as possible."

Fagan instructed the chosen four and they all listened attentively. Seeing the nanza-cats taking their jobs seriously, Jayaza breathed a sigh of relief. This task of killing the izzia grunt would provide valuable information and a clear indication of what is to come in the Tomb of Ba.

The izzia grunt growled furiously and summoned all its strength in order to destroy its victim, the nanza Sielo. These beasts were biological machines designed with the sole purpose of killing, their natural faculties only revolved around that mission. Sielo had barely any strength left and his head was nearly struck from his body when suddenly, Ran intervened and parried the izzia's sword.

"Let us handle this!" said Zioz, jumping over Sielo and striking at the grunt.

However, the grunt's honed killer instincts allowed it to react quickly to protect its eyes and vulnerable parts at the base of its skull. While it blocked Zioz' claws and its other arm was bound to Ran, it swept its two remaining arms as if to hug Zioz in a sharp deadly embrace. It all happened in less than the blink of an eye, Zioz could not react quickly enough to such an encroaching strategy.

But at this moment, Sibaud burst forth and drew out his scimitar. All everyone saw was a white flash of metallic shine, then the next moment one of the grunt's arms flew in the air while the other attack was parried. It had all occurred too suddenly, Zioz was shocked for a moment before he regained his breath and quickly jumped away. His fervor and careless attitude nearly had him killed, but it looked like Sibaud was keen enough to save him.

"What was that?"

"I only saw the flash of a sword!"

"Is that one of us using a weapon?"

Everyone discussed the situation fervently and even the unimpressed Yamsoor opened his eyes slightly to give Sibaud a glance.

The other nanza, Bulion, joined Ran and Sibaud and used the binding gel to tie one of the arms to its hip. Within the span of a single breath, Sibaud jumped, performed a flip, gained momentum and severed the lean stalker's head with a single strike from above.

Zioz' eyes were shining with a bloodthirsty light the moment he saw himself outclassed in this instance. Growing up in Yasha’Lafiq, all that he ever wanted was to rise to fame, to gain an outstanding reputation to match Fagan's and ascend to become an Aspect of the nanza-cats. Untold prestige would come his way. But to think that he had been outmatched by a previously unknown nanza wielding a scimitar, this situation was beyond shameful.

Meanwhile, Sielo helplessly dragged himself to Fagan, and as he did this, Fagan ordered two other nanza-cats to drag the lifeless, torn body of their fellow.

"Lord Stabs…"

He hadn't even finished saying this sentence, when Fagan walked in front of him and kicked him ruthlessly, shouting with a vicious tone:

"What I require from you is utmost professionalism!"

Sielo fell down to the ground, his ragged clothes stained with blood from his wounds. He grimaced in pain and looked at Fagan with hatred. Fagan's expression turned cold as he raised his foot again. He nodded, allowing Sielo to climb back to his feet, before kicking him again. He fell to the ground.

During this whole performance, the other nanza watched in silence and solemnity, knowing better in their hearts than to intervene.

"All we wanted was…!" said Sielo as he stood up again, just before meeting face to face with Fagan's kick.

Fagan crossed his arms at his chest and stared down at this ragged nanza-cat fiercely. "Dare to say one more word?" Fagan indifferently spoke.

Sielo gave a vicious glare at Fagan as he crawled back up with difficulty, but he was kicked one more time.

"I don't like your expression," ultimately said Fagan.

Sielo lowered his head and climbed back to his feet in sour silence, not daring to look in Fagan's direction again. He was immediately helped up by some of his fellow nanza-cats and walked back within the expedition perimeter to receive treatment.

Looking at his departing figure, Shan asked:

"Strange, why were these two so arrogant as to purposefully ignore the quality of our unified formation?"

"This is normal. The moment we left Yasha'Lafiq and returned to the ancestral grounds of our specie, some of us have reverted back to their primordial selves," Fagan shrugged his shoulders, his gaze, however, coldly scrutinized his nanza-cat troupe.

"Does that mean that civilization is merely a pretense?"

"For many among us. In the city, our lives are cheaper than dirt and survival is made difficult by the whims of our human masters. We have to play it kittenish and bow our heads."

"But here in the desert we are in our natural element," Shan was instantly enlightened.

Some of the nanza-cats already displayed the pent up savagery of their kind, but quickly retrieved their gazes and looked at other things after they noticed Fagan's cold glance.

"We won't have to dwell between two worlds for long," thought Fagan with a ferocious scowl.

***

Jayaza's expression was shining like gold. He did not even have the chance to consume his offensive vraja potion, but this was for the best. He laughed loudly, ordering the expedition force to establish a camp and begin harvesting the izzia corpse for materials and loot, as well as recuperate their spirits and losses.

"Here my friend, let's have a drink!"

"Thank you, master Jayaza," said Sibaud, accepting the wine cup.

It was delicious and sweet. This victory was so significant, that Jayaza opened the last bottle of wine from their ratios.

From today onward, they would have to rely on extracting water from the air using vraja potions.

While all of this was happening, Ssyba joined Yamsoor in the task of processing the izzia corpse. She hoped that this way she would gain some knowledge in the ongoing task of acquiring power. After all, brewing potions was one of the most crucial things for an expert to ascend.

“They are incinerating Mali’s corpse, the fool,” said Ssyba, talking about the nanza-cat killed by the izzia grunt.

“It is how it’s done in the desert. We don’t want to leave any sloppy traces for other predators to follow,” said Yamsoor, bending over the izzia stalker. “Although we lost somebody, look at this beauty.”

“Are there really swarms full of these things?” said Ssyba frowning, crouching down to inspect the corpse.

“Swarms usually consist of thousands of them, and yet these aren’t even the most powerful variants. Common science says that within their physiognomic group, the closer they are to the humanoid form, the stronger they are.”

Ssyba’s pupils shrunk hearing this, and she suffocated a slight tremble at the thought of a thousand izzia grunts assaulting all at once. What class of being could take upon such a force and come out on top?

“This izzia grunt is a walking treasure. Look at how well preserved it is! That nanza cat can truly wield a blade, can't he?"

"Yes, though in our culture it is frowned upon to use weapons other than our claws," answered Ssyba, reminiscing over Sibaud’s execution.

“Really? You will have to tell me about it sometime,” said Yamsoor in good spirits.

"How useful is this corpse anyway?" went on Ssyba.

"It is intact and complete for once, fresh.”

"Does it matter?"

"It does because everything can be used, and the quality matters most. The skin, these metal feathers, bones, eyes, blood, brain, intestines. Generally speaking, the higher level an existence is, the more potent its body is, that’s why the most useful ingredients are so rare. Izzia grunts are not that valuable and we won't be able to use any of these materials right now, but we can store them away and still make a profit once we reach back home."

"Oh, there is such a thing?" asked Ssyba, feigning an innocent sense of interest. "How do you use these things?"

"The secret is having intimate knowledge over the natural processes of the world and enough mana to spare in order to imbue water with it.”

"Intimate knowledge you say?" said Ssyba, raising her sparkling eyes at Yamsoor.

"Yes, deep and intimate... What is the difference between a normal bird feathers and this izzia grunt feather?"

"The izzia feather is made out of metal," answered Ssyba.

"Correct, that's right. So if I wanted to brew a vraja potion from the metal discipline, what would I use?"

Ssyba eyed Yamsoor in a coquettish manner and slid closer to him, saying:

"I'm guessing the izzia feather."

"You are a natural just as Jayaza said," applauded Yamsoor.

"Teach me some more, I'm very interested," purred Ssyba further, placing emphasis on the right words in order to lure this fool in.

In Ssyba's initial estimations of Yamsoor, he was a nanza lover.