“Move faster, Lani.” Toah was nudging me from behind.

Our flight away from the Ryoken lands was over the watery straight and onto the continental mainland. From there, we would reach Capara. The currents were strong and windy. I was sweating and sick in my stomach from the heat. The arid climate below us would continue, even into the mountains. Beyond that, it became slightly cooler, until we reached the mesas. It was unbearably dry.

My jet-pack struggles in the heat and sun. Below me, I could see the sparse vegetation. The cupping patterns bunched together in patches, near succulent perennials. My eyes dart below me and I look at the different colors of speckled vegetation. The endless distance was tiring, but had a calming effect when I thought of nothing. Sometimes I would even see the animals below, chasing each other for fun and looking up at us. I adjust my back against my jet-pack and let the sweat drip away. Maur blows a loud whistle and others follow suit. We land to take another break.

Maur had already lost men while flying. They veered off from heat exhaustion and crashed wildly onto the ground below. We tried to block out the sun with massive banners and patchwork of cloth. No one wanted to carry them or be put on scouting duty. Everyone wanted to stay in the shade, or strip down to minimal clothing and be carried in the air. We all became used to it, including Maur. It was survival. Every loss seemed calculated. It bothered me more than Maur or Toah. I hear a strong tap. Maur lands near me and speaks, facing the wrong person.

“Drink some water, Lani. Pour some water on your head. We must continue.”

“I'm over here,” I say.

Twenty minutes later, everyone complains as we head back into the sky. I feel refreshed from the dripping water and we resume our flight under the sun. Soon, those on spraying duty would dowse us with water on our front sides as we fought another day. The mountains ahead had reservoirs and our shares supply would be replenished. I change my controller hand to keep my hands fresh. It felt like time was running away again, and our next break was getting further away.

Without warning, my eyes begin to flutter. A mass of blinding lights hits our eyes from distance shields. I blink with spots in my vision. Everyone is slow to react, as shouting gets louder with the sound of an ambush. A sharp whistle sounds. Before I can dodge, several other Caparans collide into us. One of Maur's rivals was attacking us. Time because still. An air collision startles me. I hear the crack of the first to make impact, instantly killing both attacker and victim. The shards from their shields rain glass onto the ground below.

“Desparsa Amorora!” someone shouts.

Hums and whistles rush by me, too quick to see. The sun blares, as the shading banners are abandoned. My heat rises, as if we were a nest of bees defending a hive from a foreign threat. Gunshots go off and people start killing each other in the air. I move my controller forward to gain speed. Others fall in with me, as we try to pass through, and cut our foes along our flight path.

The dark blurs pass me. I wince, afraid of a head-on collision. Several next to me impact and die. I roll to my side avoiding a falling body. The deafening cracks were worse than the bullets from my gun. I was firing in a straight path, to clear the way in front of me. Suddenly, a passing enemy snags my armor and spins me out of formation. Several others scream as poisoned hooks pierce their shoulders. I drop my gun to gain control. I could always swoop down and pick it up later. Another impact knocks me off course. I bump into one of my allies. I tumble to the ground as my controller is whipped from my flailing arm. It floats up, batted out of reach the wind.

Everything goes from sunny to black in an instant. I open my eyes and skid across the arid landscape. I pummel over knobs of dead brush as I try pull my controller in. A short distance ahead, I see a giant explosion of topsoil and dust.

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Maur's rival, Desparsa, was in front of me. He had pictures on his armor of ferocious beasts eating men and women. He grins at me with deep rooted sadism. His gums and lips seemed to recede on his approach. I could see his mouth under his visor.

I skid to a halt. I desperately grab my controller wire, to pull it closer. Desparsa steps on my controller smashing it with his heavy armor. He looks at me for a while, happy I was a smaller living creature. It would be an easy and tantalizing kill. I horror, I watch him eject his knee-blade and hacks it down on my face with his arm.

A collision knocks him back. It was Maur. The two skid across the landscape, as Maur ejects his knee-blade. It was stuck in Desparsa's arm, never cutting it off like intended. Maur flies off and Desparsa flies after him. The two enter the battle as it rages above me.

Fear overtakes me and I weigh my options in a split second. I tuck in my body and cover it with my shield. People shout. Debris and deadly shards from above pelt my shield in random order. I wait until the death and collisions stop. A piece of steaming jet-pack hits near me, nearly cutting off my foot. The dust settles over me. The ambush ends quickly. Someone lands nearby and I grab my knife and ready myself. My shield is pulled aside and Toah helps me up with a sneer.

“Hiding behind your shield like a coward?”

I stare at Toah. “My controls are broken,” I point staggeringly.

“Good thing you Ryoken are dead and gone. We don't need more cowards in our world,” he sighs, catching his breath.

“We still have some people.” I say angrily. “We're going to kill you!”

Toah doesn't respond. He shakes head, then glances at my knife and walks away.

We land to make camp. The day goes by collecting equipment from the fallen.

It was finally getting cold again. The complaints about the heat and crackling ground were dying off. Everyone was tired of the scenery and exhausted from battle. My tent was next to Toah's. Maur had his tent nearby. The campfires were already made and ready to light for cooking, smoking, and future warmth. Everyone was drinking water. I take an endless drink and Toah gives me a disgusted look. Maur takes a seat with us as it gets darker. His face was buried in a map that he already knew by heart. His eyes were starting to fill with black. The map is folded and tucked away.

“Why did Desparsa attack us?,” I ask.

“The high priest must have allowed him. It means our numbers are too large. He wouldn't want the future king inheriting too much power.”

Maur sits and thinks some more. He expected an attack, he just didn't know from who. Even with our smaller numbers, we managed to repel Desparsa. He wanted to heal his arm before the fight for the crown and he had failed to eliminate his rival.

I was already busy repairing my damaged controls. I was re-attaching a working one to the wires and it took my concentration. Someone starts to light the campfire and Maur sits quietly. Nothing seemed to disturb him, not even the growing blur in front of him.

“Are you sad about the ones, who died?” I ask.

Maur looks at me.

“If you knew my people, pity would be a better word.”

I couldn't feign sadness and feel right inside, Maur was that way toward his men. He kept the ones he cared about in separate groupings. It helped keep the toxic from mixing in. I pull out my diary and begin to write.

The Caparans are supposed bow their heads to their master. You can always spot a traitor, though. He bows his head without a complaint.”

“Maur, sir. We don't have time to write in diaries. We have more work to do.”

I hear Toah's voice as he points to me. He calls out to Maur again, but he gets no answer. The sun finally sets and the many colors die with it. Toah moves closer to us and takes a seat on a small rock.

Maur ignores him and takes out a small charm. It was a small hourglass with sand in it. The gold chain wraps around his charcoal gloves as he holds his charm in his palm. He stares at it, then puts it in a pouch. Finally, he answers Toah.

“For God's sake, Toah. Let me rest. The pew is full and no one wants your donation.”

Toah bows to Maur. He walks away and tries to keep himself busy. Maur glares at me and nods. I could tell her cared. We both wanted to be somewhere else. It was always a hassle getting everyone to leave the small villages we found on the way. It wouldn't be too much longer until we reached massive city of Capara. I wondered what it was like being there.