Short chapter, sorry for late release. I've been contemplating changing the title of the story to something that makes sense. Any ideas readers?

Also, I was thinking of putting the chapter parts together into regular full chapters to make it easier to read. Good idea?

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Opening up his right fist, Borin makes a grabbing motion. Ulia jumps towards me as her hammer flies back into her hand. Her attention is now entirely taken by Borin.

Where Ulia once stood, I can make out a little shimmer in the air that suddenly pushes away the sand. Most likely the wind, but I don’t know what manipulating radiation can do, or what abilities radiation grants.

“You can’t hit worth shit!”

Ulia shouts out at Borin, and throws her hammer once again, a little spark appearing between her finger and the handle of the hammer. It flies towards Borin, and he simply bends backwards, the hammer flying over him. He smirks at Ulia.

“Yer’ still can’t control that hammer of yers’.”

“Really? I wonder..”

Narrowing her eyes, Ulia begins to make shapes with her fingers, and the hammer stops only a few yards away from Borin, and immediately starts spinning, the sound of the air being forcibly pushed becomes audible. Borin immediately pales, and begins to wave his hands around, similar to a mime but much more fluid of a motion.

From the hammer, sparks ensue, and pelt the area in a shower of electricity. It bounces off of Borin, and the sparks that surround me disappear instantly. Although I am but a spectator, I am being drawn into the battle.

Borin stops his waving motion when the sparks all disappear, and he then pulls out from out of nowhere, a bastard sword easily double his height. The hammer flies back into Ulia’s outstretched grasping hand, and the two stare at each other for a while.

Borin makes the first move as he runs forward, his feet kicking up the sand behind him, the sword leaving a trail as it is dragged in the sand.

“Ha! You still have that toy Borin?”

Ulia sneers at Borin’s sword, and she hits the sand with her hammer, causing sparks to fly out from her hammer and into the sand. I half-expected the earth to move apart like a faultline, but instead tiny particles of sand begin to rise in the air.

Small sparks dance upon each particle, each particle beginning to vibrate enough to cause it to be audible. Borin begins to spin around with his sword, looking similar to a bola, and clears away the obviously dangerous sand. After a few seconds, Borin stops to look around. His beard scrunches up when he lifts his eyes upwards, to find the sun blotted out by a shadow.

I watch as Ulia comes crashing down onto Borin, causing his sword to spiral and dig deep into the sand. With only one arm free, Borin fiercely punches Ulia in the face, just as she is lifting her hammer above the two of them.

Being punched away from her mounted position, Ulia spits out some blood trickling down her chin, smiling her bloody smile.

“Just like old times, eh Borin?”

Replying with a grunt, Borin stands up and grabs the hilt of his sword, effectively pulling it out of the ground and facing its bladed edge towards Ulia. He grins, but I only see a red smile, and a red beard.

He charges forward, straight at Ulia’s kneeled position. When he runs into her range, she swings the hammer against his legs. Borin jumps over her, and while going heels over head, he swings his blade upon her back. Ulia sees this happening out of the corner of her eye, before she goes sprawling out into the sand, the hammer only a few inches from her loose fingers.

I make my way over to Ulia, and bend over to pick up the hammer.

“No, don’t take her livelihood from her.”

I look up at Borin staring at me, and I back away from the hammer and Ulia’s still form. Borin sheaths the bastard sword on his back, walking over to Ulia and kneeling down next to her.

“And just like old times, yer’ still lost. Funny, meh thought age would make yer’ grow into an adult. But yer’ still a kid.”

Borin strokes away at Ulia’s hair, brushing it behind the ear.

I turn around quickly, to not disturb such a precious moment. Although, I don’t exactly know what kind of ‘precious’ this would be going towards. I smile slightly as I realize my wit, and I look off out into the sky, as I see yellow clouds and a nice blue line crossing through the clouds, off to who knows where.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

I point out the blue line to Borin, after he had decided to stand up from his touching moment.

“Is that a natural phenomenon? It looks spectacular.”

Hearing no reply, I look behind me to see a white, pale face covered with his big beard.

“D-d-d-d-damn. We need to hurry for ther’ next city.”

“Why? Is that blue line in the sky something dangerous?”

“No, but ther’ things that thing may attract can definitely be dangerous.”

“What things Borin?”

Ignoring the question Borin begins to drag Ulia to where the pit was, and like a sandbag she is tossed over its edge. I gape at the scene, but quickly shut my mouth as I see a plume of dirt out in the distance. Borin looks at me, then looks at where the dust trail is, and he becomes more frantic. Using his hands and power, he brings me over to him forcefully, and begins to run at a speed that on my feet, I would never be able to keep up with.

The dust cloud begins to get bigger as we start running in a direction away from it. Whatever is causing Borin to be scared, is a hell of a lot faster than Borin himself.

“Borin, we can’t keep running. It looks like whatever you’re scared of is faster than you.”

Borin only pants as exhaustion begins to take the toll on his mind and body, and only after a few minutes of running that would put sport cars to shame, he collapses on his hands and knees.

“Boy… ha.. Yer’ gonna hav to… fight.”

I nod at his statement, as Borin looks like he couldn’t even swat a fly, or whatever is the equivalent of a fly on this planet.

I turn myself around to look at the dust cloud, and I stretch out my arms, cracking my knuckles and popping my elbows. I cross my arms, and I sit down upon the hot sand, in the middle of nowhere with the blue light to my left and an enigma to my right.

It doesn’t take long for a body of some gigantic lizard to make it’s appearance in front of me. When it draws close enough to either smell or see me, it flicks out a forked tongue and starts heading towards me and Borin.

I grimace as I make out the size of the lizard before my eyes, as it continues to get bigger as it draws closer. At least two stories tall, and a body the size of a nuclear submarine, I couldn’t see how I would fight this thing, and the reason for Borin’s apparent fear was made a reality before me.

Taking long strides with its humongous feet, the lizard that highly resembles a Komodo dragon quickly reaches in front of my still, but shaking form. The sun itself gets blocked by the overly large shadow this creature cast upon the ground.

I shakingly stand up off the ground, and attempt to look directly at the lizard’s eyes. It looks straight at me as it finally reaches in front of me. I get into my battle stance, my tail sweeping across the ground. Steam hisses off of my cybernetic arm as I prepare for a battle, even if there was no chance of winning.

With a loud crash, the bottom of the lizard suddenly hits the ground, causing me to slightly go off balance, and I look at the eyes of the lizard. I see no malicious intention directed at me, but rather something else. I look over at Borin who was supposed to be wheezing and panting, only to find his dimension pocket where he once was.

I turn back to the lizard, and it tilts its head at me, and its tail begins to shake.

I suddenly realize the look in the eyes of the lizard, it’s adoration! Although creepy, but I can’t question good luck.

The lizard and I continue to stare as the clock in my brain continues to tick by. I hear Borin stepping onto the sand, and his shouting.

“Why ther’ hell are yer’ having a starin contest!? Kill it!”

I hear his feet pitter patter as I look into the lizard’s eyes. It lowers its head to the ground, and seeing this as a sign to let me on, I bound towards the head and hop on, sitting down relaxedly.

“Hey Borin! Hop on, this guy’s all right!” I shout out to Borin’s confused figure.

“How ther hell do yer know?!” Borin shouts out worried/angry.

“Because I’m dominant!” I say with absolute fake confidence, as who can say that they only stared down a lizard to allow it to give them a ride?