Valor’s throat was on fire, and he woke coughing up wet clumps of sand.

“Welcome back,” Diargo said, his body still curled protectively around him.

“ughhhhh, my throat feels like someone shoved a torch down it.”

“Worse, sand” Diargo’s voice was bitter, he let a handful of sand fall through his massive fingers.

There was a grown from underneath and he suddenly very aware that he was still lying on top of the Machari, his chest covering the man’s face.

“Hopefully- “Valor’s voice caught in his throat, he swallowed his own saliva and grimaced as it stung his throat. “Hopefully he’s okay.”

Diargo gently pushed himself upwards, careful not to bump his head on the translucent crystal above him.

“This one is strong,” The ape gave the unconscious man a critical eye, “his galden is powerful, like a beast.”

Valor nodded his head and watched the Machari, the black mask still snug on the man’s face. “He sent out a beacon, that’s how I knew he was here.”

“Then how come I didn’t feel it.” The Trykoori bent to sniff him.

The gorilla crinkled his nose, the Machari stunk of despair, like prey in predator’s jaws.

“Couldn’t tell ya big guy.” He pushed himself to his feet, groaning as his stiff muscles screamed in protest.

He craned his neck to look up at the crystal dome, it was dark all around them, and no light shone through the ceiling.

“Storm done?”

Diargo nodded and looked at his brother, his amber eyes blinking slowly. “We’re buried underneath this Domhain forsaken sand.”

The Trykoori scooped up the Machari with one hand, the man’s head and limbs dangling. With his free hand, he placed an open palm on the ceiling. The crystal melted away like water, and the bright Kypeeran sun started to shine through as rivers of sand poured in.

“Ah, fresh air.” Diargo stood still for a moment, enjoying the sun and a slight breeze.

Valor agreed, the air in the dome at gone quite stagnant. It stunk like two unwashed racers and a hairy Beast. He climbed up Diargo, using his friend’s thick fur as grip. He gazed out at the desert surrounding them, the entire landscape had changed. The dome looked as though it had been placed in a hole, the top of it was flush with the level of the ground. There was a muffled thump behind him, and he turned around to see the Machari sprawled awkwardly just outside the opening. A low groan escaped from the man’s lips which were flattened against the sand covered crystal dome.

“Did you throw him!”

There was no reply, the ape was too busy pulling himself through the top of the dome. The gorilla grunted as he tried to squeeze himself through the hole, slightly too big to fit smoothly.

“What?” He said, finally able to stand on the sand.

“Never mind, let’s go.” Valor said, shaking his head, “Stop trying to squeeze through holes too small for you. Just make it bigger, you can do that you know.”

Diargo snorted indignantly and lightly pounded the sand with his knuckles, “The sand would have poured in.”

He patted the gorilla’s thigh with mock sympathy, “I know buddy, trykoowri scawred of sand.”

A meaty finger poked his forehead with enough force to the knock him off his feet. He howled in pain and rubbed the spot on his head. “Why so HARD.”

A cloud of steam was blown in his face from the Gorilla’s flared nostrils inches away from his own. “You keep it up, and you’ll be the one carrying the Machari.”

Valor couldn’t keep a straight face and burst into laughter before the burning in his lungs forced him into another coughing fit.

He climbed his way up Diargo’s back “Grab and the Machari and let’s move.”

The ape obliged and retrieved the limp body, he twisted around to place it front of his rider, “I’m assuming we’re going to deliver him to Machar.”

“He’s not our prisoner, we’re just giving him a lift.” Valor stared forward, ignoring the raised eyebrows of his friend. “In return for some information.”

They broke off into a slow jog, heading towards the edge of the desert, “You dragged us through that storm for information.”

“And to save his life!” He struggled to find a comfortable spot to rest the man’s head, whose limp body was already attempting a getaway. “Why else.”

“To put him out of his misery”

Valor opened his mouth to laugh but stopped and narrowed his eyes, “You’re not serious are you.”

The big gorilla snorted and blinked some sand out of his eyes, “obviously not, I had assumed we would give him a lift on our way to Machar,” He bared his great fangs, “We have important business there, like winning races.”

“Agreed, but you had to have felt it, my galden TOLD me to come out here, to find him.”

“I felt something… My driving motivation to crush our opponents in Machar.” His voice was light, but there was no denying the voracious appetite of his ambition.

Valor rolled his eyes, but he felt it too, the stirring in his heart. Had he really come out here to help man. To save the broken Machari? Something other than good intentions drove him out here.

“The stadium in Machar is supposed to be beautiful.”

“I’m sure it’s quite attractive”

Valor nodded, he could feel a growing excitement in his stomach, “You know what the best part is gonna be.”

Diargo ground his teeth, “Crushing our opponents into dust.”

He thought about that, eventually nodding to himself, “Ok second-best part…”

The gorilla paused questioningly, looking at Valor out of the corner of his eye.

“No sand!”

Diargo bellowed into the air, a gut-wrenching cry of victory, “NO SAND!”

***

It took a day of hard travelling before the Machar finally stirred. The man’s limp head, raised and he mumbled something incoherent.

“Di stop, he’s waking up.”

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Their pace slowed to a full stop and lowered his body, allowing the two to slid off his back. The Machar’s eyes fluttered open. He took a moment to look at Valor and then at the surrounding location. His eyes shifting in and out of focus.

“So, I did survive her wrath.” The man groaned again and grabbed his head. His mask was lopsided, so he quickly adjusted it and glared at Valor. “I suppose you’re to blame for that”.

“I found you in that storm, nearly died getting to you.”

Diargo bent forward and leaned his face close the Machari, “He saved your life.”

The machari flicked his dark hood over his head. nodded respectfully to the gorilla, and then glared at Valor. “So, you’re an idiot.”

“I- wait what?”

He straightened himself up and began to wipe off the dust that was covering his long dark robes. He turned his hooded face to look at them, his eyes glinting in the shadows.

“It’s a simple question.”

Diargo snorted and placed massive arm between the two humans, his amber eyes glowing with contempt.

The Machari bowed to the Beast. “I meant no disrespect Great one, please pardon me if my words insulted you, my question regards the human only.”

Diargo blinked and then bared his fangs in a fearsome smile, he removed his arm and took a step back. “I like this guy.”

Valor gave him an incredulous look, “He just insulted me.”

The ape shrugged with a lopsided grin.

“I know you’re not mute, I heard you speaking just moments ago.” The machari said, his eyes unreadable.

“Look dude, I risked my life to save you. Without me the storm would have buried you.”

The Machari scoffed and muttered, “as was her will. Domhain wished to take me that night, it was not your place to deny that.”

Valor girtted his teeth, “If you didn’t want to be saved, why did you send out that signal.”

The glinting eyes vanished for a moment, “It wasn’t meant for you...”

The man’s posture changed, his hooded head stooped a little lower and his shoulders started sag. Diargo and Valor exchanged a look.

“My name’s Valor, and the Trykoori is Diargo.”

The man raised his head and slowly turned to look back at Valor, his eyes looked lost and faded underneath the brim of his hood.

“Col,” the man grunted, “well I’ll be on my way, thanks for saving my worthless life. Goodbye Diargo, it was an honour.”

“Okay, see you later.”

“Hey wait a minute!” Valor’s forehead bunched, “You can’t just walk away, how do you expect to make it on foot.”

Col waved away the words, “I really don’t.”

“His soul is broken. Can you feel it.”

Valor continued to glare at Col, who marched forward into the setting the sun, not bothering to look back. “Of course, I can feel it, it’s like my dad’s.”

Diargo grunted in agreement, and he sat down into the sand with a crash.

“We can’t let him leave, Di.”

The ape yawned and watched Col’s silhouette grow smaller. “You just want to steal his fighting techniques.”

The sky was darkening quickly, very soon the temperature would drop drastically. The shadows from the sand dunes were long, making the desert seem even more vast and endless.

“It’s not stealing! It’s- It’s learning, I’m going to LEARN from him, he can be my teacher.”

Diargo crinkled his nose and gave the human a look, but he knew it was pointless to argue. He couldn’t help but admit that Col made him uneasy. His grief was as concealing as the mask on his face, he couldn’t quite get a sense of the who the man was. What he was capable of.

Valor was already running after the man, “Col! hey Col, come back!”.

With a shout of frustration, Col turned around. “If I was thankful for the rescue I would have said so… I’m not.”

With pursed lips Valor placed a hand on his shoulder. “I realize that. It’s not a thank you I’m looking for.”

Col shrugged the hand off and glared, “I don’t share my personal space with outsiders.”

“You did a whole lot of sharing while you were unconscious,” Valor said, his smile widening.

Col pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, “What do you want.”

“I don’t know how often you come here, but the nights get real friggen cold. Even the Sand horns don’t like it.” Valor pointed at the sun setting behind them, “I figured that you might as well spend one more warm night, and then you can find somewhere to die… comfortably.”

Col saw the sun, slowly drowning in the endless sand. He could already feel the temperature drop, goosebumps rose on his neck. His heart ached for his companion. The warmth of the fur enveloping him as he slept. He would be cold forever.

“There is a chill…” Col crinkled his nose as Valor’s smile grew even wider. “Wipe that damn smile of your face and I’ll join you.”

“It’s a deal, I don’t smile much anyways, Diargo’s pretty boring.”

“Distance doesn’t matter when I can hear your thoughts, sand-head.”

Col begrudgingly started to follow him, his long black robes lightly waving in the cool nights breeze.

“You know, you shouldn’t insult the Trykoori. Domhain has blessed us with the company of these beasts.”

“Now this is a human that knows what he’s talking about it.”

“Trust me, you don’t need to give me the ‘Great Order’ lesson, that’s something my Father drilled into my head… It’s the OGD that may need a couple of lectures.”

Col’s dark eyes flashed at the mention of the OGD, “That’s something you and I can agree on.” He hissed the words through his teeth. “They possess quite a disturbing vision for the- WAIT.”

Col stopped dead in tracks, his hand outstretched to Valor. He was staring at a spot in the sand only a few feet in front of them.

“What, what is it.” Valor said, panic rising in his chest as he heard Col’s alarming tone.

“Do you know what that is?” Col hissed the words through his teeth, his eyes locked on the position.

Valor followed his finger and then he saw it, a shallow depression in the sand. An almost perfect circle, its border was right at his feet. “Shit.”

“Valor?”

He didn’t dare take his eyes off the mark in the sand. “We found a Grevet.”

The alarm in Diargo’s voice was evident, “I’ll get him.”

“No! He’ll feel you coming, we might be able to slip by.” Out of his peripheral vision Valor could see the Trykoori’s massive shape start to move and then stop.

“Domhain gets her way” Col continued to stare at the center of the circle, his eyes glinting in the darkness. “Domhain has sent an assassin, I will be with Sikill soon.

“Col?” Valor had drawn the two swords that were strapped his back. He fixed his body into a defensive crouch. “You may be prepared to die, but I’m sure as hell not- “

The Grevet struck, its massive tail shot out of the sand like a whip, the bright emerald scales glimmered in the evening glow. Valor ducked with lightning speed; a reaction fueled by the lifeblood that pumped powerfully in his veins. The barbed tail cracked loudly in the air as it missed its target. In an instant he rolled to the side and turned to face the Beast that exploded out of the sand. Long emerald jaws snapped violently for his head, but he leapt backwards narrowly avoiding the jagged teeth. The lizard hissed in frustration, its powerful legs scrambling in the sand as it awkwardly pulled itself from it’s hiding place. Valor took advantage of the opportunity and the charged the beast, his right sword raised above his hand while the other was in held in backwards grip at his side. The lizard hissed again, and dodged the downward slash of Valor’s sword, but failed to dodge the second. The blade bit into scaly claws as the lizard lifted a leg to protect itself, screaming in pain and rage. In the same breath he saw the beast raise its tail. Idiot! So much for careful planning and proper execution, he couldn’t even keep track of his enemy’s limbs. Valor tried to back out, but the Grevet stomped on his foot with a massive scaly hand. Strategically pinning him in one spot. He kicked himself for his poor battle placement, a woefully ignorant action. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the loud crack of the tail, the song of death. He mourned how painful the venom would be, he didn’t want Diargo to experience the agony as well.

CRACK!

Valor opened his eyes to the sound of the beast howling in the anger. No searing pain or agonizing muscle spasms, it missed.

“Fool.” Col hissed, “Get out of the way.”

He looked up in amazement. Col stood above him; his hand grasped firmly around the barbed end of the Grevet’s tail. Sweat dripped off his nose as he struggled to hold the tail still. His dark eyes were unrecognizable as he glared at the Grevet from underneath his hood. Valor heard a wolf like snarl escape from the mask.

His eyes flicked down to Valor, who was still frozen in his crouch. “I said, Get out. Of. The way.”

Valor didn’t need a third warning, he dove out of harms way and whirled around to face the Grevet once more. Col released the tail and cleared the distance between him and the lizard in the blink of an eye. The Grevet hissed again, radiating a new sense of uncertainty. Col pounced on its back before it could strike again. He raised his hand to attack, and the brief glint of cold steel could be visible. When sliced his hand across the nape of the Lizards neck it dropped instantly. Col walked calmy out of a cloud of dust and sand towards him, the corpse of the Beast behind him.

“She’s testing me…” Col muttered and placed a hand on Valor’s shoulder. “It was not your time.”

The man’s hood remained on his head, his face was nearly invisible underneath the setting sun. His eyes had lost the predatory fire, and he looked at Valor with same lost sadness he had before.

“I’m cold, let’s go”.