The sun shone low over the desert sands, when Talasin and his three companions made camp for the day.

The sky was clear of clouds, and it looked like the weather would hold out until morning, when they hoped to end their fast march in the village of Kadrak.

The four travelers were tired and hungry. They rested for a few hours to catch their breaths, but they still had work to do before they could settle in for the night.

“Did you just put clean socks on dirty feet?” Garnet asked as she pulled on her night cloak and fastened the sword on her hip.

Talasin looked up from his leather boots, “What?” He shook his head in confusion. “I guess so. Is there something wrong with that?”

Garnet rolled her eyes, “You are an animal, that's all I'm saying.”

He shrugged one shoulder and continued tying the laces of his boots, “When you are finished with your baby rant, can we get back to the mission.”

Garnet threw him a look of mock annoyance.

“We are south of K'rith Vatali in the Arid Steppes,” Talasin said as he stood up and dusted the sand from his cloak. “If we rest in the warmest hours of the day and travel in the cool hours of the morning and late afternoon, then we should reach our destination by sunset tomorrow.”

Wren, the thief cleared her throat, “Um, one question?” she asked. “Why does the princess get to go hunting with you while Raithen and I are left collecting wood?”

Talasin tied his half empty water skin onto his belt before meeting her eye. “Because—”

“Because,” interrupted Garnet. “I'm the only one that's hunted in these parts before.”

“You are still injured,” Wren demanded. “I'm the stealthiest, if we need to get close to our prey, then I'm the best choice.”

“You don't even have a weapon,” retorted Garnet.

“Give me your sword,” said Wren.

“Just shut up!” snapped Talasin. “Garnet knows these parts better than any of us. She’s coming with me and that's final.”

Raithen fingered the silver ring on his finger and chuckled, “Why would you break up a cat fight, they were just about to get physical.”

Garnet and Wren stared daggers at the ex-leader of the Sewer Rats.

“We are all hungry, scared and frustrate,” said Talasin. “I get it. But right now, every decision we make is crucial. We don't have the luxury of making mistakes. We need food, and we need to send word of K'rith Vatali's fall.”

He looked back at smoke on the horizon where the great city had stood only days before. He shook his head, “If the demon's conquered the Desert Jewel so easily, what would stop them from taking the whole of Ivalice?”

Grunts of ascent answered his question.

“Fine,” said Wren, and she shot a nervous glance at Raithen. “We've got a lot of ground to cover if we are going to reach Kadrak tomorrow. If you are going hunting, then you should go now.”

Raithen stretched out lazily in the sand and winked at Garnet, “Wake me when the foods ready,” he said before pulling up his hood and covering his eyes.

“Just don't get killed out there,” said Wren.

Garnet looked at Raithen then back to Wren. “You be safe too.”

----------------------------------------

Talasin gripped his short sword, he still missed the two-handed sword he'd lost in the sewers. It had taken him years to get comfortable swinging such a large weapon. He didn't miss the weight, or the length of it. What he missed was the feeling of power it gave him and after everything he’d been through, he really wished he had some power on his side.

Garnet strode purposely beside him, her hand resting on her long sword.

He watched her from the corner of his eye. She was the councilor of K'rith Vatali's youngest daughter, which should have meant she was a spoiled rich kid but the more he got to know her the more he realized that she was far from that.

Garnet was as tough as nails and refused to let anyone push her around. It was obvious she was tired and still injured. Her face was pale, her lips were cracked and bleeding from dehydration.

They were all exhausted. It had been over a week since they'd fled the burning city and food, water and a good night's sleep felt like distant memories.

His lips tightened as he surveyed the barren desert. The rocks and sand that surrounded them were stark and lifeless. There wasn't a single plant in sight, not even shrubs or cacti. He wasn't feeling optimistic about their chances of finding food.

Garnet kicked a loose stone and cursed.

“Something bothering you?” asked Talasin.

Garnet shook her head.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“Raithen?” asked Talasin.

She looked at him and nodded. “I can feel his eyes on me all the time. It makes my skin crawl.”

“He's a pervert, but he seems harmless enough.”

“Wren didn't seem to think so,” said Garnet.

“You think he’ll harm the girl?”

Garnet shrugged, “She was nervous about being left alone with him.”

“You should have said something,” he snapped. “We should go back.”

Garnet shook her head. “The needs of the many out way the needs of the few. We have a job to do, Wren will have to take care of herself. I just don't have to be happy about it.”

Talasin didn't like the thought of leaving Wren to fend for herself, but he agreed with Garnet’s wisdom. They needed the energy a hearty meal provided to carry them through the desert. There would be dangers ahead, there always were.

“Let's make this quick,” he said. “What are we even hunting out here?”

Garnet looked about her a final time before swinging her gaze to him. “My father brought my sister and I here to hunt whooping hares, whilst him and his guards hunted wild gruffalo.”

Talasin raised his sword, “With these weapons,” he shrugged. “There's no chance of bringing down something as large as a gruffalo.”

Garnet nodded, “But with some luck we might find a hare's warren or at the very least a couple of fiery newts.”

Talasin snorted, “Fiery newts?”

“They are real and hot as hell,” said Garnet. “My father used to cook them up with sweet onions, gruffalo milk and Vatali shade peppers.” She smiled. “I would prefer some coconut cream shaved ice right now, but beggars can't be choosers.”

“Sounds like your father raised you as sons,” said Talasin.

“What's that supposed to mean?” said Garnet. “You don't think girls would enjoy hunting and camping in the desert?”

“Did you?”

“No... but that's not the point.”

“I am just saying—”

“I know what you're trying to say,” said Garnet. “The fact is, I'm a girl, and you think I shouldn't be doing this. You think girls should be sitting at home, learning how to sew dresses whilst playing cards and drinking tea.”

Talasin sighed, “That's not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“I—what I meant is, I don't care if you're a girl.”

“Of course you do. We both know men hate women who aren't weak and helpless.”

“Shhh!”

“Don't shhh me.”

“No, shhh,” said Talasin. “I hear something.”

Garnet stopped dead and listened intently. After a moment, she let out a small sigh of disappointment. “You probably heard my stomach rumbling.”

Talasin frowned and walked forward slowly, holding his short sword ready.

He reached the edge of a high dune and peered out over the vast expanse of sand below.

After a minute of silence he heard a series of thuds, scrabbling sounds on rock, followed by an unmistakable high-pitched scream.

“What the hell was that?” Garnet whispered. “It didn't sound human.”

“It wasn't,” said Talasin. “It sounded like a wyvern.”

“Can we eat those?”

“They are giant, bat-like monsters that suck the blood from their victims,” said Talasin. “Do you really want to eat that?”

Garnet shrugged, “Right now, I'm so hungry I could eat the ass off of a dead donkey.”

Talasin looked at her and smiled. “Let's hope it doesn't come to that.”

----------------------------------------

As they moved along the dune, they heard more screams, this time further away. Talasin clutched his sword hilt tighter.

“This way,” he said, pointing into the desert ahead.

They made their way slowly forward, keeping a careful eye out for anything that might attack them.

“Can you smell that?” asked Garnet.

Talasin nodded. “Rotting flesh.”

A large batlike creature, the size of a horse, flapped its leathery wings and released a high-pitched ear-piercing screech as the crested the dune.

“Wyvern?” asked Garnet.

Talasin nodded and held his sword out in front of him. His eyes darted all about, taking in the details of the grizzly scene, without focusing on the obvious horror of it.

A man lay on the ground, his head half ripped from his body. His intestines spilled across the sand. His entrails were tied up in a long rope that led back into the desert. There was no sign of who had done this.

The wyvern had been chewing on the man’s face, it rose up and circled high above them.

“Will it attack us?” asked Garnet.

“Probably not. They only attack humans when they are desperate for food. It will just wait for us to leave and then continue finishing off its prey.”

“Well, that's one hell of a way to die,” said Garnet as she eyed the dead man's corpse.

“Come and take a look,” said Talasin as he strode closer.

“Really!” said Garnet. “It's a bad enough site from up here.”

Talasin grunted as he slid down the sand dune.

“Are you coming,” he said, looking back up at Garnet.

She cursed under her breath and followed after.

Talasin held out a hand to steady her as she slid down the bank beside him.

“The stench,” she moaned as she covered her mouth with her jacket sleeve.

Talasin looked down at the man. His face was covered with deep cuts.

“See that cut on his forehead?” he said.

Garnet looked closer and saw that the wound was very clean, almost surgical in nature. “Looks like it was made with a knife.”

“Exactly. The wyvern didn't do this.”

“His blood still looks fresh. Whoever did this must still be close by.”

“Maybe not,” said Talasin, shaking his head. “Look at the marks on his arms.”

Garnet turned the corpse over and saw that a pattern had been sliced into the skin. The cuts ran from the wrists all the way up to the shoulder.

“Divination,” said Talasin. “There are demon’s that practice human augury. The spell can only be cast while the victim is alive.”

“He was alive for all this?”

“Look at his lips,” said Talasin.

Garnet leaned closer, but the stench made her feel sick. “They looked burnt.”

“Demon blood,” said Talasin. “A demon fed this man its own blood to keep him alive long enough for them to perform the divination.”

“But why?”

“They must have been looking for something.”

Garnet looked around and spied a set of faded footprints in the sand, “Or someone,” she said, pointing at the footprints.

Talasin followed the footprints with his eye, and then his face fell. “They’re heading towards our camp.”

----------------------------------------