The burning, bright sun sat on his neck as he rode across the desert sands.
With his left hand clenching the reins tightly, he had only his thoughts
and the sound of his horse's hoof steps on the sand to keep him company.
With the hoof steps becoming akin to the rhythm of a heart beat, he found
himself drifting off.
His mind returned to Leila's small grandchild, with her curious voice and innocent smile. He silently wished her a good life, knowing that he would not see her again. His hunts took him across the globe, and he liked it that way. He made sure to keep telling himself that.
The ground then started to rumble, making the horse rear up in fear. He held onto the reins and saddle tighter with hands and thighs to keep from falling off. The horse backed up several steps as the sand in front of them started to sink into the ground.
"Wha, what's that? D, talk to me!" Lefthand shouted, muffled by his grip and the rumbling noise that seemed to resonate all around them. D pulled sharply on the reins to turn the horse around.
Then the sand behind them started to sink, the rumbling noise now sounding two-fold. With a kick of his heels, he urged the horse to start running parallel to the sink holes along the thin stretch of sand that seemed stable.
"Dammit D, let me see what's going on!" He then let go of the left side of the reins, putting his hand high up in the air for Lefthand to assess the situation. "This isn't good D, RUN!" He spurred the horse on faster, with a loud shout.
As the horse ran on, the thin stretch of sand started to melt away. When the strip was no larger than the horse's width, the sand in front collapsed right under its hooves. With a panicked kick, it launched itself into the air via its back hooves. Holding on tightly to the horse, D aimed for the other side of the expanding sinkhole.
As they flew over the center of the sinkhole, the sand below took the shape of a sharp featured female. The sand whirl-winded upwards, the mouth opening with huge fangs to swallow D whole. The sword wasn't even heard as it was pulled from its sheath as D launched himself forward off of the horse. As the sand swallowed the horse, D spun in midair, delivering a horizonal slash at the neck of the sand creature.
A loud female scream was heard as the sand and the horse collapsed back into the sinkhole. D finally landed on the otherside of the sinkhole, hitting the ground hard and rolling, softening the impact. He rolled several yards before stopping, on his side with his sword still in his hand infront of him.
A loud groan was heard from Lefthand. "I have sand up my nose..."
D rose to a one kneed position facing the still thundering sinkhole. With his sword held in front of him, he watched another face rise. This time the face was looking straight at him, eyes seeming to glare with hatred. It opened its fanged jaw once more and roared forward at him.
His mind returned to Leila's small grandchild, with her curious voice and innocent smile. He silently wished her a good life, knowing that he would not see her again. His hunts took him across the globe, and he liked it that way. He made sure to keep telling himself that.
The ground then started to rumble, making the horse rear up in fear. He held onto the reins and saddle tighter with hands and thighs to keep from falling off. The horse backed up several steps as the sand in front of them started to sink into the ground.
"Wha, what's that? D, talk to me!" Lefthand shouted, muffled by his grip and the rumbling noise that seemed to resonate all around them. D pulled sharply on the reins to turn the horse around.
Then the sand behind them started to sink, the rumbling noise now sounding two-fold. With a kick of his heels, he urged the horse to start running parallel to the sink holes along the thin stretch of sand that seemed stable.
"Dammit D, let me see what's going on!" He then let go of the left side of the reins, putting his hand high up in the air for Lefthand to assess the situation. "This isn't good D, RUN!" He spurred the horse on faster, with a loud shout.
As the horse ran on, the thin stretch of sand started to melt away. When the strip was no larger than the horse's width, the sand in front collapsed right under its hooves. With a panicked kick, it launched itself into the air via its back hooves. Holding on tightly to the horse, D aimed for the other side of the expanding sinkhole.
As they flew over the center of the sinkhole, the sand below took the shape of a sharp featured female. The sand whirl-winded upwards, the mouth opening with huge fangs to swallow D whole. The sword wasn't even heard as it was pulled from its sheath as D launched himself forward off of the horse. As the sand swallowed the horse, D spun in midair, delivering a horizonal slash at the neck of the sand creature.
A loud female scream was heard as the sand and the horse collapsed back into the sinkhole. D finally landed on the otherside of the sinkhole, hitting the ground hard and rolling, softening the impact. He rolled several yards before stopping, on his side with his sword still in his hand infront of him.
A loud groan was heard from Lefthand. "I have sand up my nose..."
D rose to a one kneed position facing the still thundering sinkhole. With his sword held in front of him, he watched another face rise. This time the face was looking straight at him, eyes seeming to glare with hatred. It opened its fanged jaw once more and roared forward at him.