Kyoko should be grateful. They had been denied by every party, rejected before anyone thought to test Kuon's skills. The leader would take one glance at Kuon before turning some unusual color, sputtering unintelligibly. It wasn't hard to decipher their panic. Even for a cheap price, no one had any interest in hiring Kuon.

No one until this caravan, and it was due to the same person.

"I'm telling you, he's actually sweet on the inside," the young woman was gushing. She was actually older than Kyoko, but at the moment she seemed like a child. Innocent. Naive. Very stupid. She had to be. For who ignored the instinct to run screaming a lion was within lunging distance?

Oh, wait…

"Manaka, don't be an idiot," a man was saying. "He's a monster. Just look at him!"

Now this man wasn't stupid. He had the bearing and muscle tone of a fighter. A long scar painted his left forearm, weight shifted just so. It said he could be on the move at a moment's notice. Fight at the drop of a hat. While his gaze was firm, it was also haughty and easily annoyed. No, this man listened to his instincts. They were what kept him alive. Kept him fighting.

But maybe he was an idiot. Because no one called Kuon a monster.

Not Kuon. Cain. She needed to think of him as Cain or else she'd call him the wrong name - as she'd nearly done so dozens of times that morning.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't call him that," said Kyoko.

The man, whose name she had yet to get jerked his head toward her. His dumbfounded expression told her he hadn't even noticed her standing beside Cain. It quickly dissipated as he examined their proximity as if torn between telling her to run, or lunging out to help her himself.

"And who are you?" said the man. "Are you friends with this thing?"

Before Kyoko could answer, Cain spoke up.

"She's my wife."

Every hair on Kyoko's body stood up. Her face blossomed into a sea of red as she gaped, unable to unravel the slew of denials on her tongue. Yesterday she had been his lover, now she was his wife? What was he… oh!

Because they were traveling together and it wouldn't be proper. It made sense, but they could have just been cousins or something, but it was too late to deny it. Too many seconds had passed.

Cain's answer didn't seem to mollify the man.

"Your wife?" the man spat. "That has to be a lie. Did you blackmail her? Hold her family hostage? Or…" The man's hand went to his sword, expression darkening. "Are you holding her hostage and defiling her?"

If Kyoko was angry at the comment, it was nothing to Cain's irritation. He matched the man's darkening expression, hand going to his own sword.

"Stop you two!" said Kyoko.

She was not alone as she ran out between them. The stupid girl, Manaka held one hand to the man as Kyoko held hers out to Cain. Their actions stopped the potential bloodshed but didn't stop the heavy aura of bloodlust.

"Cain didn't kidnap me, or buy me or anything else," said Kyoko. "I really am his w-wife."

The red spread to her ears. Gosh, that would be a fantasy, and for a moment she lived it. Imagined what it would be like to live her days with Ren, cuddling and talking and maybe starting a family… That would be so nice. Her face lost all semblance of form as she grinned stupidly.

"You can't be serious."

Her fantasy was interrupted by the man. He looked at her with the same befuddled expression he had been giving Manaka earlier, mouth slightly open like a fish. He pointed a finger at Cain.

"This? You're married to this?"

"Yes. I am." She didn't dare look at Cain. She could guess the expression he would give her. It would just make her more embarrassed. "Now, are you going to hire him or not?"

The fish imitation intensified as the man's mouth closed then opened silently.

"I don't see what the problem is. He seems as good as any."

Another person was participating in their exchange. Bairei, the owner of the caravan Kyoko and Kuon were trying the join. He was taking a shipment of medical supplies directly to Mosall, The Shaded City some called. It was stationed in the heart of the Broken Hills and it was pure luck that they had stumbled across him that morning, intent to leave within the hour.

Except, the person Bairei had placed in charge of hiring mercenaries was the fish-soldier in front of them.

"No, he's not good!" said fish man, finger still pointed at Cain. "Can you not see? He's the type of man who will kill and rob you without a second thought. The definition of evil."

"But he's not evil!" Manaka chipped in. Her short hair and fists pumped up and down as she threw the adult equivalent of a tantrum. "I'm telling you, he's soft on the inside. He gave me back my coins when I dropped them and then patted me on the head."

Kyoko's gaze slid to Cain, who seemed to be suddenly interested in his shoe.

"Did something like that really happen?" said Kyoko. It baffled her. If the current Cain patted anyone on the head, they'd have soiled themselves. How did that translate to being kind?

Her curiosity rose as she noticed the tweak in Cain's cheeks. He was embarrassed.

"She reminded me of you for a moment," he said. "When I first met you again as an adult."

"Oh."

Was he talking about when she had yelled at him for nearly running over a man with his cart? Well, the girl did have short hair and was wearing a ragged traveling cloak. She'd probably have been crouched as well, hunting for her dropped coins. If Kyoko squinted, she could see the similarities.

There was probably more he wasn't telling her. Either way, she couldn't help smiling at his answer. It was satisfactory.

Manaka was still arguing with the man.

"… then he smiled!" she was saying. "He looked so handsome and friendly. I bet he just pretends to have a tough exterior to prevent being bullied by meanies like you."

"Meanies?" The man looked genuinely stricken by the title. "How am I a meanie?"

"Enough!" The old merchant was done. He jerked a thumb at Cain. "You can fight, yes?"

"I can," said Cain.

"How well?"

"I'm skilled with both sword and arcane magic. I'm easily worth five of your best men."

He was probably worth all the merchant's men, especially if he didn't have to protect anyone. As it was, the modest self-appraisal was definitely taken as arrogance by the soldier, who visibly stiffened. He would have verbally retaliated if the merchant didn't clap his hands.

"Excellent, you're hired." The merchant turned to the man. "Murasame, forget the other five men, let's leave. I don't want to waste another day trying to hire decent mercenaries for a good price."

The man, now identified as Murasame gestured angrily at them. "But you haven't even seen him fight. And he's bringing along another non-combatant. We're stretched too thin as it is."

"I don't care," said Bairei. "Get everyone ready, we're leaving in an hour. I want to hit the Vury checkpoint in three days."

With that decided, Bairei stocked off, heading into a building. It was probably where his goods were stored, camels visible in the adjoining stables.

Murasame let out a slew of curses, earning a glare from his companion. It was ignored as Murasame turned his attention to Cain. Hostility emanated without restraint as he stepped closer to Cain, needing to look up to match his glare. Neither men were short, but Cain bested him by a few inches.

"I'm warning you," hissed Murasame. "I'll be watching. If you do anything. Anything to try and hurt this expedition, I will not let you walk away."

Cain, wonderful Cain who hadn't risen to this second baiting, just smirked in response. A sign that he would 'love to see Murasame try and take him down.'

Murasame ground his teeth, looking as if he might respond. An insistent tugging from Manaka stopped him.

"Come on Murasame," said Manaka. "Let's go tell the others to get ready. They're not going to be happy we're leaving with such little notice."

With one last pause, Murasame turned away. His angry stomping could be heard despite the soft ground as he too disappeared inside the building.

Kyoko released a breath.

"Well, that could have gone worse," she said. "When did you run into Manaka anyway?"

"When you were using the facilities," said Cain. "It's probably a good thing. I doubt we could have found another caravan going where we needed to that was willing to hire us."

"To hire you, you mean. They don't know I'm a physician."

She chewed on her tongue, considering her next words.

"So Cain…" she said. "Why am I your wife? Why couldn't you have chosen sister or some other relation?

Cain reached around, giving her a one-armed hug.

"They would have noticed you couldn't be my sister very quickly," he said.

"I… guess it makes sense," said Kyoko. She didn't dislike the idea. "We don't look blood-related."

The look on Cain's face was hard to decipher, but he didn't offer up an explanation. Instead, he pulled away, taking her hand.

"Come," he said. "Let's get everything set up to leave."

Meeting the rest of the group went pretty much the way Kyoko predicted. Shock. Horror. No one talking to them. On the plus side, no one tried to kill Cain. She had to see that as a good thing at least.

The group was a conglomeration of people. There were several lines of camels, each carrying medicinal goods for Mosall. About a dozen other men there were mercenaries, a few others city soldiers like Murasame. Apparently, he had been assigned to bring back supplies to help the Broken Hills area.

Then there was the rest of the group. Normal civilians, men, women, and a few children who were trying to travel between different cities. Most were moving, either for personal reasons or to get further away from the capital. Kyoko didn't know the details and probably would never get them. A very distinct ten-foot diameter surrounded Cain whose side she never left. She hoped her presence might help them see that he wasn't someone to fear to be around, but unfortunately, it did nothing to help. People stared, cursed, and a few nearly cried. They were obviously a beaten down group.

"Are things this bad universally?" said Kyoko. "The last time I went through this town, I don't remember seeing so many beaten travelers, and we haven't even started!"

"It's the effect of the Accursed and Dark Djinn," said Cain, also surveying the group. "As they get more powerful, his evil seeps through the land. It encourages darkness, animates dark creatures and whittles away at the hearts of men and the land. And without the Phoenix's influence to suppress it…"

Cain was no longer gazing at the people. His eyes roamed over the white sands, seeing something Kyoko could not.

"I can see it," he said. "I've told you before that darkness is heightened for me. The world is dull save the black and gold that permeate the world, and the gold is lessening."

Kyoko took his hand, returning him to this world of thought. He didn't smile – his smiles were becoming less and less frequent, but his expression did soften.

She didn't say anything. She silently sent her feelings through their connected hands, giving it a squeeze. One he returned.

Their moment was interrupted by a sudden squeal followed by the sounds of struggling.

Manaka, the silly woman from before was fighting to get near them. The person she was fighting was none other than their somewhat-stupid-yet-smart leader of their escapade. He had one arm wound around Manaka's middle, the other pointed at Cain and Kyoko.

"You two!" he yelled. "Don't be gross and get moving. I want you, Cain, on the outer left side. Makana, I said no. Stay away from them!"

The man had awful timing. Besides, just how were they being gross?

It didn't matter as Cain deftly pulled away, holding out the reigns of their camel to Kyoko. They were one of the lucky few besides the merchant that had one. The rest of the group carried everything on their backs and in their arms.

"You'll need to lead the camel," he said. "Stay near the group, but don't get too far from me."

She took the reins, walking along with the rest of the group as Murasame hollered for them to leave and assigned someone to keep Manaka away from them.

As they left the border of the city, the men spread out, keeping an eye on all sides for monsters and bandits. Cain joined them on her left, staying well within helping distance.

Kyoko held the reigns to her chest, trudging mutely beside the group. She made eye contact with one of the woman, giving a friendly smile and hoping to start a conversation. The woman looked away quickly.

This happened repeatedly with everyone around her, surrounded by people who refused to acknowledge her existence.

She couldn't resist the urge to sigh, then slapped the camel's head away from her hood.

It looked like this was going to be a very long, very quiet journey.

"She must be some sort of noble. I mean, did you get a look at her necklace? That's a fine piece of jewelry right there. Worth more than my old house."

Incessant whispers followed Kyoko as she walked alongside the group. After traveling together a few days, the men and woman had… well not warmed up to her, but at least weren't as scared of her. The only person that had been brave enough to speak to her had been Manaka, and the woman just wanted to talk about Cain the entire time.

"When does he get off his shift?" The girl had asked, bouncing up and down despite the heat. "Oh, I hope it's soon. I really want to thank him for helping me."

"There are no breaks from shifts," said Kyoko. "He won't return until nightfall, and even then, he'll take a night shift."

Makana wilted. "Oh, well I guess I'll have to wait until then. Do you think he'll be willing to come eat with us?"

Kyoko was a patient person. She really was, but something about this woman's attention to Cain annoyed her. Or maybe it was just that. Makana was chasing after her man. A man that now belonged to her. She was his wife!

Kyoko gave a loud squawk, shaking her head quickly.

Such an indecent thought! They were lovers, they were not married! It was a lie. She needed to remember that.

Although... would it be too presumptuous for her to hope that he belonged to her?

"Kyoko?" said Manaka. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she grumbled, glancing at Manaka.

The whispers continued around them as they walked. Manaka was completely unaware as she hummed, still chatting about Cain.

"But how could he have gotten such a gem as his wife?" a man was saying to his friend. He wasn't bothering to keep his voice down as everyone else was listening closely. "Maybe he defected from the army."

"Or maybe!" chipped in another woman. "He was dishonorably discharged, and now they're moving. The poor lass thought she was marrying someone of higher rank only to watch as her husband's title stripped from him and they were forced to leave."

This latest theory was met with understanding nods of sympathy in Kyoko's direction, which she pointedly ignored. She was used to gossip after being a concubine, but that didn't stop her from being exasperated. Why couldn't they talk about someone else's life for a change?

At least the journey hadn't been rife with fights and encounters like her last one. The last few days had been miraculously conflict free, partially due to the efforts of good scouts. They'd yet to run into a dark creature or bandits. Kyoko doubted their luck would hold. It was just a matter of time before something went wrong.

The irritation bled away as her eyes zeroed in on something else.

An older couple walked nearby. The woman carried a slightly oversized pack on her back, face red and little sweat anywhere on her body. Kyoko recognized the signs. The woman was on the verge of collapsing from heat stroke.

Kyoko angled her path, cutting Manaka off as she made her way to meet up with the woman. She was keenly aware of the eyes that followed her as she did so.

The older woman only noticed Kyoko when she was nearly upon her, the husband gaping.

"Are you doing alright ma'am?" said Kyoko. "You look a tired. Would you like me to carry your pack for a bit?"

"Oh, no I'm fine," said the woman, holding up a hand. "I wouldn't want to slow you down."

"You'll slow us down if you pass out. You haven't been drinking enough water."

The woman put a veiny hand to her forehead. "I do feel a little strange."

The husband leaned closer at this point, examining his wife. Manaka came over in that time, almost like a stray dog following someone who interested her.

"You do look ill Martha," said the man. "Shall I help?"

"If you take any more, then you'll be the one to pass out," said Kyoko quickly. "I'll take the pack since I'm not carrying anything."

For a moment, the woman looked as if she might keep protesting. She shared a look with her husband, their silent conversation evident but not intelligible to Kyoko. Whatever their exchange, Kyoko was relieved when the woman eventually nodded.

"Thank you, Lady Kyoko," said the woman, shrugging off her pack.

Kyoko nearly missed the handles of the bag. Lady Kyoko? Had those rumors about her being a noble spread everywhere?

"The title is unneeded," said Kyoko. "Just Kyoko is fine."

Kyoko shifted the pack onto her back.

Ah!

Pain immediately throbbed from her shoulders.

She dipped her head, silently mouthing curse words. The tent roll pressed against her head as she did so, not helping the distribution of weight.

Now Kyoko remembered why she wasn't carrying a pack. It was because of her injuries, the puncture marks on her shoulders from when Kuon had grabbed her in his accursed form. The constant pressure and chafing from a bag strap could cause the wounds to re-open. While they might have scabbed over and been properly dressed by the medical supplies tucked away in Chiori's old bag, it still hurt. A lot.

"Kyoko, are you alright?" said Manaka.

Kyoko screwed her face up into a determined smile, then lifted it to face the woman. She noticed several people watching the exchange from over her head.

"Everything's fine," gritted out Kyoko. "I accidentally hit my elbow just right."

Manaka nodded, seemingly pacified. "That's super nice of you to help out. My pack feels like a ton of bricks."

"Yes, thank you Lady Kyoko," said the older woman. "I feel much better already."

"Just start drinking," said Kyoko, shifting the pack again with a wince. Thank goodness they only had a few hours before sunset. The group would stop and she'd be able to take off the pack.

The woman dutifully took out her flask, taking a long satisfying draft. Kyoko half expected the couple to drift away after taking the pack. Everyone was still wary of her after all.

To her surprise, the woman didn't. She kept pace beside Kyoko and the camel, occasionally taking a drink. Her husband did the same. It was a small thing, but it made Kyoko happy.

Her happiness was dampened by the constant throb coming from her shoulders. Maybe some conversation would keep it off her mind.

"What brings you the Broken Hills?" said Kyoko. "It's not an easy journey."

"Old age," said the husband. "My son lives out there with his family. My wife and I are getting up in our years. We decided to take the trek before we couldn't anymore. We're hoping to start a new life there."

"That's got to be hard," said Kyoko. She remembered leaving her own home, the fear of facing the unknown and starting over. That was also how she met Kuon and this whole mess had begun.

The thought brought a smile to her lips.

Yes, it had been hard and scary, but definitely worth it.

She continued to talk with the couple, thankful for how easy the conversation came. Their pace was slow enough that they weren't too winded to talk and it lifted Kyoko's heart. She found herself forgetting about the pack on her back.

At least, until it shifted just so, cutting into her shoulder.

Kyoko hissed, kicking up sand as she stumbled.

"Lady Kyoko," said the woman with concern, "Are you-"

The woman stopped short, eyes widening as they focused on something over Kyoko's shoulder. Based on Manaka's brightening face, Kyoko had a good guess at what had grabbed their attention. The ex-concubine only had time to glance around before the pack was being roughly taken off her shoulders.

Cain was there, holding the bag in one hand, eyes dark and piercing into Kyoko's. He was upset. Very upset, though at what, Kyoko was unsure. Either way, his appearance was scaring the couple she had been conversing with, the two of them deathly white and backing away. She almost felt like joining them.

"You're not supposed to carry anything," said Cain. "She can carry her own stuff."

He moved as if he intended to throw the bag back at the woman.

"Wait a second." Kyoko grabbed Cain's arm, just stopping him. "I volunteered to help. She was about to pass out from the heat. I'm fine Cain."

Her hand went for the bag, but Cain held it out of reach. His attention on her was unwavering, letting her know that he did not want her to carry a bag. Did not want her to hurt herself further from the injury he had given her. He didn't say this, but Kyoko knew him. Saw the emotions in his eyes as they roamed her figure.

She instantly wanted to quell that concern.

…except they had a third wheel that couldn't take a hint.

"You're so sweet!" squealed Manaka. "You really do treat her like a princess."

The girl stepped forward, and for a horrifying instance, Kyoko thought Manaka was going to grab Cain's arm and hug it to her chest. A large gloved hand stopped her from doing so, Cain holding her as far as his arm could stretch.

"Would you stop trying to touch me?" said Cain. He gave her a flick on the forehead, successfully pushing her away from them. The girl just beamed at the attention.

"Ah, I upset you," said Manaka. "I just want to show everyone that you're not scary!"

"That's not your job."

He moved to their camel, strapping the woman's pack onto the animal. "Kyoko, if you're going to lie about something, try and make it more convincing. I could see you wincing from my post."

Kyoko opened her mouth to protest. Then closed it.

He had been watching. From his post. He'd been keeping an eye on her.

"Sorry," said Kyoko, feeling meek. "For worrying you. I thought I'd be fine."

Cain finished situation the bag, turning to step in front of her. His hand came up to carefully cradle her face.

"I know you did," said Cain. "And I know you tend to forget yourself. That's why I'm here."

A shy happiness spread through Kyoko. For the moment she basked in it, grateful for his attention to her.

"What are you doing!"

But their moment was not meant to last. Murasame was stalking over, kicking up sand and trouble. Cain's hand slowly lowered from Kyoko's face as their leader continued to holler at them.

"You're supposed to be at your post! And why have you all stopped moving? Stop slowing us down and get walking. It's not as if you're carrying anything so it shouldn't be hard to keep up." His accusations then swiveled to Manaka. "And how many times have I told you to stay away from him. He's dangerous!"

"But Murasame!" wined Manaka. "He was just being sweet."

Kyoko was starting to think Murasame had it out for them. While everyone else feared Cain – save this crazy child beside them – Murasame seemed to be insulted by them. He'd spent every second of this trip hashing into her and Cain. Did the man pride himself in being belligerent?

Cain didn't rise to Murasame's taunts. He turned back to Kyoko, ignoring the officer.

"No more carrying things," said Cain. "If you need help, just ask."

"Hey!" Murasame had reached them. In a moment of what must be sheer stupidity, he grabbed Cain by one shoulder as if he intended to push him around. "I was talking to you. Why have you left your post and—"

Words failed Murasame. His breath choked as Cain turned his darkening gaze to Murasame's direction. Cain didn't do anything more. He made no other move or motion of aggression other than the lock his gaze with Murasame but the effect was more than enough.

The darkness around him was enough.

"Don't touch me," said Cain

Murasame's hand was pushed away. His complexion worsened, chest heaving as he took deep breaths. Even dimwitted Manaka took a step back, all delight draining as she faced Cain's anger.

"You—" started Murasame.

He never got to finish.

Another mercenary hailed them, galloping over. He pulled his horse to a stop beside them, pointing ahead of the party.

"Sir," said the man. "There's something ahead. It looks like the remains of another caravan."

Kyoko shot a look toward Cain. He was watching the exchange closely, his emotions indecipherable. The distraction completely took Murasame's attention as he seemed to forget their existence at this piece of information.

"Another caravan?" said Murasame. "What exactly did you see?"

"I didn't get too close," said the man. "But I could make out the husk of a sand wurm, and several bodies. I don't think it's been more than a day since the attack."

"Shoot," said Murasame, biting his lip. "We need to change direction. If there are more wurms, they're likely nearby. Put the men on alert while I get the front to change direction."

"Understood."

"Wait," said Kyoko, stopping the two men. "What about survivors?"

They paused only for a second longer, giving her a pitiful look.

"There are none," said the Murasame. "We can't risk everyone's lives for the slight possibility of survivors."

"But—"

It was useless. The two were already gone.

I could help.

The thought tore at her. She hated the idea of leaving them. Leaving potential survivors. If it had been her, or one of her friends left alone in the desert, she wouldn't want to be left alone. She'd have prayed for someone to find her and save her from death.

"Cain," she said. "Can we…"

"We shouldn't," said Cain simply. "I agree with them. We would risk everyone with no guarantee of success if we chose to stop. We're already stretched thin. It's a good call, even if it's not the most tasteful."

The last of Kyoko's hope sunk with those words.

Cain must have noticed her distress. "I'm sorry Kyoko," he said. "I wish we could help everyone as well, but I don't think there are any survivors. Not any I can sense at least."

"I understand, even if I don't like it."

He gave her a pat on the head, the moment slow and soothing.

"Stay alert and on your toes," said Cain. "I'll be watching."

Then with one last gaze, he went back to patrol the outward border, the job even more important now that there was an active threat of attack.

"Wow, he really is impressive!"

Manaka was still there, cheeks flushed and eyes shining as she stared at where Cain had left. One hand was actively fanning her face, more an action for show than function.

It was then that Kyoko decided that Manaka must be a masochist. No one else would see Cain's anger and then describe it as impressive.

Either that or she was insane.

Kyoko pulling her camel forward to keep moving, praying Manaka was the only strange creature she'd run into today.

Murasame hadn't always been a man of the people. He'd once been a rouge, a mercenary, and keeper of the one and only, himself. He knew what it was like to be selfish. To take pride his strength and to care little about the safety of others. So when he saw that sort of selfish behavior in others, it sparked a flame of anger that couldn't be quelled.

He saw it in the mercenaries they had hired. The men who were only in it for the money and not to actually help. He especially saw it in the dark man, Cain, who looked as if he killed for fun more than for a purpose.

Each of these men he could tolerate. Each he could ignore them, maybe even work with but this… this new spout of selfishness Murasame could and would not tolerate.

The soldier yanked his horse beside Bairei, the fat man sweating as he rode a camel. If Murasame was annoyed by the girl Kyoko, who was walking without carrying anything, then this just pissed him off. It was an indulgence that went past being lazy and straight into selfish. How much could be carried on that camel instead of his oversized body? How much easier would it be for the elderly that had trouble with just basic supplies?

"Bairei," said Murasame. "Why have you redirected the men to go west?"

"To get to The Shaded City faster," said Bairei. "I don't want to spend another second in this accursed sun than I have to."

"We can't go this way!" said Murasame. "Didn't you hear about the sand wurms? We need to go south away from that wreckage if we want to avoid them. I'm turning this caravan around."

"No!" said Bairei. "Your job is to do as I say, and I say we go through the Western Badlands, not around it."

"My job, sir, is to keep you alive. Not to get everyone killed so you can indulge your fat ass while you sit in the shade and choke on grapes."

"Choke on grapes!" And now the large man's face was red from rage as much as it was from the sun. "You sir, are out of line. Your superiors will hear about this. When we reach our destination—"

"They'll promote me for not listening to your stupid ass, I'm changing course."

He struck the horse with his heels, urging it into a trot. He could hear the man behind him, spurting some sort of nonsense and decency. Murasame didn't listen. He didn't care if he got his pay docked or if he got penalized. No matter the punishment, it couldn't be worse than the guilt he would feel if he led the group into danger.

He circled around the party, a train of camels surrounded by normal citizens trekking on foot. Each camel was laden with medical supplies, help sent from the monarchy in response to Mosall's cry for help. It was his job to make sure it got there. He and his soldiers had been sent to retrieve the aid.

And he was not going to fail.

Murasame pushed his horse forward, meeting the man leading the group. Another mercenary.

"Tuloov," said Murasame. "We're changing course."

"Again?" said the man, obviously irritated. He was a short stocky man, with a wicked looking scar across his bald head. "Why can't you guys just make up your bloody mind?"

"Just move it before I—"

The sands shifted.

It was a small thing, so subtle that he may not have noticed it, but experience traveling the deserts had taught Murasame a few things to look out for. Certain signs of danger.

This shifting beneath them was one of these signs.

Frantic, he scoured the area, noting the subtle change in the sand. In their footing. It was hard to spot in the unsteady foundation sand provided, but he could see it. The lines rippling under their feet.

It could only mean one of two things.

"Shoot!" yelled Murasame. "Everyone run! Tuloov get us out of here!"

Gloriously, the man listened. His experience hadn't been faked. The mercenary yelled for those nearby to follow him, to start running.

Confusion rippled quickly through the civilians. They were slower to react than the fighters, to start moving.

And no one was slower than the caravan of camels in the center.

"Move!" yelled Murasame, kicking his horse toward the group in the center. The lines all converged there. Right beneath them. "Hurry! Get out of there!"

They were finally listening. People were finally running.

It wasn't fast enough.

The lines turned to large grooves. The rings converging as they sank, taking the group with them.

Then people were scared, throwing aside their packs to run. But those in the center were doomed. Their footing was compromised.

White triangles pushed out from the ground, mirroring the rings in the sand. They rose without resistance, revealing the monster they were attached to.

Sand Wurms.

Men and beast screamed as they fell into the monster's mouth. More wurms sprung from beneath their feet. In seconds, the sands were stained red from the color of death.

Murasame roared, kicking his mount forward. He drew forth his sword, calling for those nearby to aid him. One of his men, Ton, heeded the call, drifting beside him to aid in the pass. They gunned for the closest wurm, a monster several yards larger than he had ever seen. Three others had sprouted beside it, each feasting on their prey.

He channeled a spell through his sword, holding it out to the side. The soldier behind him did the same. Green blood and bile spurted from the monster as the blade cut into the skin. His horse kept running alongside the beast as the soldier behind him mirrored his cut, deepening the gash.

As expected, the wurm did not appreciate the gesture.

It writhed in pain, the enormous body nearly pushing into Murasame. He retracted his sword and horse with a curse, just managing to dodge the attack.

But now they had the creature's attention. Now it was after them.

The sand wurm dived into the ground, wriggling toward them like a snake on its belly.

"Scatter!" yelled Murasame.

In sync, he and Ton separated into different directions. Whoever the monster chose to follow, the man would act as bait until the other caught up and attacked. It was standard procedure. Their normal routine for attacks against sand wurms.

Except Murasame had greatly underestimated the speed of this monster.

The wurm turned as sharply as he did, if not faster as it launched itself forward.

The world jerked from under Murasame, and he was suddenly flying. He crashed into the ground, rolling to a harsh and sudden stop. He gasped in pain, sand plastered to his face and his cheek burning. Holy hell that had hurt.

He ignored the pain, struggling to his feet. His poor horse had been caught by the monster's jaws. It whinnied it was raised high into the air, a poison-coated tongue wrapped around its body. He couldn't help a moment of stupefied horror as the monster swallowed the horse whole. It was disgusting.

My sword!

Murasame frantically looked around, heart throbbing in his head. His one saving grace was gone, thrown in the fall that had taken his horse. Unless he found it, he'd be defenseless once the wurm finished its meal.

A glimmer of silver grabbed his attention.

Murasame dashed for the sword.

He grabbed the hilt, skidding to take a stance.

But the wurm wasn't focused on him anymore.

The creature was moving away. Moving back toward the others.

That's when Murasame saw how outnumbered they were. Just how many wurms had appeared. A dozen of them were grouped in a central area, obviously feasting on remains of the camel caravan. A few outliers were being pushed back by Murasame's men, everyone else already far from the trouble.

"Retreat!" called Murasame. "Everyone, get back to the group!"

His command was echoed forward. They started disconnecting from their fights, regrouping with the others. Murasame took his own advice, hobbling toward the group as fast as he could muster. His soldier from before galloped up beside him.

"Sir, are you—"

"I'm fine," said Murasame. "Continue helping stragglers. Don't engage unless absolutely necessary."

Ton nodded, pushing off toward a small group still being pursued. It consisted of several elderly, two mercenaries attempting to keep the wurm at bay. Thank goodness Murasame had spent the extra gold for horses. Sand wurms were nearly impossible to fight on foot. Only a madman would attempt it.

A quick look to his left showed him one such man.

Cain was fighting a wurm - Or he'd at least just finished based on the collapsing body and green goo dripping from his sword. The man's shoulder was bloody, but he was still upright and running back to the group.

Holy crap, the man had a death wish. He'd just taken down a sand wurm by himself and while on foot. That wound looked nasty even from here. He'd probably die from poison or exposure. Not that Murasame cared.

He kept limping forward, joining a group ahead of him.

"Keep moving!" he commanded. "Don't look back. Don't stop."

And so they ran. Ran from the monsters that had devoured their supply line.

The rest of the guard eventually caught up, watching their backs as they kept pushing forward. With every step, every twinge of pain that shot up through his legs and back, Murasame cursed the man who had led them astray.

He just wasn't sure who that person was.

Thanks so much for reading!

And thank you for leaving reviews. I honestly wasn't sure if a lot of people would come back after that long break. Whew. Thanks for proving me wrong.

Im0tu0 says hi and super thanks for the well wishes! Thank you guys so much! It's crazy that the two of us got engaged and are getting married in the same year. I think I got engaged like, a month after she did. Poor parents. Poor pocket book.

Guys! I totally forgot to mention. I've joined a podcast of other fanfiction writers. It's called Fandom Flux and it's on youtube. I only participate in the random anime podcast on occasion, and the "Flux how to" when they get that one up and running, but check it out if you want to. They have one podcast where they just talk about stuff in their life. Then they have the anime flux where we pick a random anime every week and talk about it. And then the 'flux how to' is going to include all sorts of 'how to's' related to writing, story-telling or even podcasting. I don't talk much, but it's fun.

And don't tell me my voice sounds weird, I know it does. Gah! Hahaaa….

Next update: TBD

Thanks again!