My apologies for the delay...I struggled a little with this chapter.

Bloodlust

On the day before they finally reached Ain, the relative uneventfulness of their journey came to an end.

Hayreddin's spectacular eyesight could already make out the city, built to the south of a huge oasis and surrounded by mudbrick walls. Within the walls, Hayreddin could make out numerous buildings made from the same material; likely the residential areas for the elites and soldiers of Ain. Outside the walls were many huts and tents; quite possibly housing the less affluent inhabitants of Ain or travellers.

While Hayreddin could make out all the details from the great distance, to the rest of the party however, Ain was still a vague form in the desert horizon. The only feature they could spot with clarity was the huge waterhole, glittering like sapphire in the sunlight.

"We'll be there by sundown, I should think," said Hayreddin to Ravenna, smiling.

Ravenna nodded curtly. "If we pick up the pace, we can get there sooner."

"Now, now, no need to be so hasty," said Hayreddin chidingly. "Sundown is fine; we can have a night's rest before dealing with Ain's elders."

"None too keen, I take it?" asked Isan, who was riding just behind Hayreddin.

Hayreddin shrugged. "It'll come down to politics, I just know it. So we should get some rest before dealing with all that nonsense."

Ravenna grunted in agreement.

They rode on, their spirits high at the thought of the end of journey when a sand dune nearby erupted. A great lizard-like beast, at least forty feet long and armoured in sand-coloured scales burst forth from the sands, its maw wide open, revealing teeth the length of swords.

It fell right on the party, which scattered before it quickly, but it snapped up an unfortunate camel; one of the ones carrying the travel supplies, and chewed it eagerly, the camel's blood spurting out in shocking torrents of red.

"Biwak!" roared Ravenna.

Several of the men had already drawn their spears and swords.

"Put those away!" snarled Ravenna at them. "Those aren't going to be able to cut the damned thing's armour. Ride! Ride for Ain!"

They broke away while the beast swallowed down the luckless camel, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and the beast.

Grunting, the Biwak pursued them; despite its massive bulk, it was fast. It quickly caught another pack camel and slowed to chew it down before pursuing again, quickly catching another one.

Isan was well and truly terrified. She clung to her camel, bouncing up and down with the beast's movement. Her camel grunted and panted with terror, desperately running as fast as possible. Camels were not built for speed; they were valued for their endurance and resistance to the adverse weather of the desert. Against fast beasts like a Biwak, a camel would have to be very lucky to escape.

A particularly bad bounce had Isan tumbling from her camel and to the ground. The sand cushioned her fall, but she was stunned by the fall. Even as she tried to clear her head, the Biwak approached her, still chewing on the last camel it caught.

Ahead, Hayreddin and Ravenna had both seen Isan fall and had turned their camels around, riding as fast as they could to her.

"Isan!" yelled Hayreddin.

Recovering from her fall, Isan looked up in time to see the Biwak approaching, swallowing the camel as it did. It opened its bloody maw, the reek of death emanating from it nearly causing her to pass out. The Biwak came closer, preparing to pounce.

A roar came from behind Isan, surprising the Biwak, which jerked back a little.

A camel rushed past Isan, and Ravenna hurled himself from its back onto the Biwak's snout, sinking his curved sword into the soft flesh.

The Biwak rasped in pain, shaking its head vigorously, trying to throw Ravenna off, but the warrior held on, twisting the blade, making the Biwak rear up in pain.

Isan stood still, watching the whole scene as though in a dream. She finally snapped out of it when the Biwak finally managed to shake Ravenna off, sending him crashing down past Isan. She hurried to his side while the Biwak pawed at its snout, trying to get the sword out.

"Ravenna!" cried Isan, kneeling by Ravenna.

"Go on, girl!" growled Ravenna, sitting up gingerly. "Get out of here; I'll hold it off!"

"But..."

"Damn it, girl!" shouted Ravenna. "For once in your life, do as you're told! I'm trying to save you here!"

"No."

The two of them turned to see Hayreddin getting off his camel, sword in hand. He pulled the snorting beast forward and handed the reins to them.

"Get on, and ride as fast as you can to Ain. I'll hold the beast off."

"No, Hayreddin," cried Isan.

"Do as I say Isan," said Hayreddin with such uncharacteristic force and authority that Isan was unable to protest. "Take Ravenna and head to Ain. Hurry, there's no time!"

The Biwak's attempts to dislodge Ravenna's sword had only driven the blade in farther. Rasping and hissing in pain, the beast turned towards them, stalking forward menacingly.

Hayreddin strode forward to face it while Ravenna and Isan got onto the frightened camel.

"Hayreddin..." said Ravenna, looking back at the youth.

"Go." was all Hayreddin said, not turning around.

Snarling to himself, Ravenna urged the camel away towards Ain, Isan holding on to him tightly. Behind them, they could hear the Biwak charging forward and Hayreddin shouting at it.

Though they did not look back, the sound of the fight, as though a full scale battle was taking place behind them, played on their imagination. They imagined the beast tearing Hayreddin apart, swallowing him whole, dismembering him...

They rode on, Isan sobbing into Ravenna's back while he pushed the camel on with more force than necessary.

When they were far enough, Ravenna halted the camel and turned to look back, as did Isan.

All they could see was a great cloud of sand that had been kicked up, obscuring the view. They could see absolutely nothing of Hayreddin.

Isan clung tightly to Ravenna's arm trying to spot Hayreddin.

They stared at the sand cloud, waiting. Hoping.

Praying.

And both of them cried aloud when Hayreddin slowly emerged from the sand cloud, holding on to his sword.

"By the spirits!" cried Isan.

"He's alive…" breathed Ravenna, urging his mount forward to Hayreddin.

As they drew closer, they saw Hayreddin was covered in sand and blood from head to toe, and there was a slight sway to his walk as though drunk.

"Hayreddin!" cried Isan, getting off the camel and running to Hayreddin as soon as they were near enough. "Spirits…are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Hayreddin turned to her slowly, smiling in a bemused way. "I'm fine, Isan. Blood's up from the fight is all."

"Did you kill it?" asked Ravenna, getting off the camel.

Hayreddin blinked. "No. I stabbed it in the eye and it ran away."

Ravenna and Isan stared at Hayreddin, who still seemed to be behaving strangely. His eyes were glazed and he was still swaying slightly.

"Are you sure you're alright, Hayreddin?" asked Isan.

"I'm fine, Isan," answered Hayreddin, smiling. "Do you have something I can wipe myself with?"

Ravenna continued to watch Hayreddin with some concern as Isan hurried to get a cloth from one of the packs on the camel's back.

XI XI XI

Throughout his brief life, Hayreddin had always remained calm and collected, never losing his head, never letting his emotions get the best of him. It was why he was so good at negotiating; he never let his emotions get out of control. Even when he sparred with Ravenna and the others, it was the same; it was an analysis of his opponent; to predict, manipulate and counter every step.

But the battle with the Biwak had been different. There was no matching of wits; it had been a battle of pure instinct; acting and reacting against each other. Hayreddin's heart had been pumping, his senses had been sharper than normal, aware of every minute detaile; from the flying sand, the Biwak's movements, his own breathing and the sensation of the blood racing through his veins.

It had been exhilarating.

Hayreddin had felt alive; and it had felt right.

He had enjoyed the spray of blood when he sunk his sword into the Biwak's eyes; it had sent a rush through him that he still felt giddy from it.

Now that he was calming down though, he saw the looks on Isan and Ravenna's face.

They were frightened of him.

Hayreddin looked down at his hands, at the blood-stained sword in his hand and the cloth that Isan had given him; already soaking in blood.

He dropped the sword.

Hayreddin hated violence; he hated the necessity of it. He had never been involved in any of the battles against the pirate raids beyond providing tactical insight.

Now that he had tasted his first battle, he had found himself liking it. No, he had loved it.

He didn't want to.

"Come on," he said to Ravenna and Isan.

They spent the rest of their journey to Ain in silence. Hayreddin tried to put the thought of the battle with the Biwak from his mind and instead tried to focus on his plans for negotiations. The desert tribes were a proud warlike people; all too eager to draw the sword whenever possible. Negotiations would have to be handled carefully, or else a war could break out.

Hayreddin's heart stirred at the thought.

Startled, he quashed it. He didn't like the feeling at all…even though it felt good.

If described to Ravenna, he would've been able to give Hayreddin a name for it.

Bloodlust.

I'm not too pleased with this chapter to be honest...this particular chapter wasn't planned and it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. In any case, I've already dragged Primarch XI's story for far longer than I originally planned.

Again, my apologies for the delay with this chapter, I've started writing up my thesis so it's been a little bit of a struggle to write the story. I'll do my best to upload as regularly as possible.