Thena had left Dura alongside Ri and some of her men. Her mission was to find out what had happened to Meliesse and whether there was any chance she was still alive. She would have preferred to go alone, but she had no chance of surviving the harsh desert on her own. In fact, she and Thia had only made it as far as they did with the help of Toni, their guide. Without him, they would surely be lost somewhere in the mountains.
After arriving at Cosant, she and some of Ri's men made their way toward Bintan, where Meliesse was last heard from. They had been traveling for a few days, moving cautiously through an area infested with Narkus worms—a highly dangerous species of beasts. To their surprise, they had only encountered a worm once and had managed to avoid it, having spotted it first. As they neared Bintan, the likelihood of encountering more worms increased. Yet, strangely, they had not come across as many as expected. According to Ri's men, this was unusual, as the worms were typically drawn to the sounds made by travelers.
Despite the eerie lack of worms, they remained on high alert. After all, the worms were not the only dangers lurking in the desert; other, even more harrowing beasts thrived in the dunes.
On the third day after leaving Cosant, they finally neared Bintan. That was when they spotted a group of girls being chased by a Narkus worm. Initially, the girls reacted quickly, evading its first attack, which suggested they were no ordinary travelers. However, one of them was caught. The worm continued its pursuit, but then something unexpected happened—one of the girls moved with astonishing speed and struck the beast. Though the worm was unfazed, the mere fact that a child had managed such a feat was shocking.
The two men accompanying Thena exchanged glances before looking at her. They had seen her in battle and knew she was no ordinary child either. The small girl fighting the worm reminded them of her.
Thena, however, recognized the girl. No one had told them where the other children from HappyLand had been taken, but given that they had been sent to Omi, it was not surprising to see some of them here.
"She's going to die," one of the men beside Thena muttered.
Thena turned to him sharply.
"There's no way she can survive that thing," the man said with regret. "What a shame."
"We're going to rescue her," Thena said suddenly, causing both men to look at her as if she were insane.
"I don't know what you think you are, kid, but no one can outrun a worm, especially in this terrain. This is their territory," the man explained.
"Who said anything about outrunning it?" Thena replied, stepping forward. "I'm going to kill it."
"Are you crazy?!" one of them yelled, but Thena ignored him.
"You don't have to come with me. You can help me find her friends and make sure they're safe. I'll deal with the beast." And with that, she walked off.
The two men stared at each other, dumbfounded. They had no idea what had just happened, nor what to do next. Thena was marching to her death, and if she died, they'd no longer have a mission. Their shock only deepened when they saw Thena strike the beast with her sword, sending it crashing down. That was when they realized she was indeed a child monstrosity.
Thena landed in front of Hana with a smirk. "Hello, little mutt. It seems you're in a bind."
Hana, panting from the heat and the fight, pushed herself to her feet, glaring at Thena. "Who are you calling a little mutt, you psycho?" she snapped, brushing sand off her arms. Her legs trembled—her werewolf form wasn't suited for the desert heat.
Thena twirled her sword like a toy. "You, obviously. Now shut up and move—we've got a worm to kill."
The ground quaked before Hana could respond. A monstrous shape erupted from the sand—a Narkus worm, at least five meters long, its eyeless, gaping maw lined with jagged teeth. Its segmented body was covered in a rough, hardened carapace, unmarred by Hana's earlier strikes.
"Scatter!" Hana yelled, leaping aside as her claws lengthened. The heat made her sluggish, but she pushed through. Thena darted in the opposite direction, her small frame a blur, sword gleaming under the sun.
The worm burrowed again, sand cascading around it.
"It's too big!" Hana shouted, wiping sweat from her brow.
"Not for me," Thena shot back. She slammed her sword into the ground, the clang echoing. The worm surged up, drawn to the sound, its massive bulk towering over them. Thena charged, slashing at its side with a swift, practiced strike. The blade carved a gash, but the flesh was too hard, barely leaving a mark. The worm swung its body, forcing Thena to dive away, her smirk faltering.
Hana growled, her claws glowing as she unleashed Primal Claw. She raked its flank. No visible damage. But she felt it—its hide was weakening. They just had to keep targeting the same spot.
Easier said than done.
Hana barely stumbled back before the worm thrashed toward her, its maw snapping blindly.
Thena slid under its belly, her speed keeping her ahead of its movements. "You hit like a pup!" she taunted, thrusting her sword into the same spot Hana had struck. This time, the blade sank slightly deeper. The hide was breaking.
Both girls grinned. They were seeing a way out—somehow.
The worm slammed down, and Thena rolled clear just in time, her eyes burning with determination.
"It's desperate! We have to end it!" Hana shouted, dodging another lunge.
"Keep it busy, mutt!" Thena called, sprinting toward its rear.
Hana clawed the sand, kicking up a cloud to confuse it. The worm turned toward the disturbance, giving Thena her chance. She leaped, driving her sword into its tail, stopping it briefly. The beast roared, wrenching free and sending Thena tumbling. Her sword skidded across the sand.
"You're not helping!" Hana yelled, frustration boiling over. She charged, her claws slashing at the worm's head. Without eyes, it relied on sound, and her wild strikes drew its focus. One claw grazed its maw—but it snapped back, catching her arm. Pain flared, and she yelped, tearing free. Blood dripped down her arm.
Thena retrieved her sword, gripping it tightly. "Don't cry about it—hit it again!" She darted in, slashing its side. The worm lunged at her, giving Hana an opening.
"I'm not crying!" Hana snapped, forcing her legs to move. Summoning all her remaining strength, she leaped onto the worm's back, claws sinking deep. This time, she ripped downward. Ichor sprayed, but the worm thrashed violently.
Thena saw her chance. She ran up the beast's side, defying logic, and jumped, aiming for the gash Hana had widened. "Move, mutt!" she shouted.
Hana rolled off just as Thena plunged her sword in, twisting with all her might. The worm shrieked, convulsing. Hana, ignoring her exhaustion, lunged to the sky and, with greater momentum, she slammed Primal Claw into the wound. Their attacks met, tearing through the beast's core.
A final, deafening screech. The worm shuddered, its body going still, half-buried in the sand.
Silence.
Hana collapsed, clutching her bleeding arm, the heat draining her. Thena flopped beside her, sword dragging in the sand.
"We… we did it," Hana muttered weakly.
"Barely," Thena rasped, her smirk gone. "You're quite strong for a mutt."
"And fight exactly like a psycho," Hana mumbled, not too tired to argue.
They sat there, two ten-year-olds who had just beaten a monster against all odds, drained but victorious under the unrelenting sun.