Blood and Sand
Under the unrelenting blaze of the Saikka Desert sun, five warriors moved like shadows, their blood-streaked swords catching the light. Their scarred bodies told tales of countless battles, each mark a testament to their ferocity. Before them stood two defenders, ready to fight to the bitter end.
Rai, the knight, faced Greg, the enemy leader, in a deadly duel. Their swords collided with a deafening crash, sparks erupting from each strike. Both combatants staggered back, eyeing each other warily.
"You've fought well, knight," Greg sneered, his lips curling into a mocking grin. "But skill alone won't save you."
Rai's expression hardened, his grip on his sword tightening.
Greg's smirk faltered, but only for an instant. With a roar, he lunged forward.
Meanwhile, the other four attackers advanced on Alex, the second defender. The young man held his ground, though his Dagger trembled in his hands. As the attackers surged toward him, Alex braced for impact but a blur of motion interrupted their charge.
Before Alex could process what had happened, heads rolled to the sand, and blood sprayed like rain. Rai stood behind the fallen men, his blade dripping crimson. His movements had been too swift, too precise to follow.
"Stay behind me," Rai commanded, his voice firm yet reassuring.
Alex nodded, his heart pounding in his chest.
Greg seized the moment, launching himself at Rai with all his might. Their swords clashed again, the sound reverberating through the desert. Rai countered with a swift strike, his blade slicing through the air with deadly intent. The tip of the blade grazed Greg's throat, leaving a thin line of blood. Greg staggered, his hand flying to his neck. Relief flickered in his eyes for a brief moment he was still alive.
But Rai wasn't done. He pressed forward, his sword aimed straight for Greg's heart.
Greg's grin twisted into a grimace as he saw the attack coming. With a final, desperate effort, he thrust his own blade.
Time seemed to freeze as both swords found their marks. Rai's blade plunged into Greg's chest, while Greg's weapon pierced Rai's.
The two men collapsed in unison, their lifeless bodies hitting the sand with a dull thud.
Alex stumbled toward Rai, his legs shaky and his chest tight. Dropping to his knees beside the knight, the weight of the moment crashed down on him.
"Rai…" Alex's voice cracked. "You… you saved me."
A tear rolled down his cheek, glinting in the harsh sunlight. He placed a trembling hand on Rai's shoulder.
"Thank you."
But there was no reply. Rai was gone.
Alex, the 16-year-old crown prince of the fallen Iris Kingdom, stood alone in the vast expanse of the Saikka Desert. The Sun Kingdom's forces had crushed his homeland, and now, the desert had claimed the only person who had protected him.
For weeks, Alex wandered the dunes, the unyielding heat and endless sands testing his every limit. Hunger gnawed at him, thirst burned his throat, and despair threatened to consume him. Without Rai, every step felt heavier than the last.
One fateful day, a massive sandstorm broke out. To survive, Alex crawled to a small cave near a large rock. The storm raged on, covering the entire area. With no way out, no food, and no water, Alex was trapped. The swirling sands rendered him blind to his surroundings.
Grasping the mana stone he carried a rare, glowing gem created naturally from ambient mana he used its faint light to explore the cave. Though the cave mouth was narrow, the interior opened into a surprisingly spacious cavern.
Suddenly, Alex felt a sharp object press against his neck.
"Shhh… Don't move," a voice hissed.
Alex began to sweat. "I'm… Alex… I'm just trying to cross the desert," he stammered.
The dagger retreated from his neck.
"I'm Levi," the stranger said, seating himself on a nearby rock.
When Alex had entered the cave, Levi had extinguished his fire and hidden to set up an ambush. Now, he relit the fire and began roasting desert rats he had caught earlier.
The savory smell made Alex's stomach growl audibly. Levi burst out laughing and tossed a piece of rat and a water sack to Alex.
Alex devoured the food and drink in seconds.
The two began to talk. Levi revealed that he was an 18-year-old martial artist from the Iris Kingdom. As a child, he had been kidnapped by pirates and later rescued by Iris soldiers. For the past seven years, he had lived in the Iris Kingdom, honing his martial skills. Recently, he had decided to return to his homeland the Carnethis Kingdom, near Iris.
Lacking money for a ship, he had attempted to cross the Saikka Desert on foot. However, he had been stranded in the cave for four days after encountering a giant sandworm that now roamed the area.
Alex, concealing his true identity, lied and claimed to be the son of a merchant. He explained that he had survived a storm that killed the rest of his caravan.
Levi seemed to believe him.
Eventually, Levi brought out a ring. "This is my family ring," he said. "I don't remember much, but my family were merchants too."
Over the course of the day, the two bonded like old friends.
The next morning, Alex peered outside the cave.
"I think the storm is gone," he said.
Levi nodded. "Looks like the sandworm is gone too."
The two began searching for water, as their supplies were almost depleted. Hours of wandering yielded nothing but sand and rocks.
"Alex, come here!" Levi whispered urgently.
"What is it?" Alex hurried over.
Peering between two rocks, they saw a bandit camp nestled among four massive boulders.
"Is it a town?" Alex whispered, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and naivety.
Levi rolled his eyes and gave Alex's head a light smack. "Are you serious? That's a bandit camp," he said, his tone exasperated.
Alex frowned, rubbing the spot where Levi had hit him. Despite all that had happened, his sheltered upbringing as the crown prince of Iris left him clueless about the harsher realities of the world. But the past few weeks had been a brutal teacher. He now understood how unforgiving life could be.
"What do we do? If they see us, they'll kill us!" Alex said, panic creeping into his voice as beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
Levi's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "We rob them," he said simply.
Alex stared at him, slack-jawed. "Are you insane? If they're bandits, they'll skin us alive if they catch us!" He kicked Levi lightly on the backside.
"Hey! Watch it!" Levi protested, stumbling forward a bit.
They crouched in the shadows, waiting for nightfall. Hours passed in tense silence until the camp remained deserted.
"They're probably out looting travelers," Levi murmured, his sharp gaze scanning the area.
"Let's go." Without waiting for a response, he grabbed Alex's wrist and led him toward the camp entrance.
The camp was eerily quiet, with the guards left behind fast asleep, their forms slumped against the walls or sprawled on the sand. The wooden structures loomed ominously in the stillness, their sharp outlines stark against the dark desert sky.
Levi motioned Alex forward, his steps slow and deliberate, barely disturbing the silence. Approaching one of the nearby buildings, Levi pushed the door open.
A pungent scent immediately assaulted their senses a sharp tang of spirits mixed with the faint mustiness of wood. Inside, shelves were crammed full of bottles of alcohol, the dim light reflecting off the glass surfaces like tiny stars.
"That's a lot of booze," Levi remarked, grabbing a bottle and taking a quick swig.
Alex wrinkled his nose. "Seriously? Is now the time to be drinking?"
Ignoring Alex's comment, Levi filled a small bag with some supplies before they moved on.
As they turned to leave, their eyes fell upon a reinforced building made of wood and steel.
"That one looks important," Levi muttered.
Curiosity pulling them forward, they approached the structure.
"The door's locked," Levi observed, picking up a rock. He hammered it against the lock until it snapped open.
Inside, they found rows of wooden boxes. Levi pried one open, revealing it was filled to the brim with gold, diamonds, and other treasures.
"They're rich," Alex whispered, his voice barely audible.
Levi nodded, his fingers brushing against the glittering contents.
Just as they were about to pocket some of the loot, the sound of approaching horses froze them in their tracks.
"We're done for… they're back," Alex whispered, his voice quivering.
Levi grabbed Alex's arm, panic flashing across his face. Thinking quickly, he pointed to an empty wooden box. "In there! Hide!"
The two squeezed into the box, closing the lid just in time.
Moments later, more than 30 bandits rode into the camp, their voices echoing in the night.
"Boss! Boss! I think someone robbed us!" A man shouted.
"Robbed us? Who dares!" A booming voice replied. It could only belong to their leader, Boss Naz, who jumped down from his horse, fury etched into his features.
"What's missing?" He demanded, glaring at the man.
"Some bottles of alcohol and a bit of meat," the bandit stammered.
Before Naz could respond, another bandit came rushing toward him, gasping for breath. "Boss! The vault door is broken!"
Naz's face darkened, his fury palpable. Without hesitation, he grabbed one of the guards by the Neck. The guard flinched as Naz's Twist his neck.
The other guards froze, their knees trembling as Naz turned to Lalo, his trusted right-hand man.
"Kill them all," Naz commanded coldly, his voice sending chills through the group.
Lalo nodded, drawing his sword with a deadly precision. Moments later, the guards fell one by one, their cries cut short as their heads bowed lifelessly to the ground.
The group rushed toward the vault, their heavy footsteps echoing ominously. Alex and Levi, crammed into the box, were drenched in sweat. Their bodies trembled, their breathing shallow and silent.
Naz and Lalo entered the vault, their eyes scanning the room. They inspected the boxes but found nothing missing.
"They must have run off before they could grab anything," one of the men muttered.
Naz grunted. "Lock the vault door and search the area. They can't have gotten far."
Just as he turned to leave, a faint sound broke the tense silence.
Hic!
Naz froze, his eyes narrowing. Alex's heart stopped. Levi clamped a hand over his mouth, realizing too late that the sound had come from him.
Naz's face twisted into a crazed smile. "Looks like the rats are still here," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice.
Lalo, his right-hand man, smirked and shook his head in agreement. Without hesitation, Lalo called for a few men from outside, and they began opening the boxes one by one. Minutes passed, and finally, they reached the box where Alex and Levi were hiding.
Lalo tried to pry open the box door, but it held firm. Frustrated, Naz stepped forward and delivered a powerful kick, breaking the box apart and sending Alex and Levi tumbling out onto the ground.
"Please, sir! We only took a little food," Alex begged, his voice trembling.
"Food? What about my alcohol?" Naz growled, his fury evident as he kicked Alex hard in the stomach.
Levi was the only one with any fighting experience, his martial arts training giving him an edge. Alex, on the other hand, had never fought before. Rai had always been there to protect him, but now Rai was gone, and Alex was left to fend for himself.
Alex doubled over in pain, clutching his abdomen as he looked helplessly at Levi, who was sweating profusely. Naz's eyes narrowed as he spotted the alcohol bottle in Levi's hand. Without warning, he grabbed Levi by the neck, his grip tightening like a vice.
"You little rat! You drank my alcohol!" Naz roared, his grip growing stronger.
Levi, desperate to escape, began kicking wildly, his martial arts training kicking in. The two struggled fiercely, but Naz's brute strength was overwhelming.
Naz loomed over them, his smile widening as he took in their terrified expressions. Alex's eyes darted to the sword hanging from Naz's waist. Summoning every ounce of courage, he grabbed the weapon and swung it at Naz. The blade cut deep on Naz's left hand, forcing him to release Levi.
Naz let out a chilling laugh, his grin unbroken despite the injury. "Ke kee keee," he chuckled, stopping Lalo from retaliating against Alex. "Chain them up! Let's give them a bloodbath!" Naz screamed, his voice echoing through the camp.
The bandits erupted into cheers, their voices filled with bloodlust. "Bloodbath!" They chanted, their excitement palpable.
Naz cauterized his wound with fire, the smell of burning flesh filling the air as he bandaged the Wound. Lalo dragged Alex and Levi outside, chaining them together in preparation for the gruesome spectacle.
Lalo tossed two blades onto the ground in front of them. "Fight. The one who's still breathing will be spared," Naz declared coldly. "If you don't fight, both of you will be skinned alive."
The bandits formed a ring around them, their jeers and cheers creating a deafening cacophony. Alex looked at Levi, his heart sinking as he saw Levi already gripping one of the blades.
"Sorry, Alex. I can't die here," Levi said, his voice steady but filled with regret.
Alex's eyes widened in disbelief. Despite the bond they had formed, Levi was ready to fight for his survival. There was no time to process the betrayal as Levi lunged at Alex, his blade slicing through the air. Alex barely dodged the attack, but the edge of the blade grazed his chest, leaving a shallow cut.
Alex had never held a Blade before, let alone fought with one. He grabbed the second blade, his hands trembling. Running wasn't an option they were chained together. He had no choice but to defend himself.
Naz watched the fight with a twisted grin, clearly enjoying the spectacle. Levi attacked again, this time aiming for Alex's neck. Alex managed to block the strike, but the force of the blow sent him sprawling to the ground. He lacked the strength to keep up with Levi's relentless assault.
As Levi prepared for another attack, Alex knew it would be his last chance. He grabbed a handful of sand from the ground and flung it into Levi's eyes. Levi staggered back, his vision obscured. Seizing the opportunity, Alex swung his blade at Levi's neck. The strike wasn't strong enough to sever it completely, but it was enough to bring Levi down.
Levi's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Alex stood frozen, his hands shaking violently. Blood is dripping from the Blade. This was his first time taking a life, and the weight of it threatened to crush him.
Naz's smile widened as he watched Alex, The bandits cheered louder.