Monstrous Sandstorm

We've been walking since yesterday, now it's afternoon the sun it burning hot, the little breaks we've take to rest is not enough for me. I want my comfy bed where I can sleep for the whole day. We didn't come across anything helpful. No food, no water, and now only little amount of water remain in the bottle, I'm super thirst, and we have no idea where to get more water or when to leave the desert. My feets had become red, and are sore because of lots of walking in the hot sand of the desert.

"Can we rest for a while?"

I cried, I can't take it anymore, catching my breath, as I bend over with both my hands grabbing my knees.

"We've just had one Nyla, we have to keep moving."

One brow, the one Drly called Nico, said looking at the compass in his hand. He was a former army officer so he knows how to handle situations like these. He has been guiding us since yesterday when he woke up not possessed.

"Uuurgh, it was just 20 minutes how I am supposed to rest in just 20 minutes?"

I winned and mumured under my breath.

"Dear lord, when will I get out of here?"

Hoping to get out soon. Luiz never left my side since the incident of yesterday morning. Well I'm grateful as well. Drly was walking in middle of his guards. You know those kind of Spoiled Brat.

"Be patient, we'll leave soon, I promise."

Luiz said to make me feel comfortable. I rub Mimi's head in his hand, he had been holding her since, to be honest he looks cute with her. I smile observing him.

"What?"

He asked, scrunching his eye brows totally confused.

"What's funny?"

He asked again, puzzled he had no idea what made me giggle.

"Nothing."

I shook my head and covered my mouth with my hand, holding my tummy with my other as it rumbled because of hunger.

Mimi doesn't like people much, she prefer being with me all the time, but she likes him I guess or she's just weak, 'I wished I was the one in your position little one.' I heaved deeply caressing her fur. looking at her with dreamy eyes.

"Then, Hop on."

Drly's husky voice identify his presence, and that's when I noticed, I spoke out loud. 

I opened my mouth to talk to Luiz and beat me to it.

"No one wants your help."

Luiz voice chirped in.

"Let her speak for herself, no one wants you."

Dryl reply with the same energy, as they continue to biker, I said nothing with my gaze passing from Luiz to Dryl their bikering is giving me headache.

"Enough, both of you."

I pushed both of them with my hands.

"You'll need that energy for the waoo.. ooo...alk ."

I winced before I complete my sentence, jumping at the painful bite I feel on my feet.

"Oh no nooo not again."

I hold my leg in my hand jumping in pain.

Luiz keeps Mimi down and come over to me tending to the bite. Dryl just stand there towering over top of us, with his hands in his pocket, looking sideways. 

It was a scorpion bite but this time it didn't heal, it's been over ten minutes but I still feel the pain, though Luiz wet his handkerchief and tied the finger. Did I lost my healing abilities?

"You aren't healing?"

Drly asked seeing me wincing every now and then and I shake my head as a no.

What's happening to us? I don't know whether to feel happy or scared now that I'm back to my normal self? can I be normal with the gem stone still in me or something is wrong.

Something is happening, the prince is gone, Veera too and now my abilities. I just have a bad feeling about this.

"No, no, no it can't be, it can't be."

Nico voice trembles, as he bite finger trying to catch his breath, heaving hardly. We all turn and look at scared Nico with questioning eyes. Seeing him like this makes me more unease, and my heart beat even more.

"There was this place my colleague once told us about, and after that I did some research on it because, it's kind of creepy.

"Niko??"

Drly shouts for him to go to the main point.

"Oh I'm sorry, the place was said to have ghosts because of the army that was swallowed by a sandstorm."

Nico looked at us not knowing how to put it and we all stared at him confused, he must be a bad storyteller. 

"Long time ago, a massive army of a strong king trekked across the desert to go for a battle but they were swallowed up by a monstrous sandstorm, burying, some say more than 50,000 men and leaving none alive. But some say the king was alive, and his ghost was hunting whoever crossed his path. He made the desert his new kingdom. Some believe the lost army to be true, but many think of it as a myth."

"What did these have to do with us Niko?"

Luiz asked confused, I was quite imagining what he said. Drly massaged his forehead out of frustration.

"I ... I'm afraid this is the description of the place."

Niko stammered, making us look at him confused.

"And why did you say so?"

Drly snapped, wanting a proof.

"Because of the empty desert, and my stop watch has been going in circles, the uneasiness of animals, all are signs of it-"

He said all in one breath, pointing to Mimi's figure on the ground, meowing but her voice didn't come out. I was totally in pain and didn't notice her.

"Nico, all these are normal, stop this superstitous nonsense, there must be a problem with your watch and the cat is just tired. And all the desert is empty, you idiot."

Dryl cut him off, totally pissed off but tried to stay calm, but Niko didn't seem to have heard any of it, he just stared behind us with his mouth open.

"What?"

Luiz asked.

"Look."

The terrified Niko said pointing ahead.

They all turned to look at what he was pointing at, and I followed their gaze turning my head to the place they were looking and my jaw dropped. I do see sandstorm on TV and in movies but I never know how destructive and scary a sandstorm can be. I never think it'll be this bad.

We were on top of a big dune so we could see it from a far. A wall of dust towered more than a mile high, or as I estimated, moving and swallowing everything it come across. like a virtual wall of blowing sand and dust particles that is thousands of feet tall. Suddenly, I felt grit pelting on my cheek just as the wind picked up and moved toward the huge cloud of debris.

"Let's run, run for your life."

Baldy said and we all turned and looked at Baldy, who was ready to run.

"What? I read that sandstorm can be fast moving, but a lot of sandstorms are quite slow, and this looks like one of the slow ones, and the storms blow through in less than 30 minutes. It is possible to outrun it."

He explaining and wanted to outrun the storm.

"It's too late, once you are in a sandstorm it's too late to try and escape, your will feel a sense of disorientation as your sense of direction is completely compromised by almost no visibility, and the sand lashing at your bare skin and when it hits, you are buffeted around by storm force winds."

Niko continued explaining further, he looked at us and continued handing me his coat.

"Here."

I collect it and looked at him with questioning eyes.

"We have to wet a bandana or handkerchief or any cloth you have with you, fold it in half to form a triangle and then wear it bandit-style on your face, covering your nostrils and mouth. This will prevent sand from entering your airway."

Niko continue and we nodded ignoring Baldy thought of running and everyone did as he said. Dryl brought out a  handkerchief from his pocket and Niko pour drops of the little water we had, Luiz hand me a handkerchief and collect the coat from me I didn't questions why but wet it from Niko and wrapping it my nose and mouth, while the rest did the same with whatever the find with them.

"Anyone with petroleum jelly, or lip balm?

Niko asked and we shook our heads, then he turned his head towards me and asked.

"Lip glue or lipstick?"

"No."

I said and shook my head.

"It is advisable to coat the insides of our nostrils with some jelly to prevent it from drying."

Niko explains like he'd been in a Sandstorm before.

"Here, would this help?"

The other guard said handing over a manthaletha and we rub it in our nose.

"Now we have to hold our hands together and cover our mouths no matter what. If not, matters can get worse. If you cannot cover your mouth, the sand will pour down your throat and into your lungs, suffocating you."

Niko ordered and Luiz grab hold my left hand and I felt Drly take my right hand in his and with Luiz sneering at him.

"We have to run away before it comes closer."

Niko explained.

"There's a mountain there."

I said when I saw a huge stone in the distance.

We can hardly reach there before it reaches us, but we can at least try. So we ran at once with our hands held tight with one another to the direction of the mountain.

***

We ran for minutes now and the sandstorm is feets behind us, the tiny grains of sand when the strong wind blew. It's strong enough to airlift the loose top layer of sand and dust from a dry surface. It keeps following us. I turn to look at it. And I saw a head with a large mouth, trying to grab Baldy's head, him the one near the storm. 

What on Earth is that, seeing the ghost scare me and I tripped, falling and slowing the team. Luiz lifts me up and we continue to run. wispering, don't look back in my ears.

The storm became more aggressive,  and wild and it swallowed us all. We were now immersed in the storm, the dust reducing our visibility. I heard voices and saw bodies in the sandy dim storm. The cloth and the sandy storm makes it hard to breath.

"Stop running."

Niko shouted but we could hardly hear him.

"Stop running, and try to stay firm on your feet. And no matter what, don't let go of each other. Don't break the chain."

Niko ordered and we stopped, holding each other's hands tight. there was several time it tried to unbond us but we tried our best to not break loose.

"Anya, Anya."

I heard Ye'ye voice and saw his face in the storm shouting in pain and trying to grab my hand.

"Don't let me go."

Ye'ye said trying to grab my hand

"Ye'ye?"

I asked to confirm, not believing my eyes.

"Why did you let them kill me?"

Ye'ye asked feeling hurt.

"I ... I didn't, I don't know."

I shouted.

"You abandoned me Anya."

Ye'ye called again.

"No, I didn't, I try ... I tried all my best to find you."

I cried and tried to unwrap my hands from both Luiz and Drly and grab that of Ye'ye but they hold on my hands tight.

I no longer see anyone or hear anything. My vision is blurry, I feel weak, not feeling any part of my body, I can't take it anymore and fall on the ground. With my head on the ground my eyes blinked slowly and I saw a blue light striking the sandstorm, it took a while and the storm calmed down giving me the chance to see in the dusty air when the storm finally calmed down I saw traces of someone trying to carry us, and I passed out.