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The sands shifted nicely under my padded feet as I strode forwards on the dunes.

I had climbed a dune to look around a bit more and get my bearings. But I could only see sand and an oasis that seemed relatively close. The rest was just a large bowl of nothing.

"There's an oasis a few clicks out. We could make it before nightfall if we're lucky. But I imagine there's gonna be alot of viruses hidden between here and there." I said as I slid back down the dune. My feet finding the sliding feeling of the sand almost playful and I wanted to surf down again for the fun of it but held myself back.

Lily and the others nodded before we huddled together as Lily began to doodle in the sands.

Once again I saw the sands shift as Lily drew a large circle on the ground. Bones dug themselves out and arranged till we could see clearly. A mouse skull for the goblins, a scorpion carapace for the guardians, and a fire ant carapace holding what I could only assume would be a sword for the warriors. A small diamond shape formed for our location on the map as the bodies took their places.

"So everybody has been evenly dispersed this time. No instant clashes and noone killing each other outright. Though it seems that oasis is closer to us than anyone else. So I think the theme for this time is surviving virus waves instead of war tactics. So this will be a right treat." Hoy said with his face a little scrunched up like he ate something he didn't agree with.

"What so bad about monster waves? I'd rather deal with dumb critters than tricky people." I asked as I looked around the group.

Lily looked at me before giving an understanding nod. "Well. It figures you'd say that. After all monsters tend to be less tricky and more of a nuisance. But that's in a normal map. This one has little to no cover and nowhere to get away from waves. So we are basically fighting an each wave on nothing but flat ground with no holds barred. No tricks to save us. No terrain to utilize. Just the sand beneath our feet. It's going to be a massacre that relies entirely on our teamwork and tenacity. And that's if we manage to not overheat." Lily described as I could do nothing but nod. I had some tactics in mind but they all fell into exactly what she said. No holds barred conflict.

"Well. At least we get the chance to see how we all work in this conflict as Beth hasn't had the chance to run a team scenario with us yet." I said with a sigh before slinging my coffin across my back where Beth happily hopped. Her usual spot being right where the top flattened out with her legs crossed over my right shoulder with her umbrella laying across her knees.

"We should get going. Don't wanna be completely out in the open when the night hits." Beth said with her voice less of a command and more like a child going on a picnic.

Bell seemed to look at us a little different. (Is she... Jealous?) I thought as she seemed to scowl ever so slightly at Beth on my shoulder.

"So... What should I call you now? Used to be Bell because... Well... You know. And now your are... Who?" I asked as we started walking making Bell shake herself from her inner thoughts of how lucky Beth was for getting a free ride.

"Well. I'm still me. My avatar changed from Bellona to just being a Valkyrie. Besides that I don't have a name for this form. So I wouldn't mind if you still called me Bell. I've grown fond of it." She said fixing a hair back behind her ear with a cute smile making my heart skip a beat.

I coughed quickly looking away. "Then I guess I'll keep calling you Bell if that's what you prefer. And you can keep calling me Sil. Ain't no changing it now right?"

She clasped her hands behind her back as she seemed to skip a little ahead of us. "Yep."

I suddenly heard a chuckle from my shoulder as a hand rubbed between my Jackal ears. "You really can charm them can't you." Beth seemed to laugh as she sat on the coffin.

"I don't know what you mean. She's a good friend and I just want her to be comfortable." I responded looking beyond Bell at the dunes around us.

"Squash that thought you idiot. She's smitten. And you know it. I've been alive so long that I know when a girl is looking to give her heart. Just be careful not to break it. Because you men are all idiots." Beth said with a snort as she suddenly pulled a long pipe out of nowhere and began to seemingly smoke something. The smell didn't hurt but it was still pungent.

"I know, I know. But you also understand that idiots stick together right?" I said before receiving a hard enough wack that I lost 5 points of health. "Aye!"

Meanwhile Bell and the rest seemed to pass me as I was also carrying Beth. Not enough to cause me trouble in distance but also gave me more of a reason to pick up the pace. Though that soon wasn't a problem.

The others started steaming as the heat beat down on us. The only ones seemingly unaffected was Henry and myself. Even Beth on my shoulders had lifted her umbrella to shade herself from the sun.

Lily even resorted to growing an umbrella like plant I couldn't recognize. Her hand snapping it half way up it's stalk to use as an umbrella. Bell used her wings as a cover against the sun along side Hoy.

"I would say we should look for a place to rest and cool off. But I don't think that's really feasible at the moment is it." I mumbled and Beth patted my head gently.

"It's a nice thought. But I doubt we'll find anywhere besides the oasis for us to rest." She said looking around at the sand dunes where the shifting grains drifted in a hot breeze.

As we continued forward I had a thought and opened my pet space. My swarm came out and hovered about causing a small breeze to move around as they did.

The group ahead looked back at the humming swarm and could barely make out whispers but not much else. But it didn't take long to figure out the contents of the conversation.

The Scarabs moved overhead of the people having a hard time in the heat and formed small swarms making shade for those below.

"This! Is! Genius!" Bell sighed in relief as the sun was blocked out. The little shade really helped everybody to keep moving despite the heat.

As night fell I felt something within me switch on. I couldn't help but fall to all fours as my eyes darted about the dunes excitedly. I could smell something. Something dangerous.

The others noticed my change and seemed curious about it as my body had now shifted to be a little more Jackal like and a little less human. My arms remained. But my back legs had shifted to a more comfortable stage of dog-like for my situation.

Iron and dirt was a smell common to the desert. But this was different. Rustic and wet. A disturbing thing to my nose as my eyes adjusted and scents drifted in and out of focus till I saw what I wanted.

A deep red strand of smell wafted from a nearby dune. Heavy and oppressive in nature.

I growled. Beastial and defiant towards the sand dune. "I know you're there. Come out before I drag you out."

The others looked at each other in confusion and then at the dune.

"One-"

"Alright! Alright! I'm coming out!" Said a male voice. Tenor and sleepy sounding.

The sand moved aside like a door before an Egyptian looking man stepped out.

His skin was darkly tanned and his skin was fair. His hair was cropped to sit level with his eyes as a circlet of gold crested by a snake sat on his head. His eyes were crimson and his manner of dress similarly Egyptian.

And hough the tired man looked anything but dangerous I could smell it. The amount of "blood" on his hands was like a sea. There was no telling how much he had killed. But I was certain most of it had been human.

"Well... Might as well introduce myself. You can call me Set." He said with a lazy wave of his hand. My eyes followed his movement before noticing something odd.

Nobody was moving. There was no sound. No breeze. Not even a shift around us as Set moved.

"You can go now. I wanna try and nap again." He said trying to go back into the dune.

"Hold on a minute!" I growled as my hackles rose.

He turned with his eyes partially glazed. "Oh my. I actually forgot you were here. Anubis." He said with a grin. A creepy grin that seemed to spread into a maniacal smile across his face.

"Be a good boy and let me sleep." His voice seemed to distort in a broken, demonic fashion.

I felt a chill travel up my back. And not from the cold night of the desert. It was fear. Real fear. And I froze.

"Good boy." He said as his face returned to normal and he slouched back into the dune as though he had never existed at all. And time resumed around me.

My body remained frozen where it was. I was too scared to move as the face replayed in my mind. His intent clear.

(He was able to erase me.) I could feel it. The truth of that statement. He wasn't a program or a system. He was something else. Something more.

I trembled as our group surrounded me with scared looks

"Is he alright? What's going on.

My kind raced through every possible thing that could explain what just happened. From Ceres to the General. And back again. And then something clicked.

Ceres and the General wouldn't have pulled a stunt like that. And no "player" could alter the world like that guy had. So there was only one choice left. Illogical as it sounded in my head. But the more I thought. The more it made sense.

An Administrator. I found an actual administrator.