Umbra's Collapse!

Subtle winds don't even come close to cooling the skin from the bombardment of the blazing sun. The blistering rays leave a sizzling effect on the soft sand, which turned into an unbearable surface for those that cross it without sufficient protection.

Such is not the case, though, for Nox and the others. Having had the protection of the barrier for several days whilst inside Aeptian, they felt refreshed once they ventured outside. They ran through the Scorching Desert, riding their camels, and disregarded the imminent danger of the extensive heat.

Once they gained enough distance from Aeptian Town, they slowed down their pace and matched Umbra's, who straggled to keep up. The beast's fur wasn't a favourable attachment to have where a few hours exposed was possible to lead to death. They took turns hydrating the beast and cooling it down.

Malia, as the daughter of a merchant, had the experience of traveling in the desert. She took the lead and guided them to the resting spot where they first met. The well there provided a spot to freshen up their throats and wash the sand off their faces.

As soon as they got off the camels, Nox and Roi set up the camp from what they could salvage and whatever they could put together. Just the fact they had water was enough to keep them going in the unbearable heat.

After a while, they all went under the shade to rest. Because of the topography of the area, they would get sudden bursts of cool wind, even under those conditions that lowered their temperature. A few sighs of relief were to be expected after cooling down.

Nox noticed that something was wrong with Umbra, since he still hadn't gotten under the tent. In a hurry, he approached the beast that laid in the soft burning sand. "Come on, buddy, let's get you to shade."

Umbra struggled to get up, even with the support of Nox. A sudden pain pierced the young man's heart, that left him gasping for air. He didn't know where it came from, but pretty soon; he understood that something was wrong.

The black-furred Mana Hound let out a howl before it collapsed. Its massive body blew dust as it buried its head in the sand. The young man gulped a mouthful, wetting his throat. His voice came out hoarse and blood spilled out from his mouth. "Umbra!"

Mirena and the others heard him and rushed to their side. They helped carry the beast under the shade. The silver-haired elf under a cool location begun casting her spell. Nox sat next to Umbra and patted its head.

Mirena's eyes watered as soon as she locked eyes with Nox. "I-I'm sorry! I can't do anything else…"

The young man stared at her. She could see the confusion in his eyes. Unable to hold it in, she sobbed. "W-When we were coming to you, one scorpion stung him. I thought my spell would do the trick, but…"

She couldn't finish her thoughts and broke down in tears. As if she was trying to rip her heart out, she kept pulling on her chest. Nox felt her pain and sincerity. Of course, he knew she didn't mean any harm to befell Umbra.

He remained silent and simply walked towards her. He sat beside her and hugged her ever so tightly. It startled Mirena at first, but she soon buried her face in his arms when she felt his warmth. Nox patted her head and smilingly whispered. "It's going to be ok, don't worry."

A few minutes passed, and Mirena finally calmed down. Nox got up and approached a camel. He looked at Roi. "Look after them. I'll be back soon!"

Nox rode all the way back to Aeptian disregarding the heat and his safety. Inside the town, chaos prevailed. Still, the Royal Guards fought with the Desert Scorpions, with either giving ground. The young man brushed his hair back. The barrier provided a protection he didn't have on the outside. He let himself cool down for several minutes before getting back to work, since time pressured him.

He didn't bother going after the living scorpions. Instead, he searched among the rubble for the dead. He came across one, but his rejoice quickly ended when he noticed that the tail already got cut off. Without wasting a second, Nox resumed his search, only to be interrupted by a tail that sent him flying.

He crashed into a wall a few meters away from where he was. The impact made him spew a mouthful of blood. Nox's purple eyes glistened with rage. His friend depended on him, and yet he allowed himself to get hit and waste valuable time. He got up, wiped the blood off his mouth, and grinned at the scorpion. "You will do!"

The young man raised his hand and aimed at the creature. "\Ice Shards/"

A chilling wind blew and needle-like ice crystals shot out of his palm. Before the last crystal leave his hand, Nox jumped towards the scorpion and punched through it. With a swift motion, he cut off its tail.

Since he got what he wanted, he returned to the gate where he left his camel. As he was about to depart, a whooshing sound came from behind him. By instinct, he moved to the side, and a spear went past his head, piercing the hard stone of the wall in front of him.

Startled, he turned around. At first he thought they must have thrown it randomly, but the sight left him with widened eyes and shock painted all over his face. He clenched his fists with boiling blood pumping through his veins. "Their timing couldn't be worse…"

The Royal Guards of Aeptian surrounded him. His camel got scared of the spear earlier and ran away, leaving him behind.

In the distance, the king shouted at the top of his lungs as he laughed maniacally. "Take him!"

"Stop!"

The female voice that came out of nowhere startled them. They all looked back, king Gor included, and they saw a girl walking towards them, with two women supporting her.

The Royal Guards gasped. The moment they saw her, it painted their faces with joy. With one voice, they cheered. "P-Princess!"

Their happiness didn't last for long. As soon as she got closer, a Desert Scorpion jumped from the ground in front of the princess. Mortified, the king and the Royal Guards shouted at the princess to run towards them so they could keep her safe.

Nox said nothing this whole time. This was his moment to escape, but just at the thought of it, he got chills down his spine. As if he could ever abandon a girl. He mustered his strength and jumped as high as possible, which was several meters.

The force of his jump sent shock waves that knocked back the guards, leaving them astonished. The king saw this and shouted. "Imbeciles! What are you doing? Get him!"

Nox clicked his tongue at the king's words and cursed himself internally for doing the right thing. From the start, he aimed at the scorpion that threatened the princess. He came down like a shot from the heavens and pinned the creature to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. "Got ya!"