A Solitary Structure Stands Tall

As Felkin and Kieron walked, they moved nearer and nearer to their destination. Although hopeful they remained on their guard as they approached the structure. It was like a great cube, but it had well carved and ornate design. It had a well-defined roof and a door leading into it, the smoke was coming out of a hole in the roof. Kieron searched her person for any other weapons or usable equipment but only found one crescent blade that she held firmly in her hand.

When they neared the entrance of the stone ruin, they carefully walked forward and held out their weapons. Stones and boulders were located near its entrance and Felkin looked around cautiously in their surroundings. Figures suddenly emerged from all sides. Previously hidden from behind the rocks. They brandished simple spears, with stone tips attached to wooden sticks and surrounded the two. They wore thick layered garb, with patches and strips of cloth sewn together and the clothes they wore covered their entire body with only space for their eyes to see. Something resembling a thick scarf or shawl was around their necks, and hoods covered their head.

"Don't move." One of them ordered. Felkin held his sword up cautiously and Kieron stood behind him, they were back-to-back as they readied for battle at any second. Two small arrows then swiftly whistled through the air towards Felkin's direction. He swatted away one with his sword but caught the other with his hand, stopping it inches away from his eye. The archer stood near the door of the structure; they were similar clothes to the others but had short stature. "That's enough, let them go." They ordered. The warriors lowered their spears in unison and bowed their heads. They then moved to make way. The archer stood near the door cross-armed and shook their head before heading back inside.

A figure spoke in a gentle, quiet but stern voice. The figure was clothed in clean white cloth, in contrast to the rugged and dirtied cloth of the warriors. "It's a kid?" Kieron remarked. She thought the voice came from someone wise beyond their years, they wore lighter and less thick cloth, with what appeared to be bandages wrapping their arms and legs. They had medium length black hair seemingly cut neatly and wore a band of cloth on their head, with a metal crescent facing upwards attached to it.

One of the warriors, one of large stature knelt before the child and made a humble request. "My lord, I would request you to stay inside, it is much safer in here." "Its fine. I was just momentarily checking the view outside." The 'lord' answered. "We tell you, it is always the same. The sun rises high in the sky, and the dunes shift but remain unchanging." The warrior remarked. "No, there is something different." He sniffed the air for a moment. "Look, scavengers in the distance. Blood has been recently spilled. Blood of a serpent-beast it seems. And I smell the same scent on our new guests." He turned to and addressed Felkin and Kieron, which he did not even make eye contact to before. "You have killed the beast, yes?" Kieron answered: "You mean the giant snake that breathed black smoke, yes we did it." Felkin remained silent, alarmed by the boy's presence, he was not scared but still wary.

"That is good. We can attempt to traverse the area without undue danger due to the beast's presence." The young lord exclaimed."But-" "He is right, even though the beast is gone, there is not much to reclaim or restore, we would be wasting time by clinging to things long gone." The archer interjected. "I could've hunted the great beast and we would have a bountiful supply of food, but you forbade us from going and now it is dead." Feeling slightly guilty and perhaps trying to curry favor, Kieron suggested: "Perhaps there is some way we can help?" She gently elbowed Felkin. "Yes, I can help." He pulled his sword from his hip and turned to the direction of the carcass. The archer stared at them both with a keen eye.

'So, these two killed it. They seem competent enough, the other one could even react to my arrows. They couldn't have come from a nearby settlement, if there were any survivors, they would have reached us long before today. Besides if they are simply human, they wouldn't be able to survive long out there.' They thought. "Hmm?" The archer recognized the mark on Felkin's sword as the latter raised it. 'This presence…'

Felkin arched his knees and exhaled deeply. He then swiftly bounded across the sands, covering some distance before he extended his sword in almost like he was casting out a fishing rod as his sword flew across the air like a long ribbon cast out into the wind. He manifested his will into his blade and wrapped it around the great beast at two points. One coil around its head and another around near its tail. As Felkin loosed his sword it scared away the scavengers who flew away. Massive thin and malnourished birds resembling vultures. They were scarred and wounded and flew away with some difficulty.

The child garbed in white had a small smile, although it seemed that they had an unchanging expression. "Look." He turned to Kieron. She was slightly startled but she looked in the distance. "Hey, look!" "Whoa." "Hmm?" The large burly warrior was surprised and even the others were, talking amongst themselves as Felkin moved strained but made distance pulling the giant creature behind him. "Hey, I bet even Dagran couldn't do something like that." Dagran, the large warrior chuckled.

"That's enough." After a time of Felkin pulling the creature along the desert sands, he stopped as the young lord ordered him to. The others including Kieron were in awe of the situation. The archer swiftly jumped down into the sand and towards the carcass of the basilisk. Felkin exhausted, pulled his sword back to normal, the points where he coiled the sword around the body, left gashes in its bods. The warriors followed to inspect the remains of the beast.

Felkin wiped his brow and proceeded to walk to the entrance. Dagran stopped his approach, standing between him and the doorway where the young master sat. "I'm afraid, I cannot let you pass." "Why? I've brought you your food." Said Felkin. "Its fine, I will just get out of the way." He stood up but buckled before the warrior gently caught him by the shoulders.

He entered a large room lit so dimly as his eyes struggled to adjust. The lord tapped Felkin in the arm and Felkin swiftly turned around. "I see." The young lord squinted, seemingly in analysis of Felkin himself. Felkin then made a "follow me" gesture to Kieron who was distracted watching the desert dwellers pick apart the basilisk's carcass.

"Hmm… What a barbaric kill." The archer was appraising the condition of the corpse. "Some parts are torn to shreds, and because of the hot sun, its already begun to go bad. Even if its in prime condition, I doubt we'd be able to store and preserve all this meat." The archer exclaimed. "Well, it is something right?" One of the warriors optimistically remarked. "Yes, I suppose a meat that's gone a little sour is better than nothing." Said the archer.

"Welcome, to our humble abode." Said the young Lord who was now being carried by Dagran as if he was but a twig. The location was spacious but the inhabitants within were scarce. Most of them were quiet, wore simple clothes or layers of rags, and they kept to themselves and minded their business. A few curious ones looked at the strangers, but with the Lord and Dagran in view, they did not become concerned.

Felkin looked around as if he was searching for something. "Is there a place here to sleep, or to clean myself off?" He asked the lord. "Very straightforward about your needs. Yes, there are faculties where you can wash the blood off, and a place to stay. We don't have much in the terms of food, but we make do." The young lord remarked. "You should have more to eat with that snake." Felkin answered. "You, we need your help out there. It might be easier if you help us cut the thing up." Kieron poked her head through the door, her crescent blade freshly covered in blood. "They asked me for help, and I couldn't exactly refuse." She remarked.

"Okay." Felkin agreed and went outside. He saw the warriors walking atop and around the creature. Some of them fit under its ribs and were painstakingly carving meat from the carcass. A few of the inhabitants helped, wheeling metal carts to take the meat inside. The entrance was covered with a layer of cloth and they passed through it as they entered and exited to transfer the meat. "We asked you to help us because you're one of us are you not? You have come here to return, I figured it by your appearance. "He" looks different." The Archer remarked, briefly stopping from commanding the other warriors. "Huh?" Kieron wondered. It was true, other than the pale lord, Kieron and they shared the same hue of skin.

"Where do I cut?" Felkin asked. "Let's see… Can you retrieve an eye, basilisk eyes have some medicinal properties so we may need those." The archer watched Felkin closely, trying to ascertain his physical ability, they saw the damage done to the beast and needed to gauge his strength. "Hmph!" Felkin swung his sword upwards and split the top of basilisk's head in half. One of its eyeballs scattering off due to the force and angle of the slash. Felkin ran in to catch it and he clutched it with both hands and presented it to the archer.

"Have you ever done clean precise cuts before? If you're hunting, you'll ruin the meat if you mash the thing you're hunting into fine paste." The short archer remarked. "Well, if its removing flesh and hide from bone I have some experience, but its slower. I prefer doing a single powerful quick strike to finish a fight. If it hits, it will do damage, regardless of which part I hit." Said Felkin. The archer then hopped atop the back of the giant serpent. "You, hand me your blade." They remarked. "Me?" Kieron held out her crescent blade, then after some hesitation and threw it to the archer who caught it flawlessly. The archer then pulled a blade of their own, which looked remarkably similar, only with an engraving on theirs.

"So, you're using a blade similar to ours… Where did you get this from?" The archer asked. "It's a farm tool... One day, I just took to using it." Kieron remarked. They then made their way to the top of the creature's head and looked down at its teeth. With one swift slice of the blade, a tooth fell of cleanly, without even breaking its jaw. "A clean cut, in good condition. This could be a knife or some tool in the future." The archer remarked. Felkin stepped forward and extended his segmented sword. He stood still but manipulated his sword to run along the circular bone of one of the serpent's vertebrae, cleanly stripping its flesh off.

In the shade of the interior, the young lord looked outside as the scavenger birds began to descend on the carcass. The archer brought out their bow and shot both down in a flash, as two of them fell from the sky, he faintly frowned. "What's wrong?" Dagran asked. "Nothing, let's prepare lodging for our guests." The lord answered.

Within the building was first a large and spacious room with a high ceiling. There were mainly older people sitting around the room, sometimes chatting among themselves. The few children that were there were often bored and mainly lazed around when not in play. In the center of the end of the room, a throne sat. As Dagran carried the lord to the throne, he bowed his head at the people, and they bowed back.

Most of the able bodied and younger denizens were in warrior garb and were hauling the meat to one of three other rooms behind the throne. Felkin entered the room with an open heavy stone door was surprised by a strange chill. The room was filled with ice crystals, with the meat stored on shelves atop some ice. He went inside and gave the stack of meats he had to a nearby warrior, who put some of them on hooks on the walls of the room.

He went to another room and saw a hall of dark rooms illuminated with glowing plants. Going into one, he observed white saplings grew across the room lighting it up. A pool of water was also springing from underground was in the center of the room. He dipped his hand in it, and it was strangely cool.

"Surprised?" Felkin swiftly turned around to find the young lord behind him. "I didn't think this would be commonplace in a desert." He chuckled. "It isn't. I use my power to form the ice. Cold is an essential part of a desert, the day may be hot, but the night is freezing." The young lord knelt to touch one of the saplings. "But this, is a gift that I brought from my homeland. Water is the wellspring of life, all living creatures crave it." He stood back up. Felkin was studying the room and the master's explanation.

"We have some clothes that would fit your size. Poor Solis over there is still too short to wear them." The lord remarked. "Thank you." Said Felkin. "We will leave the clothes by the door and knock." Felkin then pulled the door shut and slowly walked into the water. He trudged and sat down in the pool of the shallow water.

He sat down until only his head was above water. The water glowed with the same color as the plants, like an ethereal bioluminescent light. He remembered that in bathing he should take his clothes off and he proceeded to remove his blood-soaked and tattered clothing and leather armor. He felt a sense of hesitation when he did so, because as far as he could remember he wore them and have lived through them as though it was his own skin.

He pulled off his clothes and then pinched his arm, he felt pain. Accepting this, his conclusion was to resume what he was doing and proceeded to slip back into beneath the water's surface. He looked at his chest, which was previously caved into by the blue demon's fist. He remembered the pain and discomfort, but the thought that he could come back to life eased him. He remembered the dryness of his throat and placed his head underwater only to the point that his face until his nose was above the surface. He then tried to slurp the water but then coughed it out. He remembered that there were containers used for drinking and so after a few seconds of thinking, cupped his hands and drank water from his palms.

As he looked down on his own reflection, he looked at his own eyes. A color of light brown, but he then clenched his fist and focused and saw them turn into a shade of bright red. He looked around and saw the lights that represented the various people in the other rooms. He saw two lights that stood out, because their spark encompassed a larger area, vaguely resembling a humanoid shape. What surprised him more was that the lights had a different color, one was a dark shade of purple and another was of a golden aura. The purple shade waved their hand at Felkin in which he promptly repeatedly splashed water onto his eyes and rubbed them, and as he looked back on his reflection, they were back to their original colors.

He then relaxed and proceeded to scan the room. He looked at every sapling that grew across the walls and floor but spotted a single one that looked odd. His sword was placed at the edge of the pool and he began to reach for it but it suddenly twitched. He recoiled his hand at the sword's movement but slowly extended it out and closed his eyes. He envisioned the sword moving and the handle in his palm and as he opened his eyes, it was mere inches away from his hand. He quickly snatched it and held it up. He flicked his finger at it but felt no sensation, even so he was convinced that the sword itself was rooted to his very being.

He extended the sword to cut the small sapling and caught it with the sword as well. He gently reeled back his sword and picked the cut sapling up. He noticed its difference, the amount of leaves it possessed, there were saplings with three leaves, two leaves and even one leaf. But only this one had four leaves. He recognized and marveled at its uniqueness. But realized that it would die if it was not planted and waded onto the other side of the small pool to the cut stem of the small sapling. He tried reattaching it back in vain, and so clutched it in his hand instead.

He leaned back and rested his head onto the ground outside the pool, leaving his entire body submerged. He woke when a gentle knock was enacted on the door, in which point he was startled and immediately grabbed his blade. He sighed as he remembered his emergence in the dark void and noted the resemblance of sleep and his death.

After a while, he walked onto the main room, donning the clothes that had been given to him. His clothes were of the same type as the other warriors. A hard leather vest concealed by layers of fabric, the color closely resembled sandpaper, he wore cloth gloves and boots, with puffy folds of cloth around the wrists and above the ankles. As he entered the room, he noticed that the people were not paying much attention to him, some were in conversation but most were quiet and keeping to themselves.

Felkin sat on a stone bench, next to Kieron who was holding a wooden stick with a piece of meat on it. "How's the place?" He asked. "Well, luckily they had more spare clothing." Said Kieron. "Extra spares and supplies ensure that there's alternatives in case of emergencies." Felkin noted. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around what's happening." She remarked. "One moment, I'm stealing scraps, now I'm fighting gigantic monsters and travelling to lands I've only heard in children's imaginations. Almost like it isn't real." Said Kieron.

Felkin listened quietly. "Why am I even saying this to you, you're pretty much an inhuman creature yourself." She chuckled and Felkin snorted. "But then I realized that they're also just people, they go hungry and they face problems. Although I wouldn't call giant snakes an ordinary problem." She sighed but then noticed Felkin was already walking away from her.

Before she could utter a word, he made a thumbs up gesture and nodded at her, she merely shook her head and sighed before sitting back down. "It's awfully noisy today." The archer Solis, said to the young master. "Because there's just more to talk about." He said as Felkin walked towards them. "I suppose you have your questions, we do too…" He paused. "Solis, would you liven things up? It's been a long time since we've had guests over." Their gaze met, as if she was waiting for confirmation. "I understand." Solis remarked.

As Solis walked away, Dagran stopped her with placing a hand on her shoulder. "First, we let the strangers into our home, we clothe them, feed them and now we're leaving one alone with the master?" "He'll take care of it." Solis remarked. Dagran crossed his arms and leaned on a wall, still vigilantly watching Felkin. Solis sat on a stone bench on one of the sides of the room, and then the others took notice.

The warriors were playing cards, or what resembled them as they shuffled between themselves aged pieces of paper, which can no longer be read or deciphered. The old folk had long shaggy hair and wore rags and merely enjoyed sitting down and resting. They all took one bowl of soup out of the serving pot each, but didn't go for seconds to conserve food.

Solis put her hands together and separated them, three strings of golden light appearing between her palms. "Look Solis is going to play for us again!" One of the children playing exclaimed. The warriors and the elderly all turned their attention to her, who had a rare smile that replaced her constant serious expression.

She attached the strings to the other side of the wooden spine of her bow and played a soft and slow melody that was akin to the sounds of a harp. The sound reminded them of a gentle sunshine, different to the razing heat of the outside, but like a warm gentle embrace. Each pluck and movement of the strings echoed onto the large room. () 'If only I could show them this sight, this warmth.' Kieron thought to herself.

"If you're worrying about the elders and children wearing rags it is their decision, they are content. You didn't take up all our clothes, we have more spares." The young lord remarked. Felkin stared for a while, and then chuckled. "Your name?" the young lord asked. "Felkin." "Nox." The two of them silently watched Solis play as the crowd watched in awe. The music created a golden aura that Felkin debated if it was produced by magic or was simply caused by the serenity of the tune.

"Nox, what are you?" Felkin asked. "Straight the point with your questioning." Nox paused for a moment. "That girl was led here, by her heritage. She is conflicted, but always turns to face toward her own goals. You, on the other hand are an enigma. Your aura seems inhuman, you are alike a chasm that has only a fraction of it filled." Said Nox.

"That is right, I am a god." He remarked. Silence from Felkin. "Am I… a god?" Silence from Nox. Some of the younger warriors and children began to cheer on Solis and as the uproar increased, she created more strings and changed their length and thickness to create an instrument that sounded more like a guitar, creating a livelier rhythm. The elders and Kieron were silent but smiling, even Dagran was distracted enough to cease watching Felkin and Nox whilst helping himself to a bowl of soup.

"No. I believe you are yet human. But still different, changed." Nox remarked. "I heal from life threatening wounds, my eyes change color and grant me strange abilities, and I have this strange weapon. From what I've seen, I'm very far away from what is considered human. I've even seemed to perish once, only to awaken from a dark abyss and be guided to the surface from a being under the guise of a young girl." Said Felkin. "So that's it!" Nox was surprised and expressed it, differing from their quiet and almost monotone voice.

Dagran's attention went back to them as he straightened his posture from being relaxed earlier. Nox began to whisper again. "It appears you have been chosen as a vessel for power by some entity. A being in the appearance of a child, you say. So that is why you suspected me. Indeed, spiritual entities take different forms and guises and possess strange powers." He remarked.

The cheers turned into clapping and singing, and eventually the others went for seconds. "Are you a kid?" Felkin asked. "Yes. Although it can be confusing for some. At first, they did not want guidance from someone who appeared to be much younger than them. But guidance, was in desperate need. And we offered it to them." "I… thank you for offering some to me." Said Felkin. "You're wel-" "Here!" Kieron handed Felkin a bowl, unaware of their conversation. "Its your kill, it would be a shame if you didn't eat a meal from it." Felkin took it from her hands and walked away, slurping on it loudly. Nox simply sighed as he leaned back on his chair.

Solis then finished her performance despite the complaints and cheers of the listeners. Her golden strings disappeared as the crowd dispersed and she walked away from their attention. As Felkin sat to eat, some of the children came to him in curiosity and were excited to talk to him. He stared at them blankly while continuing to slurp down on the soup.

"I heard your conversation." Said Solis. "He is an unusual creature, him being here can constitute a great amount of change. He might be what we need, what this world needs." Said Nox. "I see. However, I believe that the girl shows even more promise." Solis remarked. Nox turned his head to look at Kieron who was now entertaining the children with stories she had learned from her childhood.

One of the warriors asked about Felkin's sword and he pulled it out, extended it upwards and then immediately reverted it back and sheathed it. The questions and praises they gave were only met with silence and not much explanation from him. Dagran kept an eye on both Felkin and Kieron as he took empty bowls away for cleaning.

"I trust your judgement. But for now, let's just see how this goes." Nox remarked. As the day reached its end, the denizens of the temple all slept in the main room. They only had cloth padding and cloth blankets as they slept on the stone floor, some slept sitting or lying on the stone benches including Kieron. Nox was sitting on his throne with eyes closed, appearing to be resting or in some form of meditation.

Sleeping on the floor, Felkin awoke from a nightmare, hand immediately on his sword. But immediately calmed down as he recognized his location, he had already forgot what he had dreamt and proceeded to stand up, not being able to go back to sleep. As he rubbed his eyes, he noticed the stone door of the temple was pulled open. Wary, he went in and walked towards it and to the outside.

"O crumbling ruinous earth. O rising depths of sand. May your advance cease. May these lands spring with bountiful life once more. May gentle sunshine bathe the sands once more. Not scorching heat that burns bone to dust, but warmth that comforts the weary." Solis had the sleeve for her right arm taken off, revealing a glowing mark on her arm. A golden sun with rays of light enveloping her forearm, glowing brightly as she uttered the wish, or maybe it was a prayer.

"I see you there." She addressed Felkin who was peeking from the inside of the temple. Felkin walked out into the sands, looking at the dark night sky, with the stars and moon shining bright in the sky. As he stepped out, he stood silent as Solis gazed upwards in contemplation. In the quietude of the night, he noticed something strange and a faint noise emitting from the ground. "You should go inside now; it isn't safe." He reached for his sword in surprise as his feet sunk an inch beneath the surface.

There was a low rumble as the temple began to sink as well. Felkin quickly ran up to the temple and put his hands on it as if to struggle with its occurring situation. He then leapt on the walls and stuck his sword onto a ledge that was part of the construction's design, sensing something off. He observed the soles of his boots dripping grains of sand, looking closer he saw that the outer layer of it was beginning to turn into sand itself.

"I'm not affected by it, I'm actively repelling its effects. And we, are trying to stave of its effects onto this world." Said Solis. The sound and the following phenomena stopped, and the temple ceased sinking. Solis walked up to the temple and dipped her hand into the sand and lifted it up across the wall's surface. "It's been sinking more and more lately. Jump down, its safe now." She remarked. Felkin let go and landed on the soft sand below. "How? Why?" asked Felkin.

"Apparently its some curse by some old god. Isn't this such a joke? Imagine waking up to pick up the pieces of a dying, crumbling world." She then concealed her arm once again with a glove and shrugged. "Well, its not like I'm giving up on this place any time soon." She remarked. "Why... don't you just leave?" Felkin remarked. "Are your friend's abilities of a transportive nature?" Solis asked. "Yes. I think so." He replied. Solis breathed a sigh of relief. "If you had gone through something like a portal, it would make our problem much harder." She patted the much taller Felkin on the shoulder before walking back inside.

"Don't worry too much about it." As Solis went back inside, she turned her head to the sleeping people, suspicious of something but decided to let it go. Secretly awake, Kieron heard and listened through most of the conversation.