CHAPTER 1: THE SANDSTORM IS FORMING

Preamble

"Ahmed, look! That place looks like a cave. We should go find a place to rest immediately." Bobbing on the camel's back, his fingers waved an imaginary map in front of him, but his eyes were always directed towards the far side of the cave, where the last light of the day gently shone in.

"That's right Ben, you go ahead, we'll follow. I'm so tired, lost in this damn Feul for a day, damn it"

*Feul the name of the desert

with tired but still hopeful eyes, looking in the direction of the distant cave, where there were dark and dim shadows.

"Oh, I just want some cool water and a place to lie down. I don't want to feel lost anymore tonight." Ben yawned and raised his arms to the sky, stretching out his lean body.

"Okay, don't worry. I'll find a place to rest. Are you afraid of death?" Ahmed turned his head and shouted violently, then whipped two ropes at the mount.

Then they rode camels and tried to increase their speed, gliding across the rolling sandbars. It was getting dark, and the last light of the afternoon was about to fade, leaving a starry sky overhead.

"Look, Ahmed! That cave, I saw it!"

Ben quickly jumped down onto the sand, sprinting out of his group from third to where Ahmed was leading. He pointed in a distant direction, his eyes shining with hope and joy, while Ahmed was taking a sip of water.

"Are you scared of death or something, Ben?! Let's go in quickly before it gets completely dark." Ahmed quickly patted Ben's head, causing him to fall to the sand.

Then four camel riders hurriedly entered the cave. Inside, the space was dark, and the feeling of safety seemed absent.

"Look, Ahmed. This place seems safe and comfortable." Ben said.

Night fell covering the entire Feul desert, four people were sitting around the fire in the cave, where the dim light cherished the atmosphere inside. The gentle music of the desert echoes through every hidden corner, creating a cold and mysterious atmosphere.

"Ah, remember the old days, when I was still a good thief." Ahmed said

Salim quickly replied as if he wanted to swallow Ahmed's throat, "You remember! Who can forget that, I still remember it very much!"

"Hey, you used to steal all the sparkling gems and didn't even share them with me, Salim." Ahmed said.

"Hehe, that's why…." Ahmed bared his stinking teeth at a bearded man

"You stole all the treasure in Kairo and didn't tell me anything?" Salim lifted Ahmed's shirt.

"What? Treasure in Kairo? Let me imagine losing my trust in you, Ahmed?" Ben intervened in that argument with a surprised look.

Salim released his hand and waved it like he was chasing away insects. Ahmed said, "Is he bald?"

"Don't blame me. I just want to keep that treasure for myself for a little while. I don't want to share anything." Ahmed glanced at each person in the group.

"Oh, oh, Ahmed, if you're like that you'll definitely be captured by the scout knights." The fourth person's voice appeared, his name was Thomas.

Ahmed gave a mischievous smile, his eyes directed at Salim's reaction, making Salim only laugh bitterly. Then he nodded gently, his mouth smiling but his eyes still containing bitterness, remembering the times when that bastard Ahmed kept the treasure for himself.

Ben looked surprised, his face opened wide, his eyes seemed to want to find out the truth in Thomas's words and he also smiled crookedly, the corner of his mouth raised as if to mock the situation, expressing his liking. Enjoying Ben's surprise, all three enjoyed Ben's foolish ignorance. Ahmed grinned, his eyes mischievous, remembering the times he successfully kept the treasure without anyone noticing.

They looked at the burning fire, details of past thefts like images appearing in their heads.

"And don't forget Kairo. The feeling at that moment... made my heart dance." He stood up and swayed his body as if he were humming a song. Salim smiled sarcastically, his eyes challenging, remembering the times he had to run away from scouts in Kairo.

Ben looked far into the fire, his eyes sparkling, remembering the most adventurous moments of his adventure in Kairo.

Thomas laughed loudly, his mouth still filled with excitement, remembering the feeling of finding hidden treasure in Akkad.

"Each of those gold coins... Created a prosperous life." Ahmed closed his eyes to feel.

Salim choked up, his eyes seemed to express his pride and regret about his successful and failed thefts. Ben looked up at the night sky, his eyes filled with hope and determination, remembering the future goals they were still pursuing.

Looking at the burning fire, their eyes were pensive and then everything was silent, and that's right, they gradually fell asleep as if they were dead.

In the quiet night of the desert, Ben woke up from his sleep and walked out of the cave like a shadowy ghost. The fire from the small torch was still glowing, creating large, dim shadows on the cave wall.

The moonlight sparkles from above, illuminating hidden corners of the desert, creating gloomy yet mysterious shadows. He gently passed the flames, walked on the smooth sand, feeling the coolness of the night filling every pore of his skin.

When he approached a small cluster of trees, he stopped, listening to the sound of the wind blowing, his hair chilling at the strange feeling of the night. Here, amidst the peace and mystery of the desert, he saw mysterious shadows surrounding him, like souls lost in the dark night.

He knelt down on a pile of sand, amidst the peaceful space of the enchanting night. Moonlight shines down. He relaxed his body, dragged his stinking body, freeing his soul stressed from a life of theft.

But suddenly, a cold red gaze appeared from the darkness, like a terrifying red point of light amidst the peaceful beauty. Those eyes were like red fire emerging from deep in the darkness, reflecting the sparkling moonlight but carrying within it an unpredictable mystery.

Ben pressed the stick tightly in his hand, feeling the cold seep into every pore of his skin. That red gaze was not that of a human, but that of a mysterious creature, a soul trapped in the realm between the real world and the mystical world.

The red eyes moved, gliding through the dry grass and white sand, like a ghost flying in the dark night. Ben felt his heart pounding, feeling like he was being penetrated by that red eye, discovering his darkest secrets.

A strange feeling enveloped Ben, making every cell in his body tremble. That red gaze was dazzling, powerful and scary, like something wanted to call him to the mystery of the night desert.

"Damn, damn!!"

Foreseeing something bad, Ben quickly ran back to the cave. His heart beat fast, nervous in the mysterious black night picture. The cold red eyes made his soul even more confused, like an unclear call from the darkness.

The night wind blew strongly, sand flew up with each step he took, creating blurry trails in the darkness. Red eyes still followed closely, like a ghost that never left.

He felt the closeness, the imposition of red eyes gradually approaching. His steps became faster, but his eyes remained haunting, like a nightmare coming true.

Then gradually it appeared something about 5 meters high, it looked like a nightmare come true, red eyes reflecting in the darkness. It's a BIG scorpion.

Ben's steps became more and more fleeting, blown away by the night wind, but the scorpion kept chasing, with each step he took, it got closer and closer.

He felt heavy breathing, the fishy smell of desert soil mixed in the air. The powerful footsteps of the scorpion were near, the echoing sound of its running steps became clearer.

The dense darkness, strange hidden corners and towering stone pillars became a bizarre picture in Ben's eyes. He tried to find a way out of this nightmare, but every time he turned his head, the scorpion's red eyes were always waiting, full of menace and cruelty. And then, a melee of terrible sounds began, the sound of the stick hitting the scorpion's wings, the clicking of rocks hitting rocks.

When he thought he had escaped the nightmare of his red eyes, Ben raised his head and breathed a sigh of relief, hearing the sound of his heart beating in his heart. But suddenly, a strange feeling from behind made him shiver.

"No... it can't be...!" Ben is worried.

A sharp stab from the giant scorpion entered from behind, causing him to suddenly collapse onto the smooth sandy ground. The pain spreading from the wound quickly took over his entire skinny body.

"No... can't..." Ben tried to force himself.

The giant scorpion still stood on the high rock peak, its red eyes full of menace and power.

"Dead... definitely won't... let me escape...!" Ben's gasp.

The giant scorpion came closer, its red eyes sparkling like red fire. The firelight from its piercing blade reflected in the darkness, creating a scene of horror and horror.

"No no...!" He tried to struggle.

"Aaaargh...!"

The pain spread, the feeling of death approaching like an inevitable nightmare.

"Don't... no...!" Ben shouted loudly.

In the dark cave, the three remaining men sat against the stone wall, listening to painful groans from outside. The fourth thief's loss of voice and sense of life gradually disappeared, leaving a feeling of loss and fear in them.

"What is that... sound...?" Ahmed clicked and listened

"It seems... something... is wrong..." Salim tried to figure it out.

Ben's sounds of pain and screams came from outside, creating a nightmarish and disturbing feeling in the dark cave.

"What's going on...?" Thomas listened with goosebumps.

Ben's cry was a heartbreaking warning, but the three remaining thieves could do nothing but wait and feel the horror of the situation.

"What... what should we do...?" Ahmed looked toward the outside of the cave

The three thieves stood up, the small firelight reflecting on their worried faces. With shaky steps, they gradually made their way out of the cave, their faces filled with fear and nightmares of what might be waiting for them outside.

In the dark cave, Ben's moans continued to echo, like a terrifying song in the dark night of the desert. The three thieves tried to suppress their fear, their footsteps became faster, they headed towards the light and darkness outside, not knowing that they were about to face a horrifying and impossible truth. predictable.

When stepping out of the cave, all three felt the coldness of the night, with the moonlight shining sparklingly. But moonlight also highlights something near and far. Not far away, about 10 meters in front, was Ben's body, lying there, quietly among the sand and rocks.

"That's... that's Ben... isn't that...?" Salim panicked.

But before they could make a decision, the fiery red light from the giant scorpion's eyes once again appeared from behind them. The feeling of threat spread, causing the three thieves to immediately turn around.

"Behind... it...!" Thomas panicked

"I... I have to...!" Ahmed was startled.

But before they could react, the sharp stabbing tail from the giant scorpion struck Salim, sending him crashing to the ground in pain and chaos.

"No...no...!Run...run...you go that way Thomas...!" Ahmed hurried.

In the chaos, only Ahmed and Thomas remained alive, each riding on a camel and running in different directions into the dark night of the mysterious desert.

"Hurry... it's... it's chasing you Ahmed...!" Thomas looked back, scared

In the chaos of the night, there was only one survivor, but his three friends, Ahmed, Salim, and Ben, could not escape the cruelty of the giant scorpion.

"Sorry… sorry…I… I have to… I have to survive…!" Thomas cried.

Thomas's shadow on the camel gradually receded. And behind him, Ahmed's scream left an image of the painful end.

The camel's running sound echoed in the night, Thomas kept shouting and urging it.

"Faster, faster!"

While Thomas was running away from the giant scorpion's threat, he discovered an object sparkling in the moonlight. It was an exquisitely carved knife, with a handle made from a precious metal, decorated with intricate motifs, in a rudimentary, somewhat tattered bag tied to the camel.

"This here is…Ahmed's bag…means!!!"

Thomas lay on the camel's back and touched the bag hanging on its side.

"It's too late, this is Ahmed's camel, it..it..I didn't lose it"

"Knife...?" Thomas stopped walking, surprised.

He felt attracted by the precious beauty of the knife, and when he looked closer, he discovered a delicate green stone embedded in the middle of the handle.

"A stone... maybe... maybe it means something...?"

With curiosity and suspense, he took the knife out of its sheath and looked more closely at the green stone. Moonlight reflects on the stone, making it brilliant and mysterious.

"I've only heard before, Maybe... maybe this is part... of this story..." Thomas took the knife and looked up.

He felt a strange energy from the green stone, but did not know that it had any special significance.

But before he could think any further, he collapsed and fell asleep.

In an ancient citadel, a medieval town lies peacefully under the bright sunrise. A soft cobblestone walkway leads from the city gate to the town center, where people are bustling in the early market today.

The woman wore a black cloak, the sun shining on her long, black hair. The light catches the metallic sheen on the cloak, creating a strange and enchanting beauty. Under the clear morning light, her gaze was clearly unwavering.

She refused invitations to buy and bid from traders with elegance, only smiling slightly and shaking her head in refusal. The people around were drawn to the beauty and mysterious appeal of the woman wearing a black robe.

"Sorry, but I don't need anything. Thank you." The woman's sweet voice spoke up.

With light and flexible steps, the woman skillfully dodged among the groups of people participating in the vibrant market. It seemed that the guards' eyes recognized her, but they did not dare to interfere with this woman's adjustments.

The black cloaked woman was not disturbed by the guards' attention, nor did she mind the surprise from the locals. Her gaze remained one of cold beauty and uncontrolled strength.

Finally, the black cloaked woman passed through the city gate without any resistance from the guards. With light footsteps, she disappeared into the mysterious streets of the old town, leaving behind an undeniable mark of determination and strength. The guards just looked at each other, unaware that they had just witnessed the appearance of a strong and free woman, refusing to be bound by any rules or limits.

When leaving there, deep inside the forest, came a large stone gate. With her hand gently touching the cold stone surface, she activated a burst of magical energy, causing the portal to begin emitting sparkling blue light. The sound of sweeping rose from deep within the earth, like the call of ancient souls wanting to be freed.

Staring at the opened gate, the woman felt the force and power from within. The red light sparkles like a road leading to endless mysteries and wonders.

The portal opens to a new world, where magic and reality collide, creating strange and enchanting emotions. The red light reflected on her face, creating an indescribable aura of mystery and power.

The black-robed woman without hesitation stepped inside the large, sparkling red stone gate, making her steps light and free. When she stepped through the gate, she felt like she was being transported into another world, where anything was possible.

The powerful siren sounded, filling the space with a unique and virtuous event. The gate closed behind her.

Stepping out of the gate, sparkling light reflected on the beautiful girl's face. But then suddenly, before her eyes, the image gradually changed. The beautiful girl slowly disappeared, her youthful, soft lines began to transform into the strong, masculine lines of a middle-aged man.

The shiny black hair began to disappear, replaced by slightly gray hair. Her white skin became darker, and the beautiful girl's enchanting beauty gradually disappeared. Before her eyes, a middle-aged man appeared, with deep eyes containing undeniable mystery and power.

"Finally, I have returned to this world." The middle-aged man's voice was full of authority.

The light still sparkled around the man, like a living picture of wonder and magic.

When Thomas awoke from his deep sleep, he felt panic spread as he looked around and discovered he had lost both his knife and his loyal camel.

"The knife... and the camel... are both... gone...?" Shocked voice

He looked around with worry and search, but saw no trace of those two important objects.

"The camel... where did it go...? And the knife... how did I lose it...?" Extremely confused

Looking down at the smooth sand, Thomas saw only small traces of the camel's departure, and nothing left to retain.

"He…where did he go…?" Thomas tried to remember but couldn't remember much.

But the memories of the terrible night were just a dim dream, unable to help Thomas find his camel and knife.

"Lost... everything is lost...!" he felt hopeless

Feeling lonely and abandoned in the endless desert, not knowing what to do or where to go to find what was lost.

"Is my journey... my journey... over...?" he mused.

Dragging his body full of dust, his clothes were now tattered and dirty, covered with black stains, his face was full of scratches. He collapsed and right in front of him was a person's leg

The desert gate still stands in the middle of the dry land, the ground cracked under the blazing summer sun. The sparkling light reflected on the authoritative face of a person coming out from there, creating a magical but also very scary picture. The surviving thief dragged himself here, feeling like a small grain of sand before the magician's undeniable power.

As soon as he saw that person, Thomas knelt down

" Crowell!!!..you...you heard me..please believe me..the…creatures of chaos…they…they are back" Thomas begged fearfully.

Once again, Crowell stared at the thief, his eyes as sharp as daggers, understanding his every thought. In the deserted and silent space, the sound of the wind mixed with the beating sound of the thief's fearful heart created a tense atmosphere to the end.

"That creature of chaos... can't..." Crowell's voice was cold

Crowell's voice stabbed straight into Thomas's heart, like a cruel blow. He felt a feeling of being weighed down, unable to move as Crowell continued:

"It's been thousands of years since they disappeared... and you got lost on the edge of this desert... what?" Crowell continued

The thief tried to open his mouth, but there were only confused sounds, unable to form words. Suddenly, an unbelievable feeling of fear enveloped him as Crowell lifted his foot and placed it in front of him.

"Crowell... please... please... believe me... that creature... it...". Thomas' shaking

But Crowell only laughed softly, a laugh filled with contempt and fear. His sharp eyes seemed to penetrate the thief's mind, revealing all the secrets and pain in his heart.

"Tell me... tell me... why did you come all the way here... when you already encountered them?"

Every word from Crowell was like a sharp blade piercing the thief's heart, making him feel like he was sinking into hell. But from the bottom of his heart, he could not suppress the fear and despair in his heart.

"Sorry... I... I don't... don't know... I don't want... I just want to live..." Breathlessness overwhelmed the thief

Crowell remained silent, but his sharp eyes constantly followed the thief, as if wanting to determine every detail in this story. Then, in a moment of silence, Crowell suddenly used powerful magic.

A sparkling red light enveloped the thief, making him feel like he was drowning in a vast sea of despair and fear. Pain spread from his throat, as if a violent wave swept away all of his consciousness.

Sand flew up in the wind, like the pitiful cry of a wounded soul in the arid desert. Faced with Crowell's undeniable power, the thief could only pray while immersed in despair and guilt. A creature of chaos, filled with fear and pain, the surviving thief faces a dark fate in this world.

Author: NBNnamo

Image: NBNnamo