Once Priscilla regained her composure, she stood up and brushed off the white tendrils that still latched onto her flesh. The source in the central cocoon vanished from the room, but Priscilla knew it still existed within her. All around her was darkness and a chill draft that could pierce the flesh.

  She walked toward the entrance only to find the gigantic gate sealed shut. But seeing this did not instill a sense of trepidation within Priscilla. It merely caused her to smile and wave her palm forward. Markings lit up along her arm, and the sand danced as if it were returning to its mother's embrace. It pushed against the split gates, forcing them to open no slower than when Sharazz opened them.

  As the light illuminated the corridor, Priscilla walked out. In the room, instead of Sharazz, she found Vera sitting anxiously in the corner.

  "You're finally out, My Lady!" Vera jolted and ran over like a frantic rabbit. "It's been nearly a week since you left with the Sand Matriarch! We were getting dreadfully worried."

  "What? A week?" Priscilla gawked, losing her previous composure. "It felt as if only a few hours passed. Damn!"

  "No wonder Sharazz didn't stick around to keep the door open." Priscilla couldn't help but chuckle.

  "No, My Lady! It isn't that! The empire's men assaulted the border. The matriarch had to leave with many of the sand's warriors to defend!"

  "What?" Priscilla gawked for the second time in such a short amount of time. "When did that happen? Is it just the soldiers or the demons?"

  "It happened three days ago, My Lady! So far, it's only soldiers led by a few knights, but they're battering the border with a frenzied assault. It's difficult to say if they are or aren't demons." Vera replied. "Our efforts to push them back haven't achieved much in revealing their true colors. Once they feel pressured, the soldiers merely retreat and regroup before coming around once more to launch another attack."

  "We should rush over and see what lies under their assault. If it's the choice of man or monster." Priscilla said. "Let's get some horses and head out."

  "We can't do that, My Lady! The horses have already been taken for the assault. We can only rush on foot and hope nothing changes for the worse!"

  "Forget it, Vera. We have no time to waste." Priscilla said before grabbing Vera by the waist. "Hold on tight. We're about to make a flashy entrance."

  With those words spoken, Priscilla sped out with Vera in tow, using the wind and sand to propel them forth with grand momentum. All around them, the wind roared, unable to keep up. Before long, they were leaping off buildings and floating through the sky. Vera held on tightly, but her expression shone as she indulged in the thrill of it all.

  After a while, they made their way toward the border, where the two sides were clashing. Thousands of the sand's warriors evenly matched against the empire's troops. Steel blades collided with the sand's curved blades, striking like flints. Blood splattered across the sand, speckling it in a shade of crimson that spread from one side of the battle to the other.

  A group of imperial soldiers slammed against a group from the sand, their blades weaving through the air, narrowly avoiding vital points. The fierce retaliation from the sand's warriors came equally swift. One firmly kicked into the midsection of the closest soldier, sending him tumbling across the sand, before another two warriors ferociously lunged at one of the disjointed soldiers, slicing through his limbs and spraying his blood.

  In another part of the battlefield, Sharazz faced dozens of soldiers and three of the knights leading them. Sand swirled around her as she gracefully dodged their frenzied assault. The knight's teamwork was beyond impressive as it placed immense pressure on Sharazz, but with the sand at her command, she kept the knights running circles while the weaker soldiers struggled to even approach the hem of her gown. They underestimated Sharazz, who kept vigilance over their moves no matter how they tried to reach her. When she saw a gap in the knight's observation, she lunged out with the sand, aiming it toward the closest soldiers and severing their heads before they or the knights could react.

  Priscilla watched the battle from above with satisfaction. The sand's people were undeniably skilled, and their matriarch was a sand witch who knew how to leverage her abilities greatly.

  "Shouldn't we help, My Lady?" Vera asked from her position, firmly wrapped around Priscilla's torso.

  "No, not yet. Let's see if the empire plays any dirty tricks in the meantime. The sand warriors aren't faring badly just yet. Barging in might just cause the empire to flee and prepare a new onslaught." Priscilla replied

  "Good idea, My Lady." Vera nodded. "How long can you keep us afloat like this?"

  "Are you getting nervous?" Priscilla chuckled. "You're normally braver than this. Should I tell your sister?"

  "What?" Vera gasped. "Don't you dare, My Lady! I'm not nervous at all!"

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Priscilla laughed at Vera's display. "I'll think about it. Vorn would get a laugh out of it, though."

  Before they could continue their joking exchange, a sudden change struck through the battlefield as a beast rushed toward the battlefield at a breakneck pace. Sand billowed into a storm behind it, and the ground quaked with every step. Atop the beast sat a monstrously large man adorned in thick, blackened armor.

  "Dammit," Priscilla muttered before swooping down in a rush and dropping Vera off near the backline.

  Everything happened so quickly. Priscilla reacted to the man's move, but not fast enough to avoid the inevitable. The armored man leapt off the beast and vanished, reappearing suddenly before Sharazz. He struck her with his armored gauntlet, sending her body ricocheting off the sand deep into the backlines before she could react. Sharazz's people howled, and their bloodlust boiled, eager to strike at the man.

  But before they could recklessly throw their lives away, Priscilla flew into the fray, appearing before the man and hurling a blazing pillar of flame at his head. The man sneered and moved his head to the side, narrowly avoiding the flames and whipping his torso around, sending a ferocious kick in retaliation.

  "Who are you?" The man questioned, his voice booming like an echo in a canyon. "There should only be one witch hiding away in the sand pits. Where did you come from, vermin?"

  "What?" Priscilla questioned as her body pushed back from a strong gust of wind that caused her to swerve around the man's kick. "You're one of them, aren't you? Just another demonic dog!"

  The armored man roared uproariously with laughter, his eyes turning bloodshot as the joints of his armor creaked with every bellyful of joy. But his joy turned an icy serious within a snap. His eyes narrowed and focused on Priscilla. "No, really. Who are you, witch? Our presence should not be known just yet. A clever little rat can't just appear with no previous warning."

  "What? You won't tell me?" He stroked his chin with his blackened gauntlet. "That's fine. I'll force it out of you."

  The man's expression turned to a sinister grin, and he whistled a shrill pitch that caused the surrounding imperial soldiers and knights to cackle and squirm.

  "Sir Auror has blessed us with a feast! Devour the flesh! Grind the bone! Worship the blood! Praise Divala's divine touch!" The knights chanted as their flesh ruptured, fragmenting into strips as their monstrous demonic forms emerged from underneath.

  "Come, you little vermin. Let's play a game. Will you talk first, or will my pets devour your men?"

  "Bastard," Priscilla scowled. "VERA, FIND JENS AND THE REST!" She screamed toward the backlines before attacking the armored man again.

  "You want to play, fine. Let's play then." Priscilla smiled as her body illuminated. Power flowed through the markings, and she propelled herself toward the man, raising her palm and causing the sand beneath him to jut out and launch him upward. Priscilla pivoted in the air, flying above the man before flipping, sending a downward kick where a sharpened icicle formed.

  Priscilla stabbed down without hesitation, stabbing at the man's midsection, but he flexed his arms and grabbed it with both hands. No matter how Priscilla forced it down, the icicle wouldn't budge between the man's grip.

  "You're a feisty little witch. I'm growing more and more curious about where a delicate little beast like yourself came from." Auror grinned before flexing his muscles and snapping the icicle in half.

  Auror tensed his muscles and aimed an uppercut at Priscilla, but before it could connect, a pillar of sand burrowed at his waist, sending him flying to the side and away from Priscilla.

  "Don't forget that I'm still here, you damned beast." Sharazz spat as she approached high in the sky atop a swirling flat construct of rotating sand. "Warriors of Parthus, show no mercy!" She commanded her people before joining Priscilla.

  "Don't underestimate the brute, little witch. There's something unnatural about him," Sharazz said to Priscilla.

  "I know, Sharazz. I can feel it as well. He's restraining himself. But so are we." Priscilla chuckled.

  Despite being in a deadlock with the beast, Priscilla kept her awareness sharp. She could see the monstrous soldiers and knights below and the escalating battle between them and the warriors. Their desiccated flesh thirsting for human blood and their inhumane viciousness. She could see the subtle restraint Auror kept, playing with and testing Priscilla with every attack. But no matter what Auror's intentions were, it made no difference if she knew about it and could match it.

  Auror picked himself up from the sand and laughed. His tone turned an icy timbre as he cracked his neck side to side. "This is so interesting. Two vermin in one nest. The Divine was right to send backup."

  "Make your move, Banshee," Auror shouted toward the side of the battlefield.

  A woman's lithe voice echoed with a sweet giggle, "Don't tell me what to do, baby. If you push my buttons, I'll come over there and bite you." Her laughter escalated, but from it, a sorrowful cry wailed in the background, like a faint trace of something within her.

  Screams cut through the battle as both the demonic soldiers and the warriors began clutching at their heads, rolling in the sand and howling with pain. The woman continued her eerie laugh, her hands weaving through the air like a dance. With every laughing note from her lips, the people curled up further.

  "Sharazz! You go, I'll keep him away. Take care of it quick before it escalates!" Priscilla said with seriousness before rushing toward Auror.

  "Alright, Princess. I'll deal with the wailing banshee." Sharazz agreed and rushed toward the woman.

  Separating may be disadvantageous against the unknown foes, but leaving the woman uncontested could result in all of their people dying before they make a difference. Splitting up was the only answer Priscilla could think of to keep everyone safe. Her back flared with a subtle light imperceptible to the world. Her vision firmed, and she dropped into the sand near Auror, sending dust and debris flying around them.

  "Why don't you show me what else you're hiding?" Priscilla taunted. "Nobody's foolish enough to think that a dog that licks his master's boots so loyally doesn't have a few bones buried away."

  Auror's expression drooped, and bloodlust wafted through the area. "What did you say, you damned wretch? How dare you disrespect the Divine Divala." Auror snarled. "I am Aurror of Arrogance, the Vanguard Maw that crushes Divine Divala's foes. You are not fit to mock me. Or him. Die, you foul, wicked witch!"

  Sandy boom boom? (nonsense)