The white warrior

Chapter 7

The first thing I feel is the heat that almost burns my face.

I squint my eyes under the blazing sun, which now shines almost vertically into my eyes on the horizon. It actually worked. I am obviously far away, because something like here, I have never seen before. I am standing in a desert.

As far as I can see, all I can see are dunes of sand and the sun slowly turning the sky orange.  My compass is still pointing northwest and sure enough, there seems to be something behind a dune.

I take off my top and tie it around my face for protection, so that only my eyes peek out. My scarf, which was my protection before, becomes an airy top. I fight against the wind and sand and slowly move forward when I recognize a kind of tent camp behind the dune.

I pause and observe the people who are there. Many of them are heavily armed and carry swords, axes and other weapons. They are also hooded to protect themselves from the sand. I creep forward and find cover behind a small hill.
The tent city is built like a fortress through which it will be impossible to pass. In the center is a large red tent guarded by many armed soldiers. The guards look familiar, and I am sure that my attacker is also from here.

A tall man comes out of the tent and orders a few guards to do something, because they step away. The man looks different from the rest. He has long dark hair and is heavily built. He wears some sort of uniform of red and gold and carries a long, thin sword at his hip. He ties his top section of hair in a duet and looks around.  Suddenly, he jerks his head in my direction and I just manage to get out from behind my mound.

My heart is pounding incredibly loud and I think wherever I am, I'm at my destination. Somehow I have to make it past all the guards, and the compass comes to mind. I take it out and concentrate. Again, images of Eliah flood my mind, but when I open my eyes I'm at the same point as before. Something seems to be suppressing the magic, or the compass can't get me closer.

I snort in frustration. Suddenly I hear voices nearby and panic seizes me. I try to lie flat in the sand and the voices come closer. "I don't know what the boss thinks is out here," says a deep voice with an accent I don't recognize. "He thinks Assassins from Eragon might be coming to rescue the little one," says a soft and cool voice.

Shivers race down my spine. "I heard he was supposed to have been in the company of a girl, do you think the other guys captured her too," the first says, almost insinuatingly. I press myself further into the sand, looking around for ways to escape. "I just know she's not here, let them do what they want with this Fantaisa scum".

The second man sounds distant and dangerous. I think of ways in my head to get out of this situation. I could attack them and hope they hurt me, then hurl a blast, but that would draw too much attention. "Well who do we have here," a voice suddenly sounds above me.

I freeze and panic seizes me. Towering over me is a tall man with thick black hair and hawk-yellow eyes. He smiles at me with razor sharp teeth and another smaller person appears beside him, possibly the first speaker. "So so so, what is such a little girl doing so far him not. So far in Krypton."

I freeze.
I was in Krypton, and these men didn't seem to want to be my friends.

Before I could even react, the first, tall man tore my cloak from my face and his eyes widened, only to look even more mischievous. "Well, who do we have here?" he said, and the little man eyed me in confusion. "Is this one from Fantasia, Vladi?" the little man asked, looking at me almost with interest.

The first man wheeled around and dropped me. " This can't be true Igor. Every time you mess up the gig, every time!" the Vladi yelled and I was completely perplexed and stared at them both.