Chronicles of Zigrora : Wings of The Desert : Epic Fantasy Romance Shifter

3

The late afternoon sun beat down on the expanse of sand in the desert, its heat unforgiving. However, the camel and its rider were unaware as they were too engrossed in their quarrel to notice their surroundings.

Al' Kaar let out an exasperated sigh as he tugged on the reins of the camel he was riding. He regretted ignoring advice from Tamil and hoped for a more obedient camel.

"Come on, move!" Al' Kaar scolded for what seemed like the hundredth time. He even gently kicked the side of the camel.

The camel took a few steps before it stopped. That one-humped creature retreated to observe the row of cacti while blinking its long, curly eyelashes.

"Good grief! Why are you so coy? Do your job!" Al' Kaar exclaimed. His patience had worn thin; they had spent nearly three hours as the camel had only managed to cover about two kilometers.

Al' Kaar glanced back at Mar'tack City with a frustrated look. His dignity refused to return there only because he failed to control a camel.

A light breeze carried sand particles around them as the sky was almost dark. Al' Kaar felt restless. At this rate, he would have to spend the night on the city's outskirts and become the amusement of passing Argons.

Al' Kaar finally decided to dismount, pulling the camel's reins. "Move!"

The camel resisted, but Al' Kaar applied more force, compelling the camel to comply. Yet, after a few steps, the creature suddenly spat at Al' Kaar's face.

Al' Kaar's stride halted instantly. The male Argon slowly turned his gaze toward the camel. It fluttered its long eyelashes as he spoke softly. "This is the last time you disrespect your master—"

The second spit hit Al' Kaar's left cheek. His heart raced; the urge to kill surged through his veins.

Scales resembling those of a snake slithered slowly across Al' Kaar's blue skin while his body enlarged. A few moments later, a choking sensation came over him, causing him to cough.

"Patience... I should be patient," muttered Al' Kaar after catching his breath.

However, the camel stomped its four legs and resisted his order. Al' Kaar was trying hard not to snap its neck when a light vibration caught his attention.

Al' Kaar adopted a vigilant demeanor, scanning the surroundings for signs of danger. His right hand still held the camel's reins tightly.

He felt the next subtle vibration from behind. Al' Kaar turned around and saw a wave-like movement approaching them.

Al' Kaar held his breath. His yellow eyes gleamed while pulling his weapon, kusarigama. Its chain was attached to the sharp sword hanging at his waist.

A mild tremor accompanied the appearance of a creature resembling a giant worm, five times larger than his, with a head-mouth emerging from under the sand, launching itself at Al' Kaar.

Al' Kaar leaped to the left. He hurled his weapon at the worm's back. The blade sank into the monster's flesh.

The Death Worm wriggled and slammed its slimy body into Al' Kaar. But he jumped and entwined the chain around his opponent.

As the Death Worm writhed, it expelled saliva from its mouth. Al' Kaar knew it was a paralyzing poison.

Al' Kaar moved swiftly, pulling on the chain with all his might. Slowly but surely, his chain cut into the monster's body.

A sound resembling a screech emanated from the mouth-like hole of the Death Worm, lined with sharp teeth. Al' Kaar gritted his teeth and used both hands to pull harder.

Green blood started to trickle down from every wound. The monster struggled as Al' Kaar clung to its back, not releasing his grip.

Al' Kaar exerted one final burst of strength; the wounds inflicted on the Death Worm grew deeper before the creature collapsed and ceased moving.

Al' Kaar breathed heavily, managing to jump off before hitting the ground. He turned his head to survey his surroundings.

The runaway camel stood a few meters away, ignoring the battle. It was busy chewing on cacti.

Al' Kaar let out a sigh of relief. He tied all his belongings to the saddle. He would have been in a real bind if the camel had escaped.

The male Argon untangled his kusarigama from the death worm's body and then attempted to clean the blood stains from his weapon.

*****

The sky had turned a dark red as Al' Kaar mounted the camel. He tried to motivate his mount by offering the cacti fruits he had plucked.

The camel complied, and they began moving faster than before.

Al' Kaar subtly smiled as Kamal turned its head towards him, seemingly asking for more treats. He leaned slightly, slipping the raw fruit into its rubbery mouth. "You'll be quite plump when we return."

The camel snorted as if dismissing its master's words. Al' Kaar became quiet momentarily before saying, "Kamal... I'll call you Kamal."

The female creature glanced briefly and blinked its long eyelashes. They continued their journey across the desert towards the Northern border.

*****

Time crawled by slowly. Al' Kaar, atop the camel, yawned widely from boredom. Suddenly, his attention caught a peculiar object almost buried in sand, right in the middle of their path.

Al' Kaar's brow furrowed in confusion. His curiosity made him dismount Kamal. He pulled on the reins while saying, "Easy..."

Kamal complied, and both moved cautiously towards the suspicious figure. Al' Kaar's steps halted as they drew closer. He held his breath as he finally recognized what was blocking their path.

A deceased dwarf's body.

Al' Kaar's yellow eyes examined the physical appearance of the decomposing corpse. It emitted a putrid odor. An iron chain ending in a heavy ball bound the dwarf's left leg.

Two vultures, scavengers that had been circling overhead, descended lower and landed near the corpse, beginning to feast on its flesh.

Al' Kaar felt uneasy witnessing the scene. He immediately picked up a medium-sized rock and hurled it at the bald birds. "Go away!"

The pair of birds, apparently a couple, flew off to save themselves. Al' Kaar wasted no time; he secured Kamal to a date palm tree and walked towards the dwarf's body.

*****

"What am I supposed to do?" Al' Kaar muttered as he noticed several green flies swarming around the corpse.

Argons never performed burial rituals, as their bodies would incinerate by themselves once the decomposition process began.

The cry of an eagle made Al' Kaar look up. The two brown-feathered birds he thought had left turned out observing their potential dinner.

Al' Kaar clicked his tongue before turning his gaze back to the human corpse. "Looks like I need to bury or burn you before they feast on you...."

He turned to Kamal, who was admiring the evening sky, then retrieved the shovel tied to the saddle.

"Lucky for me, I've prepared for all possibilities," Al' Kaar muttered, a sense of pride in his readiness.

The male Argon returned to the body. With little experience, he began to cover the dwarf with sand from the surroundings.

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Copyright Luna S.Winterheart