Shadow of the Sands

"I have a name."

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Here's your chapter 9!

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With the passing of time, she was unsure of exactly how much had passed. She assumed it had been hours, but she was too preoccupied with counting the dermal ridges on her fingers. From Giedi Prime to Arrakis, the journey normally would have taken weeks, perhaps even months. However, thanks to the Holtzman technology or foldspace technology, the journey was considerably shortened. The spacecraft essentially manipulates space, allowing it to fold and create a pathway that reduces the travel time. She found it rather interesting, Zurayeh leaned down slightly, continuing to count the ridges on her fingers, all the while aware of the enforcers keeping watch over her. As she pondered Baron-Vladimir's unexpected journey to Arrakis–considering he was usually on Giedi Prime–she decided to attempt asking about it.

"For what purpose does Baron journey to Arrakis?" She asked quietly, wondering about this.

The enforcers took a glance at each other, they kept quiet, like it was a secret.

"Hello?" She asked again.

"Quiet." One of the enforcers said aggressively, leaving no room for further questions. She now fell silent.

After hours of travel, the spacecraft finally landed, sparking her curiosity about their location on Arrakis. She straightened up, looking around as the door opened, flooding the room with bright light. Though intense, she was used to it. She was finally back on her planet, Arrakis. The enforcers now urged her out, their grip tight as they led her out of the spacecraft and into the bright sunlight. They maintained their firm grip on her arms as they guided her towards a building by the spice productions, reminiscent of the one the Atreides had occupied before. Amidst the commotion, she finally spotted Feyd Rautha strolling alongside his servants, seemingly unfazed.

He made no effort to acknowledge her presence. At this point, she found herself indifferent to his disregard. What mattered was that she was back on her home planet, Arrakis. As she entered the building, she couldn't help but notice its contrasting elegance compared to the Sietch Tabr she had once called home in the dunes. Despite its finer appearance, she still preferred the simplicity of the Sietches.

The enforcers ushered her down a hallway and abruptly shoved her into a room without warning.

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"What–" She began to protest as she was roughly thrown into the room, tumbling to the floor. Instinctively, she raised her hands in defense, expecting the enforcers to beat her up as the three enforcers did back in Giedi Prime. After a moment, she cautiously opened her eyes, half-expecting the enforcers to be looming over her. To her surprise, the room was empty.

"You must be playing with me..." She muttered irritably as she rose to her feet. As she took stock of her surroundings, she realized that it was a training, complete with an array of weapons lining the walls. She got confused as to why they would throw her in there, so she decided to explore further. As she wandered around the room, she passed by a counter and noticed her crysknife resting upon it. A surge of surprise washed over her at the unexpected sight.

In a sudden moment, a voice echoed from behind her.
"Do you find it to your liking?" The familiar tone floated towards her, prompting her swift turn.
Stepping out from the shadows, Feyd Rautha's gaze bore into her with tension. There was an innate darkness about him, as if malevolence flowed through his very essence. His eyes remained fixed upon her.

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"Did you place it there to rattle me, Na-Baron?" She glared at him, tilting her head to the side.

Feyd attempted to conceal a smirk, but it flickered briefly across his lips.

"Don't address me as Na-Baron, Fremen," he retorted, his gaze fixed upon her as he drew nearer. She found herself instinctively gripping the counter behind her, leaning slightly, using her arms for support.
Her narrowed eyes met his intense stare, a shiver creeping down her spine. He was only 4 meters in front of her.

"I have a name," she asserted.

"As do I," he replied slowly, his glare unwavering.

"Feyd-Rautha?" she uttered his name, and with each syllable, he closed the distance, stepping nearer until he stood just three meters in front of her.

His mask slipped a bit, revealing a bit of admiration in his eyes..

He nodded, his jaw tense, the air thick with tension. After a pause, he picked out a dagger for himself and turned back to her. Zurayeh raised an eyebrow, looking at the single blade in his hand.

"What?" she said, her eyes narrowing, the crysknife in her hand poised defensively. "You planning to hurt me?"

"I have no intention to harm you," he replied firmly, meeting her gaze with an seducing stare. "My only desire is to engage in combat," he declared, his tone resolute as he awaited her response.

"You...want to duel?" She tilted her head slightly, her confusion evident.
Feyd Rautha nodded, his jaw clenched, a gesture that oddly intrigued her, stirring weird sensation within her.

"What, are you afraid?" He taunted, edging closer until his features became much more clearer.

"I'm not scared," she retorted, her voice steady despite the nervous flutter in her chest. She held his gaze, refusing to back down even as he towered over her.

As he closed the distance between them, their closeness heightening the tension, she felt a shiver run down her spine. With a slight hesitation, she lowered her crysknife just a little, a silent concession to the charged atmosphere between them.

"Really?" He glanced at her crysknife, a smirk playing on his lips as he realized he had the upper hand. With deliberate slowness, he covered her hand with his own on the weapon's handle, exerting control. She looked at his hand, then back at him, her unease palpable.

"What...are you doing?" she asked quietly, her voice betraying her nerves as he began to lower her weapon.

"Am I intimidating you?" His voice was barely above a whisper as he locked eyes with her.

"No, you aren't," she snapped back, her nerves beginning to fray as she attempted to pull her hand away, only to find his grip tightening around hers.

"Do you not understand what I'm doing?" he questioned, his gaze piercing as he held her stare.

"No... I've asked you what you're doing. Are you going to answer that?" she demanded.

A faint smile played across his lips as he suddenly shoved her to the floor, pinning her down with one hand while brandishing his dagger in the other. She grunted as she reached quickly for her crysknife, which lay within arm's reach.

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"What the-" She grunted as she reached for her crysknife, finally seizing it after a moment. It seemed he had been waiting for her to take it, almost as if he wanted her to engage him.

He charged at her with his blade as she swiftly mirrored his action, their blades locking in a fierce struggle, each pushing with equal force.

"You can do better than that, Zurayeh," he remarked, catching her off guard with the use of her name for the first time.

She grunted in response, pushing harder against his blade.

"Do you realize it's difficult when you have the upper hand? I'm on the floor..." she gasped out, straining against his pressure.

"You're going to let that stop you? I expected more," he countered, increasing his force until his blade nearly grazed her nose.

She managed to keep the blade at bay, deciding to lock eyes with him instead of focusing on their blades. What was odd was that he was already staring at her.

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