DUNE-A False Haderach (OC X Shishakli) (OC x Alia)

Part 46

Chapter 37

CHANI KYNES

Chani felt her consciousness return to her as she found her face splattered on the sand, and she tried to remember just how she had gotten in this position. And as her memory cleared up, like the fog in her vision, alarm bells rang out in her head as she remembered the last words spoken to her by Pau—no, that thing.

It had called itself her son, and the very thought of this whole scenario made her headache, for she could barely make much sense of what was going on. Chani knew of the dangers of the awakening trial and what it meant. She had been warned by Inzal that the trial could cost Paul his sense of self, and yet when he had first woken up, she had not been able to see much difference.

It had still felt like Paul in a way, in the flesh and the warmth. And yet, by his own words, he was anything but. And now it was upto her to warn Inzal about this, and so she struggled to her feet and began to make her way through the caverns before she reached the mouth of the cave only for her path to be blocked by three of the Sayyadina apprentices.

"I am afraid we cannot let you go," one of them spoke as they blocked the entrance to the cave, and the way her eyes were dazed spoke to her how she was probably under the influence of the Voice.

"Get out of my way," she said as another stepped forward and took something out of her hand, revealing it to her.

"We have destroyed your special mobility gear. There is no way you can make it back to the city. Please, Lady Chani, do not make it hard for us," and her eyes widened as she reached for her back and belt and realized that the ODM gear had been taken off of her.

And as growled as she sifted through her pockets to catalog just what she had. The people three girls in front of her had been her friends once. They had played together once, and now, watching them standing against her did not make her feel good.

"Do not make me do this," she said as she reached into her pocket and took out a dagger, and to her dismay, two of them stepped forward as well, forming a wall in her path.

"I am afraid we have no choice. We have been commanded by the chosen one, the Mahdi, and we shall do our part in helping him," and so she lowered herself as she spun the dagger in her hand and took a deep breath.

"Then you leave me no choice..." and with that, she rushed forward and engaged all three in combat, and though she was outnumbered and the three of them were rather well trained, their skills were no match for herself individually.

.

.

The fight lasted for minutes, and Chani used all her knowledge to carve a way for herself out of the cave, and now she stood at the edge of the cliff, huffing as the three apprentices lay down on the ground grunting in pain.

"It is over. Without your equipment, there is no way that you will be able to make it back to the city in time," one of them shouted at her. Chani's eyes narrowed as she took a deep breath.

"Our lord already took the ornithopter away, and without that, it will take you hours to make it to the city," she continued, and Chani began to step back as a loud growl shook the entire cavern and the sands infront of them began to shift.

"Inzal's equipment is useful, but it is not the only way to travel through the desert," she mocked as she reached into her belt and took out the two riding hooks and saw the eyes of the apprentices widen as a massive sand worm tussled out of the sand and roared. As it passed by the cave system, she broke into a stride as she swung her hooks at it and felt them take hold before she pulled on them and jumped with a shout.