Beasts and Blades [ON HIATUS]

Chapter 3 - Two Warriors

The ride back felt like more of a challenge than actually fighting the scorpion.

It was difficult, both of them adjusting to it. Maja had little idea on how to steer the giant creature, and settled for jerking the reins - albeit a bit roughly - in the direction she wanted. Hume was the most irritated out of both of them, hissing when she did something it didn't like and nearly bucking her off several times.

It was nothing like riding a horse or camel. Her legs dangled awkwardly at the scorpion's sides and the saddle - which was actually made for a horse - slid against Hume's smooth exoskeleton.

It took them an hour or so of travel to finally see the distant fires of the camp, when the it was only a half hours ride on a more experienced scorpion from camp to cave.

But Maja didn't have the mind to be annoyed by this, she was only grateful. It was as if she couldn't yet coil her mind around the fact that this was real, that the scorpion beneath her was alive and that she completed the Rite. A full smile bloomed across her face, and she patted Hume's side lightly.

As the red tents and glowing fire came into view over the rolling dune, Maja's heart sped up with unrefined excitement and pride. She straightened, flipping her braid over her shoulder and steered Hume forward. She fought against a giddy smile as she came up over the sand, welcomed by the sight of the camp.

Palisades of stone walled the camp from sandstorms and invaders. The camp was built on a patch of flat, rocky sandstone. A small oasis connected to some underground water system pooled in the middle of the site. A stable that would have held horses or camels were modified to hold giant scorpions instead. People were gathered around the bonfire blazing on the outskirts of the camp, just next to the palisaades, offering stories and guffawing at them, slapping knees and hunched over from laughing.

The smile Maja had been trying to restrain broke out. She almost laughed at how odd it was, that so many believed that assassins were emotionless, heartless murderers who were unattached and were always alone, when here before her was a community - a family. Indeed they were all trained in every way to kill a person, or every way to hold and use any kind of weapon, but it didn't mean that they didn't have friends, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, or lovers.

The reason behind this, Maja believed was that the affection lightened the load on their hearts, the weight added by each person the assassins killed. And Maja was grateful for that, the gods knew that she needed it.

They were the Sanguine. The deadliest assassins in Solaria. The Scorpions of the desert. Her people and her family.

As Maja rode closer, her people began to notice her. They took her in, atop the red scorpion, riding down the desert hill and valiantly towards the gate. A touch of the dramatic.

They rose to their feet, hooted and hollered, cheering and whistling. A symphony of claps and congratulations.

Hume bristled at the raucous noise, hissing loudly and recoiling. Maja patted its side, shushing it sympathetically like as if it were an angry child. She urged it forward. Hume continued cautiously, hissing and snarling all the way. She sent a silent prayer to any gods listening that Hume wouldn't decide to kill anyone.

Relief flooded her as she guided Hume through the gates. Maja sighed blissfully, thankful for the heat that rolled off the fire, letting the it seep into her chilled bones and ease away her shivers.

Amongst the rest of the assassins, Maja spotted one in particular beaming at her with a proud, bright smile. It was Sarras. A longtime friend and ally - and something more if she dared to say it. The first person she'd turn to. Maja returned his smile.