Sandstorm [ACOTOR series side story]

Thirty

Nashira hated mornings she decided. She hated how when she winnowed into base camp the first person she meets after being gone for little over a month was Jabari. Who knew he woke up in the middle of the mornings when the camp was already bustling? She was walking in the direction of Asim's tent and happened to come cross him stepping out of his tent stretching where she caught a glimpse of who was still sleeping in his tent. No wonder he was up so late, but that didn't excuse him. 

"Oh, look who showed up. Little miss tramp who ran away from the front, is back after all the hard work's over" he sneered. "While you were gone, I was rewarded for my performance during the war and restored to my former glory. What have you got to say for yourself though?" he mocked. "You're a glorified deserter, that's what you are girly."

"Shove it Jabari we all know they did it out of pity."

Jabari looked stunned as Nashira continued walking past him, calm and unaffected by his words. She didn't let it show, but it felt so good to talk back to one of her tormentors. She'd have to start keeping a record of witty remarks to use on them whenever they tried to push her buttons. Nashira thought about it the rest of the way to her father's tent that stood in a cleared area about the center of the army tents. She didn't hesitate to stride through that cleared space straight to the tent flaps. The guards said nothing as they saw her, and she walked through confidently.

And just like she'd expected, a meeting was in session, but one she hadn't expected to happen so soon.

~~~~~~

They were in the middle of reviewing the information they'd gathered since the war when someone walked into the tent unannounced. Asim was about to growl at them to get out when he saw who it was. 

"Your tent's simple as always, isn't it Uncle," Helion said as he strides inside the tent, and the males within the tent postures changed to a formal one in the presence of their High Lord. Helion was wearing a simpler one of his robes with a few golden armbands, but no sun ray crown. He smirked a bit, but his expression turned serious.

"Well, let's see how screwed up we are after the seven-year bloodbath we just had."

Asim nodded and they wasted no time in going to the causality lists, damaged territories and the depleted resources of the Court's armies. Nashira walked in a few minutes after Helion's arrival and was met by the growl of the High Lord. Of course, this was their first meeting so Helion only had a vague idea that he had a new family member and Nashira had never been brought to court to meet the High Lord. While Helion thought that the unknown woman who'd just entered the tent was attractive, she shouldn't have been allowed inside to the tent in the middle of their meeting, and he let her know his displeasure.

"Get out!' he snarled. Nashira hadn't realized immediately who the male was, but after being in his presence she knew who he was, could feel it in her blood. She tried to quell the instinctual fear of angering her High Lord and tried to remain calm. This male who had shimmering dark skin with some of the darkest hair she'd ever seen, and amber eyes was her High Lord and by extension, family. When Nashira didn't immediately leave, Helion growled deeply and moved towards her, but Asim blocked his path.

"Asim, I'd expect you to have a handle on your whores and your guards, so they'd understand their places" Helion snapped in Asim's face.

"Nashira is always welcome in my tent, my lord because she's my daughter." Helion looked between Asim and Nashira in shock as he registered this female as his adopted cousin. Slowly, Nashira walked forward until she was a few feet from Helion and bowed deeply.

"Nashira Gamal reporting sir. I have returned from the Akh trial as a Scorpion and I pledge allegiance to this Court to protect it from all that threatens it." Helion examined Nashira silently as Asim backed away from the now calm High Lord. Nashira didn't move from her position till she was told to, holding still to keep from shaking violently under Helion's stare.

"What is your name?" Helion finally spoke.

"I told you, Nashira-"

"Sandstorm. Sandstorm of the desert."

"Nashira Gamal, Sandstorm of the desert, I accept you as a vessel and as a Scorpion. You may rise." Nashira straightened her back and was astonished to see Helion smirking at her in a friendly way. She almost fell over when he swung his fist at her because her instinctual reaction was to duck and do a roundhouse kick. Instead, she just bent over backwards and into a crouch.

Helion didn't stop there but sent a low kick directly for her head. Nashira really didn't want to fight her High Lord after already angering him, but it seemed this was a sort of test. As his kick approached, she used his leg as a launching point to jump behind his back and kick him. He sensed the kick and flipped away from her, but she leaped closer to him. She sent a few jabs and kicks his way and him to her, but they both dodged accordingly. But then, one moment Helion was in front of her, the next he was behind her and he sent a fast jab between her shoulder blades, being the first one to land a hit against the other. Nashira though didn't waste a second and began to winnow like Helion during their fight. It was a great show of their skills and control, how they were able to fight barehanded in a tent full of obstacles without disturbing a thing.

Suddenly, Nashira was caught by webs and was pulled up in the air. She tried to struggle, but she couldn't move at all. Helion was smirking cheekily at her from a few feet away, barely breaking a sweat.

"I like her. I mean, I would have preferred if we weren't related so I could have my way with you, but if Asim trusts you, then welcome to the family. Your skills are good, but I don't know much else about you other than what Uncle's told me".

"Can you put me down?" Nashira asked. Helion just gave a cheeky grin in response. She sighed and sent a quick glare towards Asim for telling his rather impulsive nephew about her abilities. She opened a portal to the mirror realm, multiple of them. In each, she disconnected the pieces of the web that touched her, and she lightly landed onto the ground. Helion was smiling genuinely at her as she walked toward the table full of maps and reports.

"Show time's over, we got the aftermath of a war to handle."