"Shouldn’t you wait for your sandshade before you go south to the capital?" Seya asked. She had been truly immaculate the previous year, and she had been holding her people together. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"I can’t wait one more year," Sagiri answered.

"Why did you allow him to remain in the north then? Shouldn’t he be like your shadow?" Seya wondered. She had been wondering about that for a long time.

During the fight with the veil blades, a year back, Sagiri was poisoned. Even with the antidote, it took him three days to wake up. Tavora had already returned north with his general when he finally woke up. Turns out the rest of the Yoka squad had come looking too, and they had followed Tavora. They returned north with the body of their general. Kiuga and Lira were still unconscious when he woke up. It took them another three days for them to wake up because, unlike him, they did not heal quickly.

In that time, he had to bid them goodbye because he would be heading south, and they would have to return to the college. Kaka was not into the idea, but even he knew it was necessary.

"I come with you. There is no reason for me to stay north anymore," N’varu had said.

"No, you stay in the north. The others with you also stay in the north. There is nothing more for you to do in the south for now."

"But I can’t just leave you..."

"Yes, you can. You can not protect me in battle. You can protect me in some other way. Do you understand?" Sagiri had to make N’varu understand. He had to stay in the north and keep spying now. Sagiri knew the boy was capable of leaving the academy and going unnoticed in a place he shouldn’t be. Just as the masters of whispering used information as currency, Sagiri needed an ear in the north.

"He is more useful in the north. Besides, my parents are yet to come south. The shadow general has not met his end of the bargain."

"You are indeed stupid, trusting a Tagayian," Seya said. The sun was almost setting, and the small village that had formed was still alive. The fighters had been training hard, and Seya and sagiri. He had halved them in their previous fight, but there were at least a thousand capable fighters left. At the moment, they were setting off to go deep into the eastern desert. It did have poisonous scorpions, but what they were looking for were the sand crabs. They are delicious and fleshy, and they have been the main meal of the people for a while.

Sagiri could lead the hunt as always. He had yet to make trading allies or friends in the south, so they could not get anything more. Well, Tatani thrived in harsh conditions, and they were flourishing.

"Sure, I was stupid. But I expected that much. After his men reported what had happened, he would be stupid not to hold one over my head." Sagiri said.

"Yet you went?" Seya shook her head in disbelief.

"Would you rather be living in that hole right now? Your skin has some colour on it from the sun now."

"You do know I am way older than you. But if you insist, I can wait till you turn eighteen in a few months." Seya said. She was a nasty old rant.

"Let me go south with you then," Seya said after a while. The two had grown to become something like partners.

"You remain here and protect your people if anything happens," Sagiri said. The people still insisted on calling him their chief, but Seya still did most of the work. Since Sagiri turned seventeen, the darkness inside of him had grown. Even when he was not angry, he could still feel it in the corner of his brain. Pressing. Continuously pressing as if it wanted to be let loose.

Sagiri had had to go into seclusion deep in the dunes for weeks on end to calm the brewing battle inside of him. Since he had not been involved in any fight since he moved south, he had managed to keep the darkness at bay, but he did not know for how long. He was sure that something he did not understand was happening inside of him. Only Koru could understand.

Now he was beginning to understand the dream he had years ago of a darker version inside of him. It seemed to grow with age, too. That was the scary part. Just like Seya said, he would be turning in a few months, and somehow turning another year older made him stand on edge. He needed to find koru before that happened.

"You are the chief now. They are our people." Seya corrected.

"Whatever. Shouldn’t you be leading the hunt tonight?" Sagiri said he needed to calm his mind even further, or this thinking about turning eighteen soon was making him more and more worried.

"I led the hunt yesternight while you were hiding somewhere thinking about romance. It is your turn today. Besides, I have to teach the ladies illusions. We can’t depend on a boy who trusts a Tagayian to protect us forever." Seya taunted. Sagiri sighed. Perhaps she was more right than she thought. He might just be unable to protect anyone for long. Even himself if something did not change soon enough.

"Oh, it’s my turn again." Sagiri sighed before he jumped down from the high rock he had been standing on. Seya was turning the rocks around into houses. This, being the tallest, was still under construction.

He landed right in front of the thousand or so fighters waiting to go deep in the desert to get sand crabs. There were already too many in store, but Seya was not satisfied.

"Everyone ready?" Sagiri asked. The men had come to accept him and respect him. He looked at their feet to make sure everyone wore the high boots. Just going into the desert without them would be a tragedy. If the poisonous scorpions did not kill the first, then the crabs could make them suffer, or even worse, they wouldn’t be able to move at all.

"Yes, chief," they answered in unison.

"We move out then," Sagiri said.

He pulled out Nokai before he charged deep into the east side of the desert. He hated to admit it, but these nights, just hunting for sand crabs, were enjoyable.