Ruined Sands

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The eerie silence of the oasis would make even a seasoned soldier weary. The heavy humid air had become a stale and chilly mist that drifted over the floors of the jungle. The only source of light beamed down from the moon above the camp. There was a somber stillness about the fractal jungle, broken by the sway of the wind and the rhythms of the cicadas.

This place was a fragment lost to time, devoid of any life aside from the occasional insect and of course, the lush green jungle that was brought here by the Nexus. The powerful object responsible for selecting this location from another world to be placed like a broken mosaic on a hallowed mound of sand. Whatever the purpose of such an event, God only knew.

All Lena could think about as she sat above the camp was her friend Atlas. She clenched her fist that rested on her right knee, while the other leg dangled from the cliff. She gazed out to the leaning tower on the other side of the jungle in anticipation of her mission.

Down below, Orion stepped out of his tent and stretched his arms out wide above his head, the signs of recent heavy sleep still lingered. Leo was busy packing a small pack that Atlas had left behind with some essential supplies. He had to make due with this since his equipment was never recovered. And finally, Elizabeth was testing the tension of her special bowstrings, which she then rolled up neatly and placed in her waistband. Team three was preparing for a battle, one they did not know if they would win.

Lena stood up from her resting position and picked up her rifle, she slung it across her back and made her way down the path. The others were just finishing up with their tasks by the time she made it down. Everyone was ready and waiting for her to give the final order.

"Let's go."

Team three marched forward towards their objective. For a while they spoke fairly little, keeping careful watch on their surroundings. Lena was aware that the enemy had a sensor in their midst, though they seemed keen on keeping a low profile at the moment. For whatever reason they took Atlas and avoided conflict with most of the other recruits on her team. With the gap in experience it seemed almost unreasonable.

What is it that has them so cautious?

Lena was still contemplating with the idea of sharing the information from her dream. Atlas believed her easily, but the others on this team were a different story. How unique is an ability like that? She never read about anything like it in the library back at base.

A majority of the trek was complete, and the moon was still high in the sky. Concealing them visually under the darkness of the shadowy brush. Almost unsurprisingly, the terrain was starting to blend with the desert more as they approached the tower. The contrast was increasingly stark as they came to what looked like the edge of the jungle.

Team three stopped just along that very edge, looking outward at a sea of sand with structures in the distance. All of which sat below the massive tower that leaned at an absurd angle.

"This is going to be a problem."

Orion was the first to speak on the new dilemma they faced.

With the sniper from before lingering in the back of their minds, crossing a wide open area like this was surly a death sentence. Even in the cover of night, the distance was too great for. And there was no way of telling if anyone was even on watch over this desert. The tower itself now took on characteristics of a panopticon.

Lena scoped out the area ahead with her rifle, she could distinctly see what looked to be a ruined wall and a village of stone. It was ancient in design and distinctly without light.

"I'd say that town is at least half a mile out." She relayed her observation to the group as she turned to Orion.

"We need to cross–"

"That's just asking to be shot at." Elizabeth responded quickly.

"There is no other option, other than turning back!" Orion was adamant, but Elizabeth was right. They would be sitting ducks out there.

'Even with my sensory abilities I am unable to pinpoint her...' The words of the woman named Rose played back in Lena's mind.

"I got it."

Lena placed her bag on the ground, pulling out a tarp used for water collecting. She the asked Elizabeth for some of her special string she used to make her staff into a bow.

The team watched her in confusion as she made a makeshift hooded poncho out of the tarp, she quickly put it on over her bag once she got situated. Handing the remaining threads to the other members of her squad.

"If they don't know who is who, they may not risk taking a shot."

"So we leave it up to chance? This still means we expose ourselves to the enemy, if someone is on watch right now. Our cover is blown..."

Leo recognized the one caveat, even if they were exposed. It wouldn't protect them entirely, but the enemy would at least need to close the distance and confirm their targets before engaging.

"And what if they have a sensor? If they know Lena doesn't wield magic, it won't be hard for them to pick you out." Elizabeth intelligently pointed out.

Lena did not make eye contact with her, trying to conceal the fact that she already knew the answer.

"If we stay close enough that shouldn't matter."

It was dangerous, reckless, and even borderline idiotic. 

It's the only choice we have.

The team followed her example and each made their ponchos.

Orion figured that their most potent fighter should be in the lead, and so Leo took the first step into the sandy wasteland. He was also a notable runner and could easily close the distance with an enemy should they engage from a moderate distance.

Cautiously they trudged through the desert, it was nothing compared to the grueling marches that Merlin had put them through for weeks on end.

"What is this place?" Leo questioned as they approached the gate.

They were still undisturbed on their approach.

Lena approached the barren gateway, peeking into the village just beyond its mouth. It seemed foreign in its design, it reminded her of something from a culture lost to time. 

Not that strange, all things considered.

Like a lost city from an old story, there were block-like sandstone buildings that stood about the sandy pathways. Although, there was something else that rattled the minds of the group. It was something so distinct that it took a moment for them to even register what they were witnessing.

"What in the hell?" Orion commented as he gazed at the strange phenomenon.

Just ahead of them, there were stone slabs, pieces of building debris, and other various objects that seemed to be in some sort of suspended animation.

"This place was brought here by the Nexus right? It may be some kind of property unique to another world." Elizabeth chimed in, though she seemed uncertain.

If it was alien even to her, then they needed to remain extra alert.

Was it some kind of trick utilized by the enemy? Or is this truly an otherworldly occurrence?

Lena gazed up at the tower, which upon closer inspection was much more damaged than it looked from afar. Many pieces of it were missing and some even protruded violently from it, though it seemed to be standing strong.

"Whatever this anomaly is, it must be holding the tower at that weird position."

"And Atlas is in there?" Elizabeth questioned.

Lena nodded, then she confidently stepped through the village gate. The moment she did everything on her felt lighter. Once Lena pressed her foot down into the ground she seemed to float on the surface.

"It affects us too!"

She almost had to adjust into a hop and skip-like motion to navigate the terrain.

The others were close behind her, yet they seemed to still be adjusting to the sudden shift in gravity.

In an instant it was like they were on the surface of the moon.

They did their best to stay concealed, hopping from alleyways to open structures. Even using some of the floating debris to conceal their movements. The amount of floating objects steadily increased the closer they got to the tower, it was ideal for their situation currently.

There were even some very distinct purple colored crystals floating among the debris, with smaller particles of sand and pebbles floating around them. They seemed to be uniquely different than the rest of the environment.

Lena stopped just a bit ahead of everyone else as she came to a forked road with two directions to choose from.

Almost like clockwork a single distinct gunshot rang out. Lena dove to the floor out of instinct.

"Get down!" She screamed back towards her team.

She frantically floated down to the ground with her hands covering her head as she dropped her rifle.

Looking back, Lena saw that everyone was taking cover behind whatever they could find.

"Is anyone hit?!"

"We're good!" Orion replied.

I didn't hear a whizz or crack.

The sound was distinctly different, a smaller caliber round for sure.

Lena looked off in the direction she heard the shot come from, then slinging her rifle on her back. Once she got off the ground she looked at a piece of the road that was now floating just a few feet in the air. She leapt up to it easily and used it to propel herself higher into the sky for just a moment.

"What is she doing?"

Back on the ground Elizabeth questioned her reckless move.

"Hey! What are you–"

Lena slowly floated back down, using her weight to move her in the direction of her squadmates.

"It's one of us!"

"What?" Orion was shocked.

A howling sound echoed through the ruined village. Halting any further discussion from the team.

Dogs?

The first signs of life besides humans almost two days into this exam, it could not be a coincidence.

"Come on let's go!" Leo immediately sprung into action towards the direction of the gunshot.

"Wait! How do we even know for sure its one of us–"

Lena followed Leo's lead as she jumped away from Orion, which cut his words short. He sighed at their brash behavior.

Elizabeth smiled as she floated gracefully past him.

"Come on, either way we need to confirm it!"

With an annoyed groan, the water mage attempted to stay close to Elizabeth as they moved closer to the imminent encounter.

Leo was quickly becoming adjusted to this environment, he was definitely in his element. His magic often put him into a similar situation, taking inspiration from Sian Anders, who was also well known for her flame propelled combat style. He quickly bounced past Lena, using the walls of the buildings to launch himself even further with each lunge.

We have to be getting close.

Lena turned the corner and saw Leo charging towards a few large figures, they definitely were not human.

At the end of the street there was a body lying motionless, blood pooling around them.

Standing over them were the monsters that must have caused the gruesome scene. They resembled dogs with skinny pointed ears and long, equally pointy tails. They had spiked fur that looked sharp to the touch, almost like a porcupine.

Void beasts.

They both snarled at Leo as they turned to face him.

Even from this distance, which was about thirty yards. Lena could see that their faces looked almost like bats.

Sparks were beginning to emerge from Leo's shin guards. He slammed into the ground feet first. Crouching in a hunched position, he seemed to be getting ready for a massive jump forward. He clapped the palms of his hands down onto his knees as he squatted, resembling a musician banging down on a drum. 

His catalyst ignited into a fury, a circle of flames sprouted around him. With one fell swoop he leapt up from his position, using the flames as a propellent to shoot him forward like a human fireball. He outstretched his leg as if to slam his ignited leg into one of the beasts.

Just as he was about to make contact, the creatures seemed to swirl like a whirlpool, almost like they warped reality. Vanishing almost as soon as Leo was about to deliver a devastating kick.

"Oh come on!" He sounded disappointed as he doused the flame magic immediately. Landing softly just on the other side of the body that remained in the street.

"Where did they go?"

Elizabeth caught up to Lena who was now in a crouched position, observing the area around them for any hint as to where the beasts had moved to.

She landed just next to her.

"It's a pack of Barghest!" Elizabeth sounded worried and winded.

"Shit!"

Lena remembered these monsters from the bestiary. They were a common type of void beast, the namesake was like that of the old English folktale. They were extremely dangerous despite their relatively small size, and that reason was exactly what explained their sudden disappearance.

"Leo! Come back now!!" Orion shouted towards his brother.

The area surrounding Leo seemed to ripple, it swelled into a whirlpool once again and a set of fangs lunged out towards the flaming mage.

Just like the Nexus–

"They can phase through space!" Elizabeth finished Lena's thoughts.

Leo had no time to react, even with his impressive speed it was already too close to him, its claws and fangs outstretched wide as if eager to chomp down on him.

Just then a gunshot rang out once again, the head of the beast twisted upwards violently. Leo dodged the beast as it tumbled to the ground, lifeless. Blood spurting from the newly formed crater on top of its head.

Orion and Elizabeth looked at Lena with relief, but her barrel was still cold.

"It wasn't me."

Leo turned to face the young man who laid on the ground. His arm was raised, a gun in his had. A standard issue sidearm, smoking from the barrel. He was a recruit, same as them, the flags that were distributed for the exam were draped over his blood stained waistband. Though brutally wounded, he had managed to get a shot off on the beast before it could harm Leo.

Everyone had the same look on their face, a mixture of shock and relief.

He's alive!