Sand, wherever Liron turned.
As they had descended on the platform, Liron grasped how vast Sannara truly was. The desert could swallow the Empire with ease and have room to spare. But to witness its vastness for himself, seeing the dunes rise and fall, stretching towards the horizon and beyond, made him understand.
Stranded here by oneself would mean certain doom. Liron saw glimpses of the wildlife hurrying on the ground as the Flying Island loomed over the land. He would have loved to take a moment to study the immensity in front of him. But the Empire was waiting for them, several troops standing ready to kill him.
Adenius had kept his word, but he had told the local armies where he would land, and they, of course, had learned that so would Liron. As they set foot on the sand, Liron unleashed an explosion on the ground. The sand whirled up in a massive cloud, devouring them all. Apparently, Military still did not have the resources to take Liron down with everything they had.
The soldiers, strengthened by their Battlebliss, coughed as the sand shot at their faces. As they made it out of the cloud, they hunted after the illusion Emma created. After a few minutes, she dismissed it, having led their pursuers in the wrong direction. As they snuck away, only Adenius did spot them. But he never said anything to his allies.
Zonis pressed them forward, not allowing a longer break. The Whisperer altered his head, growing more developed ears. He pressed them against the ground, listening. He stood up, smiling. His eyes remained unmoving, but his large mouth succeeded in expressing all emotions.
"We are safe," Zonis said, cleaning his hands. "Good work, you two. Finally, I can welcome you in Sannara. The largest continent on Ekon. At first glance, it is as oppressive as an endless graveyard, and it can easily become one for you if you are not careful and respect it."
"We are supposed to respect a desert?" Emma asked.
Zonis nodded. His fins vibrated as he spoke, coming alive as his passion drenched his words. "Yes, Emma. Sannara is an unforgiving place. Should you hurry into it without a plan, you will surely find your end. But there is great beauty to be found here. Even in the elements that try to kill you. But you need to know how to listen and how to whisper."
Zonis took the lead, signaling them to follow. They climbed the largest dune nearby, giving them a good look at their surroundings. "Tell me, what are you seeing?"
"Sand?" Liron said.
"G… good, but I meant something more tangible."
"Death?" Emma asked.
"Interpretative yet correct. Don't worry. Everybody makes the same mistake when they visit for the first time. Focus. Study the environment. It is difficult, but signs of life and the hidden depth of the desert are everywhere."
Liron narrowed his eyes, noticing a shift in the sand. It moved, as if something dug underneath it. "Ehr, what is that?"
Zonis clapped Liron on the shoulder. "Very good, Liron."
The Whisperer danced his face into a beak. It had similarities to a hawk's, but it appeared more crooked and deformed to the prideful bird. He let out a shrill cry. Liron and Emma cringed. The call cut into them and rattled their bones. The faint motion Liron had noticed exploded upwards.
Two massive claws erupted from underneath the ground, the creature pulling itself upwards. A titan armored in black. It resembled a spider, but it had a large tail equipped with a hooked lance. The thing had to weigh more than two wolves combined. It jerked around, looking upwards. As it moved, its armor shifted, allowing it to turn and move. The beast reminded Liron of depictions of soldiers with tower shields standing in a tight formation against the hordes of the Qilesh. Its pinched with its claws, anticipating its enemy, sending a message that whoever wanted to taste its flesh would have to pierce the shields it carried. With no bird striking down, the beast calmed, burying itself into the ground again.
"Harras' cock," Liron breathed. "What the fuck was that?"
Zonis giggled. "That is a scorpion, Liron. A blackshield scorpion, to be more precise. Vicious insects. The Orks love to use them as battle beasts in their raids."
"Orks?" Emme asked. "I… I thought they were nothing but legends."
"Oh, they are real, but their numbers have shrunk in the last centuries. They are losing ground in the eternal war. But they won't give up without a fight. Should you ever face a blackshield, try to get underneath them. Their stomach is their weak spot. Be careful of their stinger. Their poison kills fast. It will burn your flesh from the inside, frying it for the scorpion to eat."
Liron and Emma gulped, shaking at the very thought. Zonis smiled, giddy to explain more. "So, what else? Emma, what do you see?"
"Uhm… is that… a spear?"
Zonis followed her gaze, losing his smile. "This is also part of Sannara. It's a scrapeyard."
"What's that?" Emma asked.
"When my kin wins a battle, they… devour your fallen and the ones they can capture. You see… our ability to dance our flesh can be used on other life forms."
He moved his fingers, holding the scrapyard in his talons. "A touch is all it needs to taint another being of flesh. How fast he can conquer someone's body depends on their strength. But no Archmage can escape our taint. Once we have claimed it all, you become part of us, and we can… absorb you. You become Punt. Mass. The lowest caste in the Qyroal. The more Mass a Qilesh claims, the stronger it gets."
Liron gulped. "So… it's true. The Qyroal can steal abilities?"
A Qilesh's eyes remained steady. Only when confronted with an intense enough sensation do they move. Zonis did. "Yes. With each battle the Qyroal wins, they become stronger. A Qilesh can steal the abilities of the people they taint. But there is a limit to this. Abilities of greater strength come with a will of their own. The ghost of the person tainted. Should a Qilesh take too much or should its mind not be strong enough, they will be taken over by the one they tried to claim."
Zonis sighed, "Truly a blessing that a Qilesh can only grow to a certain extent. We aren't demigods. But… there are exceptions. Six, to be precise."
"The Cyoons?" Liron asked.
"Yes. Each of them accomplished something that should have been impossible. They are by far the strongest beings on Ekon. Even an Archmage on the level of Wran can't simply defeat them in a fair duel. Well, at least the chances are very low."
Zonis pointed back to the scrapyard. "This spear you have spotted is the very tip of it. Buried underneath is a mountain of broken armor and weapons. A mass grave for the dead."
Zonis patted them both on the back. The only solace he could give them. "Come."
The Whisperer guided them, climbing and descending dune after dune. The somber tone followed them like a trusted companion. They marched for hours. Zonis had helped them prepare their luggage for their journey. Liron and Emma were drenched in sweat, carrying bags filled with bottles of water and all they would need to camp in the desert.
The deeper they journeyed into Sannara, the more pronounced the scars the war had left on the land became. Fields of glass where dragon fire had scorched the desert. Skeletons of great war beasts. Scrapeyards. The Qyroal had left no signs of their losses. They just devoured their dead. And the ones they couldn't claim as Mass were burned by the Empire. More glass to fill the desert with.
But Zonis refused to drown their spirits in the dead. The Whisperer proved why he had earned his name. The smallest forms of life in Sannara had evolved to hide from the larger predators. He danced his body in all forms, singing to the sand. Mice stretched their heads out of the sand, greeting Zonis. A few words whispered in their ears convinced the furry folk to jump onto Liron's and Emma's shoulders, nestling themselves against their faces.
As the Silver Moon reached its zenith, cacti and all plant life stretched out of the sand. They had learned to only come out when necessary, refueling on the Silverlight at noon. Enduring the heat all day would mean their end, so they would dive into the sand as soon as they reached their limit. But for an hour, Sannara was filled with life. An ocean of grass as high as Liron's hip. Certain patches remained free as the sand there was too loose.
"Avoid them," Zonis said. "Especially at that time of day."
"Why?" Liron asked.
Zonis grinned. "Watch,"
They did, waiting until a head emerged. The plant life had adjusted to the desert's harsh conditions, and so had the herbivores. A lizard climbed out of the sand. It looked tired, carrying a shell in which it hid its body. Only its head and legs lurked out. It blinked, still dizzy from its slumber. Fearing nothing, it slowly lowered its head, eating the grass. It even took its time chewing.
Liron understood why this titan remained calm. What beast could break such a shell? The skin alone appeared weathered like hardened leather. Only the sharpest of fangs would tear through it.
"This is a tortoise," Zonis said. "And their presence is a great sign. There is no danger around, as they would have stayed hidden. When they emerge, so will the rest."