The sun set, giving way to a cold silver moon that transformed the desert into a sea of silver shadows and ghostly dunes. Under Zaya's leadership, the group advanced in absolute silence. The desert at night was a treacherous place: the suffocating heat was replaced by a biting cold that seemed to solidify the sweat on their tunics.
— Stop — Zaya whispered, halting abruptly atop a scythe-shaped dune. — The nest is just below, in that depression between the rocks. The wind is in our favor, but the Crawlers feel the vibration of the ground before they hear any sound.
The Siege in the Valley of Shadows
Below them, the remains of Khadim's caravan were scattered like abandoned carcasses. Torn silk bales and spice barrels lay in the sand, but what truly caught the eye were the perfectly circular holes punctuating the ground around the wreckage.
— They are down there — Kyo murmured, slowly unsheathing his saber. — I can feel their weight beneath the crust of the sand.
— They don't attack from above — Sálvia warned, checking the edge of her daggers. — They wait for you to step on the soft ground and pull you under. Kyo, the ground is their enemy. If you solidify the sand, they lose the element of surprise.
Kyo nodded, concentrating his mana. He drove the tip of his saber into the sand and closed his eyes. A wave of intense cold emanated from the blade, and a dry crack echoed as the sand around the caravan began to freeze, becoming a rigid, brittle plate of ice and silica.
The Attack of the Crawlers
The reaction was immediate. Furious at having their tunnels blocked, the Sand Crawlers emerged. They were hideous creatures with segmented bodies like giant centipedes and pincer-like jaws capable of crushing steel.
Three of them leaped toward Kyo.
— Zaya, cover the flanks! — Kyo shouted, delivering an arc of frost that hit the joints of the nearest creature.
Sálvia didn't wait. She bolted across the frozen sand plate, moving with a lightness that did not break the thin ice. A Crawler tried to strike her, but she slid beneath the beast and, in an upward motion, drove both daggers into the creature's soft underbelly. The monster collapsed, spewing an acrid fluid.
Zaya used two thin chains with metal weights, keeping the beasts at a distance with rhythmic strikes.
— Something is wrong — Sálvia shouted. — This is an entire colony!
The Rise of the Queen
The frozen ground cracked violently. From the center, a massive ten-meter creature emerged: the Crawler Queen.
— Kyo, the blind spot under the head! I'll serve as bait! — Sálvia commanded.
Sálvia ran to the front of the Queen, jumping at the last second and climbing the creature's legs to strike its back. Kyo concentrated his remaining energy:
— Northern Style: Absolute Frost! — He slid beneath the Queen's jaw and delivered a vertical strike, instantly freezing the beast's vital organs.
The Spoils and the New Mounts
Breathless, the three gathered among the wreckage. Zaya sorted the saved silk bales while Sálvia cleaned her daggers.
— We got Khadim's gold — Kyo said, sheathing his saber. — Now we need the right mounts. Horses won't last in the Shadow Crossing.
— You're right — Zaya agreed. — In Jasper, if you want speed and endurance, you use Dune Lizards. They don't sink in the sand, they can climb rocky walls, and they run for days without needing water. With the gold from this contract, we can buy three of the fastest specimens in Al-Zalam.
Sálvia looked at the horizon.
— With these lizards, how long until Geodrakon Imperium?
— If we push the pace, two weeks — Zaya replied. — They are faster than any horse under this sun.
— Then let's gather everything — Sálvia sentenced.
The return to Al-Zalam was marked by the clink of Khadim's gold and the urgency pulsing in Sálvia's chest. With payment secured, the group did not head to the luxury inns on the surface. Zaya led them into the city's bowels, descending damp, narrow staircases leading to the Scale Pen, a clandestine market situated in deep pits where the smell of reptile was dense and the air vibrated with the sound of whips and hisses.
The Scale Market
The place was a labyrinth of raw iron pens. Lizardman merchants with yellowish gazes displayed their mounts. There, deceit was the only law: many painted the animals' scales to hide disease scars or used drugs to make old reptiles appear energetic for a few hours.
— Stay sharp — Zaya warned, keeping her hand firm on her chain's handle. — One mistake here and you buy an animal that turns to carrion before the first dune.
A hunchbacked merchant named Malak approached, rubbing bony hands filled with brass rings.
— Foreigners! Seeking speed? I have this one, emerald-skinned, the fastest in Jasper! — He pointed to a large lizard, but its pupils were overly dilated under the torchlight.
Kyo took a step forward, but Sálvia placed her arm across his chest. She walked to the animal, narrowing her eyes. Without a word, she drew one of her daggers and held it close to the reptile's nostril. The animal didn't even blink.
— It's drugged with lotus root — Sálvia hissed, turning to Malak with deadly coldness. — If you try to sell us trash again, Malak, I will use this dagger to check if your blood is as cold as these lizards'.
Choosing the "Bone-Breakers"
Ignoring the trembling merchant, Sálvia walked to the back of the pen, where three creatures were isolated in reinforced steel cells. They were Elite Dune Lizards: slender, muscular bodies, paws with hook-shaped claws for vertical climbing, and scales of a matte bronze tone that did not reflect light.
— Those three — Sálvia declared.
— Excellent choice — Kyo commented, approaching one of them. The animal hissed, showing serrated teeth. Kyo released a fraction of his frigid aura. The lizard, sensing the Master of Arms' authority, lowered its head. — They have the lungs to cross the desert without stopping.
Zaya's Proposal
After paying the required gold, the lizards were saddled and loaded with waterskins. As Sálvia and Kyo prepared to depart, Zaya, who until then had only guided them, adjusted her own weapons and mounted the third lizard.
— Khadim's contract is over, Zaya — Sálvia said, looking at her fixedly. — You received your share. Why are you still mounted?
Zaya gave a half-smile, adjusting the gold tattoos on her arms.
— You are good with steel and ice, but you are foreigners. Jasper will swallow you both before you reach the halfway point to Geodrakon. I know the shortcuts, the sandstorms, and the outposts that can be bypassed. Besides... — she looked at the coin they found in the nest — I have my own scores to settle with those who are fouling my desert.
Kyo looked at Sálvia. Having a native guide who knew how to fight was an advantage they couldn't ignore.
— The path will be dangerous, Zaya. We aren't going on a trade tour. We are going to invade the Coliseum — Kyo warned.
— I wouldn't be here if I sought safety, Master of Arms — Zaya replied firmly. — I'm going with you. For the boy and the honor of the sands.
Sálvia nodded silently, a rare sign of trust.
— Then let's move. The sun will rise soon.
With a sharp command, the three Dune Lizards bolted out of the pen, scaling the stone ramp with impressive speed. The trail of dust left behind marked the beginning of the true journey. Now, they were three blades cutting through the heart of Jasper.
The gloom of the Obsidian Coliseum's dungeons was broken only by distant torches casting dancing shadows on the volcanic rock walls. The air down there was thick, heavy with the smell of rust, sweat, and the accumulated fear of centuries. Unlike the Empire's official arenas, this place operated in the shadows: it was the heart of Jasper's clandestine fights, where there were no rules, only high stakes and blood on the black sand.
Vargas and the cynical Kaelen had already departed. After delivering the "luxury item" to Zokar and securing their gold bags, the two disappeared into the alleys of Geodrakon Imperium, likely spending their reward on expensive brothels and opium, leaving Julian behind as merchandise awaiting slaughter.
Julian was huddled in the corner of his cell, his fists bruised by the chains. Across from him, the massive silhouette of Raaj the Devastator remained motionless.
— They won't come back, cub — Raaj's voice was low thunder, making the iron bars vibrate. — Here, once gold changes hands, the face of the seller is erased from memory.
Julian lifted his head. His eyes were red, but there was a spark of defiance Raaj had not yet seen.
— I don't want them to come back. I want them to burn.
Raaj let out a hoarse laugh, revealing fangs that could split a skull in half. He approached the bars, and the torchlight illuminated the deep scars in his striped fur.
— Hatred. It's a good start. It's more useful than tears, but in these clandestine fights, hatred without teeth is just an invitation for the gravedigger. Why isn't an heir like you begging for mercy?
— Because I saw what fear does — Julian replied, moving toward the bars, ignoring the beastly scent emanating from the giant. — Fear killed my guards. Fear allowed Vargas to drag me away. If I go to that sand circle tomorrow, it won't be to tremble.
Raaj tilted his tiger head, observing the boy. He saw something he rarely found in humans: a will that couldn't be bought by gamblers.
— Listen, Julian. This isn't a glory arena. It's a slaughterhouse. Zokar will put you in the center to see how much merchants pay for your life. If the stakes are low, he releases the Hyena-men. They don't kill fast; they like to hear the sound of bones breaking.
— Then teach me — Julian said, his voice firm. — If you are the "Devastador" who refuses to die in this hole, teach me to survive until my friends arrive.
Raaj remained silent for a long time.
— In these fights, technique is worthless if you don't have the stomach. Beastmen fight by instinct, gladiators by despair. You... you must fight like prey that bites the hunter's throat in its final breath.
For the first time in days, Raaj sat cross-legged in a nearly meditative posture, inviting Julian to do the same.
— Pay attention. Tomorrow, when the drums beat, the Jasper sun will have no mercy. If you want to see the face of the one who betrayed you again, you'll have to turn that noble blood of yours into pure poison.
That night, in the depths of Jasper's underworld, an unlikely alliance was forged. The fallen heir and the untamable beast spent the final hours before the auction and the fights talking in whispers. Raaj explained how to hit the beasts' blind spots and how to use the opponent's weight against them, while Julian listened to every word as if his life depended on it—because, in that clandestine Coliseum, it truly did.
The suffocating heat in the dungeons was but a prelude to the hell waiting for Julian on the surface. When the iron gates groaned, the Jasper sun hit his eyes like a physical blow. He was pushed into the center of the Obsidian Circle, a clandestine arena where the floor was composed of abrasive black dust, saturated with the dried blood of generations of gladiators.
In the makeshift stands, the smell of sweat and heavy betting hung in the air. Zokar watched from above, a sadistic smile distorting his reptilian face.
— Gamblers! — Zokar shouted, his voice echoing off the rock walls. — Behold the fall of nobility! Little Valerius against the Dune Hounds! Who bets on the meat? Who bets on the blood?
From the opposite side, three smaller portals opened. From them emerged lean, hungry beasts covered in leathery, scaly skin, with jaws that could crush camel bones.
The Voice in the Shadows
Julian felt his legs tremble. Panic was a cold wave trying to drown him. It was then that he heard, coming from the dungeon bars just below the platform, a familiar growl.
— Don't look at the crowd, cub! — it was Raaj the Devastator. — Look at their paws! They take a false step before the pounce. Breathe... if the air doesn't enter, you die before the bite!
Julian closed his eyes for a second, forcing oxygen into his lungs. He opened his hands, feeling the small, sharp sliver of obsidian—Raaj's gift—hidden between his fingers.
The Dance of Survival
The first hound leaped. Julian did not retreat. He remembered what Raaj had said about weight: "Use their strength against them." At the last moment, Julian dove under the beast. As the hound passed over him, the boy struck with the stone sliver, tearing the creature's soft belly. The animal fell heavily, howling as its entrails stained the black dust.
— One down! — roared Raaj, slamming his paws against the bars in approval. — The other two will flank! Back against the wall!
The two remaining hounds learned from the death of the first. They separated, circling Julian. One growled to draw his attention, while the other prepared for a lateral pounce.
Julian felt the movement to his left. Instead of defending, he ran directly toward the growling hound. The beast, surprised by the prey's aggressiveness, hesitated for a millisecond. It was enough. Julian leaped over the body of the first dead hound, gaining height, and fell with all his weight onto the second creature's neck. He drove the obsidian sliver repeatedly into the base of the skull, where the scales were more open.
The hound thrashed violently, throwing Julian against the rock wall, but the boy did not let go. He grit his teeth, the taste of dust and iron in his mouth, until the beast stopped moving.
The Final Blow
The last hound, enraged and confused, lunged in a desperate attack. Julian was down, his back burning from the impact against the wall. The beast leaped toward his throat.
— Now, Julian! The throat! — screamed Raaj, his voice dominating the clamor of the crowd that was now chanting the boy's name.
Julian raised his legs, kicking the beast's chest to lessen the impact, and used the momentum to spin his body. He wrapped his left arm around the hound's neck, locking it in a desperate chokehold, while with his right hand, he buried the obsidian sliver into the creature's eye, reaching the brain.
Silence fell over the Coliseum for a brief moment, broken only by the sound of Julian's ragged breathing. He stood up slowly, covered in black blood and dust, holding the bloody stone. He looked at Zokar, then at Raaj's cell.
Raaj let out a roar of triumph that made the gamblers recoil. The gladiator-tiger gave a subtle nod. The "cub" had survived his first trial of blood.
— I am still alive! — Julian screamed to the crowd, his voice cracking but charged with a fury no Lazuli noble would ever imagine.
Night fell over the Obsidian Coliseum, but the heat did not leave the dungeons. The silence was interrupted only by the groans of pain from other prisoners and the rhythmic sound of a stone being sharpened against the floor. Julian was sitting in the corner of his cell, wiping dried blood from his arms with a damp rag. He was alive, but every muscle in his body protested.
— You fought like a cornered animal, Julian — Raaj's voice came from the shadows, softer than usual, almost human. — In Jasper, that is the highest compliment one can receive.
Julian looked at the Weretiger. Raaj was leaning against the bars, looking at the stone ceiling as if he could see the stars through it.
The Beast's Tale
— Why do you help me, Raaj? — Julian asked, his voice failing. — You are the Devastador. I'm just... merchandise.
Raaj let out a heavy sigh, a sound that resembled the stoking of embers. He sat down, bringing his enormous face close to the bars. For the first time, Julian didn't see a killer beast, but an ancestral pain in the gladiator's amber eyes.
— I wasn't born in a cage, cub. I had a tribe in the iron mountains, north of Jasper. I had a mate whose roar was sweeter than the wind, and a son... a cub who was still learning to hunt the shadows of clouds.
Raaj closed his eyes, and a scar crossing his snout seemed to pulse.
— Geodrakon's soldiers arrived under the command of mercenaries like Vargas. They didn't just want our lands; they wanted our strength. I fought. I killed dozens of them. But they used magic chains... They forced me to watch as they took my family. My son... he tried to run to reach me. He was small, Julian. A soldier had no patience.
Raaj's fist clenched so hard that the tendons in his arm looked like steel cables about to snap.
— He died in the sand before reaching me. My mate was sold to the southern mines, and I never heard her roar again. I became the "Devastador" because I had nothing left to live for, so I took my hatred out on anyone Zokar put in front of me.
The Blood Pact
Raaj opened his eyes and fixed them on Julian. There was a new determination there, a spark that hatred alone cannot produce.
— When I saw you facing those hounds, I saw the same spark my son had in his eyes before the spear hit him. I lost my blood on the Jasper sands, but I won't allow yours to be spilled for the amusement of these pigs.
He extended his immense paw through the bars. Julian, without hesitation, placed his small, calloused hand over the tiger's rough pads.
— I'm going to get you out of here, Julian Valerius. No matter how many hyenas I have to tear apart. Your friends may be on their way, but until they arrive, I will be your wall. Tomorrow, they will put us both in the arena. They think it will be a slaughter to raise the bets. They don't know they just gave the Devastador a reason to fight again.
Julian felt a strength that did not come from his own muscles. He was no longer alone in the Jasper underworld.
— Thank you, Raaj — Julian whispered.
— Don't thank me yet. Save your breath for what comes tomorrow. Zokar will use the Fire Whip to control us. When the signal sounds, you run for the shadows. Leave the blood to me.