The Sunwardens returned to their home, completely vacant of any Grayhounds and Skullheads. They prepared all the corpses they could find of their people and prepared for a large funeral.
In the desert, there was no surplus of wood to create a pyre to burn their people. Neither was the ground so soft or sturdy to bury them. Instead, they took their people to the middle of the desert and placed them at the center.
As evening came, beasts would spill out of the ground, consuming their dead.
From the desert they were born, and they lived their life because of the desert. When the end came, to the desert they went.
Once the funeral was over, the Sunwardens began rebuilding their home.
Alex did nothing really to help, simply walking around the place, his red skin fading slowly over the course of the day. He had heard about himself from a few people as rumor seemed to have spread already.
They spoke of his deeds in the Grayhounds’ place, how he killed all 3 of the Extolites by himself. That wasn’t all. He killed their chief and his son, as well as many of their warriors.
They also came to learn that he had cut his way out of the dungeon with so many dead that they said one could fill the oasis with their blood. People claimed of his evil ways, how he left no one alive, and gave him a name.
The Red Evil.
Alex was stunned to hear about himself in that way. Had he created that sort of persona through his fight against the Grayhounds? He didn’t know what to say.
He let the rumor be and prepared for his departure. He wanted to leave soon as he had to head over to the inner region not long after. However, upon hearing what plans the Sunwardens had come up with, he decided to take a small detour first.
Goyin wished to go deliver the news of her father’s death to his relatives back in the Bonefang tribe, and then bring them over here if she could. Several people prepared to leave with her, so Alex decided to accompany her to the tribe.
He heard that the Sand Wall was not that far away from where the Bonefang tribe was, so at most, he was wasting one more day.
There wasn’t much he needed to do to prepare. He melted the metal whip he got from the Extolite and turned it into another sword. His own sword he no longer needed, so he gave it to Xichen to keep.
It could be hers if she wished to use it.
After that, what he really needed at the moment was some blood, beast core, and Sunhearts, all of which he could find in the desert along the way. He carried with him a few empty storage bags as well as some large metal pots, and he was ready to leave.
Goyin still had wounds around her face that were yet to heal, but she seemed to not care about it. She had gathered a few people, all of whom were now ready to go.
So, Alex was ready to go as well.
Xichen stood before Alex, her eyes downcast the entire time. “You know I can never forgive you,” she said softly. She hadn’t yet told anyone else what he had done. The death of her father was attributed to Grayhounds because of her silence.
“I don’t expect you to,” Alex said.
She took a deep breath. “Look after my daughter.”
Alex smiled. “Of course.”
Then he left.
Their small party left unannounced, so that no one was aware of their departure.
They walked out onto the desert all by themselves, with only the sand dunes before them.
“Do you know where you’re supposed to go?” Alex asked. “Are there landmarks along the way for you to know where you’re going?”
“Of course,” Goyin said. “How else are we supposed to know where we’re going?”
Alex shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t traveled in the desert a lot, you know. I told you already.”
“I… don’t remember much of what you talked about back then,” Goyin said. “It was so long ago after all.”
“It was only…” Alex paused. It was easily over 15 years for her. It was half a lifetime ago. “I see. For me, it was just yesterday.”
“I don’t remember your words, but I remember the image you talked about. Something about a strip of white sand next to you, and then water for as long as your eyes can see. I would like to see a place like that from your world.”
“There’s a place like that in this world too. You just have to get away from the center of the desert,” Alex said. “At least, there is such a place in the east.”
Goyin frowned. “But the east is where the desert’s center is.”
“No, further away from that. Beyond the center, on the other side, there are forests that extend for days, and then sea that extends even further than that.”
Goyin could only imagine. “Here, you are lucky to see an oasis at all.”
Someone pointed up ahead, locating a large desert rock. It didn’t look all that unusual to Alex, but to these people, it was a landmark they frequently saw.
A few people talked and soon they were headed in a corrected direction.
During the entire daytime of their journey, they found 6 different beasts, 4 of which had Sunhearts. Alex killed them easily, taking those Sunhearts, beast cores, and blood.
He left the bodies with the others since he had no use for that. As evening fell, they rushed toward another landmark. It was a large rocky pillar with wind-carved sides and a flat top.
Upon reaching that place, they climbed onto its top and stayed there. Because of the dangers in the night, they decided to spend that time up here. They stayed up the entire night, looking out for any beasts that might decide to come for them.
Then, when dawn approached, they all woke up, resuming their journey toward the Bonefang tribe.