“Wait, wait, wait.”
Safira took a step back, holding up her hands.
“Sandworms? Like… giant, man-eating, desert-dwelling worms?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re just okay with that?!”
“No.”
Malik turned to face her, his expression unreadable.
“But we don’t have a choice.”
She opened her mouth to argue but stopped short, something in his eyes shutting her down.
“Stick close.”
He stepped back onto the path.
“Wait, what’s the Sand Walk?!”
She called after him, scrambling to keep up.
“We’ll see.”
Her stomach dropped.
That was never a good answer.
Once they got down the dune, still behind the sign, Malik scanned the distance, picking out a path.
Behind him, Safira shielded her eyes from the sand’s glare.
“And beyond this is… what? That ‘airlift’ thing from the notes?”
Malik nodded.
“The book called it ‘Zephyr’s Ascension.'”
“Sounds fancy.”
“Yeah, well, try to keep your complaints quiet, or you’ll wake the worms.”
He walked ahead, passing the sign.
“T-Teach—”
“Shut it and stay put.”
Safira frowned but didn’t argue, crossing her arms as she watched him.
She wasn’t about to admit it out loud, but the mention of sandworms had her stomach flipping.
Malik, on the other hand, seemed calm—too calm for her liking.
He moved forward, his steps slow.
The phrase from the sign constantly repeated in his mind—a drumming beat.
It was vague as Hell, but he had to start somewhere.
If he failed? Well, there was always a next time…
Fffshhh!
His boots hit the sand with a measured rhythm, heel-to-toe.
‘Dum-Dum-Dum.’
He let his arms swing naturally, his shoulders loose, his breathing even.
‘Dum-Dum-Dum.’
His body fell into a kind of flow, each step deliberate but not forced.
‘Dum-Dum-Dum.’
The sand shifted under him, and he adjusted without breaking stride, his weight rolling smoothly from one foot to the next like water spilling from a jar, light enough that his steps barely left a mark.
‘Dum-Dum-Dum.’
It was frustratingly effortless.
‘Dum-Dum-Dum.’
Every now and then, he threw in a tiny bounce to his step, like he was mimicking the rhythm of a heartbeat, smooth, almost hypnotic.
‘Dum-Dum-Dum.’
He went on like that for a while, weaving slightly as he went, his path curving just a little to keep his weight from pressing too hard in one spot.
‘Dum-Dum-Dum.’
Was this it? The so-called Sand Walk?
***
{Outside The Projection}
“HOW THE FUCK DID HE MANAGE IT ONE TRY?!”
Apparently, it was.
***
{Inside The Projection}
‘Dum-Dum-Dum.’
It felt… right. Not perfect, but close enough.
‘Dum-Dum-Dum.’
Malik nodded to himself, then turned back, retracing his route toward Safira, his steps never breaking the rhythm.
She was standing exactly where he’d left her, arms crossed and frowning at him like he’d just invented a new way to waste her time.
Safira had hated this Sand Walk almost immediately.
“This is dumb.”
“Yeah, and that’s why you’re gonna die if you don’t figure it out.”
“Why can’t we just, I don’t know, walk like normal people?”
“Because normal walking tells them that prey is here.”
“Why?”
“The sign says so.”
“Maybe it’s a prank—”
“No. Your turn.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“You’re going to learn it.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
Her frown deepened.
“You want me to—”
“Mimic it.”
He cut her off again.
“Step for step. Follow the rhythm. A drumming beat.”
“You’re serious.”
“Dead serious. Start walking.”
Safira groaned but followed him back to the base of the dune.
He didn’t give her time to complain further, stepping beside her and pointing down at her feet.
“Heel to toe. Spread your weight evenly. Don’t stomp. You want the sand to forget you were even here.”
“Forget me? I’m not a ghost.”
He ignored her.
“Match my steps. Watch my arms. Your balance needs to shift with each step like you’re flowing forward.”
She squinted at him, dubious.
“Flowing forward. Sure. Sounds easy.”
“It’s not. Now shut up and try.”
Safira groaned but stepped forward, trying to copy the way he’d moved.
It was clumsy—too stiff, too cautious.
He stopped her after a few steps.
“Relax. You’re overthinking it. Just… move. Keep it smooth. Let your body find the rhythm.”
“Easier said than done.”
She took a breath and moved, planting her foot carefully.
Immediately, the sand slid out from under her, and she stumbled, falling face-first.
“Bah!”
Flipping to her back, she spat out some of the sand she accidentally swallowed and screamed:
“This is impossible!”
“It’s not. Try again.”
“Why don’t you try being encouraging for once?”
“Encouragement doesn’t stop sandworms. Now focus.”
She gritted her teeth and tried again, mimicking the way his arms swayed and the deliberate placement of his feet.
It wasn’t nearly as smooth, and the sand still shifted quite heavily, but she managed a few steps before losing her balance again.
“Better… Keep going.”
Hours passed like this.
Safira stumbled, cursed, and grumbled, but each time, she got a little better.
Malik watched her like a Roc, correcting her movements, tweaking her rhythm, making her start over whenever she got it a slight bit wrong.
Her frustration grew, but so did her determination.
By the time the light started to fade, her steps were almost passable.
“One more time.”
She glared at him, sweat dripping down her face.
“You said that an hour ago.”
“And I’ll keep saying it until you get it right. Now go.”
She groaned again but obeyed, her steps falling into the familiar rhythm.
This time, there was no awkwardness.
Her movements were smooth, her body relaxed, her rhythm steady.
Malik watched her for a moment, then nodded again.
“Good. That’ll do.”
He finally called a halt, motioning for her to sit.
She dropped onto the sand with a huff, wiping sweat from her brow.
“Finally!”
“You’re ready… I’ll give you a minute then we’ll move.”
Safira pulled out her gourd, gulping down half the water, then stood up, joining his right.
“There’s no need. Let’s go!”
Malik looked at her for long, then nodded.
“Take this then.”
She cupped her hands and brought them forward.
“Goodies? Gimmie, gimmie!”
He grabbed the Scrolls from his belt and gently pushed them into her palms, folding her fingers over them.
“Just in case you get lost.”
Her blue eyes slightly widened.
“B-But I—”
“No. Take them.”
“…O-Oookay.”
Seeing that he was not backing off, she shoved them in her belt.
“Stay calm and no matter what happens, don’t panic.”
“Please, I’m practically a sand ninja now.”
He just shook his head and started moving, taking the lead.
She quickly followed, Sand Walking directly behind him.
After that, neither said another word, focusing fully on their movements.
The desert had gone silent alongside them, save for the rhythmic Fffshhh of their footsteps.
Safira started nervous, nearly making mistakes due to just how tense she felt. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire
But as time passed, her jitters started to fade.
She still didn’t trust this whole Sand Walk nonsense, but she had to admit that it was better to be safe than sorry… Sandworms were quite scary after all.
When she finally got fully used to it, a voice was heard in the silent desert.
“Hey, this isn’t so bad.”
It was hers.
“Hm.”
Malik gave a noncommittal grunt.
His eyes stayed locked on the horizon, scanning for… something.
Safira didn’t want to ask what. She figured if it was important, he’d tell her. Probably.
They kept moving, their rhythm steady, and she found herself falling into the flow, her body relaxing.
But as night arrived and the heat drained from the air, struggle made its way back to her.
Safira pulled her scarf tighter around her neck, shivering.
“Why does it have to get so damn cold?”
“…”
Malik didn’t answer.
He just kept walking, his steps as smooth as ever.
Typical.
Then… the wind started.
At first, it was just a whisper, brushing over the sand.
But it grew, gaining strength with every gust.
By the time they reached the base of a particularly steep dune, it was howling, whipping sand into their faces.
Safira shielded her eyes, squinting up at Malik.
“This normal?”
“No.”
He scanned the horizon again, his jaw clenching.
“Storm’s coming.”
Safira flinched.
“W-What kind of storm?”
“The bad kind.”
“Oh great. Fantastic~.”
Sand began to swirl around them, a stinging chaos that made it almost impossible to see.
“STAY LOW! FOLLOW MY LEAD!”
She nodded at his command, or at least tried to but failed, ducking her head instead.
They pressed on, and every step was a battle, one that they nearly lost.
Wind tore at their clothes, threatening to knock them off balance at each change it got.
Safira’s feet slipped more than once, the shifting sands beneath her refusing to cooperate.
“This freaking sucks!”
“Keep moving!”
And she did, because what else could she do?
But the storm wasn’t letting up. If anything, it was getting worse.
Everything around them was trying to peel their skin off.
Visibility dropped to nothing, and their nerves, especially hers, were fraying fast.
Then, out of nowhere, tragedy struck…
Thud!
Safira fell.
She hit the sand so hard, the impact sent vibrations rippling through the ground.
“D-Damn it!”
She hissed, scrambling to get back up.
But just as she managed to put her feet down and take a step forward, her head smacked into something solid.
“T-Teach?”
Malik was frozen.
His entire body was tense.
“Safira.”
“I’m fine, I just—”
“Start running. Now.”
She blinked.
“What?”
The ground beneath them trembled.
Then…
WHOOOOMPH!
The sand exploded.
A massive form burst from it, a writhing, monstrous thing that towered above a distant dune, its body a grotesque, coiling mass, its mouth a gaping maw lined with rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth.
This was a sandworm.
Huge didn’t even begin to describe it.
It was… horrifying.
“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!”
Safira yelled, coughing as sand whipped around her face.
Her eyes were wide, full of panic, but she couldn’t see anything, barely even hear anything.
“…”
Malik didn’t answer right away.
He stared at the approaching sandworm, feeling the tremors under his feet.
“The wind hit a dune hard… knocked its sand over. Nothing to worry about.”
Safira wasn’t buying it.
“That’s not just some wind, Malik! That had to be—”
“Doesn’t matter!”
He cut her off, grabbing her arm and pushing her in front of him.
“Now forget the damn walk! JUST RUN!”