The night sky over the Althera Desert had grown dim, its stars hidden behind drifting sand and heavy silence. The air was still, too still, like a held breath waiting for something to break. On a windswept dune, a small scout unit led by Kael crawled toward the peak, their bodies blending with the shifting sands. Every movement was careful, measured, swallowed by the whisper of the desert wind.
Kael raised a clenched fist. The team froze. Sand slid past him as he steadied his breath and peered over the ridge.
Below them, clusters of artificial light shimmered like fallen stars. Edenan tech lanterns cast pale blue halos across rows of tents and humming machinery. It wasn't a checkpoint. It was a full operation. A hive waking up.
"Look there," one scout murmured, pointing at towering machines surrounded by soldiers and hovering drones.
Kael narrowed his eyes. Cranes lifted steel beams and energy nodes into place, constructing something massive. "They're building a military outpost," he said, voice low. "If that stands, we lose control of this desert."
Another scout adjusted her scope. "We need to report this now. If we stay any longer, they'll notice us."
Kael nodded. "We move. Quiet as dead sand."
They slid back down the dune, leaving no trace except the fading warmth of their bodies. By the time they reached camp, the sky had deepened into an obsidian blanket. Lanterns flickered weakly, casting long shadows over worn tents.
Inside the command tent, Zephyr stood with arms crossed over a stretched terrain map. Kirana sat nearby, sharpening her curved blade with calm precision.
Kael entered, dust clinging to him like armor. "Three kilometers east," he reported. "Heavy machinery. Full construction. A large guard force."
Zephyr's expression tightened. "How long until they're operational?"
"Days. Maybe less. If we strike early, we can slow them—or stop them."
Zephyr turned to Kirana. "Thoughts?"
She looked up, eyes hard. "They're building a stronghold. A direct assault is suicide. We hit them from inside."
Zephyr nodded slowly. "A small infiltration team. High risk. Necessary."
Kael stepped forward. "I'll lead it. I know the layout."
Zephyr gripped his shoulder. "Choose your finest. Hit their machines. Disrupt leadership. This is our chance. Don't miss."
Later that night, deep within a sacred cavern carved into the desert's bones, the air hummed with unspoken tension. Torchlight danced across murals of ancient battles and forgotten heroes. Kirana stood at the center, with Zephyr and the Dakarai warlords gathered around her.
Silence settled like ritual.
Zephyr stepped forward carrying a carved wooden box. Inside lay a black-bladed short sword, curved like a serpent's fang, and a desert cloak stitched with a golden scorpion.
"Kirana," he began, voice steady with respect, "you've proven yourself beyond any warrior. Our people need a protector—a leader. It's time."
Kirana's face remained controlled, but something flickered in her eyes. "Zephyr, I fight for the desert. I'm not built for titles."
An elder approached, robes marked with ancient runes, voice deep and weathered. "You are more than a fighter. You are the desert's answer. This land knows your name."
He pinned the scorpion emblem to her chest. The cloak settled over her shoulders like destiny itself.
"From this night on, you are Arash-Scorpius—the Desert Scorpion. Your name will haunt Edenan dreams and set fire in our people's hearts."
Kirana stood still, feeling the weight of that name anchor itself inside her. "If this is how I protect Althera, then I accept. Not for glory. For the land."
Zephyr's smile was faint, but pride warmed it. "Prepare yourself. At dawn, war begins."
Kael's team slipped back into camp just before midnight, moving like shadows torn from the dunes. Their mission had been clean and quiet. Several Edenan engineers eliminated. Machinery sabotaged. Not a single drone had swept the skies.
Zephyr listened to the report without a flicker of emotion. "Good. We've bought ourselves time."
Kirana leaned against the strategy table, arms crossed. "Valarion wouldn't pull air support unless he's preparing something bigger."
Zephyr nodded slowly. "Then we strike before he does. Kirana, you'll lead a special force. Hit them hard, hit them first."
Her eyes sharpened. "A precision unit?"
"Yes. We call them Al-Sarab—the Mirage. Fast, invisible, lethal. A ghost in the dunes."
The title settled over her, heavy but fitting. "I'll take command. And we move fast. No hesitation."
"Al-Sarab will cut their veins," Zephyr said. "Cripple their chain of command. Sever their logistics. Make them fear the dark."
Kirana stepped forward. "Three squads. Disrupt supplies. Sabotage communications. Disable defenses. No traces. No mercy."
A young warrior, Darim, hesitated. "But small groups are easy targets."
Kirana's gaze silenced him. "Only if we move like amateurs. We'll strike like lightning—gone before the thunder hits."
Zephyr added, "Travel light. Strike smart. Their strength is numbers. Ours is knowledge."
Kirana looked over her unit. "By nightfall, we're either legends… or dust. Prepare for both."
The final hours before dawn were filled with muted preparation. Warriors checked gear, sharpened blades, tied charm-strips to their weapons, whispered prayers and goodbyes. The camp hummed with purpose.
Kirana addressed them one last time, her voice firm as stone. "This isn't survival. This is reclamation. The Edenans think the desert is silent. Today, it will answer. And when it bites, it doesn't let go."
Al-Sarab vanished into the sands.
At dawn's first light, Zephyr stood atop a ridge, the rising sun framing him in fire. He watched the distant Edenan encampment, his breath a quiet omen. "It begins."
To the north, wrapped in dust and shadow, Kirana waited. Kael approached carrying a long case.
"For you," he said, opening it.
Inside lay a masterpiece. Nythra Valkeer: a bow forged from desert-root and steel alloy, its limbs curved like wings mid-beat. A laser-sight module ran along its spine. The quiver held arrows tipped with explosive cores.
Kirana lifted the bow, testing its weight. Her grip molded to it instantly. "Perfect."
Kael smirked. "Don't thank me yet. We're heading into fire."
Kirana raised the bow, her eyes locked on the Edenan encampment. The wind caught her hair, carrying the scent of war.
"Then we'll burn brighter."
As the first rays kissed the dunes, the Althera Desert held its breath.
The storm wasn't coming. It was already here.