Anvi Ironside eyed Daiden from head to toe after his introduction. At first, he checked his clothes and nodded approvingly. His eyes then traced to the spatial ring and popped in remembrance of a story. He scratched his head and recalled the details from his conversation with Kir. Anvi counted the Sand Cores in his head and clicked into the …

The borders of Multana City marked a difference of worlds, as the desert sand thinned to fertile greens and tall trees. Children played outside the gates, under protection from the guards, around the puddles, with little animals and amongst each other. Daiden immersed in the landscape, with the city in front of him. His eyes fell upon the thick, brown …

With an hour left until sunrise, Daiden awoke to his morning routine. He jogged through the desert dunes and practiced his weapon switches from the ring. After a tough hour, he returned to change into a clean set of clothes and packed the rest into his spatial storage. With a fresh face, he stretched a little and waved hello to …

Daiden shivered from the cold desert breeze, even from inside his tent. His eyes fixated on the roof, the translucent fabric, and the stars beyond them. He tilted his head to the right, slowly, sighed, and then to the left. He recalled the smallest of details, especially Lina, a fading glimpse of her from when he entered his tent alone. …

Daiden opened his eyes to a cool, soft breeze and the face of a beautiful woman, veiled in moonlight, and with a canvas of stars in the background. His chest rose with some agitation and then eased into regularity. He breathed with comfort and relaxed his shoulders, cushioned by the sand underneath him. His lips trembled a little, managing a …

With an extended field, the Sand King dispersed the clouds by force and thundered a screech. Daiden and Slide walked towards the centre, in unison at first, and then apart in opposite directions. They steadied their weapons and sprinted into attack. Daiden observed a significant difference in speed, with his ally connecting several thrusts in quick succession. He reeled from …

Daiden experienced a breakthrough when he toppled the Sand King’s mount. He felt a rush in his veins, invigorating his body. His confidence bubbled into tremendous growth, and it absolved him of a portion of his anxiety even. But as he walked towards the dismounted Monarch, armed with a sword on either hand, he felt a sense of finality, a …

At the tumble, the Monarch felt a strange emotion, different from the rage it had felt from the death of its subjects. It felt the rage of humiliation. The Sand King frowned and spared a portion of its aeter to manipulate the sand masterfully. The grains rose and solidified in perfect harmony, attaching to the Sand Spider as a functional, …

Amidst the sandstorm, Daiden noticed an erratic lapse in aeter control. His body felt heavier, almost as if drained of strength. He checked his fingers, then toes, succumbing to an odd sense of laziness. With a quick shake, he slapped his cheeks with both hands and retrieved his Heavy Iron Sword. His eyes followed the silhouette and the occasional attack …

Technique. Rotation. Speed. Balance. Daiden heard these words repeatedly when growing up. He heard them first when watching his coach train some of the older athletes on the pommel horse. As a male gymnast, the horse represented a wild, almost untameable beast. It required a combination of skills and immense muscular strength, yet not so much that it hindered movement …