Even with his resistance to the heat, Brim could feel the sun’s gaze bringing sweat to his brows. At its zenith, moving became a chore and constant hydration was a must. At least with over two-thirds of the journey over and done with, the squadron could relax and catch their breath. The squadron’s growth astounded Brim. In all honesty, he …

‘Three, two, one. Heave!’ The bestial juggernaut types tugged on the vine rope attached to the cart, preventing the churning sand from swallowing it like anything else caught within its trap, a spiral of death. The whirlpool of quicksand grew and grew, forming a depression in the centre where all the sand converged. Where it led to, the mages could …

Gin didn’t know how to react to the pile of boxes on his bed. Each and every one of them had the same, mage-meat-filled, premade meal. On top of it all was a letter, written by Joan with handwriting so horrendous that Gin ruffled his face, trying to figure out the message. Even then, the legible words were written as …

With the time of the meeting upon them, Gin picked up Brim and the pair made their way to the allocated room. An ominous silence surrounded them in the initial stages of their journey, both knowing that their peaceful lifestyle, relative to the other squadrons, was about to end. ‘You’re awfully silent,’ Brim said, breaking the deadlock at last. ‘Hm? …

It’s cold, a tired Jack thought as his head rested against a solid surface in an unfamiliar location. He sat up, surveying his surroundings. Stone walls surrounded him in a circle with stair-like seats on top of them and doors embedded within while a roof loomed over all. The placed looked symmetrical apart from one area containing a tunnel, presumably …

Gin pointed the gun at the tree. He made sure to steady his hands, aiming for the perfect shot. He wrapped his fingers around the ins and into the chambers. This time I’m going to hit the mark, he told himself. He then pressed the button inside the second chamber. Bang! The sound echoed around the room. Gin looked at …

The colonel’s office was at the very top of the Rezah tree. Due to the limited space at the summit, hers was the only room on that level, like a loft, making navigation to her room easy. The journey to get there, however, was another matter, needing someone to climb over a hundred sets of stairs, starting at the bottom …

The ship swayed from side to side, the waves crashed into the wooden hull of the vessel and the rain pattered on top of the deck. The wind roared the boat forwards while the sun’s light failed to pierce the storm clouds, let alone the ship, leaving the captives below in complete darkness. Having woken up a while ago, Jack …

After another sparring session, Gin made his way to the desert room. He rubbed lotion, courtesy of a peeved Joan, on his burn marks and let the medicine soak into his skin, creating a soothing sensation like a cool wind blowing over your body after a hot summer’s day. Gin savoured the moment, especially after witnessing the disgruntled look of …

Gin created a mental picture while looking at his gauntlets. A small branch grew out of the Xernim1XernimA parasitical entity that sometimes benefits its host gauntlets. It wrapped its way around the INS, entering the first chamber before hovering just above the button at the bottom. So far, so good. Blades, Gin said in his mind. The branch continued growing, …