A soft hand on her shoulder jolted her awake quicker than the whispered call of her name. She looked behind her to meet Zelenia's startled face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. It's almost time to go." With another apology, the young Moon straightened and walked away, bound for what looked like the curled-up ball of a still sleeping Pica.

Aeris focused on calming down from her fright and looked for Kalisa—she wasn't in sight. She replayed what had just happened to be reassured that Zelenia had touched her right shoulder, not her left.

Her eyes shot to Zelenia rousing Pica, having more trouble in waking Light than in waking her. She had hurt Pica in how she had acted, but being recognized so suddenly had caught her off guard; still trying to recover from Heela's death didn't help either. She wondered again for the hundredth time if Pica would still look up to her if she knew how her idol had fallen off that pedestal...

Aeris shook the thought off as she got up. It was better to remain distant from them until she could find the easiest way to let them in.

***

The sun hadn't risen yet and even with the air moisture-less, the morning was still cool and comfortable. Aeris wasn't looking forward to another day in the unforgiving desert and scorching sun. She bet she wasn't the only one.

Pica bouncing around—eager to set out again—wasn't one of them. Depressing-Renuo said something to her—probably trying to insert doubt—but like the Sun, Light's, well, light, never dimmed. It looked like her energy began to influence the group, for they walked with more pip in their step now. Her optimism and joyful outlook on life was something to admire.

Addo helped supply them some jerky, dried fruit, and replenished their water before walking with them back outside of Nyan to where they arrived. There, four men waited with their camels.

They helped them mount the camels; Aeris noticed that the one who had his eyes on her last night beat the others in helping her. He was handsome but too young and innocent looking; the others weren't much better either. She gave him a polite smile of thanks, anyway, causing him to beam and swell up in pride.

She needed a man that could handle her; it was a major struggle not to look back at Geryon. Aeris felt his eyes on her and she wondered what he thought about her harmless flirting.

Addo's speaking brought her back to focus. "I pray you will have a safe journey, and that your quest will succeed in Fangril's death."

"As do we," Helian said and in thanking him again for their hospitality, they turned their camels around to head further into the Emeri Desert.

***

The sun rose on them three hours later, bringing with it its insufferable heat and everyone donning their protective fabrics. And just like yesterday, there wasn't much of a change in the routine of rolling sand dunes. Pica worked on keeping everyone's mood upbeat, though.

Throughout their trek through the desert yesterday and today, Aeris had debated on approaching the group and telling them everything. But she still had no idea on what to do; she wasn't sure how they would react. If she took the risk by confessing to them, and if she got the first impression of rejection or repulsion, she wasn't confident that she wouldn't crumble.

Heela hadn't had done that. Heela had accepted her, wholly, and he stood by her side and helped her adjust in more ways than just physical, but internally too. He made her accept who she was now. There was never an invisible jab from him about her not being perfect enough, nor looks that she was an abomination—one that couldn't reintegrate into society like—

She cut herself off again. Heela's death had reopened those wounds. Without his presence, she thought too much of Vel.

Aeris glared up at the blazing sun overhead—it was its fault that it was so much hotter today.

"You have drunk little today," Geryon's rough voice rumbled to her right. She turned to find him suddenly riding beside her.

"You've been watching me?" She hadn't meant for her voice to bite—she was hot and uncomfortable, raising her irritability.

It didn't seem to bother him, though. "I've been watching everyone; I'm the only one who knows how to survive in this climate."

"That may be, but I know—" Her attention was pulled to a sudden cloud of sand appearing far behind him, behind the crest of a sand dune. "What is that?"

Geryon turned to look and pulled his camel to a stop. She stopped beside him.

"Everyone, stop," he ordered.

They followed his directions, turned to ask why, but noticed the cloud. Aeris had never been in a desert, so she had never seen a sandstorm before, but it looked too light, not dense to be a powerful storm.

"Could that be like the Ash Storm at Cesivana?" Kalisa asked.

"No; it's not dark or big enough," Geryon answered.

The cloud of sand looked to grow bigger as it came closer. Aeris had no idea on what it could be, but it had a menacing look to it.

"Whatever it is, it's headed this way," Renuo said worriedly.

Geryon looked around. There was nothing in sight they could get behind. "Head over the dune in front of us; hurry."

Not knowing what was creating the cloud or what the cloud hid made them spur their camels back into gear. The stubborn animals complained but gradually trotted, and after more urging, fell into a gallop. As they tried to get the camels to go faster, they kept an eye on the cloud, growing closer and closer.

A flat vehicle of sorts crested the top of the sand dune, followed by two more. The vehicles glided over the sands without so much of a sound. On top of the vehicles were men, dressed in the armor of the Rovaneim in light desert colors. Underneath the armor were loose fabrics, and each figure was hidden underneath equally light-colored head cowls and goggles.

"They're real! They're real! Koquas! They're real! They're going to kill us!" Pica yelled.

"We're killing them first!" Geryon stated as he pulled his camel around, groaning in protest as he drew a line of fire in the air. The flame enlarged until it formed his black sword; with the sinister blade in hand, he waited for the Koquas to get closer.

Seeing him making a stand encouraged her to join him. Aeris stopped her camel too as she threw her hand out and jerked it to pull air over the vehicles to flip them. Nothing happened. The recognition of emptiness settled over her. She tried again and one took a nosedive, throwing its passengers into the sand.

She looked to her left to find Kalisa with her arms outstretched toward the Koquas, fingers tautly curled. The forced wreck hadn't been her—Kalisa had caused it. Air wasn't with her.

Why did it have to choose this moment of need to abandon her?

"Aeris!" Geryon called. She assumed he planned on sending a blazing tornado toward the ambushing Koquas.

"Air's not with me!"

His head whipped around. "What!"

Gunfire erupted when the Koquas got close enough to be matched with the pop of Pica's gun and the twang of Helian's bow. Geryon jerked back as a bullet dug into his chest, knocking him off his camel.

Aeris yelled as she began to jump off her camel and go to him when one of the Koquas' hovercrafts nearly ran her over. Her camel reared up in fright, forcing her to hold on to prevent a hard fall or being run over. But a Koqua on the hovercraft saw her and lunged, colliding into her and knocking them to the sands.

They tumbled down the hill, Aeris doing her best to hit him as they rolled over each other. Finally reaching a stop, he was below her and holding nothing back, she punched across his face with her left fist. His head audibly snapped to the left as his body went limp. She hoped no one had seen how easily she had broken his neck.

She scrambled to her feet and hurried back up the short recline to where the others still fought. Kalisa was the only one still mounted, directing her invisible magic at an enemy or disabling a vehicle; with weapons drawn, the others fended off the ambush. Renuo disarmed one Koqua with his trident and brought it back up to stab him in the heart. Tegen brought his club down on one's head, driving him facedown into the sands with a sickening thud.

Only five Koquas remained when Aeris felt Air return to her like taking in a deep breath. With both hands, she pushed air toward the nearest one, blowing him off his feet, striking another in his flight of flailing arms and legs. The force of air was so strong it blew a hovercraft to crash into the last remaining one, exploding into a ball of fire and black smoke. The explosion engulfed two more Koquas.

The last one ran when a golden arrow embedded in his back. He jolted still and Aeris shoved air into him, sending him flying. He finally landed yards away. Pica shot the surviving one, trying to rise back up, dazed after being hit by a companion.

Aeris turned to check on Geryon and found him on his feet and scanning the horizon where the Koquas had come from. Zelenia stood beside him, hands near a dent in his black chest plate, right above his heart.

"We need to move; the smoke will attract more," he ordered.

"Especially when these don't return to camp," Helian added.

Luckily, only one camel had been killed, but it took a while to regather the skittish ones. Pica—being the smallest—clambered up to ride with Renuo. The group quickly left the burning scene in fear of more showing up any second.