Beneath the Red Dragon

The true form of the Ancestral Red Dragon emerged at this moment, unveiling its wings and claws behind Karon, suspended in the air with majesty, the ancient Dragon Language from its mouth carried a tone as solemn as a decree, enveloping Paul and Jessica not in oppression, but in demonstration.

Along with the human form calmly said, ”I hope that next time I ask, you will answer that you understand!”

Fafnir, as pure as a nun and an angel, smiled and followed behind Karon, gradually disappearing out of sight.

...

Buzz, buzz, buzz,

The intense ringing in the ears made Paul Atreides furrow his brow, halting his steps on the dune, accustomed to the fragments from dreams and the occasional unexpected visions of the future, allowing him to swiftly awaken from the feeling of nightmare-like weakness and panic.

The bright moon hanging high, Jessica, his mother still at his side, but the traces of the sandstorm and the marks left by sandworms seemed to be erased by the natural mighty power of the desert, completely nonexistent.

And yet, those two beings, which Paul Atreides had a premonition of, he neither wanted nor dared to acknowledge.

”Oh, what does this illusory future fragment foretell? Perhaps I will soon encounter them,” Paul Atreides thought, his eyes unconsciously passing over his mother’s face.

It was a mix of panic, shock, confusion, and fear, close to a twisted expression, that made Paul Atreides pause.

Wrapped in the distillation suit, shielding the body from all wind and sand, he suddenly felt a chill rush straight from the bottom of his spine up to the back of his head, causing Paul Atreides’ mind to jolt.

His mother, Lady Jessica, does not possess the same ability he has, to receive predictive information about future fragments in dreams and reality, which means that was not a foresight fragment of the future.

However, this fragment of future foresight information exists entirely in his mind in the form of information, though it seems real.

There are also no traces left by the raging sandstorm on the sand surface, nor does the sand path of the burrowing sandworm give birth, then what was that scene just now, truly an illusory future or a past reality?

Yet a dangerous intuition interrupted Paul Atreides’ contemplation, as his shoe touched a dangerous trigger in the desert.

He instinctively stomped twice, the sand condensing into rhythm vibrations that attracted the sandworm from below erupted with a sound.

”Oh no, run, it’s drum sand,” Paul shouted, grabbing his mother, quickly sprinting toward the canyon outside the sand surface.

At this point, neither of them cared about stepping on the Fremen people’s special sand-walking technique used to traverse the desert, no longer mindful of the rhythm like the sound of the desert itself, frantically running toward the crevice passage splitting the rock of a short mountain.

Boom, boom, boom, a giant sandworm galloped below the sand surface, surging toward the two, attempting to swallow the tiny humans into its huge, menacing maw.

But the Fremen hidden in the canyon activated the sand hammer, vibrating with a special frequency echo, attracting and luring the sandworm away, allowing the two to enter the canyon unharmed.

Here, they encountered Fremen wrapped entirely in cloth robes to slow the evaporation of water from their bodies.

”Don’t run, that will only deplete your internal water,” a voice called out, a middle-aged Fremen warrior with short whiskers and draped in cloth lazily sitting on low rock veins, said.

”Hey, Stilgar, you’ve met me, we met when my father summoned you.” Paul quickly called out, surrounded by dozens of Fremen.

”Ah, this is the Duke’s son,”

Stilgar, the Fremen leader in this place, said, ”I know you.”

Yet the nearby Fremen warrior approached Paul and Jessica, a dagger made from sandworm teeth glinting coldly in his hands, spoke, ”What are we waiting for? The moisture on them is what we need!”

”No no no,” Stilgar voiced his disapproval, ”This is the boy I mentioned to you; we cannot touch him.”

”How could he be Lisan al-Gaib? (In Fremen language, it means Voice from Beyond, akin to Savior!)”

A somewhat aged voice from a female Fremen warrior rang out, all the Fremen, whether male or female, are tough warriors, accustomed to equality among everyone, even their leader cannot forcibly subdue the tribe with his own powerful will.

”He has not proven himself yet!”

”They are weak!”

Voices of Fremen warriors echoed one after another.

In the eyes of these Fremen, only those who are strong are worthy of living on this land, the weak will only become food, either for the sandworms or the desert, or become the source of water for the Fremen.

”Jamie,”

Stilgar stopped the most fierce warrior, speaking with a solemn expression, ”They crossed the path of Xia Hulu, they are brave, his words and actions are not like those of the weak, his father was likewise.”

Paul’s father, Duke Atreides, a nobility with deep foresight, though killed by the Harkonnen Clan and the Emperor’s legion, his proactive approach to peacefully coexist with these Fremen was admired by this Fremen leader.

”Rescuing them was my sand hammer, sober up, Stilgar, he is not the chosen one!”

Jamie responded, this fierce warrior was unafraid before the tribe leader, for the Fremen serve their sole desert lord—Xia Hulu, the leader can only guide them with correct methods.

Moreover, Jamie is a Northern Fremen, unlike the Southern Fundamentalist Fremen who worship the Messiah Savior, he is not impressed by those spies sent by the Sisterhood—the Fremen Saint Mother’s propagated statements.

The situation began to intensify, Stilgar under the warrior’s words began to consider abandoning Jessica, only protecting Paul who can be nurtured into a warrior.

Meanwhile, Karon and Fafnir stood at the top of the canyon, watching from afar as everything unfolded.

Signs of their existence eluded mortal perception, making them like the winds of the sky, the sands around us, the rocks beneath our feet, naturally overlooked.

”Fafnir,” Karon said abruptly, looking below.

”Hmm? Master!”

”Do you think there are others like us, like Divine Spirits, observing everything Paul encounters, watching our actions and paths!”

”Perhaps, Master, if even you are unsure, then I am even less clear!”

”However, whatever happens, I will be by your side!”

”Haha, that’s good!”