NameLess

”So. Why did you save them Yarra? The red and blue children. I thought everyone here were your enemies.”

From atop the tall dune of sand, overlooking an enormous crater that had once housed the Spider Dome, Yamagaio shook his head. Pulling the book he had been perusing previously out of his pocket, he turned away and began walking in the direction of the Rift leading back to Ornera.

”Not that I owe you an explanation Goblin, but....they were old friends.” Yamagaio’s look seemed to sadden. ”A good old maso-caustic youth and his brother.”

Nessinpa looked back towards the crater, sand falling back into its depths as the wind gradually picked up. What had once been a marvelous structure of Athrafstos was now naught but a mixture of rocks and sand, everything having been erased down to the cellular level. Looking at it, one would never guess that a simple necklace could produce such an effect.

”Why didn’t you say anything when they were here?”

”I’ll meet with him when the time is right.” Yamagaio flipped the page of his book, glancing up towards the sky. ”I can’t face him the way I am now. I could never hope to stand in front of him again while that group remains alive.”

”Well. We got what we came for, Yarra. Let’s go inform the Master.”

Yamagaio glanced backwards, stopping momentarily. ”I’ll see you again, young Jakklo. May you live long and prosper.”

A sudden blast of wind kicked up around the two of them as they walked away from the crater, a thick screen of sand quickly surrounding them. When the cloud of grounded rock finally dissipated, the two individuals were nowhere to be seen, as if they had never existed in the first place. All that remained was a sea of seemingly endless sand.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

”It seems they left no survivors. They burned everything to the ground.”

”No! NO! There HAS to be someone here!! ANYONE!!”

”Jak-”

”NO! I CANT LET THIS BE IT!! THEY WERE STRONG!! THEY WOULDNT HAVE BEEN BEATEN SO EASILY!! Why couldn’t I have been here??!! WHY?? WHY??!!”

”Jak.”

”Jak. Hey Jak.”

The image of melted corpses and decimated houses disappeared as Jak snapped into reality, his eyes shooting open. Breathing heavily, the youth struggled to slow his heart, sweat covering every part of his being. Putting a hand to his head, he struggled to gain some composure, crimson orbs flicking from Mako to Meru, of whom were knelt down next to him.

”Welcome back to the world of the living.” Mako smiled widely. ”I hope you enjoyed your beauty sleep. It’s probably the last you’ll get for a while.”

Meru looked like she wanted to speak up and say something as well, but she stayed silent immediately averting her gaze when she and Jak made eye contact. It was hard to tell but she was acting a tad different compared to when they had first met her. At the same time though, Jak had only just met her so he couldn’t really say anything about Meru or her personality traits. All he knew was that she refused to fully meet his or Makos gaze as well as kept to herself whilst staying close.

Jak let out a small puff of air as he sat up, hips digging into the sand as he wiggled into a crisscross position. ”What’s the situation? How are we still alive?”

”Yeah....the situation.” Mako smiled bitterly. ”I don’t know. Why don’t we ask our friends with the pointy sticks?”

It was only after his blue-haired compatriot had said something that Jak took a survey of the given area.

For starters, they were surrounded, completely encircled, by beastfolk. Unlike demihumans who were humans with animal features and characteristics such as ears, tails, claws, and the occasional need to rip something apart, beastfolk were the exact opposite. The realm of ’Ard Araml was said to be home to various species of beastfolk such as the Oxuons (Ox variant beastfolk), Falderns (Falcon variant), Leondis (Lion Variant), and Equeniks (Desert Horse Variant). While not aware of any sort of culture, geology, or really anything of use about the Desert World, Jak at least knew about the species living on it.

He also knew that the residents within the world were EXTREMELY territorial and would defend their regions to the death if the need arose. As fate would have it, they had teleported directly into one of those territories.

They were still in ’Ard Araml. That much was clear at least. Meaning Jak and the others were very much alive. Probably the only bright side of the current scenario.

”Anyone ever tell you, your luck freakin sucks?” Mako asked, standing onto his feet. He shook his head as he held out a hand towards his compatriot.

”This is my fault?” Jak scoffed, accepting the outstretched palm. Heaving himself onto his feet, he slapped away the sand that had clung to his skin and clothes. ”And how do you reckon that?”

”It’s always your fault.”

Up to this point, or at least since Jak had first regained consciousness, the Aramlians hadn’t said a word or made any sort of movement towards them. They kept the circle tight but also gave them a wide berth, serious and even angry looks upon all of their faces and numerous weapons held at the ready. Looks filled with an intense bloodlust already dictated where the lot of them stood without Jak even having to ask. The only question that really hung in the air was why they didn’t bother to attack despite how much they were willing to.

”Give me the run down. How long have they been there for?”

”Ever since I woke up. So maybe five minutes?” Mako glanced around, looking from person to person. ”They don’t really say much back to me so I’m assuming most of them don’t know Ornernian. They won’t speak and they won’t move. They also wouldn’t let me leave. Judging from the way they’re acting, I’d say they’re holding us here for someone.”

”Gotcha. How’d we end up here anyways?” Jak tapped himself in a number of places, ensuring that he still had Masamune on his hip as well as his cape. ”Did Psycho send us here?”

Tink.

Just out of the corner of his eye, Jak noticed Meru holding something out to him, prompting him to immediately look towards it.

It was a stone, a neon white rock with a weird hieroglyphic embedded into the very front of it. Though small, about the size of the redheads thumb, it hummed with magical power.

((”This rock.....”)) The image of the falling object replayed in his head, the same one that had appeared just before the Antimatter Necklace went off. ((”A Teleportation Stone. It fell from above us before the explosion. This is what stopped us from dying? But where did it come from?”))

So many things had happened within the last few hours to the point that Jak would need a few sheets of paper and an ample amount of time to piece it all together. Old questions had been answered and left new ones in their wake, far more questions than had existed in the first place. Events after events seemed to pile up one after another, leaving the redhead with almost no chance to breath. The Vox Lion trap. The Slave Room. Uglio’s room. Luckily, Jak was used to living on the move and dealing with unfortunate circumstances.

”May I have that?” Jak asked, holding out his hand.

Meru nodded without making eye contact, placing the Teleportation Stone directly into the redheads palm.

”Thanks.” He gave her a small nod before slipping it into his pocket.

”So. What do you wanna do?” Mako crossed his arms, turning his eyes back onto his friend. ”Diplomatic? Or barbaric?”

Jak briefly side eyed Meru and her disheveled state, the rags on her doing little to conceal her sickly looking frame. It almost looked as if a single gust of wind could break her in two.

”Let’s try and talk it out.”

”In that case.” Mako grinned as he took a step back, putting a hand on the center of the redheads back. Without a word of warning he shoved his friend forward a few meters. ”I believe it’s your turn, oh great and powerful leader.”

”I’m gonna cut him,” Jak muttered as he regained his own balance.

Standing upright, the young adventurer carefully glanced over his opposition once again, eyeing each and every one.

Looks of anger. Well crafted spears and axes. A distinct lack of armor. Given everything, mainly the teleportation and these Aramlian warriors lack of proper equipment, it was likely that they had rushed here the moment they appeared. A reaction to the arrival of unexpected intruders, it was a miracle that Jak and the others even continued to draw breath, especially from a world known for its brutality.

”We come in peace.” Jak held up his hands as he approached. ”I apologize for our sudden intrusion into your home. We rudely barged in on your territory. We ask for your forgiveness and that you consider sparing me and my compatriots. If you will it, then we shall depart this land without any objections.”

At the end of his little speech, Jak reached towards his hip and began untying his katana. A number of those in the circle immediately reacted, moving forward a bit with their weapons at the ready, feet, hooves, and claws digging into the sand. The youth didn’t let it bother him though as he calmly removed his Masamune and tossed it away from him, letting it land some meters away. Without hesitation, Mako followed suit, the battle staff making contact with Masamune’s sheath.

However, while this action managed to stave off most of the aggressors, calming them down, a number of them didn’t seem to care. In fact it appeared to make them angrier, those same beings stepping forward as if to launch an attack.

”Seft?n!! Tr?ndel ùjion ky?k!” (*Stop! Hold your places!!)

Before things could truly get out of hand, a booming voice rang through the area, speaking a language that Jak had never heard of before. It wasn’t much, just a few short words, but it was enough to cause all potential violence to halt in its tracks even if the hostility remained.

”ùjio ?okla ùjiondlan Clawgors!!?? De?pon ye efrextu ìopal??!!” (*You call yourselves Warriors!!? Attacking an unarmed human??!!)

More words were said, announced with an unwavering authority. This time, a look of shame appeared on the faces of those who were on the verge of attacking while the others merely looked on. It didn’t take a genius to realize that the one speaking was of a much higher rank than the Aramlians holding the three adventurers in place.

It was about then that a section of the encirclement parted, allowing an entity to pass through.

The one that had spoken, the one who made their way forward through the opening in the crowd, and the same one who effortlessly commanded the small army holding Jak and the others in place was a different beast entirely from the others. Though not having sensed him in the ongoings of everything happening, it was impossible to miss when he fully made his way onto the scene. An aura of magic so thick and heavy, it made Obinay seem like a baby in comparison.

An Oxuon Rift Hunter, that’s what they were now facing.

He was around 4 meters tall, towering over the majority of those present in far more than simple strength and status. Just like most Oxuons, he had the appearance of a humanoid Ox with two horns growing from the side of his head and thick fur growing from various parts of his body such as the head and back neck. He wore sturdy silver armor with red Rubendal stones embedded into various points including the chest plate, shoulder guards and wrist guards. Just above the right and left chest was a symbol of a crimson colored three toed claw. The Oxuon was extremely muscular and well built, his fist alone bigger than Jaks entire head. Attached to the arrivals back was an enormous thick club, shaped similar to that of a hook.

If this Oxuon wanted them dead, it wouldn’t have taken more than a simple flick of the wrist for them to simply not exist.

Without a word, Jak gave a small bow as the new arrival calmly approached them, the Ox’s golden eyes flicking from Jak to Mako and Meru.

”Ontoki!! Rêylas mákiel e oclertu tr?pi rêylos-” (*Ontoki! They have a beast with them-)

”Yehl?n. Yop rêylas grynds u xuino? , rêylas mrechnó frig?nd rets tūl. Rêylastiv umind yacksenr.” (*Silence. If they really came to fight, they would’ve already done so. They’re only children.)

Jak didn’t quite catch what was going on, but he figured out what he could from the tones. One sounded hostile and full of rage whilst the Oxuon was more calm and collected, strict and straight to the point. Needless to say, it was frustrating to not be able to understand what was being said.

”Enough. There’s no need to bow your head child.” The Oxuon shifted from his own language and into that of an Ornerian language and dialect. ”Tell why you’re here along with your purpose. Your answer will decide your fate.”