August walked through the sand, thirsty. He came across a village, and in the middle was an oasis.
"W-water," he weakly mumbled. Crawling over to the oasis, he dunked his head into the water.
As he tried to pull his head out, someone suddenly pushed it back down with their foot.
He finally forced his head up, gasping for air—and saw Val standing over him.
"What the hell?" he sputtered.
She didn't acknowledge his question. Instead, Val grabbed him by the collar and yanked him into a nearby hut.
"Do you know where the King is?"
August looked down. "I don't know."
Above them, a girl with long white hair and pale skin sat in a chair suspended in the sky, gazing down at the world below. The endless sand plain stretched beneath her, laid out like a chessboard for her amusement.
She moved her hand, stirring the air—causing a storm to rise in the sand.
August and Val looked up, eyes narrowing as the sandstorm grew on the horizon.
Far away, King and Sheira also spotted the swirling storm forming ahead of them. Before they could react, the storm engulfed them.
King held Sheira tightly. As the wind howled, sharp grains of sand began to tear at his body. Cuts appeared across his skin. He dug his heels into the ground, trying to hold on.
Then he saw his sword fly past him. He reached out, caught it midair, and jammed it into the sand, using it to anchor himself.
But it wasn't enough.
The storm overwhelmed them.
By the time the sandstorm passed, both King and Sheira were buried beneath the sand. Slowly, they dug themselves out, coughing and gasping for breath.
"We're alive!" King shouted, his voice cracking.
Then he winced in pain, groaning. "Ow…"
Sheira looked him over. "The wounds are mostly on your right arm and right leg."
She pulled off a belt and opened a small pouch filled with red powder. Carefully, she applied the powder to each cut, stopping the bleeding. Then, tearing strips from her own clothes, she wrapped his arm and leg tightly.
King smiled. "I guess you saved me again."
She pulled out a notebook and started writing down numbers.
King stared at her, incredulous. "You're really writing a mechanical bill right now!?"
August and Val were buried under the collapsed remains of a tent. August kicked aside a wooden beam, dragging them both out of the sand. He coughed violently.
"What… the hell was th-that? That came out of nowhere."
Through the swirling sandy air, Val spotted a figure approaching. Instinctively, she pulled out her gun and aimed.
"Don't shoot!" Sheira's voice rang out.
King suddenly jumped between them, still injured, raising his hands.
"Val, don't shoot!"
August stood up, brushing the sand from his hair and squinting into the haze.
"King? Is that you?"
Val kept her gun trained on Sheira. "Who is she?"
King smiled. "She's Sheira—our new doctor