Shurima — Kalixei.
An endless expanse of desolate plains stretched beneath the blazing sun, littered with scattered stones and sand. Countless pits and craters of varying sizes pocked the earth, and the bleached bones of ancient beasts lay sprawled across the horizon like mountain ranges.
The colossal ribs of one such beast jutted toward the heavens, each one casting a shadow large enough to cover an entire street.
A small caravan crept silently across the plain. Not a single voice dared to rise above the whisper of wind and sand. Every step they took was deliberate and strange to behold — as though each movement were measured against death itself.
Each traveler would first set their big toe down, then carefully roll their foot outward until the sole rested fully upon the ground. Only then would they shift their weight forward, transferring their balance from the rear foot to the front.
Step by step, over and over, they moved this way — silent, graceful, and precise. Not even the faintest sound escaped them, yet each stride carried them an impressive distance.
It was a rhythm born of habit, not choice.
For in this place, any noise at all could bring death.
Clink!
A sudden jingle from a camel bell cut through the still air. Sha'ib, the caravan's guide, froze. The crisp sound pierced his ears like a warning cry.
He instinctively swept his gaze across the sands, scanning for any suspicious tremors beneath the surface.
Finding nothing, Sha'ib turned toward the young watchboy who had accidentally struck the bell, fury and dread etched across his face. His glare alone carried a silent reprimand.
Here in Kalixei, even the faintest sound could summon a deadly response — and cost them all their lives.
The boy, wide-eyed, motioned upward.
Sha'ib followed his gesture, tilting his head toward the sky — something he had neglected to check while keeping his eyes fixed on the sands.
And what he saw made his blood run cold.
From the shadows of the beast's colossal bones, several streaks of light suddenly tore through the void and forced their way into reality.
The glowing trails split apart rapidly, scattering across the horizon — one of them plunging directly toward their position.
Sha'ib's pupils dilated in terror. Around him, the rest of the caravan froze, their rhythm broken by shock and fear.
Moments later, the streak of light slammed into the ground behind them, scorching the desert floor in a circular pattern. When the glow faded, a lone figure stood where it had landed.
"Cough, cough…"
Duke waved away the swirling dust, his vision clearing to reveal a drastically different scene.
The familiar cityscape of Vekora was gone — replaced by a barren plain of sand and bones.
And before him stood a caravan of wide-eyed travelers, staring at him in stunned silence.
"Where am I?" Duke asked instinctively.
A boy at the rear of the caravan spat out the piece of leather he had been biting and replied timidly, "This is Kalixei, sir."
"Kalixei?"
Duke's brow furrowed. "How far is this from Vekora?"
The boy blinked, confused. It was clear he'd never even heard of such a place.
"Kalixei… Kalixei…" Duke muttered. The name sounded familiar, but that wasn't the problem right now. He needed to know how far he'd been displaced.
"What's the nearest settlement from here?"
"The Marrowprint Bazaar," the boy answered.
"The Marrowprint Bazaar?!" Duke's voice rose sharply. That was the southernmost edge of Shurima — thousands of li away from Vekora.
"That damned Xerath—what the hell is he playing at?"
Duke's curse came out between clenched teeth. "If you want to run, fine — but did you really have to drag everyone's recall key with you? What's wrong with your head?!"
Frustration welled up inside him.
But irritation soon gave way to a more pressing concern — if he had been teleported here, then what about Taliyah?
Where was that little sparrow now?
Duke vividly remembered seeing her enveloped in the same light just before the teleportation. But Rage hadn't been affected — which meant he'd been separated from both of them.
Not just Rage. Pride too — and with him, Sivir.
"Damn you to hell, Xerath!"
The corner of Duke's mouth twitched. Inside, he felt as though a herd of wild horses had trampled through his head.
That stunt had wrecked more than just his patience — it had thrown his entire plan into disarray.
Losing contact with Rage and Pride was bad enough, but Sivir? She was too important to lose. He had to keep her within reach — no exceptions.
"Looks like I'll have to make my way back to Vekora immediately."
Duke lit a cigarette, taking a long drag before exhaling a trail of smoke into the dry air.
"The next time I see that bastard Xerath," he muttered, "I swear I'm turning him into a battery."
Duke rarely cursed, but today's chain of events had truly tested his composure. Still, his mental discipline prevailed, and he regained his calm soon enough.
"You're bound for the Marrowprint Bazaar, right?" he asked the caravan.
Several camels trudged along carrying pitifully small bundles of tightly wrapped wool — mostly essential goods. Each person in the group had a strip of hardened leather clamped between their teeth.
Watching their strange, cautious behavior, Duke suddenly understood.
Of course — Kalixei was Rek'Sai's nest.
"No wonder the name sounded familiar," he muttered. "I've wandered right into the Queen of the Void's territory."
He scratched his head, spat out his cigarette, and stomped on it.
The instant his boot hit the ground, the caravan froze — terror flashing in their eyes.
"…What?" Duke blinked, puzzled. "What's with that look?"
BOOM!
A plume of sand exploded in the distance. A faint streak of purple lightning flashed beneath the surface as a massive dorsal fin sliced through the sands — and it was heading straight for them.
"…Yeah. I screwed up, didn't I?"
Duke gave the caravan a sheepish smile. He personally wasn't afraid of Rek'Sai, but these people… not so lucky.
Even a small one could tear them apart.
"Well then," Duke sighed, pulling the lightsaber hilt from his belt. "Guess I'd better make up for that mistake."
He flicked the switch.
Vmm—vmm—vmm…
A bar of seething plasma burst forth, humming with restrained power. Duke spun it once, narrowing his eyes toward the disturbance beneath the sand.
Through the shifting dust and rock, his senses locked onto a creature roughly the size of a camel — tunneling rapidly toward them.
He rolled his neck and dashed forward, each footstep sending subtle tremors rippling through the ground like blood spreading in water.
Rek'Sai — the shark of the earth. It hunted by vibration, more precise and deadly than any predator of the sea.
The shockwaves from Duke's movements painted clear ripples across the creature's perception — guiding it straight toward him.
He could feel it rise.
The air quivered.
Then, with a violent crack, the ground erupted — a surge of violet mist and sand bursting upward as a massive form lunged from below.
Toxic fumes spread across the desert. A single breath of it could kill man or beast alike.
The creature's jaws opened wide — and Duke met them head-on.
VMM—!
Before the echo faded, the beast's body was already split in two. Its remains fell to the ground with a dull thud, bisected cleanly by Duke's blade.
The older the Rek'Sai, the larger and tougher it grew — but to Duke, that hardly mattered.
A lightsaber could slice through most metals with ease. This was no different.
Sheathing his weapon, Duke turned back toward the stunned caravan.
Sha'ib's jaw hung open. To slay a Rek'Sai, even a pup-sized one, was an achievement worthy of song. But a camel-sized one — with a single stroke? Unthinkable.
Duke strode over to the guide. "Which way to Vekora?"
The man dumbly pointed north.
Duke nodded and started to leave — then hesitated. He turned back, pulled a concussion grenade from his belt, and handed it over.
"Take this. If another Rek'Sai shows up, pull the pin and throw it far. Should buy you some time to run."
He gave quick, simple instructions, then walked away.
The caravan leader stared at the grenade in his palm, then at Duke's retreating figure. Remembering the streaks of light that had rained down from the sky earlier, he suddenly called out:
"Sir!"
Duke stopped and looked over his shoulder. "What is it?"
"Before you appeared, there were several other lights — just like yours — falling from the sky. I saw a few crash into that valley ahead. They might be your companions!"
"You're saying… I wasn't the only one teleported here?"
The man nodded firmly. "Yes! There were several of you. You came from the heavens and scattered in all directions."
That caught Duke's attention. He tossed the man a gold coin.
"Appreciate the information. Consider that your payment."
"It's an honor to be of service!" the guide said with an eager bow.
Duke smirked. If he hadn't given the man that grenade, he probably wouldn't have heard a word of it. But now he had a lead — and a good one.
Taliyah had been caught in the same teleportation surge as he was. If one of those lights had landed in that valley… he had to go.
That little sparrow — he'd grown rather fond of her.
End of chapter....
IRONBOUND PATRON
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