The Dragon Mark

They ran, the hot desert beneath their feet. The dunes ahead of them and the heavy sun pressing on their shoulders. At first hesitant, they wondered if the strategy they followed had any chance of working. But as the minutes passed, they saw the Swarm drawing closer. It was completely ignoring the convoy already disappearing into the horizon.

Lysbelle could feel each of her muscles working under her skin, like a well-oiled machine. She moved effortlessly through the great desert. Shaped by the nomadic life, her body was athletic. A hard and demanding life, but one she had learned to love. Even as a child, she sometimes had to walk for days to follow the invisible paths of her people. A run of a few long minutes in the middle of the desert, was a minor challenge compared to the endless journeys she was used to. Even with hunger, pain, and fear gnawing at her, .

Yet, what truly impressed her was her companion. The man ran with a grace and agility that would have put the best scouts of her Caravan to shame. His feet seemed to glide over the sand without touching it, his posture always balanced, allowed him to maintain an astonishing speed. His gaze, like that of a seasoned predator, spotted every subtle path through the dunes. These feats, which might have seemed ordinary to untrained eyes, made this one of the most flawless sands runs that Lysbelle had ever seen.

The man turned his head towards her, and after giving her an approving look, he picked up the pace. A few moments later, noticing that Lysbelle was still keeping up, he spoke to her.

"Soon, the noise of the Reapers will drown out our voices, so I’ll tell you what we need to do."

Lysbelle didn’t respond. Keeping up with the new pace set by the stranger was already difficult, holding a conversation at the same time was impossible.

"I know this part of the desert. There's a Ruin nearby. If we find it, we have a slim chance."

Surprised by his words, Lysbelle looked up at the man and almost stumbled headfirst into the sand. Only a quick reflex allowed her to recover her stride without losing much speed. The sphere in her hands was becoming more and more cumbersome, but she had no choice but to deal with it.

"So keep your eyes open and tell me if you spot anything unusual. If we lose each other, go on without me, and know that I'll do the same if you slow down."

The man paused for a second before finishing his statement.

"It’s been a pleasure to share this run."

Exhausted from the effort, Lysbelle still found the strength to reply.

"The pleasure is mine..."

Her gaze swept over the surrounding dunes, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary. She was looking for a Ruin, and though she knew what it was, she had never actually seen one. These mysterious structures were incredibly rare. Sources of treasure and riches, each one was sought after by the bravest. Unfortunately, their rarity was only matched by their danger.

The sound of Reapers' wings brought Lysbelle back to reality. In a single glance, she had lost about ten meters on her companion. And in the same time, the accursed insects had closed the distance by a hundred. The crashing of wings, the clattering of mandibles, and the creaking of their bodies had grown louder in the past few minutes. Soon, as announced, she could no longer even hear her own thoughts. In a mix of curiosity and terror, Lysbelle dared to glance back. They were there, swarming in the sky; covering it with their sheer numbers. Thousands of Reapers, perhaps even more. All flying toward the Îme spheres like ships guided by a beacon.

For a moment, she wanted to throw the artifact as far as she could, to rid herself of it with all her strength. But then her brother’s face flashed before her eyes, and she crushed that impulse deep within her mind. If she wanted him to live, she had to take every possible chance, no matter how slim. With a ragged breath of exhaustion, she pushed herself to run faster.

The insects were close, only a few minutes away at most, and still no Ruin was in sight. The man ahead of her had increased his pace once more, but she couldn't keep up with him. Slowly, the fear that gripped her stomach and had made her forget her pain became more overwhelming. Her panic only grew as the deafening swarm closed in on her. If she hadn’t been so focused on running for her life, she would have covered her ears to escape the unbearable buzzing.

The first Reaper flew overhead at a terrifying speed. Its glossy black carapace gleaming under the sun. She barely had time to glimpse it before a dozen more appeared at its side. Panic overtook Lysbelle completely and it was only a random glance behind her that saved her life. With a scream, she threw herself into the sand just as a massive pair of mandibles snapped shut where she had stood a second earlier. As if her sudden movement hadn't confused the attacker, the insect continued its path and rose back into the swarm. Lysbelle rolled to the side and scrambled back to her feet, only to see another one charging straight at her. She dove to the ground again, using the slope of the dune to slide farther away. It wasn’t until she stood up a third time that she realized the light had dimmed by half.

The insects, like a shroud of night, blocked almost all sunlight, leaving only a chaotic blur of legs, wings, and mandibles. The endless cacophony drilled into her ears, and Lysbelle could feel death’s breath on her neck. Yet, instead of her life flashing before her eyes, it was rage that filled her. The rage of losing her mother, the rage of losing her freedom, the rage of wanting to protect her brother, and above all, rage at her own helplessness that had led her here. Lysbelle screamed, ot having the time to fully dodge the charge of a Reaper.

The impact struck her between the shoulders and sent her flying. Slamming head first into the ground, a groan of pain escaped her mouth. She almost did not have the time to turn over before another insect was already diving at her. Acting more on instinct than reflex, she threw the Îme sphere into the Reaper’s jaws. It cracked the artifact between its mandibles. Broken, the sphere released a brilliant blue light that illuminated the shadow of the Swarm. Blinded, the Reaper missed her and was immediately set upon by others. Drawn to the Îme emanating from the broken sphere, the Reapers tore into each other, creating an opening that Lysbelle seized to run a little longer.

Unfortunately the farther she ran, the less hope she had. As the light from her artifact faded within the Swarm, another one appeared about thirty meters ahead, the second relic. Without knowing whether the stranger she had followed was still alive, she still made the decision to keep moving in that direction.

Luckily, the distraction created by the two artifacts was more effective than she had imagined. The Reapers fought each other, trying to get even the smallest piece of the Îme sphere. Taking advantage of their distraction, Lysbelle crossed several dunes. She managed to cover a good distance before the Swarm's attention returned to her once more.

The second light disappeared, and darkness reclaimed the desert. With a horrifying screech, three more insects swooped down toward her. A perfectly orchestrated lethal attack. She saw them approach in slow motion. As if the world was losing its color, nothing remained but the three Reapers closing in. Lysbelle felt a surge of strength welling up from deep within her soul, an absurd power whose origin she didn’t understand. But it was too late. The three insects would be upon her in an instant.

The impact came unexpected and she found herself on the ground again. The mandibles scraped against the sand, tearing through the dune as they passed. She was no longer in their path. A strong hand pulled her up. The stranger was at her side once more, having saved her life. He shouted something before starting to run again, she only heard the clattering of mandibles and the beating of wings. So without thinking, the young woman followed after him. Bit by bit, the growing power within her filled every muscle. Fueled by her rage, anger, and survival instinct, each step sent a surge of energy course through her body.

A new attack, the man leapt, dodging the Reapers with graceful movement. Lysbelle threw herself to the side, catching herself in a roll before standing up again. More insects, endlessly diving at them in deadly arcs.

A flash of black. Pain.

Lysbelle didn’t hear herself scream. In front of her, the stranger had just been struck by a Reaper. He was now trapped in its powerful mandibles, immense agony etched across his face.

Without thinking, she lunged at the insect. One hand gripping the sharp edge of its jaw, the other slipping beneath a chitinous plate. She felt her body rise up, the powerful Reaper dragging her. With superhuman effort, she pulled. Her muscles strained, a titanic force coursing through her body. A sickening crack resounded as she tore the mandible free. In the same motion, the energy flooding every fiber of her being, exploded outward.

The burst of energy was immense, sending everything around them flying with incomprehensible force.

Lysbelle lost consciousness.

_____________________________________________________________________

It was the pain that woke her. Her broken arm throbbed with unbearable intensity. Then came the cold, an unpleasant, hard, and frigid surface beneath her. The place, shrouded in suffocating darkness, reeked of decay. As she tried to sit up, her entire body protested the movement.

As if someone noticed her stirring, the room gradually lit up. A soft blue glow spread all around her, finally allowing Lysbelle to take in her surroundings. The room was almost completely empty, except for a large wooden door behind her and a corridor ahead.

"Good to see you're awake…"

The raspy voice echoed in the room, and Lysbelle turned her head to a corner she hadn’t examined. The stranger who had volunteered was there, watching her with an odd expression. The recent events were a blur in Lysbelle’s mind, and she tried to stand and approach him, but he interrupted her.

"Don't bother trying to get closer, you'll just make things worse for yourself."

"Are we in the Ruin?"

"Yes, and it's thanks to you."

"Me? How?"

He nodded before explaining what Lysbelle had done. Besides driving back the Swarm, she had also blown away part of the dunes. The explosion revealing the Ruin they had been searching for.

Honestly, Lysbelle didn’t quite understand what had happened. She had only felt herself explode before darkness consumed her. The two unfortunate companions talked a little longer before Tyrell, as he had introduced himself, announced he wanted to sleep. Before drifting off, he gave her three pieces of advice.

First, she needed to check for any injuries and take care of them. It was best to do that as soon as possible to avoid complications. Second, he advised her to rest. They would need it, and it was unlikely they'd find another place as safe as this one. Last, he almost ordered her not to leave the room without informing him, even if she felt better.

In any case, she wasn’t planning to move anytime soon, her whole body ached. Lysbelle took some time to rebandage her arm, checking herself for any other injuries. To her surprise, she was in better shape than expected and even the impact on her back was only a bruise. Reassured, she laid down again.

She just survived a swarm... An incredulous laugh escaped her lips. She couldn’t believe it. The relentless buzzing of the Reapers still echoed in her ears, a haunting reminder of what she had faced. And then there was that surge of power she had felt at the end of the chase... She still didn’t understand, but she could see herself ripping off the mandible of one of the insects. A feat of impossible strength. The mandibles, as sharp as razors, were tougher than the steel bars that had confined her. Yet she had torn it off with her bare hands!

Lysbelle stared at her palm. The creature’s jaws should have shredded it, but there wasn’t a single mark. Maybe she was dead and didn’t realize it...

In a whisper, as exhaustion overtook her, she affirmed: "Dead or not, I have to go take Azel back."