THEN.

PART 1

The desert was steaming. The sun was unforgiving with its rays. Without the gases and layers in the atmosphere, the heat was unbearable. After the events of The Last Great War, stepping outside under the naked sky was a death sentence. Deadly radiation and hazardous chemicals filled with viruses and diseases swam in the air. This led to millions of deaths during after the war. Without proper protection, it would take only mere minutes for a person to succumb to the elements and die a horrific death. But the danger lies not only in the elements. In this desert part of the planet, the carvors thrive. Huge beasts standing up to 30 feet high with massive arms and long claws that slither through the sands on their serpentine tails. They can burrow underneath the desert and emerge in an instant. They feed on anything that move in these parts. Few encounter one and survive. The desert lands of the Ancient Dunes are the most dangerous place on the planet. Yet amidst all this, a lone figure lay sprawled on the sand.

Ian tried to open his eyes. But the glare of the sun was too much.

‘Where am I?’ Ian thought. His mind was a complete haze. He vaguely remembers being in a flying city, and the gunfire and warriors surrounding it. Faces were talking to him. He doesn’t understand what they were saying. He does not know their names. The images flew past him again. And he was back in the desert.

“Is this the desert?”

He tried to stand. But his legs buckled beneath him and he fell back into the sand. The pain now throbbed not just in his head, but through his entire body. His arms and legs were marred with cuts and bruises. Blood was flowing down his ears. His nose was broken.

“What the hell happened to me?”

He attempted to stand again. His legs wobbled but he maintained his composure and made it a few steps before collapsing again.

“And how am I still alive while being outside?” Everyone knows that stepping into the air is deadly. People no longer roam the planet openly. Everyone stays in the shelters of the City-States. No one ventures outside without the protection of vehicles or environment suits during the day. Even at night, staying outside has mortal dangers.

“I should be dead.” Thought Ian as he continued to walk.

He must have made it at least half a kilometer when he saw it. A trail of dust and sand were spewing in a line in the desert. it was around 400 meters away and closing fast. A loud shrill and growl followed.

“Carvor.” Ian cursed under his breath.

He turned tail and ran in the opposite direction. No one can outrun a carvor. No one can survive a carvor. Even the Legion’s Centurions come in packs when moving around the desert. and they all steer clear of the beasts’ path.

“How do I know this?” He asked himself as he sprinted even more. The beast bellowed underground. He was making good pace, running faster than any human should ever be running. His old tattered boots made prints in the sand while speeding off away from the trail of the carvor. But even as he was surprised at his own speed, he was no match for the beast. It was almost on him, his time was up.

In a huge explosion of sand, the carvor rose out of the depths and landed in front of Ian. No one knows how carvors came to be in existence. Evolution has a way of creating the worst monsters after the The Last Great War. And with all the radiation from the broken atmosphere and the chemicals in the air, it was no surprise that a beast like this would have formed. This corver was huge. Its head was like a gigantic lizard with fangs as long as a man’s hand. The armored scales ran through its back with ridges down to its scorpion tail. It had long, bulky arms that scraped at the sand. The beast’s eyes were set on him.

“This is it, this time I’m really dead.” Ian thought.

The beast growled and lunged towards him. Sand flying everywhere.

Suddenly, a shadow quickly passed overhead. And in a flash, a winged figure dove down and flew straight into the corver. Ian leapt and rolled to the side. The beast crashed into the sand with a loud growl. Ian patted the sand from his eyes to better see what was going on. And the sight dumbfounded him.

The beast was getting up again. It was now visibly angrier after the sudden attack. There was a blow on the monster’s face. Acidic blood sputtered from a deep gash. The scaled armor broken in several pieces.

“What the…”

And then he saw it. A man was towering in front of him. And out of the man’s back were two feathery wings laced with black, white, and red feathers. The wings were long and wide, each one easily as big as the man. The figure was dressed in an old brown robe with a hood. The sleeves revealed only hands covered with bloodied bandages. Sandals covered the man’s feet.

Stories from the Old Book talked of winged-figures from Heaven. But even at the height of civilization, those stories were always seen as metaphors or symbolisms. Angels did not exist.

“I am going crazy, for sure.” Remarked Ian as he strained to see what was going to happen next.

The carvor surged forward, leaving fumes of sand in its wake. The huge beast swiped a clawed hand on the angel, but the angel was not there. In a flicker of light, the winged man dashed to the side and avoided the attack. It flew up and landed another blow on the creature’s face. The beast toppled sidewards. While in mid-air, the angel put its palms together and a ring of light appeared. As bright as the sun itself. Ian used his hands to cover his eyes. A blast erupted from the angel’s hands and struck the carvor on the ground. The creature hissed and bellowed. And with a hissing sound, the carvor dove back into the sand and slithered away beneath the desert.

Landing softly without a sound, the angel started walking toward Ian. The mysterious man held out a hand to help Ian up.

Ian tried to reach out, but he faded into unconsciousness.

Ian could not tell how long it has been since the stranger picked him up. They must have traveled for hours since the sun was now setting over the horizon. He lay limp on the shoulder of the angel. Ian tried to glance around, he saw nothing but sand and the footprints of his mysterious savior on the sand. He tried looking for a trace of the huge wings he saw earlier, but the feathers were nowhere to be found.

“Who are you?” Ian asked in his staggered breath. His whole body still ached from the pain.

After a few moments, the angel replied calmly. “Rest for now my friend, the answers will come.”

The unlikely pair continued to traverse the desert sands. One by one tiny stars trickled in as the sun’s light faded into black. Suddenly, a haze started to appear. The endless view of the desert danced and shifted. The landscape changed. A tall monument appeared at the edge of the horizon. A massive pyramid stood in the middle of the desert. Beside it was a wide lake littered with palm trees and shrubs. Dozens of tents were setup at camps surrounding the oasis. At a distance, figures with spears patrolled the entire area.

The angel brought Ian down from his shoulders with ease. He helped Ian to his feet. Ian could barely see the man’s face underneath the long hood. But he could see a graying beard and long gray hair. The strange man’s eyes seemed to glow like silver. Ian looked at the sudden appearance of the gigantic pyramid. He was about to speak when a dozen soldiers walked up to them. They were all dressed in the same garb. They had helmets on in the form of jackals. Gold and gems glittering down to their necks. Golden armor covering their shoulders and their upper chests. A gold and white trim lined their tunics covering their thigh while sandals were on their feet. Each one carried a long spear about two and half meters long with a golden tip that glistened in the moonlight. Some carried huge oval shields while others had mechanized bows strapped to their backs.

“Soldiers of the Army of the Sun” Ian muttered.

The lead soldier muttered something to the Angel. Ian heard it as random sounds and noises. He didn’t speak the language of the Ancient Dunes, but in his head, he was surprised to understand the exchange.

“The Army of the Sun does not permit trespassers into the Ancient Dunes. Turn back immediately.” The soldier commanded. The captain had dark skin, the same as the rest of his soldiers. Their bare arms showed cuts and muscles. Like ebony sculptures. They were not to be messed with.

The angel took off his hood and smiled. He had a wizened face that looked old, but kind. Wrinkles and lines darted all across his face. But his sharp eyes were steady with intent. The angel replied.

“Greetings, and apologies for this unheralded entry. But please tell Lord Orus that Raguel is here. With great news.”

The soldier looked puzzled for a moment. The angel continued.

“Again commander, turn on your communicator and report back to the throne room. Believe me, the god-pharaoh would like to see me immediately.”

Another set of sounds and noises came from the solder’s mouth. And again to his surprise, Ian understood every word.

“Very well, His Highness will see you now. Welcome to the Ancient Dunes.”

The solders parted. Raguel and Ian walked on through to the huge pyramid ahead. Their escorts marching close behind.