Reaching Samarqand part 1

Pema, Liana, and Gwon had traveled south, aiming for the eral sea, a large lake, but smaller than the greorian sea. 

The lands they traversed were still one big ocean of grass, with almost no curvature. 

During their travels, they found no settlements. Signs of campsites or nomadic presence were seen, but the entire lands looked like they had been abandoned. 

As they traveled through the vast, open steppes towards the Eral Sea, the feeling of isolation grew. The endless expanse of grassland, undulating like waves in the gentle breeze, was both mesmerizing and eerie in its emptiness. It was as if the land itself had taken a deep breath and was holding it, waiting for something to break the silence.

The absence of settlements and the occasional abandoned campsite only added to the sense of unease. It was as if the people who once roamed these lands had vanished, leaving behind only the faintest traces of their existence.

Pema, ever observant, noticed the subtle signs of recent activity – a discarded tool here, a footprint there. "It's like they were here one moment and gone the next," he mused aloud. "Where did they all go?"

Liana scanned the horizon, her eyes squinting against the glare of the sun. "Maybe they've moved on to better lands. Or maybe something scared them off. This emptiness doesn't feel right."

Gwon, riding alongside them, kept a watchful eye on the surrounding landscape. "Could the Khelians be responsible for this too?" he pondered, his brow furrowed in thought. "Or maybe it's something else, something we haven't seen yet."

The conversation was cut short when they crested a small rise and saw the Eral Sea in the distance. The sight of the vast body of water, shimmering under the afternoon sun, was a welcome change from the monotonous grasslands.

Villages that had stable living were on the coast, and they got closer to one. As they neared the Eral Sea, the trio's spirits lifted slightly at the sight of the coastal villages. These settlements seemed more permanent and stable compared to the abandoned lands they had traversed. 

The village they arrived in was empty though. No people were found, but once again they saw smoke, with no residents.

As they walked inside the village, they didn't see any dead bodies, but the doors had been broken. They heard some rumbling inside.

As Gwon entered to see what was going on, he stumbled upon a sassan, wearing light clothes, rummaging through stuff. 

As the person got scared by Gwon, who happened to just appear behind him, let alone never seen a grey skin before, and instantly threw a knife at him.

Gwon deflected the knife with a swift movement of his arm.

"Whoa, easy there!" Gwon exclaimed, stepping back to give the startled Sassan some space.

The sassan took out two blades and rushed, and Gwon sighed. He turned into his Seng form and clawed down the assailant. 

"What's going on in there?" Liana yelled.

Gwon came out of the building, with the attacker in his mouth, dead and blood dripping all over.

"What the fuck!" Liana yelled.

Gwon turned back to his grey skin form and said," He attacked me first."

Soon a kevah, but a different kind, having a slouched back, and horns on its forehead, walked through the empty steps. By the cloth on its back, it was clear it was a tamed beast. 

Soon a group of similarly dressed sassans appeared. The confrontation between the trio and these new sassans felt strange. 

"We mean no harm!" yelled Liana.

Then the sassans looked at the dead body of their comrade with Gwon all covered in his blood. 

They immediately attacked and drew their weapons, curved blades, and such. 

Pema quickly disposed of the warriors, lightly hitting them on their necks, careful not to kill them. 

More similarly dressed sassan came, and all attacked them, in an attempt to kill them, but they soon realized they were no match against Pema. They quickly started to flee away, riding away, or running on foot.

"Didn't pose much of a fight," Gwon said, smiling.

"We wouldn't have to have fought if you hadn't killed one of their own!" Liana yelled.

"I said he attacked me first!"

Pema then looked around one of the houses. He saw no signs of bloodshed, more like a scene of robbery. It seemed that the sassans they had run into were of a different tribe of an entirely different culture who had come to the village to steal all of the homeowners' belongings. 

They saw how the grass had been stopped and saw like a mountain had moved on the field, as a track of pounded earth led east. 

"Let's move," Pema said, and they continued forward, toward the east, to the city of Samarqand.