THE WHISPERS OF THE SAND

Chapter 3

The sun's heat was merciless, bearing down on them as if it sought to crush the will of anyone who dared traverse its domain. Aya followed Idris closely, her eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of movement. The narrow canyon walls had opened into a barren expanse of cracked earth, dotted with jagged boulders that cast strange, twisting shadows. Idris, walking a few paces ahead, suddenly raised a hand. Aya froze, her breath catching in her throat.

"What is it?" she whispered.

He didn't respond immediately, his sharp gaze fixed on a distant shape half-buried in the sand. Slowly, he motioned for her to stay back as he approached the object. Aya watched as Idris crouched, brushing sand away with careful precision. When he stood and turned back to her, his expression was grim. He held up a leather satchel, weathered and torn, its straps frayed as though they had been chewed.

"It's recent," Idris said, his voice low. "Someone was here not long ago."

Aya stepped closer, her curiosity overcoming her caution. The satchel's contents had spilled into the sand—scraps of parchment, broken vials, and what looked like a rusted dagger. She picked up one of the parchments, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the faded symbols scrawled across it.

"These markings… they're similar to the ones on the map," she said, her voice trembling with excitement.

Idris frowned, taking the parchment from her and examining it closely. "This means whoever left this was also searching for the oasis," he said, his tone dark. "And judging by the state of this bag, they didn't leave willingly." A chill ran down Aya's spine. She glanced around, suddenly hyperaware of how exposed they were. The desert stretched out endlessly in every direction, offering no cover, no escape.

"What do you think happened to them?" she asked.

Idris slung the satchel over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. "Could be raiders. Could be worse."

"Worse?" Aya echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.

He didn't answer, instead gesturing for her to follow. "We need to move. If someone—or something—was here, they might still be close." Aya swallowed hard, clutching the strap of her own satchel as they pressed onward. The hours dragged on, each step more grueling than the last. Aya's feet ached, her throat was parched, and her body screamed for rest. But Idris was relentless, his pace steady and unyielding.

"We're almost there," he said, his voice cutting through the oppressive silence.

"Almost where?" Aya panted, struggling to keep up.

Idris pointed to the horizon, where the faint outline of a jagged structure jutted out against the sky. As they drew closer, Aya realized it wasn't a natural formation but the ruins of an ancient temple. The structure was partially buried in sand, its walls carved with intricate patterns and symbols that seemed to shimmer in the fading sunlight. Aya's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the markings—they were identical to those on the map.

"This must be it," she said, her voice trembling with a mix of awe and relief.

Idris didn't share her enthusiasm. His hand rested on the hilt of his dagger, his eyes scanning the ruins warily. "Stay alert. This place feels… wrong."

Aya ignored his warning, her focus entirely on the temple. She approached the entrance, her fingers brushing against the cool stone. The carvings were mesmerizing, their patterns seeming to shift and flow as she traced them with her eyes.

"Help me clear the way," she said, glancing back at Idris.

With a sigh, he joined her, pushing aside a slab of stone that blocked the entrance. The effort left them both panting, but the path was now clear.

Aya stepped inside, the air is instantly cooler and heavy with the scent of dust and time. The chamber was dimly lit, the only light filtering in through cracks in the ceiling. Her footsteps echoed as she moved deeper into the temple, her heart pounding with anticipation. Idris followed closely, his dagger drawn. "This place hasn't been touched in centuries," he muttered. "What are you hoping to find here?"

"Clues," Aya said, her voice barely above a whisper. "If the oasis is real, this temple might hold the key to finding it."

As they explored the temple, Aya's excitement grew. The walls were covered in more of the strange symbols, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were trying to tell her something. She stopped in front of a particularly large carving, her fingers tracing its outline.

"This symbol," she said, turning to Idris. "It matches the one on the map."

Idris stepped closer, his brow furrowed as he studied the carving. "What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure," Aya admitted. "But it looks like… a path. Maybe it's showing us where to go next."

Before Idris could respond, a sudden noise echoed through the chamber—a low, guttural growl that sent shivers down Aya's spine.

"What was that?" she whispered, her eyes wide.

Idris motioned for silence, his dagger raised as he scanned the shadows. The growl came again, louder this time, and Aya's blood turned to ice as she saw movement in the darkness.

A pair of glowing eyes appeared, followed by the hulking form of a creature, unlike anything she had ever seen. Its body was covered in coarse, matted fur, and its limbs were unnaturally long, ending in claws that glinted in the dim light.

"Run," Idris said, his voice low and urgent.

Aya didn't need to be told twice. She turned and sprinted toward the entrance, her heart pounding in her ears. Behind her, she could hear the creature's heavy footsteps, its growls growing louder with each passing second.

Idris was right behind her, his movements swift and precise. As they reached the entrance, he turned and threw a dagger at the creature, striking it in the shoulder. The beast roared in pain but didn't slow.

"Worse?" Aya echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.

They burst out of the temple and into the open desert, the creature's snarls echoing behind them. Aya didn't stop running until her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the sand, gasping for air. Idris dropped to one knee beside her, his breathing ragged. He glanced back at the temple, his jaw tight.

"Worse?" Aya echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know," Idris said grimly. "But it wasn't natural."

Aya shuddered, clutching the map to her chest. The temple had given them a clue, but it had also awakened something dark—something that didn't want them to succeed.

As the first stars appeared in the night sky, Aya knew one thing for certain: the journey to the Shaded Oasis was far more dangerous than she had ever imagined.