The King of Sandworms

Rielle always loved adventures. Her Papa would tell her stories of heroes setting out on grand journeys, vanquishing evil, and saving the world from destruction. She had always wanted to be a hero—traveling with trusted comrades, witnessing the wonders of the world, and defeating evil. So when she heard that Jack was going to the Spire, her heart started beating faster and faster.

I have to follow him. I have to go with him on his adventure, she thought, her mind racing with ideas. That was when she remembered what was in her father's drawer.

**"Hector, at the Spire, I have discovered an artifact in the shape of a key. If you turn the key in the air, you will be connected to the Void and receive a Gift.

—Watts."**

This is what made Rielle mouth the word key to Jack, and when she saw his face change to surprise, she knew—that no matter what happened—she would follow him.

And finally after coming all this way, suffering in this despairingly hot desert, her adventure had finally begun. And witnessing Goliath was the proof.

Goliath just appeared in front of me. This is amazing. I can't believe the king of the sandworms showed up right in front of me.

Her heart pounded at an abnormal speed. Her breathing was heavy and sporadic.

Rielle's thoughts were consumed by Goliath—a being so rare that no one had seen him in hundreds of years. He was a herald of destruction. Whenever he was seen by humans, disaster always followed, just like when he last appeared centuries ago.

***

The world used to be a thriving planet. There were oceans so vast they stretched beyond the horizon, with waters bluer than the sky and deeper than any man could reach. The land was covered in endless fields of dirt and green grass so bright is was as if they glowed. Towering forests stood tall, their trees so numerous that no one could count them.

People flourished on this ancient world, building giant cities, bustling towns, and countless settlements. They had food, water, and everything they needed to survive. At times, humanity waged wars—massive conflicts that spanned the entire planet. And it was during one of these wars that Goliath appeared.

Goliath was superior to all life across the world. He had existed since the birth of the planet—he was the first to live upon it, and the first to conquer it. Those who laid eyes upon him cowered in fear. Even the distant sound of his approach struck terror into the hearts of all, since they knew they could never stand against him.

When he appeared before humanity for the first time, the world was shaken. His sudden presence terrified mankind so greatly that they stopped their war entirely, combining all of their firepower--all to focus on one supreme being, Goliath.

But in the end, the planet was ruined—reduced to nothing but dust, sand, and the scattered remnants of humanity.

This was how the world became what it is now.

***

After Rielle recovered from her excitement from seeing Goliath they started their journey once again. They walked for a long while--with many days passing. They took many breaks along the way, but after their encounter with the sandworms and Goliath they never rested for too long always scared a new swarm of worms would come and eat them.

The Spire became a lot closer--around two more days left of travelling with minimal breaks until they reached it.

They became very exhausted, and Rielle suggested taking a longer break than usual.

"No. No way. If we stop for more than an hour, you know the worms will come and eat us!"

"That doesn't matter if we die from overexertion! Jack, if we keep walking at this pace, we're going to die without even doing anything! The only thing we would've accomplished is staring at Goliath for a couple of minutes!"

Rielle's frustration exploded. Two whole days without sleep, with barely any water and food—it was too much. The exhaustion, the fear, the hopelessness—everything became one overwhelming emotional breakdown.

"Okay, we'll take a two-hour break. No more than that, alright?"

The moment those words left Jack's mouth, Rielle's tense expression changed. Relief washed over her—only for her to collapse into a deep sleep, slumping into the deserts dunes.

Jack sighed, his lips curving slightly. Maybe this was a good idea. He needed a break from this nightmare desert just as much as she did.

By the time their two-hour break was over, the sun was setting, painting the sky in a beautiful gradient of pinks, oranges, yellows, and reds. Jack glanced at Rielle, still fast asleep, as he finished cleaning up their makeshift camp.

He walked over to wake her, shaking her gently.

"Rielle, wake up."

She didn't stir.

"Hey, come on, time to move."

Nothing.

Jack shook her harder. "Rielle!"

Still, she didn't wake.

"Shit!"

Cursing under his breath, Jack hoisted her onto his back in a piggyback carry and set off toward the distant spire.

The journey was long and horrible. Holes in the sand made every step dangerous. He ran out of water at the end of the first day, and the added weight of Rielle slowed him down more than he expected. What should have taken him a day became three days. He had to take breaksmore often than he would've liked, but he had no choice. Jack was going to survive—no matter what.

So when the dawn of the third day came, and he could finally make out every detail of the Spire, a surge of relief crashed over him.

The Spire was decrepit, and weathered because of the relentless winds and the sand they blew with them. Countless holes covered its surface, one of them was bigger than the restso Jack assumed it to have once been a window, but time widened it to big enough for Jack to stand upright inside of it. The top formed a tall, five-meter cone with a single spike at its peak, adorned with a metal 6 pronged star.

Jack slowly walked toward it. When he was close enough to touch its rough surface, the amount of joy he felt after finally reaching his destination was almost too much to bear.

He climbed through the gaping window, laid out a blanket on the stone floor, and carefully placed Rielle onto it before collapsing beside her.

Just before sleep overtook him, a final thought entered his mind.

I made it to the Spire, Watts. I'll definitely get revenge for you.

Then, darkness swallowed his consciousness whole.