Graveyard

The world was noisy and in constant motion. 

A young boy, just seven years old, held on with all his strength to the waist of an elderly woman. Her hands, twisted and shaky from age and fear, clamped over his. They both clung to the broad, bristly back of a Unico as it thundered forward. All around them, people shouted, and beasts bellowed, and the ground rumbled and sand whipped at their faces. 

The Unicol's sides heaved, its muscles tense with panic as it galloped through the storm of fleeing bodies.

But the boy barely noticed the crowd or the chaos. His eyes, wide and shining with terror, kept drifting to the left. There, on the horizon, something enormous and terrible was moving.

Not just moving, but devouring the sands and skies, all while coming for them.

A wall of swirling red and orange clouds stretched up and up, blotting out the sun. Lightning twisted at the top, crackling with a sound so sharp and loud it seemed to split his thoughts apart. Inside the storm, shadows writhed and twisted like living things. The boy couldn't look away, with him feeling cold all over, even as sweat ran down his face. 

The wind howled, stealing away his gasp before he could even hear it. Every part of him wanted to shut his eyes and make it all disappear. But when he tried, the storm was even worse behind his eyelids, it was closer, darker, and wrapped him up like a nightmare.

The boy gasped, but the relentless wind snatched away the sound, as if it had never existed. His small frame quivered with the ominous vibrations of its arrival, every instinct urging him to close his eyes and hide. But that only made the vision more terrifying, the image of the storm wrapping him in its embrace flashing vividly in his mind.

Seconds stretched into forever as the Unicol charged along with the others, the storm's edge was almost upon them. Then suddenly, they slipped past, just skirting the boundary where the storms could not quite reach.

Just barely escaping its approaching form.

"Faster!" Selene's voice erupted from behind.

At her command, the Unicols and the people around seem to instantly pick up the pace, going even faster. The boy glanced back and saw the storm lurch forward with newfound fury. It abandoned its gradual creep and surged ahead with relentless speed.

The beasts, still half a mile away, had no forewarning. They lunged forward, desperate to escape, but the storm was merciless. The boy watched, frozen, as a wall of sand and wind swept across the desert floor, swallowing the beast tide in a single, terrifying instant.

One moment, the beasts surged forward, and the next, they vanished, consumed by the fiery shadows of the sandstorm.

Gone, just like that.

"Run!" Roy's voice roared from the front, slicing through the chaos.

The boy's head snapped forward. He saw Selene raise her sword. The blade sparked with blue-white light, then sent a bolt of lightning crackling into the storm. For a moment, the sky was all thunder and light and wind. 

He could hear everything, the roar above, the shriek of the wind, and, beneath it all, the pounding of hundreds of beast feet, muffled now behind the wall of dust.

He grabbed the old woman tighter, and together they held on, hurtling toward whatever came next.

…

Lorian pressed forward with the Nuya people, their pace now more desperate than before. Their breaths still steady even as they sprinted across, pushing their body way beyond the limit. With it going even further by Selene using Command and Compel before to further force their body.

Then, rising out of the swirling dust, he saw it.

The graveyard.

It was like stepping into another world. The chaos faded, replaced by a strange, heavy silence. The graveyard stood before them, ancient and haunting. Giant bones, curved like the ribs of some forgotten colossus, jutted from the earth. They arched overhead in pale, weathered loops, each one as thick as a tree trunk and polished smooth by endless wind. The bones gleamed a ghostly white under the desert sun, marked with deep grooves and scars from centuries. Between them, old cords of red sinew hung in loose, swaying lines, some fluttering in the restless breeze.

From up ahead, Roy's voice rang out, hoarse but clear: "Graveyard! We're heading inside!"

The Nuya needed no further urging. They surged forward, all hesitation gone. Doubt and fear had no place now. The only choice was to run, to survive.

Just as the first of them crossed beneath the towering bone arches, a new terror erupted behind. The storm reached its peak, there was a thunderous burst, a roar so loud it shook everything. Out from the writhing, glowing cloud of dust and lightning, the beasts appeared. Over ten thousand pouring from the storm, eyes wild and mouths open in silent roars.

Lorian glanced back, the sight stole his breath. The storm towered, a living wall of fire and sand, and the beast tide burst from its heart like arrows from a bow. Their stampede sent waves of gold and orange sand rolling across the flats.

He turned back toward the graveyard, and time condensed.

Ten seconds.

Roy leaped first, vaulting through the jagged gate made of old bones. His boots thudded on ancient ivory. Just behind him, three children and two elders clung to the backs of heavy-limbed Unicols, riding the Unicol whose heavy leg galloped into it. Their faces blurred from wind and grit, but their wide eyes were locked on the sight ahead.

Roy turned and waved them in.

Nine seconds.

Lorian sa Unicols thundered ahead, hooves pounding the sand, dust surged up, swirling around the next group. The teenagers were running side by side, hands locked so nobody would fall behind. Some screamed, some sobbed, but all kept moving, legs pumping, refusing to slow.

Eight seconds.

The adults came next, stumbling and gasping, sweat and sand streaking their faces. They poured through the bone archway in a panicked current, spilling into the graveyard like water through a broken dam.

Seven seconds.

Lorian caught sight of a Silvian outlaw grabbing an older woman's wrist, dragging her through a gap between two huge ribs, not letting go for a second.

Six seconds.

The front of the beast tide howled, spitting sand from their jaws as they drew near.

Five seconds.

Lorian, Watchtower guards, Silvian Outlaws, and a dozen Ascendants jumped. Sand exploding beneath their feet as they leapt over the last incline.

Four seconds.

A wall of sand swept over them, thick and choking. The world became dust and thunder. Lorian blinked against the stinging grit, lungs burning.

Three seconds.

From behind, Uro and Selene appeared, sprinting. Faces set and strange little smiles on their lips, as if daring the storm to catch them.

Two seconds.

Lorian hit the ground, rolled hard, and crashed against a massive bone, his hands digging into the cool, gritty sand

One second.

The beast tide bore down, now only sixty meters away. He heard the pounding of over ten thousand steps.

Then they parted like the tide. The monstrous line of beasts didn't crash into the graveyard. Instead, the creatures broke off, splitting around the bone-fenced canyon. They howled and skidded, claws carving deep tracks in the sand. Their bodies twisted away from the massive arch, circling, splitting into two wild rivers that rushed around either side of the boneyard.

Lorian turned to see it.

The tide of beasts, a relentless flooding river, now flowing like a crescent around them. The sand they kicked up rolled forward in blinding waves, a second storm blotting out the world. Lorian flung an arm over his face as the wind battered him, cloak plastered to his back. All around, the Nuya crouched low, backs bowed, coughing and blinking against the stinging sand.

Slowly, the wind eased. The beast roars faded to distant tremors. A brittle hush reclaimed the canyon. Lorian stood slowly, brushing sand from his face. Around him, the others were beginning to rise, dazed, alive.

"Let… Let's all take a quick break," Louise shouted, his voice echoing through the air as his figure slumped heavily against the enormous bone. Taking his cue, everyone followed suit and Lover cut off the connection. None of them felt the consequences, as all of it went to Louise, Uro and Selene.

Children curled up against their parents, seeking comfort and warmth in their familiar embrace. Little arms wrapped around the necks of weary mothers. Tiny faces burrowed into the folds of dust-covered tunics.

The elders reclined against equally exhausted Unicols, the creatures' sides heaving, chests rising and falling with labored breaths. Those too old to cradle young ones sat close to their steadfast companions, their eyes closed but their hands clutching tightly to the coarse manes of their mounts.

Teenagers, silent in their shared understanding, leaned on one another, offering solace in gentle touches and quiet whispers. Their words were muted by fatigue but carried the weight of shared endurance. Friends steadied the trembling legs of those shaken by the immensity of what they had just escaped.

Lorian reclined against a massive rib bone, its surface smooth and cool against his back, with Selene and Uro settled beside him. His gaze swept across the scene, landing on the father-daughter duo of Kali and Evan. Kali fussed over Evan, her hands moving rapidly as she checked him over, her concern palpable and somewhat amusing to Evan and the adults nearby.

Some couldn't help but point out, with light-heartedness, that it should be the other way around. Yet, Lorian could sense the underlying tension, the way they all masked their lingering terror and panic for the sake of the children.

His golden eyes drifted towards Roy, who was huddled with the other Nuya Watchtower guards. They leaned against each other, forming a weary, supportive cluster. Phil and Lula grumbled about Roy's weight, while Iran lay flat on the sand, arms spread wide, staring into the vastness of the sky above.

Lorian's gaze then shifted to Louise and the other Silvian outlaws, their expressions a tapestry of emotions. Some wore frightful looks, others appeared somber, their features etched with dread as they stared contemplatively down into the shifting sands.

"Thanks to everyone, we made it. But that was close, if the storm wasn't there—" Uro's words brought him out of thought.

Lorian shook his head, his expression thoughtful yet relieved. "The storm wasn't needed, but it was certainly helpful. In fact, we were incredibly fortunate it appeared while we were in that mad dash."

"Right," Uro agreed, frowning as realization dawned on him, while his fingers absently raked through his disheveled hair. "If it had fully formed before we left the cliffs, we would have had to rush headlong into its fury…" His voice trailed off, the unspoken dangers lingering in the tense silence.

"Not really. I can easily cut through the storm to open a path," Selene interjected softly, leaning her head onto Lorian's shoulder, eyes closed. "But it would delay us by a couple of seconds, making the chase even closer."

Uro nodded. "Seconds we don't want to waste. It's fortunate we had some other Lover Ascendant in the group."

"You all made this mad dash even possible. Without it…" Lorian says, trailing off with a slight frown.

"A tragedy would have happened." Uro finished with a sigh.

Without the Lovers' ability of connection, all of the adults and teenagers would have dropped quickly from exhaustion and pain. Considering the frantic dash through towering cliffs, across the vast expanse of the desert, and finally into the eerie graveyard. The stretch was over a mile long, a daunting distance even for the inhabitants of the Anisa Desert.

These people had long been nourished by the magical energy. Emitted by the Ley Lines, granting them above average physical prowess and excellent health. Yet, despite their enhanced abilities, they remained within the bounds of normal human limitations. Running an entire mile through shifting sands at a pace beyond their natural capacity was, quite frankly, an impossibility.

Lorian nodded before slightly frowning. "Speaking of that, how are you feeling, Uro?"

"Fine. I am used to dealing with hundreds back in my time at Nelihali Fortress, so sixties aren't much." Uro stretched his arms, sighing. "The only issue was wondering if we would need to stop in against the tide."

"Fortunately, we didn't. A battle against the beast tide is something we should avoid at all costs," Selene stated, her tone firm, prompting a nod from Uro and a resigned sigh from Lorian.

They knew she was right. The aftermath of such a conflict would result in too many casualties. One good thing about the Beast Tides is their inability or unwillingness to use their abilities, focusing only on crashing and trampling. Lorian isn't sure why, but Ark Empire and Ortiva scholars propose it's because their rage blinds them.

Lorian understood that Selene could easily decimate the entire beast flood. As a Master Ascendant, the beast flood posed no threat to her, not even serving as a warm-up. The real issue was the terrifying event that would follow the slaughter of over ten thousand of beasts.

The dreaded phenomenon known as Beast Convergence.

The bones of those countless beasts would begin to shimmer, quickly assembling into a new form. This mass of creatures would give rise to a Master Ascendant creature because of the vast number of beast. Though it was possible to prevent this, one would need to overcome the magical wave emanating from the swirling magic.

Depending on the level of convergence and the creatures being born, halting it could be an insurmountable challenge. Selene wouldn't have been able to prevent the emergence of a Master Ascendant Beast Convergence. Her blade would arrive too late to pierce the core, hindered by the waves of magic radiating from it.

'With the birth of a Master Ascendant Beast… everything around when it and Selene clashed would be reduced to nothing,' Lorian thought, recalling Selene's explanation and the various tales she and Uro had told him.

The Nuya crowd wouldn't stand a chance against the impending clash. The first strike would be a cataclysm, obliterating everything from the area where the beasts emerged all the way to the entrance of the graveyard. The people Selene was desperately trying to protect would be shattered, splintered, and broken into pieces.

Facing a beast tide was a daunting task, best undertaken without the burden of safeguarding so many lives.

This dire situation led to their decision to flee. They hurried through the narrow pass between two towering cliffs. Rushing through the two cliffs and having Selene command one to fall, to delay the beasts.

Then, using the storm to further slow them down to buy more time to reach the graveyard.

The graveyard was a peculiar place, one that no beasts, even in the frenzy of a tide, dared enter with hostile intent. The reason remained a mystery, but it was a well-known fact that all beasts, from the weakest to the strongest, would walk around and avoid the graveyard.

Normally this could be explained because the graveyard acted like a massive guardian tome.

But these beasts do venture into the graveyard, only when they are about to die. Not even the formidable magic and the imposing presence of enormous skeletal remains could keep them away. From the smallest to the largest, all beasts would make their final pilgrimage to the graveyard, seeking solace when death was imminent.

This peculiar behavior intrigued Ortiva scholars, who speculated about other possible reasons behind it. They conducted various experiments, trying to coerce the beasts into entering the graveyard under different circumstances. They attempted to provoke them, used their offspring as bait, and even orchestrated a beast tide.

Yet all efforts proved futile unless the beasts were on the brink of death. Because of this, the graveyard earned another name: the Beast Final Slumber.

But there was one exception: the Unicols. This left the scholars bewildered, all wondering what separated the Unicol from the other beasts. But one of the Six Stars from Ark Empire had a theory about the foundation of those bone graveyards.

It was a massive skeleton buried underneath, one of a Unicol. This theory left many silent, as there was no evidence or proof unless one tried to dig under the graveyard. But this was considered taboo across the Anisa Desert.

To the point that every Utopia City, town, and village would consider you a criminal who must be killed. All because these graveyards were a safe haven; no one wanted this safe place to be broken. The people of the Anisa Deserts, however, found solace in this phenomenon.

The Beast Graveyard became a safe haven where they could escape the beasts and find rest. Travelers could even spend the night there, provided they fashioned a makeshift shelter that was entirely enclosed.