Crais(2)

The dragoona had not given up. It continued to gouge away at the wall surrounding her, as if it knew that was the only barrier keeping her safe. One thing was certain: there were definite gleams of intelligence in its large yellow eyes. She could feel hot gusts of breath and smoke on her face as the creature labored away.

On top of that, the burning heat surrounding her seemed to rise a few more degrees as she stood there, and Fury knew she was running out of time.

She had maybe twenty more beats before the sun eclipse ended and, even standing in the shade, she’d become a desiccated husk. It took mere moments for the intense heat to dry flesh and bones, until they flaked away and were no more. Having seen this process on men who hadn’t made it back to the tunnels in time, her panic rose.

“Latierna ... cease.” The words echoed around her.

She closed her eyes as unfamiliar sensations rocked her body. She recognized the words and accent from their visits below and it looked like today she was about to see not only her first live dragoona, but also a nomad wanderer. Curiosity and fear warred within her but eventually she couldn’t resist and opened her eyes.

The beast had moved back a few strides and was settled on its haunches, jagged talons resting between its rear legs. The nomad stood beside it, both of them in the direct sunlight.

Jealous.

“What are you doing out of the caves?” The words were in the same language as her own, but spoken stiltedly.

Fury straightened and without thought devoured the nomad before her. Well, devoured him with her eyes at least. In twenty life years she had never had an ounce of attraction to the Crais men she shared a home with. But this nomad was beyond her wildest dreams.

Unlike the dark, almost iridescent black skin of the tribe she resided with, his flesh was a burnt red, and there was an incredible white sheen covering it, giving him a glow. And like her he had pure white hair. Short, though, which was unusual. He was taller than she was by a few inches and his face was all broad planes and solid features. A large, defined nose settled into heavily browed eyes. He painted the most devastatingly attractive picture. His gray eyes were locked on her. And he stood in the sun without discomfort or burning.

“You must return, Fury. You do not have much more time.”

She swallowed loudly, and knew he was right. The eclipse was almost over; she had to get back to the caves. But still she didn’t move, instead calling out to him as he turned to leave.

“Wait.”

He paused, the dragoona that had started to follow him also slowing, but he didn’t turn back.

“Who are you?”

He knew her name, but that wasn’t what intrigued her. Her mother had been a famous nomad. No, what she needed to know was why ... why she was so drawn to him?

“I am Dune,” he said.

With a crouch he leaped onto the back of the dragoona, and with a few powerful flaps of its wings they were gone.

Fury pressed a hand to her rapidly beating heart. She’d had to physically stop herself from racing out to her death in the sunlight. The heat increased again, and she almost dropped from the sudden rushing of fluid through her system. The sun was draining her; she had to get back to the caves.

She had only minutes.

Crawling, because that was all the strength she had left, she pulled herself closer to the crevice which concealed the start of the tunnels. Luckily she hadn’t walked far that day. It would be close, but she should make it into the caves in time. The pain of each movement increased, but finally she tumbled into the opening. It was still hot near the entrance, but the immediate decrease in heat gave her a brief respite.

She dragged herself to the first of the markers, allowing the water that dripped along the rocks to coat her and replenish her lost fluid. Finally she could stand and she started the long descent down to her tribe.



The next eclipse Fury stood in the same position. She was trying to convince herself that she was out there to find food, that today was the day she would contribute to the underground tribes. Of course that would require an animal to just wander into her small patch of shade, since she couldn’t step into the sun.

She shook her head. Who was she kidding? She was waiting for him. The insatiable need she’d had to find him had kept her pacing the dark halls of her small chamber during day-rest. Not that she ever needed much sleep.

“He will come.” She spoke out loud. “He must have felt the same draw.”

But as her time ticked away and the two suns moved across each other, slowly increasing the heat, there was no gorgeous nomad in sight. When her time was almost up, she had no choice but to work her way back along the shaded rock. Reaching the crevice, she turned for one last look and her heart stopped. He was standing on a rocky crevice many leagues from her. Alone. The sun surrounding him like the red halo of death.