Kala Wukar.
She who walks the desert.
She who is one with the sand.
She who is one with Arrakis.
The girl who he dreamed of long before she came to him in reality.
Aphra of Arrakis. The Desert Walker.
(Dune; Paul Atreides)
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chapter four: death be upon us
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"The largest and most dangerous organism on Arrakis is the sandworm, capable of reaching 400 meters in length," the monotone narrator's voice was soft, echoing along the walls of the room.
"Do they really get as big as that, Aphra?" Paul whispered to the girl that sat cross-legged beside him on the bed.
Aphra nodded, watching the image projection intently, "Some even bigger than that. They're enormous, and they can be quite terrifying when you first see them, but they're incredibly beautiful too. We call them Shai-Hulud. They react to rhythm. Anything that sways the natural rhythm of the desert will attract them to the surface."
"To avoid making rhythmic noises, which attract the sandworms, the Fremen cross desert spaces using the sandwalk, a dance-like motion with irregular rhythm which emulates the natural sounds of the desert."
"You know how to do that?" Paul jerked his head in the direction of the image of a Fremen using the sandwalk.
Aphra nearly laughed, "Of course. It's the first thing a Fremen learns once they are able to walk. Want me to teach you?"
Paul pushed himself to the edge of the bed, his legs hanging off as Aphra hopped to her feet and stood in the light of the projection. The projection paused on a jagged looking plant, a desert mouse hidden beneath the branches.
Paul leaned his elbows on his knees as he watched her with a fond smile. Aphra had kicked her shoes off into the corner of the room, leaving her feet bare as she began to sweep and sway over the ground just as the Fremen in the projection had. For just a moment, he could imagine her in those extravagant clothes. The golden bangles jingling and the fabric flowing in the light dusty wind. And on the back of her hip he saw a knife. The moment he blinked, the illusion fell back into reality and he had stood up without realizing it.
"Try it," Aphra invited him towards her with a wave of her hand.
Paul quickly grabbed her hand and stood by her side. He copied her every movement and it felt almost natural to him. As natural as it was to breathe air or drink water. Childish laughs escaped their lips as they slipped from the sandwalk and began to dance around each other in circles as if it were a game. Not once did they let go of each other's hand, even as Paul twirled her around and around until she nearly tripped over herself.
All at once it stopped. Their movements halted and they stood chest-to-chest, their hearts beating fast not only from the excitement, but from the danger that had entered their senses.
Paul quickly pulled her in closer, wrapping an arm around her waist, "Don't move."
Aphra didn't even allow herself to nod as she followed his line of sight. A small creature she had never seen before had slipped out from a hole that was burnt into the mural. It was no more than five centimeters long and was a ravening sliver of metal.
