Orbis

Chapter 3: Exile

It was two hours, only two hours before Khan wanted to go back. The heat was unending. Relentless and unforgiving. It made him sweat up a storm. But, that wasn't the worst part. No, the worst part was when the sweat stopped coming. He hadn't realized how much the stinky, putrid liquid had cooled him until it was gone. Then, he wanted to go back. But, he couldn't. No matter what, he couldn't go back. This is my chance. Raleisa's cocky mercy is going to lead to his demise. He thought as he trudged onward. Where was he going?

North.

Where he knew that many developed kingdoms were. He had read stories about such kingdoms. Well, not stories per se-- they were more like records. Records of trades and previously established alliances. All forgotten by the masses. Why? Well, it was all due to Raleisa's reign. When Raleisa had first established his rule in Nactin, he cut off all of Nactin's contacts, trade routes, and former alliances.

"Crafty demon. I'll give him that much." Khan said, bitterly. A sudden and horrific stink permeated the air as soon as he said that, and he keeled over from the potent smell. What the hell? But then, having smelled enough dead bodies in his life, Khan realized what it was. That's good. Dead animal-- that means food. As if the universe was signaling him, his stomach growled like a lion and he sighed. Yeah yeah, I get it.

He trudged up two more relatively small sand dunes before coming upon the body. It was in a bowl. Well, at least, what Khan would describe as a bowl. Really, the "bowl" was a large pit of sand with high dunes surrounding it. And within that pit lay the half-eaten carcass of a--

"Dragon. A real, bronze dragon. Huh." Khan thought out loud. It wasn't large--in comparison to other dragons of course. But, in reality, it was a massive beast. One that had gone too far from its pack. Khan slid down the sand dune he was on top of and walked up next to the dead dragon. Yep. That's definitely where the smell is coming from. He thought as he pinched his nose, disgusted by the putrid smell of the dead. But he knew one thing. This is food. Whether I like it or not, I'm going to have to eat dragon tonight. Then, he could feel the weight of his legs, giving almost. As if gravity had suddenly become stronger. He was tired. And, he decided to lay down next to the dragon, and take stock.

"What the hell do I have?" He asked. He kept his eyes trained on the dead dragon. Half of its face had been eaten to the bone. But, it was not a large beast that ate it. No. Even then, Khan could see the millions of bugs chewing on the dragon's flesh. That's problematic. They're eating my meat. Its body was also littered with bugs. It had suffered certainly. He could saw large scars, stricken across the dragons pierced wings and body. Probably a fight with another dragon. He reasoned. But, it wasn't recent. If it was, I would've seen traces of some battle on the way. Or perhaps, a sandstorm passed through and covered the destruction of battle. Either way, it seems to have been dead for a while.

Suddenly, the bugs all leaped up into the air and flew off in a massive, black horde. The nightmarish scene startled Khan for a moment, but as soon as they left, he finally understood. Their all nytrons. They eat dead animals like scavengers, in massive hordes. Khan thought, recalling the passage he had read about them. Or, actually, the passage Ali had read to him.

...

"They like big animals. They chew them up in hordes. However, nytrons always flee at the first sign of imminent danger." Ali had said. Khan was listening, absently mindedly while leaning against the stone wall of their house. He was too focused on his plan. His scheming. But, Ali, insistent as always, strived for his brother's attention.

"Would they think I'm dangerous?" Khan asked, not really paying attention. He didn't care about the bugs. But, he was glad that Ali was in good spirits. Despite what had happened to Ali's friend. Poor Abdullah.