The sun blazed mercilessly over the Great Desert, waves of heat shimmering across the endless dunes. Ara shielded her eyes with a strip of cloth, her skin already stinging from the relentless sun. The cold of the mountain was a distant memory now—here, the battle was against fire and thirst.
Her water was running low. She had to find an oasis before sundown. But the desert was far from empty. Beneath the sand, monstrous creatures lurked.
A sudden tremor made Ara freeze. The ground beneath her shifted, and then, with an earth-shattering roar, a giant sand worm burst forth, its gaping maw lined with jagged teeth. Ara rolled to the side as the beast slammed down, sending sand flying into the air. She had no chance of fighting it head-on. She sprinted, her feet sinking into the burning sand, searching for higher ground.
She reached a rocky outcrop just as the worm lunged again, crashing into the stone. Ara didn’t wait—she scrambled up, panting. But the desert had more horrors waiting. A chorus of clicking noises made her turn. Scorpions the size of hounds emerged from the cracks, their black bodies gleaming under the sun, stingers poised to strike.
Ara gritted her teeth and drew her dagger. If she had to fight, she would make it count.
Before the battle could begin, a shadow blotted out the sun. A deafening screech echoed across the desert. Ara’s breath caught as a massive figure descended from the sky—a godlike fire wyvern, its scales burning with molten fury.
The Alpha Wyvern.
Ara had faced wolves and storms, but this was beyond anything she had ever known. Yet, she refused to surrender. She tightened her grip on her dagger, her mind racing for a way to survive.
Because she would.
She always did.
