A/N: Sorry for the  long wait again... I admit I have a writer block actually, especially  because I was in vacation. I feel so bad to not publish as much as I  promised to you guys, but I have again to change a few things in the  scenario which I care about. Maybe it would easier for me to write when  I'll be back to work and being much more focused...

Anyway, it's finally  the first anniversary of Octopath Traveler since it was released! I  can't believe that 1 year has spent so quickly since I bought the game!  Actually, I tried twice to defeat the true final boss of the game, but I  got beaten at the first part each time. There was even one time the  boss has 15000 hp left.😭So I decided to train my team again before a  third revenge.

By the way, I've a  good announcement for you guys: I've found an editor who will check the  grammar and spelling of my future chapters drafts for correcting the  errors before uploading them. This is @celaenamoon who is a good fan of  that book and I thank her a lot to accept that request without  hesitation.

Have a good read !

Editor's note: I've never done this before, so please bear with me TT

~3rd POV~

In a hidden building, a man just held on the palm of his hand a glowing blue crystal ball, when a blurred voice came from the smoke inside the magical object.

"Do you copy ?"

"Yeah, yeah.... I'm already with the bomb: I just need some time to prepare it.", answered the man calmly.

It was the yellow helmet man who answered the call.

The voice, quite serious but different from the other voice, chuckled.

"Hu hu hu... Always well organized, as I can see."

"I always preferred to do the most important things in first. It's a kind of pattern with me."

"I see. By the way, don't you feel nervous about what we are about to do ?...out of curiosity."

"Hmm... Not so much. I just feel... quite weird, 'cause we have gone so far so fast, and that we just have one more bomb to plant."

"Make that 2 from now. You know why."

"Tsk... I don't get why we don't just need one instead...  I know it's quite important to take some precautions for the extension, but do you understand how much power one bomb already needs?"

"I know that, but you should trust in our leader's instincts. Even if she seems to be crazy, keep in mind that she knows much more that we can actually see, so we cannot disappoint her. Unless have you started to doubt the importance of that mission..."

"I don't have any objection at all. We all have the same objective, after all."

After a pause, the yellow helmet man added.

"If this is the better solution for the good sake of the mission, I don't have any reason to protest."

"Fine... Just continue over at your side, I'll call you back when I'm done."

"Okay."

The ball stopped to shine, ending the call, as the man stowed it inside the pocket of his jacket.

He just sighed, feeling quite annoyed, as he understood the importance of the mission. But what was really troubling him?

A bell rang and the man's gaze turned to the window. He was in a certain city, animated by the crowd and filled with luxury buildings.

"I should hurry. It's now or never," he murmured to himself.

~At the same moment, in a very far desert~

~Travis's POV~

"Gnnn..."

I landed on my head, but thankfully it was just sand. Indeed, there was so much sand that my head and my upper body were stuck on the ground, while I could only move my legs.

I used all the strength of my feet to struggle myself from the ground.

Plop!

I stumbledand landed on the sandy ground, spitting out some sand from my mouth.

"Kof! Kof! ...why do I always land like that?" I complained, feeling quite unlucky.

After I teleported, I was curious about the place where I landed. I was very lucky it had happened, otherwise I would have drowned in that torrent during the storm. However, I noticed the temperature had brutally changed - the cold of the wind had suddenly gone, replaced by intense heat, much hotter than it was at Rippletide. Even the sand seemed to be very hot, enough to nearly burn my feet.

I felt like the sun was warming up my skin pretty well.... or I mean... too much. It seemed as if there was a fire burning just next to me. The heat had started to make me quite dizzy.

"So... hot... it must be... at least 3000 degrees..."

Where was I? And why it was so hot?

I turned in a circle, taking in my surroundings, which made me gasp in surprise.

"Oh my god..."

It was nothing but desert, an immense desert which extended as far as my eyes can see. It wasn't a desert like the one where I'd landed right after trying to play the game, just next to Bolderfall, with all those rocks, that rocky ground, those rocky cliffs, and those canyons. Instead, it was just a desert made entirely of... sand. There was so much sand that the ground seemed to be yellow. Nothing could be seen on the horizon except sand dunes everywhere. Not a single cactus, nor an animal, or even a rock... just sand.

Honestly, I wasn't too surprised by this place, because I'd already seen a desert like this one in a book. Indeed, it told me that there was a very huge desert of sand in the North of Africa, travelled by some people riding camels, but it was very hot and there was almost no water in that desert.

However, thinking about it, I was just aware that I had landed in a place quite dangerous. There was not a single trace of shelter around me, only sand around me, so I didn't have any idea about which direction to take. I admit that I was pretty lost...

I've escaped the storm, and now I have to face this... Geez, I still preferred the storm at the coasts...

Which direction should I take ?

~Several hours later~

"Ha... Ha..."

I panted shallowly, overwhelmed by the heat as sweat covered my face.

Since the morning, I had been walking slowly on the sandy ground, which looked much softer than the rocky one in the Cliftlands, soft like a pillow, but much hotter.

It was very tiring to walk in the desert, always in the same direction, especially with that heat around me, like I was inside an oven. I thought it was impossible that a place could be so hot. I had the feeling I would melt like butter, and my whole body perspired so much that I was like a leaking sink. I was panting just like a dog, and my eyes were exhausted by the heat.

I should have taken something to eat from the Colzione shop before leaving for the travel. I managed to take just a few pears and some bread, without finding a single apple, sadly, but I'd completely forgotten to take some water for drinking. What a shame!

So, I was very thirsty, and not one of the dry fruit would help. I prayed so much to find water - a river, a waterfall, a well, a puddle, anything to hydrate myself! But the desert was too vast, and I couldn't find one single drop of water. I tasted the water of my own sweat, but it had such a bad taste.

I also wished it would rain in the middle of this damn desert, and it would be the very first time I'd be glad it happened, without caring whether my belongings got wet like I used to. With that, I would open my mouth so wide to catch as many drops as I could! Unfortunately, there weren't any clouds in the sky and I didn't have the strength to try doing the rain dance.

Because it was too hot, I had to remove my shirt and putting it inside my bag, so I was shirtless and the sun was burning my skin, while the strap of my bag chafed my skin a little. I was still keeping my pants and my shoes, especially due to the very hot sand warmed up by the volcanic sun.

The desert was vast, so vast that I could barely count the number of kilometres I had walked every five minutes. All those dunes looked like each other, and the blue sky wouldn't tell me where to go. I just managed to go straight, without daring to go at the left or the right, in order to not get lost. Sometimes I could have see some dead bushes in the sand, a few crows flying a couple of meters above me, or even a cactus standing creepily there like an immobile person, but it was usually the same view of sand, of more sand, and even more sand.

Seeing always the same landscape made me completely tired, exhausted, and thirsty. The true culprit of my ill-being was obviously the heat as I started to have trouble walking properly. I was really sick of being hot, and I would have done anything to get something fresh, like a breeze, but the winds of the desert burned like hell.

What have I done to deserve this...?

Since the beginning, the sun was tormenting me: its rays were so hot that it dried my clothes, my hair and my bag in less than 5 minutes after I had been caught in that torrent, and my face had turned up in a bright red colour. I felt terribly sick with a very severe headache pounding in my head, so badly that my eyes couldn't stop shutting and I was ready to collapse in the burning sand. The worst part was that I couldn't try taking a nap in the middle of that desert with no sign of shadows, as even the highest dunes weren't high enough to hide the sun from me. Even if I did, would fry like a pancake.

The problem is that I was really really tired of walking in the middle of nowhere, and the first thing I wanted was a good nap... but it would be like sleeping in a barbecue. What a hellish nightmare...

"Ahh..."

While I started to black out again, I suddenly collapsed on my knees, at the top of a burning dune, losing any strength to advance further.

No... I... can't...

I might always encourage myself to not stop, preventing the rest of my body to fall with the help of my hands, but I don't know if I could take more.

Right here, such an infernal heat surrounded my body. No matter which direction I take, the sun would always tracks me, find me, and burning me. Not having a pair of sun glasses totally made the travel much harder, as my eyes were tired to stare at that damn fire ball which was at millions of millions of kilometers from earth. It's like it was watching me, like a person, being persecuted by its fire.

The sun was against me: for whatever reason, he wanted me to spend my last days in that nightmarish place. Right here, I wanted just one thing from him: to disappear, to tell him to never come back again and to leave me alone. It was so hot that it's like there were a second sun somewhere in the sky... and maybe a third one... and maybe more. I started to be so mad that I could really see several suns in the sky, patiently shining above my heads.

I wished so much the night would fall, right now, and so the suns could sets, leaving me with the moon. Yeah, I would feel much less hotter, and the moon was much prettier, bright white, innocently shining a soft light in that night sky to illuminate the place. Plus, it can have a few forms, like an half-moon, or even a crescent moon. There was even one time I've seen the moon in the sky during a day !

But sadly, I remembered it was still the morning, and only a few hours have spent since I left Rippletide, so I was still condamned by the sun...

I just... want... to...

I started to feel dizzy, very dizzy. My vision became blurred and black, and my eyes hurted me so hard after walking so much without having a small rest. I was about to fully close my eyes, when I opened them back slowly.

I could feel a wind of heat from the right when I observed something weird. It seemed the sand was moving, the dunes changed form like a toasted marshmallow. When I moved slowly at the left, the dunes moved again like the desert was alive. Oh gees... why they were moving ? Why did that desert keep changing wherever I go ? Was it true ? Or have I become crazy ?

"I... just wanna..."

After such effort, my muscles gave up on me, and I fell on the dusty sand.

I was too tired to move, only my fingers scratched at the sand to help me getting up, but I felt like a couch potatoe in that immense oven. I was also terribly thirsty, and lost any hope when I couldn't see far away at the horizon a single glop of water.

In my laziness, I felt a hand tapping my shoulder.

"Need an helping hand, little buddy ?", told me happily a masculine voice from behind.

I was quite surprised: was there anyone else wandering in that desert, someone to save me from that hell ? But I haven't seen anyone, and neither heard an single footstep...

"Let me help you."

The mysterious person behind me helped me to get up on my knees, as I receptioned myself with my hands. I was quite glad someone was here, but I was still too exhausted to cheer and speak wisely.

This voice...

Coincidentally, the voice seemed familiar to me, like I've already heard it somewhere...

I only have the strength to turn at my left, when my still blurred vision could see a man crouched down next to me.

"Here."

He gave me gourd of water, that I slowly picked it up without hesitation, breathing slowly before drinking a good amount of water, until it was almost empty.

"T-thank you...", I said gratefully at the man while giving him back the gourd, when I asked in a weak voice. "Is that you... Alfyn ?"

I opened my eyes again to see him, wearing his habitual clothes and crouching at me with his bag around his arm. However, my vision was still so blurred that I couldn't see his eyes, darkened by the shadow of his own hair, but I could see he was smiling at me, like he always did.

What was he doing here ?... In that desert ?... Was he there for me ?

He answered my question by simply nodding at me, while pointing his thumb up, when he said calmly.

"It's fine... What kind of apothecary am I if I don't have water with me in that desert ?"

Ha... Alfyn... You've always been so cool with me, even in the worst situation..

While I started to regain my strength, he then breathed and spoke to me again.

"Just an advice: continue to go straight. You might be able to find something."

"To... go straight ?", I asked, confused.

He simply nodded to me, as he seemed very sure of him.

I slowly stared at the horizon, where I was supposed to go straight. It was still such a landscape of sandy dunes like everywhere in that desert. Why do Alfyn wanted me to continue to go straight ? Was it a safer choice than going left or right ?

Still curious, I stared him back, when I noticed he was gone.

A puff of wind could be heard in the middle of that desert. I looked around me to verify if he was still here, but no one was here. I was still alone in the middle of that hot burning desert. I didn't understand... Was it only my imagination ? Did Alfyn was just... a mirage ?

Seriously, I felt really crazy: if I stayed one more hour in that desert, I would completely loose my mind. Maybe if I continue instead, I would feel better.

I then slowly took my courage, standing slowly on the dune by staring at the horizon, and taking a good inspiration.

Very well, I'll continue to go straight.

So, despite all the heat surrounding me, I manage to get back in my walking.

I carefully went down the hill, before I started to go straight, like Alfyn told me to do. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea, especially when I decided to do it sooner when I landed in that place. But I think I won't only go straight through the desert, but also go straight through the path which will lead me at my destiny.

I regained hope a little as I started to believe there would be something interesting if I keep going in that direction. Maybe it could be someone else, a source of water, a near village.... or the 3 at once, maybe ?

Anyway, despite my bravery, this heatness was really annoying me.

I wanted to get fresh, to go back in the Snowlands, in that ice cavern with Ophilia instead of staying in that oven. However, when I was in that freezing place, I would always wish to get warm. That region and the place I was actually have really extreme temperature: it was even ironical because each time I was cold, I wanted to get warm, and each time I was hit, I wanted to get fresh. Having extremely hot was definitely as suffering than having extremely cold to die, but what was the worst between getting burned by the fire or frozen to death by the ice ? That was such a very difficult choice, but actually, I wanted to get fresh.

If only Alfyn was here... He would create me some ice and refresh my body... Or why not a power which permitted to create drinking water perfectly ?! That would be a wonderful dream !

But I could still dream... No one was there with me and they all missed me a lot. I wanted to see again the REAL Alfyn preparing potions, to admire sir Olberic training at sword fighting, to assist Tressa in her research of lost coins, to contemplate Ophilia praying in the Cathedral, to hide alongside H'aanit and Linde during an hunt, and, of course, stealing some stuff with my partner Therion. I must miss them a lot, as I still remembered Therion's helpless look when I fell in that canyon, and they missed me a lot just like it's been an eternity I haven't seen them. All of them, I wanted to find them again, to help them and have fun with them... but sadly, I can't.

All that story with that game, that strange man with the weird helmet, those purples light reaching the sky, and everything... made me concerned. All those weird events have happened because I'm pretty sure I was somehow related, else the man wouldn't have tried to attack me several times. If he wasn't working alone, that would mean more people have the same objective. But why did they keep trying to create those beams of light ? What did they really want ? And why am I such important in their plan ?

I could be sure that whatever those bad guys wanted, it wasn't something very good, and I was too preoccupied to worry about this. I would always feel anxious while imagining what they could do with those light, but I'm more than sure it wasn't just to make pretty. Furthermore, who else would decorate a place with just scary purples beams of light ?

Anyway, that's why I didn't want to involve anyone again: like Therion who had already enough troubles to deal with, or even Tressa. I felt so bad to have left her like this, and it was such a pain in my heart to be separated from her, like the others. But I had no choice: the yellow helmet man already harmed some of my friends who tried to protect me or to deal with the problems he caused, and all of that just because of me. That's why I don't want Tressa to get hurt like the others, she who has always been so nice and cheerful with me. And this is the same case for everyone else: after what this yellow helmet man did to Cobblestone's chief, I refuse the same scenario would happen again.

Hopefully they weren't looking for me, because I didn't want to cause them more trouble from my own problem. Yeah, it was now my problem, so I had to deal with it alone.

After a few minutes of walking again and again, going up and down on any sandy hills in my way, I would always hope there would be something hidden behind that hill, or maybe the next one, or even maybe the next one.

However, climbing those hills was really tiring, and my face would sweat of laziness.

"I... must... continue..."

Feeling sleepy, I suddenly lost my balance, and rolled over on the dune.

I was lying on the other side of the dune, my head resting on it like it was a comfy pillow. Despite the heatness, it was such a good position to sleep.

"Maybe... I'll just... take a nap here..."

I then observed the landscape again, when I observed something a few meters of my feet.

Habitually, when I read that book, exactly at the page showing the desert in pictures drawn for kids, I remembered there were obviously camels, those famous desert animals with 2 bumps on the back, and some of them could have only one !

But I haven't spotted any single one for the moment, and the only thing I could see from my resting position was a skeleton. It wasn't the skeleton of a person, it has a different and larger shape, like the shape of an animal. It looked to be the corpse of a camel, which the bones looked very old and as hard as rock. Some of them were broken in pieces at the level of the torso and half of the corpse were missing. Strangely, there wasn't a single bump on the back, just a pair of long de-fleshed limbs were lying in the sand, and a really long neck with a triangular skull agonized on the burning ground. But what was the most scariest about the crane is that it has no eyes and the jaw was really broken, were the teeth still remained.

Quite shocked, I slowly but surely got up.

"No !... No way I die here !"

There's no way I die of thirst and finish like this camel !

I have still to find some water quickly, but it was really tiring to walk with a dry tongue. I would like to continue, but I just noticed I immediately lost my orientation after falling. Why was it so hard ?...

I stood in place, and sighted annoyingly.

"Oh... I'm so lost.... Why my powers haven't teleported me in Atlasdam directly ?..."

That's right that would be much easier if I landed at Atlasdam instead. With that, I wouldn't just avoid to walk for long and tiring days during the travel, I would also arrive at the place I wanted to go for meeting that famous scholar who could help me to control better my powers. I must admit it was pretty useful to travel at a very far place in less than one minute with that faculty.

But actually, I wasn't very lucky: I must have landed in that famous desert Tressa told me about last night, where she added it wasn't a good idea to cross it, and I totally understand why. Plus, I have no idea how vast is this desert, but I feared to admit it must be very very wide as I remembered there was a region called Sunlands.

So, I must be in the Sunlands... I can say it's well named !

Too bad I've landed here, in the south. I preferred this vortex to teleport me more at the North, in direction of Atlasdam...

"Wait !"

An idea came into my mind, when I looked for something inside my bag.

I took the silver compass Captain Leon gave me before he left Rippletide. It was still shining beautifully, but much more than usually due to the sun, and the metallic material was quite hot at the touch.

I observed the red arrow turning in the direction I decided to go, when I made a conclusion.

"The north is over there... I must keep going..."

I continued to walk by starting to climb the next dune, following the compass's indication, when the heat forced me to wipe out the drops of suit covering my face.

"I'm so thirsty... huh ?"

Not far away from my position, I spotted some green long leaves which looked like to be the top of a palm tree.

By curiousity, I climbed a little more the dune to have a better view, and protected my eyes from the sun, when I saw something which slowly started to make me excited.

At a few dunes away from me, right in the middle of this deadly desert, there was a long palm tree just next to a pool of water ! No joke, there was a source of blue water hidden behind this dune right next to that tree !

At the sight of the oasis, my eyes widened and my mouth started to drool. I slowly recovered my energy and lost all my exhaustion, when I cheered with still an weak tone.

"Yeah ! Water !"

I fell down the sandy hill before running in direction of the oasis, forgetting all the heat around me and being motivated by the will to hydrate myself.

Finally ! I couldn't wait to drink some water with that damn heat ! If it was a true oasis, it would be the end of that nightmare !

"Please don't let it be a mirage... Please don't let it be a mirage..."

I rushed further and further through the sandy dunes, making flying a few sand at each step, when I reached the place, and stopped a front of the palm tree still standing above the water.

There were some vegetation around the oasis, as the sand looked more humid and less hot. The palm tree reached at least 5 meters high as the wind was slowly blowing its large and fresh leaves like an hairdryer drying a person's hair. The pool of water reached a depth of around 20 centimeters and its sides reached the 2 meters, large enough to take a swim ! The color of a water was a bright greenish blue, quite transparent while we could see my own reflect at the surface.

That oasis was too beautiful and detailled that I had no doubt: it wasn't a mirage !

"It's a true palmtree ! Alleluia !", I jumped in the airs happily, laughing proudly as I started to let escape some tears of joy.

Splash !

Of course, my first reflexe was to drink directly in the pool.

I kneeled a front of the pool, and started to take some water with my hands before swallowing it in my mouth, adopting such a wild behavior while hydrating myself. I also manage to spray my face for wetting my hot face.

"Oh yeah... That's good... That's so good..."

I was completely blessed: the water was really fresh and good to drink. The taste might not be better than at Rippletide's fountain, which was a little fresher, but it was really cool and the more I continued to wet my face, the less I was hot.

What a good luck ! I really did great to follow Alfyn's advice, even if it was just a mirage ! I really found a good spot to rest in that deadly desert. The only thing I wanted to do was to drink, to drink more, and to drink even more, so much that I was still thirsty after drinking so much, simply because it's been a few long hours I had not a single drop of water on my tongue. I felt so good and relaxed, but the stress has been so present during the travel that I wished to drink the entire pool until there was no oasis.

So, I stopped to drink, and took a long breath. Some water was still flowing from my face as I smiled a little. Maybe I'll stay here for a while before getting back on the road.

Grumble !...

I felt a vibration from underground, as a weird noise which continued before stopping.

Concerned, I looked around me to see no one, not even an animal, as I stared back at the pool.

"Hm ?.... !!!"

CRACK !

I immediately stepped back by reflexe when something came out from the ground at the bottom the pool, something giant which terrified me. But what was that thing ?!

KRROOOHHH !!

"AAAHHH !"

I couldn't believe to see such a creature coming out from the pool. It looked like a big worm, and I was very serious when I said it was big: it was much bigger than me, bigger than an adult, and reached the 10 meters of length. It has a purplish skin, but not as soft like a simple worm, instead it looked quite hard. Its squared mouth covered of sharp fangs, even on the sides, creeped me out as it was large enough to eat me in one bite, alongside with its purple horns. Seriously, it was just like one of these monsters attacking people in those horror movies !

Right now, I slided one the sand before getting up and running away from the creature, holding my bag tight, and ran screaming for my life by climbing the dunes.

KROOOOHHH !!

However, the sand worm managed to pursue me, wiping out millions of sand seeds in his way, and was quite fast despite his huge size. He moved almost like a snake while he passed through the dunes like no big deal, and wildly went through the tunnel by collapsing all the dunes with his limbless body. He looked very hungry and kept chasing me whenever I go; he could even finish to catch me if ever I slowed down.

But thats monster was really tough: I tried to run the fastest as I can, by going straight or zigzagging, and even passing between the hardest ways, the worm still chased me without stopping.

I arrived at the top of a dune and started to catch my breath, when the ground shaked below my feet.

KROOOOOOOOHHHH !!!

"Aaaaahhh !!"

The monster suddenly climbed wildly the dune, which collapsed, making me falling and sliding downwards.

That's no good: I couldn't run away from that worm and he was just too close for I escape. If I do nothing to defend myself, I'm dead !

Quick ! Iron Luck !

Despite I was quite exhausted and all the heat, I took my courage and picked up my axe from my bag, holding it tight, when the monster quickly went down dune in my direction, opening his mouth wide.

KROOOOOOOOHHHH !!!

Crunch !

At the last moment, I sidestepped from the right to avoid his bite, and aimed for his back before jumping, when I was ready to strike.

"Raaaaahhh !"

CLASH !

I hit the creature with all my strength, right at the level of the neck, just like how would do Alfyn with the giant viper.

However, the worm didn't scream and my axe was like stuck on his skin, which looked as hard as stone.

"Huh ?"

KROOOOHHH !!!

The worm gesticulated in every senses when I quickly pulled out the axe from the skin, before being repelled away.

"Aahh !"

I immediately got up after my fall, and continued to run away from the worm.

Seriously, my axe wasn't hard enough to hurt the skin of that damn monstrous bug ! All animals from that world were really much tougher than in the real dog !

KROOOOHH !

The monster snaked quickly through the dunes, much angrier than before after the blow he received, repelling all the sand on his way.

While my weapon was useless against that enormous worm, I must find another way to get rid of him.

"Okay... I have no choice."

Gzt !

SCRAAAAATTTCH !!!

I managed to activate my powers, as the electricity around permitted me to forget the hotness of the environment. The thunderous aura around me was so powerful that it created like a blast repealing the sand around me. If I couldn't hurt the worm with my axe, then I'm gonna roast him in a flash instead !

KROOOOHHH !!

The monster charged towards me like a bulldozer, and tried to swallow me again.

CRUNCH !

GZTT !!!

My lighting speed helped me to avoid the blow and to bypass the monster, as the blue trail of electricity I left dazzled on the sand.

I slided a little while stopping one a dune, located a few meters higher from the hungry beast, when I kneeled down, put one hand on the sand for supporting myself, when I focused and dashed.

GZTT !

"HAAAA !"

SBUNK !

SCRAAATCHH !

"KROOOOH !!!"

The monster roared after receiving the kick right onto his cheek, as thunder surrounded his whole body which trembled to the violence of the shock.

I stepped back a little when he simply fell on the side, but he didn't looked to have been defeated. Furthermore, his tough skin was still in a good state despite the blow I gave him.

Why... why it doesn't work ?!

"KROOOOH !"

WOOOSH !

"AHHHH !"

He gave me a blow with his tail which was powerful enough to send me a few meters away, before I landed heavily on the sandy ground.

"Nghh !..."

GZTTT ! Gzt !

My powers disappeared right after the fall.

I was still really exhausted from the heat and all the path I traveled, so I unfortunately didn't have enough force to summon my magic despite the situation.

That monster l was totally insane ! That worm was an hundred times more tougher than a small simple worm from underground with his shell which was as hard as diamond ! I couldn't believe there would exist beasts who are too strong for me: if ever I continued to attack him with my axe, I might break it due to his incredible armor ! Indeed, even strong powers weren't enough to hurt him, and it seems electricity was useless against that thing ! But how could my powers, which were generally able to defeat a living statue, a giant snake, or even a bunch of pirate, be useless against a worm ?!

"That's no good...", I said to myself, enduring the pain of the fall while trying to get up.

I would like to continue fighting that thing, but I was still really tired and exhausted due to the heat. So, I had no choice but to flee for my life !

KROOOOH !

The sand worm growled angrily, much louder than before, as he didn't need to have a pair of eyes to glare at me.

"GO ! GO ! GO !"

I was far enough from the monster when I started to run on the dunes, the sweat escaping my face, and my legs couldn't stop running despite the heat. He might get up at a moment or another after the blow I gave him, so the more I ran, the more I'd be safe.

However, I felt the earth trembling at the same time where the worm finally continued to chase me.

KROOOOOOOHH !!

Around 20 meters and some dunes separated me from the creature, but I had to go faster in order to find quickly a place to hide. I would like to use my magic to go faster like the last time, but my legs were really tired and I didn't have enough strength to summon them again anymore.

I zigzagged between the dunes on order to escape easily the worm, but he kept chasing me wildly by charging through the dunes like an incredible tank !

I continued to run for my life on the burning sand, while the creature approached the more I went further in my escape. That thing was really dangerous and menacing with his impressive teeth and his horns on the head, and finding myself in the middle of his mouth would mean I'll finish like a crushed empty soda if I didn't hurry.

KROOOOOOHHH!

No !... He's gonna get meeeeeeee !.....

That's no good: they keep approaching me despite how fast I was, just like only hunger permitted him to move so quickly with the attempt to devour me as his lunch ! Not even my fear of being caught was enough to escape him away through that endless desert.

As the creature was at 2 dunes further behind me, I reached tiredly the top of a dune, where I lost my balance while running, making me sliding and rolling over the sandy hill, when I fell heavily on the dusty sand.

"Nghh !..."

While catching my breath, my eyes spotted, not far from the last dune, another dune with a kind of thing at the top.

Curiously, I protected my eyes from the sun in order to have better view: it was actually a barrel, standing on that dune and lost in the middle of that, which reminded me of that barrel of rhum me and Tressa had "offered" to those pirates.

An idea quickly came into my mind.

"A barrel ! Quick !"

I immediately rushed towards the dune and climbed it carefully, before opening the cover and quickly going inside.

Thankfully, it was large enough to hide my whole body inside the barrel, so I put back the cover over my head and stayed curled up quietly.

I stayed very quiet inside my hiding spot position: I didn't make any move, neither any cry, and make sure to breath quietly, to stay calm no matter what would happen.

There was a hole a front of me, which permitted to see the desert outside. The desert still looked so wide and endless at a point this gave me goosebumps, cause it was really unbelievable a place like this would exist. However, I could still spot the oasis at the full left where I've stopped, as it was still incredible that puddle was there right in the middle of that wide desert of countless sand.

A calm puff of wind blowed on the desert and its billions of sand, giving me to see an ocean and its waves only made of sand seeds which flied through the astonishing and numerous dunes of that awesome landscape.

I then felt the ground moving at my left, alongside with some presence not so far away.

KRRRRRRRRR.....

It was the sand worm which was approaching. I was sure. I could hear him moving his enormous snake-like body on the soft burning sand, but much quieter than before. He must have calmed down and started to look for me quietly without rushing.

I then can hear his trail louder, and louder, and LOUDER... It honestly creeped me out to believe he was very close to me and that he would manage to find me inside that barrel. So, at the very moment where he passed next to me, I bit my lips and remained as quite as a mouse, by staying patient.

When I heard the worm passing next to me, there was like a tension present during the scene, as I was a little frightened off being caught by that snake-like creature.

Finally, I spotted from the hole the creature which moved away from the barrel, definitely ignoring it, and continued to look for me by snaking through the dunes before disappearing from my view.

I sighted, relieved he left away from me, while trying to put my back against the barrel's wall.

"Phew... He's gone... WOAH !"

The barrel where I was hidden suddenly swung backward and fell with me inside.

"NOT THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH !"

It rolled over the other side of the dune, spinning so fast like a washing machine, so fast that I also spinned as well in every senses, as I was like stuck at a side of the barrel and I didn't fell when I reached the upper part.

Oh no, please ! I want to go out ! I don't want to do a barrel roll !

I felt so dizzy that I almost wanted to throw out, and the shocks at each spin hit me.

"Ach ! Ouch ! Ngh ! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH !"

I couldn't stop to scream from the extreme sensation, which was worser than an hamster running inside a wheel, and I was more falling than running. The barrel continued to roll at fast speed through the dunes, going down as some sand went through the hole, and it was too fast so I could stop the annoying carousel myself.

It continued to roll again and again for a good minute, when it slowed down a little, as I heard some noise outside.

Indeed, I could hear a lot of movements around, and numerous steps and voices, like I wasn't alone. I even recognized the sound of carts pulled by horses. Furthermore, while my barrel was still rolling, the surface of the ground was much harder and flatter than the surface of a dune. But gimme a sec: if I wasn't in the desert anymore, was I now in a village ?

Finally it stopped...

I agonized tiredly inside the leaned barrel, exhausted after going in circles for a long time, when the barrel finally stopped its run in the middle of its way. Thankfully, I felt more fear than harm during the carrousel, but I was too tired to move a single finger.

"Buy my melon ! My fresh melon !", called happily a voice from outside.

Was it a merchant ? Have I really landed in a village ? Full of people ? In the middle of the desert ?

Where... where am I ?

By curiousity, I watched from the hole and observed the place: as I expected, it was a village, but different from the others towns I've visited in my travel. Indeed, the houses and buildings were all made of yellow rocks, the same color than the sand of the desert actually. There might all have normal doors and windows, but these buildings didn't have any roof, just one layer of rocks covered these houses. One of these houses have a bunch of clothes drying on the "roof", as there were even stairs which permitted to go up there.

The whole village was astonishing: it has the colors and the ambiance of the desert, and was like the exact opposite of the snowy village of Flamegraces. Despite there were roads, I noticed there were still sand at the extreme sides of the streets, and I could see at the end the dunes of the desert. It was incredible this desert would hide such a populated city: effectively, I observed the people were mostly wearing light clothes, like dresses reaching the feet which even men were wearing, a kind of weird white hat covering an old man's head, and some women were dressed with a light headscarf which protected them from the heat of the sun.

It was still pretty hot in that city, but less hotter than in the desert as I noticed my barrel were underneath the shadow of a large sail above me. Honestly, I felt reassured to see those people living here despite the heat dominating the city. It reminded me one more time of the book which showed there were countries in the desert of Africa, and some lost villages established in that wide area. Indeed, this village looked exactly like the ones I've seen in the pictures with its imposing palm trees and the soft burning sand covering the wide spaces around the village.

HIIIIIIIIIIIII !

A few meters away from me, I spotted a horse pulling a cart full of merchandises, which went through the streets and crossed the market. A few stands were established at each sides of the alleys, approached by a lot of numerous customers, and kept by proud merchants who were selling everything useful we could find: fruits, clothes, pots, plates, jewels and even weapons. None of them looked disturbed by the heat and kept attracting customers in a positive ambiance.

HI HAN !

The noise surprised me out a little as it seemed unfamiliar for me, when I spotted at the right an horse quite special.

In reality, it was a donkey. A grey furred donkey which was calmly waiting with a bunch of merchandises on its back, and who was tied by a rope. I've never seen that animal before in reality, so I was quite excited to see one, especially because I first thought they only lived in farms.

This animal might be smaller than a horse, but he looked so calm, so innocent, so peaceful. I felt quite bad to see him being forced to wait here during that heat and with such an amount of heavy packages to carry. That shouldn't be easy the life of a domestic animal...

To tell the truth, I was pretty glad to have reached that village. I'm finally done with the thousands of kilometers to walk, the millions of dunes to climb, and of course the annoying sun which made me exhausted. Now, I've finally found a populated village to rest, full of people, of tasty food, and most importantly, water in abundance ! It was really worth it to move straight in the desert ! Finally, I could say goodbye to my agony !

Actually, I was pretty tired and I wanted to rest, when I heard a door opening.

"Alright ! Just take all those barrels in the tavern !", ordered a voice behind me.

"Yes sir !", answered someone else.

Barrels ?!... Do I have stopped in a place full of barrels ?! I couldn't see any of them from the hole, so maybe they should be behind...

I would like to leave that barrel and to visit the village, but actually, my muscles were so weak that I only have the strength to sleep there, my eyes being tired.

I'm so tired... I just wanna rest...

~Later~

Feeling the temperature slightly fresher than before, I slowly yawned.

"What... happened...", I said to myself, while recovering.

I was still inside the barrel, which was now standing to make sure it won't roll.

I waked up calmly, stretching my arms, when I noticed the place was much darker than before.

No way... It is already the night ?

I sat down in my hiding spot, when I could heard some noise from outside. I could hear people talking and shushing, some glasses clinking, when I finally understood I wasn't outside anymore.

But where was I, actually ? Did some people carried the barrel I were inside the place by mistaking me for the other barrels ? That would explain how I ended up in a place like this...

Why... why it is so dark ?!

I decided to look through the hole.

There were a bunch of wooden round tables, where each of them were cornered by one or several stools. I counted 5 tables, but I was pretty sure there were more hidden from my view. At least one person were sat at the tables, and sometimes two, or three, or more, which were mostly men drinking or eating their meal. Some of these customers looked to be inhabitants of the city, while others were just travelers who wanted to have a drink, as they looked unfamiliar compared to the others. Some persons were standing, including a waitress who was serving drinks at a table, before disappearing of my view at the right. Indeed, glasses of beer, plates of food, cutlery, and appetizers like olive or bread were set on each tables.

Is that... a restaurant ?... Or maybe this is just a bar, I've heard they sometimes make food in bars... Or a tavern, maybe... Yeah, that definitely looks like a tavern.

Maybe the building next to the barrels was just a tavern in the village ?

That's cool ! I could buy something to eat and drink with my own money the pumpkin old woman gave me at Cobblestone. Maybe the owners will be cool like Camilla at Cobblestone's Inn !

I've ate all the fruits during my travel through the desert, so I was pretty hungry. I could even eat a roasted boar with an apple inside its mouth !

However, I was still wondering why the tables looked so low from my point of view... unless it was me, who was instead quite elevated !

So I looked more at the left, and observed a scene, which was quite vast to welcome 10 persons. The stage was made of wood with a quite pretty tile, quite illuminated by a light unlike the place where were the customers, and there was behind a very wide luxury red curtain.

It looks like... a theatre stage.

All the customers were staring at the stage, and looked so impatient, that some of them whistled

"Come on ! Start the show !", yelled impatiently a man, sitting at a table while sipping his cocktail.

The rest of the customers were quite agree with him, just like all their attention were focused on the stage ? I wondered what kind of show are they waiting for ? Is that really a play ?

The silence slowly came as people calmed down, when the red curtains opened wide, a music started to play, and a group of 4 persons appeared on the stage.

They were all girls, who started to dance at the rhythm of the music played by unseen musicians, as the customers cheered.

"Yeaah !"

"Dance, my babes !"

Most of the men of the groups were admiring the dancing girls show, they fantasized on them and whistled, as they looked more interested by that show than their own drinks and meals.

Is that really the show they were talking about ?

Dancing girls... Why are they almost naked ?...

I observed the show from my hiding position: the four girls were all dancing gracefully in rhythm by attracting the glares of the crowd, and were smiling during their spectacle. It was a dance quite different from the ballet as it looked more deep and rhythmic, and even the dancers themselves were dressed differently: they didn't wear any tutu or tights... they had just a special outfit based simply of a short top and a high slit skirt, leaving much of their bare skin shown to the public, and their feet were covered by brown sandals.

I was really surprised by their outfit: why did they need to dress like this for dancing ?! Seriously, the only clothes they wore just covered their...

Private areas ?... And we could even see their belly button !

Honestly, I was pretty intrigued by these dancers, as I never heard about those kind of "shows" in my whole life. There were actually 4 girls dancing at the stage, while 3 of them were dressed in a fresh green color: the first one who danced the closest to my hiding position has dark black hair set in a ponytail, while the second one at her left has long curly red hair and the third one has black hair just reaching her shoulders. The fourth dancer, placed at the left of the third one, was instead wearing a blue dancing panoply: she has short brown hair, shorter than the third girl, which the color reminded me a lot of Tressa. I also noticed they were wearing some kinds of necklaces, earrings and bracelets to make prettier.

All of them were dancing beautiful at the sound of the music, through the cheers of the customers, with such an elegance at each step of dance. To tell the truth, I must admit these girls looked really pretty, with their cheerful smile, and I could even say these women have great form, with their slim silhouette and their beautiful legs. They were offering such a nice spectacle to everyone in this room, and I couldn't stop to watch them in action.

However, the problem is that my barrel... WAS JUST ON STAGE WITH THESE GIRLS !

I felt quite culprit to watch them like this, much closer that any crazy customers would try to ! Yeah, I was like a cad to hide here just to observe them closer, even if it wasn't intentional ! I felt so shameful to do such a thing in an area unauthorized for the public, of course !

Fine. It might be a good show, but I have to get out without being seen. There's too much people watching, so I just have to leave when it's close.

But what if someone want to check the barrel ? What if they took me like a pervert if they find me here ?

Oh yeah ! I just have to pretend to be a cat and meowing, so people will think I'm just a cat, and will leave me alone. That's right ! All I have to do is to stay here for a moment, and stay quiet like a cat, furtive like a cat, and smart like a...

The rhythm of the music changed slightly, when the blue dancing girl showed a red shawl, and dancing gracefully was spinning around her. She then gave it to the girl at her right, who danced differently with the shawl, before she gave it at her turn at her neighbor, who played another dance before giving it to the first girl with the ponytail.

Then, the girl approached slightly the scene, alongside with the girl in blue, when they both held each sides of the shawl like it was flag, and throw it flying between themselves, where a fifth dancing girl taking the pose appeared by magic.

The crowd immediately clapped and cheered at the entrance of this new dancer.

"It's her !"

"I think I'm in love !"

They were all obsessed by this girl in particular, and me too, I was really impressed.

The fifth girl who was now dancing in the middle of the other dancers was wearing a red dancing outfit with in addition more jewerlies, earrings, and bracelets that I could count, alongside with a set of beautiful necklaces around her neck. She has long reddish brown hair set in a wonderful high ponytail, even longer than the first dancer, which reached her waist and danced as gracefully as she did.

She's beautiful...

That girl in particular was incredibly magnificent, so magnificent that I couldn't stop to watch her dancing with a smile on her lips. Indeed, she was dancing so beautifully, with such a grace and a flexibility, that it was her own dance which played the music. From all the dancing girls, she was definitely my favorite: her show was totally astonishing and she danced better than any others.

I might find annoying the crowd's cheers about her, but I now understood their own excitement. This red dancing girl was really unique, pretty, and was totally under the lights of the projectors compared to the others. She really conquered the heart of the public, and me too I was admired by her style and her beauty.

This girl was really such a celebrity in this tavern, and I was really concerned about her: Who was she ? Does she lived in this desert village ? Was she working in that tavern ?

Wait an minute... That brown ponytail... that red outfit... Is she ?!!

There's no doubt... I'm 10 billions pourcents sure she's the girl I've seen in the game... She must be the seventh one...

The spectators continued to acclaim and cheer at the impressive show gave by the girls, as some annoying men kept whistling especially at the red woman.

"Yeaaaah !"

"Please marry me !"

"Nice show, sweetie !", called a man close to the front of the stage, who then threw a money piece in direction of the girls.

He threw it so far that the coin went in direction of my barrel, passed through the hole, when I accidentally swallowed it.

" !!!... Argh !"

I felt really uncomfortable that I choked, and my barrel fell forward.

BUNK !

"KOF ! KOF ! KOF !"

I coughed so forcefully without paying attention to anything else, when I finally spat the coin out of my throat.

The music suddenly stopped, and all the dancing girls interrupted their show, as they all stared shockingly at me, alongside with the spectators in the tavern. Oh no... They saw me.

I was lying on my stomach, my legs still inside the fallen barrel while the rest of my body was on the stage, right in the middle of the artists, where I observed the coin I threw out rolled over until it reached the feet of the red dancing girl, surprised to see me like the rest of her comrades.

I was really, really bothered: all the attention of everyone in the tavern was now focused on me and only me, as I felt completely embarrassed by all these shocked glares.

I didn't know what to do and to say, when I finally mumbled .

"Uhhh... Meow ?"

~

A/N: I'm pretty sure everyone waited for Primrose ! Her story was so passionate and awesome in the original game, and everyone loved her character development ! Me too, I was impatient to write her arc in my story, and I even promise you it will be a quite different arc compared to all the others characters arcs I've ever done.

But sorry ! It's already the chapter's end ! You'll have to be patient if you want to see more of her in action !

I just hope you enjoyed that chapter, and see you next time !