Chapter 1

There is a lot about Bara Magna worth complaining about.

There is the oppressive heat that beats down from the sun relentlessly. There is the cruel aridity which dries up any living thing on the inside as well as on the outside. There are the unending fields of sand that stretch in every direction, as far as the eye can see—sand that is coarse, rough, irritating, and gets everywhere.

One can even complain about the hostility one will find within the desert. Constant raids by Vorox and Bone Hunters, the encroaching arrival of the Skrall, and the unceasing bickering of the native villages. If it weren’t for the Glatorian warriors, the Agori would have collapsed into fighting and backstabbing millennia ago.

In spite of it all, however—in spite of the climate, the environment, and the cultures, there was one thing Bara Magna did have going for it. For if one were to wait until the dead of night to sneak into the desert and travel miles from the nearest village—if one were to successfully evade nearby Vorox tunnels and Bone Hunter stomping grounds—if one were to bring a thick blanket for warmth in the dead cold of the night…

That was when the real beauty of the planet was revealed.

Far, far away from the nocturnal noises of nearby villages that had sealed themselves up for the night. Glatorian and Agori tucked in their beds, secure from the hazards of the wilderness. So far from security and safety, one might then hear the wild shrieks of the Sand Bat or the roars of Sand Dragons—the yelps of Sand Foxes, and the grunts of Sand Stalkers. And, far to the south, the slapping of joyful Sandrays leaping in and out of the Sea of Liquid Sand. Why, one might even be paid a visit by a Sand Mite, a Sand Flea, or Sand Worm.

But the sky—oh, you could paint a picture of the sky.

You could see everything. The glassy dark blue that stretched from horizon to horizon. The glimmering twin moons of blue and green-white that lingered in the sky above. And the nebulous, hazy purple ring surrounding the planet of debris left in the Shattering’s wake.

Yes, there is nothing more beautiful in all Bara Magna than the sky at night. And nothing more peaceful when the howling and screeching of the wildlife are far, far off.

The Skrall entering Bara Magna were met by this sky. Malum was dazzled by it following his exile. And tonight, if one were lucky, one might even see near the surface of Aqua Magna—

The grunts of a straining vehicle came around the side of a distant canyon.

“At least when I’m out talking up the female Agori of the village, I don’t leave the Kaxium in the hands of complete strangers.”

“He wasn’t a complete stranger. I’ve let him clean it up many times before, and never caused any problems.”

“And how many times was this?”

“I—that doesn’t matter. Point is, I don’t see why he—”

“Oh, so just because our very last map goes mysteriously missing and the Kaxium starts sputtering right as we’re riding out to the Dark Falls for the first time in our lives, it doesn’t matter.”

“There’s nothing on that map that isn’t on every other map of this waste. Why would anyone want it?”

“Why would anyone take anything? It was made by the world’s best cartographer. It was more precise than the rest.”

“You mean the cartographer that was killed by Vorox a few days ago?”

“Yup.”

“…I…… Yeah, well, maybe if you’d told me that before going to harass the innkeeper, it wouldn’t have been so much of an issue.”

*Let the reader note that at this point, anyone who had come out to relish the night sky would have long-since left.

“The point is, you should have left it in the working travel compartment where it belongs. That’s where we always keep important stuff like this.”

“You know what you’re like? You’re like a Sand Bat with no tail or wings. Just jumping around in the desert screeching at stuff.”

“Oh, I’m screeching—You know I have a deeper voice than you, right?”

“That means you also have a better falsetto.”

“That’s not how it works.”

As the vehicle croaked its way over a mound of sand, new sounds came into range: panicked shouts of fear and the clanging of Thornax against metal.

“That is how it works. It’s scientifically proven that the deeper your voice is, the higher your falsetto is.”

“No. Just because you have a deep voice does not mean anything about your falsetto. I bet you didn’t know that you actually have a deep falsetto, huh. Does that mean your voice goes that much higher?”

The sounds of fighting were much more distinct. Someone grunted in pain, and a small explosion rang out.

“Look, deep false voices or whatever don’t matter. The point is, regardless of whatever you’re doing with your voice, you unequivocally have the higher voice. Everyone says so.”

“Oh? Everyone who?”

The Kaxium rounded another large outcropping…

…and slowed to a halt.

The Thornatus V9 and the Baranus V7 were deadlocked in combat. Two hostages, bound and gagged, were tied to the Baranus chariot.

Scodonius threw a glare at Kirbraz.

“This isn’t over.”