Desert Company: Retrospective

He soared from the sky, rushing down from the heavens. Rough turbulence messed up his brown hair, his barong shirt flapping intensely to the wind. Particles trailed behind him, a white shooting star from above. There was no smooth landing. He was going to crash into something after his descent. Landing in the streets was the only option. But the Azu streets were narrow, the blocks of buildings coveted them. Not only that, but having to land in the intersection where Perez was in?

Suruj readjusted his position, falling legs first. Normally the updraft would keep him from staying in the stance, but with sahar it would break the pressure of the wind. The town got bigger as he approached the square. He had to aim. If he crashed into a building, then that would be bad.

An explosive boom. The ground quaked as he landed legs first onto the street, the saharic particles breaking his fall. Dust flew into the air, a medium-size crater surrounded him. When his line of sight cleared, he saw the group all together. His eyes shook at the sight of cuffs and the unmarked Al-Wa soldiers. They were being taken away?

“All of this happened because of you, Suruj Zundui. You caused more damage to your home ward than we did. Your family died because of you.”

Suruj’s body churned with the heart of rage. The veins on his arm popped as he tightened his fist. He couldn’t allow this to happen. He couldn’t forgive Al-Wa.

“Al-Faqak 08, securing the last fighter,” One of the soldiers radioed, beginning to walk towards Suruj.

The soldier immediately dashed at him, holding the cuffs in his hands. The grunt must’ve been using an agility spell. Suruj had to dodge or defend, or do something. He could feel himself connected to the planet. Suruj stomped at the ground and clapped his hands together as if he were praying. Mold the land into a defensive mound.

“Alam Daigdig!”

The ground shuddered as solid rock came from below. A semicircle wall formed. The soldier quickly broke through and continued. Suruj narrowly evaded with a corkscrew. The man turned around and threw the cuffs at him. Suruj knew that if he touched those cuffs to deflect it, it would lock onto him. Saharic particles manifested inside him as he leaped away from it. A second one projected towards him. Suruj forgot that there was another soldier. He twisted his body in the air, changing directions. Did he do that? No, it must be sahar, he thought.

That move would had been impossible without particles stretching his body. But did sahar really work this way? He altered his Daigdig spell for defense and mobility. Landing on the ground, he prepared to drive his fist into the floor.

“You caused more damage to your home ward than we did.”

He stopped as he hesitated. He could destroy the area with the spell. He couldn’t do it.

“Do not resist, Zundui,” The Al-Faqak called out. “Your friends are already here. Don’t make it hard for everyone.”

“As if you could talk like that…” Suruj stood back up. His arms and legs tensed up.

“Suruj, no! Wait!” Saya tried to head to the front, but was blocked by Ashojan. “This is a misunderstanding!”

“Suruj!” Tvuj called out to him, to which he turned his head slightly. What was he doing?

“Enough! Mahou Kyuushuu!”

The soldier extended his hand as all objects: dust, porcelain, debris, gravitated towards him. Suruj struggled to keep his footing as the ground slid under him.

“Do you know how annoying it is to monitor all ten of you? And it hasn’t been two hours into your parole and you already attempted scat!”

If Suruj waited any longer, then they were going to capture him. He had to think. There had to be a way to disperse the effects of the spell. To use Daigdig in multiple ways…

“Alam Daigdig!”

He drove his foot into the floor. Once again the particles heeded to his call. Dirt attached to his feet like ropes.

Suddenly the second soldier was running to his side. Suruj made a mistake. He made himself stationary, implanting himself in the ground. In the next seconds of time, he used a wild card.

“Alam Baohu!” He threw his hand out towards the soldier to block his advance. A sound like screeching metal was heard as saharic particles scattered around. They clustered in the direction Suruj threw out his hand, but it did not follow his spell. The particles went off in a burst of light and exploded.

The bang was loud enough that Suruj thought he leveled the area, but he opened his eyes to another dimension. It was pitch black. If he stared too long then his eyes would be entranced by the eternal darkness.

Everyone else was in there too, the two soldiers, Saya, and the others.

“What a nuisance. A pantomime of a display. As expected of L’s brainwashed muqatil,” A man came walking towards them, with a sickening aura that everyone remembered.