Six - The sandstorm of a lifetime

It was already morning when we arrived at Kai Bell.

I had slept while thinking about stars. Now I am well rested and ready to take some action.

On the entrance we got searched by the guards. I carry nothing but my knife. It is not a problem. It is still not illegal to have it.

I thank the car owner and head to the checkpoint.

The situation in Kai Bell was worst than I anticipate.

It has more capital soldiers here than actual inhabitants.

A lot of people must have migrated. The conflict made people leave everything behind. We should not have to leave our homes like this.

This place is in complete abandon. The buildings are neglected and falling apart, the streets are almost empty. No market stalls, no sellers, traders, no restaurants, no stores or anything. Just soldiers.

I try to walk as unnoticed as possible. Some guards are talking about a heavy sandstorm coming later that night. The only supply that was capable of arriving here was the one on the car I came with. It will be four days until it is safe for the next one to travel here.

The sandstorms here are deadly even for people used to it. Staying inside is the safest option. This also means that I will not be able to escape so easily if I need to.

I am on the east side of the town now. That house there is completely empty. There is a guard making rounds right now. I go. The door is unlocked.

Under the floorboards, in one of the corners, there is a hidden trapdoor. I go inside. There is a lot o things here. A table, a panel, some pictures, some documents and some analogical weapons. I do not thing I will need more weapons. I am no good in using anythings other than my knife.

The documents on top of the table show the plant for the Capital base. There are instructions written from where to get inside, how to get the power-plant room and how to deactivate it permanently.

Sounds easy enough.

Searching more, I found a desert cloak. it is enchanted to be invisible while I am walking on sand. Found a technological helmet, explosive shells and a sand protection armor. This helmets are very expensive and rares. They can detect living forms nearby and echo locate maps and directions. Looks like the ones used by the capital elite troupes. This one is painted to camouflage in the sand.

The guards were talking about how the sandstorms can pierce through skin and kill you from within. What kind of place is this?

I carried all of this until the city’s exit. I can not let anyone see me. The guards would search me again at the gate when leaving. Or not let me leave the city at all because of the storm. I have to find another way out.

I prepared everything and waited the night fall.

It is pitch dark. Even more than I predicted.

The only places being litten are the ones where there are guards holding lamps. That helps me avoid them with no problem. They are very armed and would not enjoy seeing a suspicious foreigner freely walking at night.

When I arrived at the gate, I could only hear the sandstorm approaching. Loud. Very loud. I never thought wind could be this loud. I dressed the all the equipment. I am heavy but I manage to climb the walls.

The storm is coming from west.

It will hit me in half an hour approximately. So, the same amount of time I have to get to the base.

According to the map on the helmet, it was not that much far and it has a compass to guide me.

The dunes are softer and very bad to walk on.

I am not moving fast enough.

I keep going.

The storm gets to me before. I was not fast enough.

If walking on the soft desert was not hard enough, now it is impossible.

The sandstorm pushes me so hard that I can barely hold my ground. The compass is still working. So I keep moving.

One little step and a time.

I can not hear anything.

The wind is so loud I do not think I can even hear my own thoughts. The sharp sound of the sand hitting the armor is making me go crazy.

I can not back down.

I can hear voices calling for help from inside the storm.

That can not be real.

My mind is already playing tricks on me.

Some voices seem familiar.

I am already tired.

I think I just walked a couple of steps.

I keep moving. Keep moving.

I keep repeating it in my head so I do not fall.

One feet after the other.

My whole body is sore.

Keep moving. Keep moving.

I fell on my knees.

I use all me strength to stand up.

Keep moving.

Keep moving.

I think I am going to pass out.

I wake up.

My body is heavy.

I think I am under a lot of sand now.

Concentrate.

Concentrate.

I burst air magic around me.

I am free.

I used all my power.

I am tired.

I can stand up.

I do not know how much time I was out.

The sandstorm is still going.

Keep moving. Keep moving.

My head hits something.

I did not noticed but here I am.

I arrived.

This is the wall of the fortress.

I do not think I can climb it while inside the storm.

I can barely walk.

Also every entry should be inaccessible at this point.

The helmet shows an entry point.

There is a septic tank entrance close.

Now I do not have the desert cloak with me anymore.

Concentrate.

I will circulate the base going left until the entrance.

Keep moving.

I use fire magic to break the entrance of the tank.

I do not think the gargoyles are working on this weather. Or at least they can not locate me.

It smells so bad but is big enough I do not need to crawl.

I can walk.

The entrance is almost instantly closed by the sand coming inn.

I feel lighter.

It is so much more easy to move.

I can feel my body again.

My first reaction is to try to sit on the floor.

I stop myself. The floor is filled with waste.

I hold myself with my hand on the wall and keep following the map inside.

A small walk until I get to the maintenance room.

The helmet does not locate anyone inside.

Now everything is so silent. I also do not know if I can hear anything anymore. I open the door. The room is empty.

Inside, I take off the helmet.

I can breath.

I think I forget how to.

This storm was one of the worst experiences of my life. I would rather die in this mission than go back at the storm.

Now in this room I can rest.

I check for some information around. It seems like it has been two days since my depart from the city. I was this much time out on the storm. I wonder how I survived. My face has some scratches. Even with the helmet on the sand manage to get in. I eat and drink a little bit of my supplies.

I still have two days to go.