As the first light of dawn broke, golden sunlight spilled across the desert, banishing the bone-piercing chill of the night. Fa and her companions emerged from their tents, exhaustion etched on their faces but unbreakable resolve burning in their eyes. Today they would face the final trial of the Sand Sage Saladin—one that would decide whether Fa was worthy to receive the full inheritance of the Star Eye.
Fa adjusted her gear, fingers brushing the starry runes on her short blade. The weapon that had accompanied her through countless battles seemed to pulse faintly in response to her touch. Stepping outside, she saw Arya carefully polishing her longbow, the string shimmering with the faint glow of all five elements; TISK hefting his warhammer, its metal head gleaming like a second sun; and Salsa floating in mid-air, the mechanical cat's eyes glowing ghostly blue while dark shadow energy coiled around her staff.
"Ready?" Fa asked, her voice calm yet resolute.
All three nodded in perfect unison—no words were needed.
They walked to the center of the oasis where the Sand Sage Saladin already awaited them.
He wore a long robe covered in ancient runes, his lizard-man scales catching the morning light like polished obsidian. At the tip of his staff rested a huge amber gem in which grains of sand slowly swirled like living things.
"Are you prepared?" Saladin's voice was deep and still as the deep desert.
"We are," Fa answered, stepping forward.
Saladin nodded once and raised his staff.
The ground trembled. Sand flowed like water, rising into towering walls of translucent crystal that sealed the arena from the outside world. Rainbow light danced across the barrier; nothing beyond it would ever know what happened within.
Then he swung the staff again. A perfect duplicate of himself rose from the dust, radiating power—only a tenth of Saladin's true strength, yet still enough to make the team's hearts sink.
"This is my shadow," Saladin explained. "Your opponent. The purpose of this trial is not to defeat him—but to prove the strength of your will."
Battle: A Futile Struggle
The fight began instantly.
Arya drew her bow. Light, wind, and wood elements fused into a single arrow—"Triad Arrow of Light, Wind, and Wood"—that became spiraling green vines wrapped in cutting blades as it flew toward the shadow's chest.
"The desert fears nothing," the shadow said softly. With a flick of his staff, three streams of sand—each carrying a different elemental aspect—devoured the arrow completely.
TISK roared and charged, warhammer blazing with metal magic. "Take this!" He leapt high and brought the hammer down with thunderous force, aiming to shatter the shadow's knees.
The shadow merely waved a hand. The metal storm collapsed into ordinary dust that instantly wrapped around TISK's limbs like chains.
"Idiot! Don't use pure metal magic!" Salsa shouted.
Salsa herself summoned undead warriors from beneath the sand. "Soul Thorns!" Bone spikes erupted to bind the shadow's legs while crimson motes of "Corrupting Touch" swarmed his defenses.
Fa moved like a ghost across the battlefield, short blade glowing with starlight, searching for any weakness with her Star Eye. But the shadow's magic flowed in a perfect, unbroken circle.
Then the desert itself rose against them.
Sand surged like tidal waves. Arya's arrows vanished into the storm. TISK's hammer struck only air and dust. Salsa's undead were crushed to powder. Fa was hurled backward by an invisible force.
"This… is the power of a Sage?" TISK growled through gritted teeth, his armor cracked in a dozen places.
"We can't give up!" Arya cried, struggling back to her feet.
They attacked again and again, but the shadow was an unbreakable god of the desert—untouchable, inexorable. One by one, Fa's companions fell. Only she remained.
Fa's Lone Stand and the Power of the Star Eye
Fa's breath came in ragged gasps. Her clothes were caked with yellow dust, her blade trembling in her grip. She looked at her fallen friends, then at the approaching shadow, and felt despair try to sink its claws into her heart.
But she refused to yield.
"I have to try…" She closed her eyes. The Star Eye in her right socket blazed silver.
Time stopped.
Sand froze mid-air. The shadow halted mid-gesture. Every grain of magic hung suspended.
The shadow's eyes widened slightly. "Worthy of the Star Eye… you have awakened time stasis."
Then he smiled coldly. "Useless against one who inherits the flow of time itself."
He flicked his wrist. The frozen world shattered. Fa was struck by a wave of force and slammed to the ground. An invisible sandy hand closed around her throat and lifted her into the air.
"Such feeble power," the shadow said mockingly, "and yet you still insist on protecting this world?"
Fa choked, vision darkening, but her gaze never wavered. "Because… it's my mission… I will never give up…"
Something flickered in the shadow's eyes—recognition, perhaps respect. But the grip tightened. A blade of hardened sand formed and pierced Fa's heart.
Death's Illusion and Awakening
In the illusion of death, Fa felt her body grow cold. Endless darkness swallowed everything. She could no longer hear her companions, no longer feel her own heartbeat. Terror crashed over her like a black sea.
Yet somewhere in that abyss, a tiny light sparked.
She remembered Arya's gentle smile, TISK's booming laugh, Salsa's sly teasing. She remembered every moment they had fought side by side. She remembered the vow to protect this world.
The light grew into a blazing star.
"I… won't give up."
Three days later, Fa's eyes snapped open.
She lay in the oasis dwelling. Arya, TISK, and Salsa surrounded her, faces pale with worry.
"Fa!" Arya threw herself forward and seized Fa's hand. "You've been unconscious for three whole days!"
"I… died," Fa whispered hoarsely.
Saladin stepped through the doorway, a faint smile on his scaled face. "An illusion. The true purpose of the third trial was never combat—it was to face death itself and remain unbroken. Many shatter in that darkness. You did not. That is the quality a true inheritor must possess."
Relief and joy flooded the room. TISK clapped Fa's shoulder hard enough to rattle her bones. "Knew you were too stubborn to stay down!"
Salsa perched on Fa's chest, tail flicking. "Guess our captain's even tougher than I thought."
Saladin regarded Fa with solemn approval. "You have passed my trials. You are worthy to bear the full legacy of the Star Eye. Greater burdens await you, but I believe you and your companions can bear them."
Fa nodded, voice steady. "We will."
They embraced, celebrating a victory hard-won. The desert wind still howled, but hope now burned brighter than the sun in their hearts.
Farewell to the Sand Sage
The next morning, as the sun once again painted the horizon gold, Fa stood by the oasis lake clutching the Inheritance Stone, feeling its faint heartbeat against her palm. Her team packed their gear, weary but united, eyes bright with purpose.
Saladin stood before his dwelling, robes fluttering like living sand.
Fa bowed deeply. "Sage Saladin, thank you for everything you have taught us. Our journey is far from over. Do you have any information about the remaining ten remaining star fragments or the locations of the other four inheritors?"
Saladin shook his head slowly. "We Sages do not keep in contact, and their whereabouts are unknown to me. But if you seek clues to the fragments, go to the fortress at the very center of the desert—a castle built of both sand-magic and technology. Travelers of every race gather there. You will find rumors, maps, and perhaps even allies."
"Thank you. We'll head there immediately."
Arya stepped forward. "What kind of place is this castle?"
A knowing glint appeared in Saladin's eyes. "The desert's greatest wonder and most dangerous crossroads. Magic and machinery coexist within its walls. It is a place of culture, commerce… and hidden knives. Be wary."
TISK grinned, hefting his hammer. "Let anything try to touch my team—I'll smash it flat."
Salsa flicked an ear. "Try not to drop your hammer at the critical moment, big guy."
Saladin looked at Fa one last time. "Cherish your companions, Fa. They are your true strength."
As they turned to leave, Saladin's voice brushed only Fa's mind: "Your earth magic has only just begun. Train it well—it will save you one day."
She whipped around, but Saladin merely raised his staff in salute. Then he struck the ground once.
The entire oasis—lake, palms, dwellings—dissolved into swirling sand and vanished like a mirage. In moments, nothing remained but endless dunes.
The team stared, awestruck.
"That was the power of the Sand Sage…"
Arya gently touched Fa's shoulder. "Come on. We have a long road ahead."
Fa took a deep breath and smiled. "To the central fortress. Let's go!"
Journey Renewed
They marched once more into the trackless sands. The sun scorched them by day; the cold bit them by night. Fa walked at the front, occasionally pausing to practice the earth magic Saladin had awakened in her. Tiny spheres of sand would gather in her palm, hold for a few seconds, then crumble again.
"Still too weak…" she muttered.
Arya walked beside her. "Give it time. I was terrible with wind magic when I started. You'll master it."
Behind them, TISK grumbled about the heat baking his armor while Salsa mocked him mercilessly.
That first night they camped in the lee of a dune. As stars wheeled overhead, a low growl echoed across the sands.
Salsa shot into the air. "Company!"
A pack of desert demon wolves emerged from the darkness, eyes glowing venom-green, bodies rippling with corrupted magic.
"Circle up!" Fa ordered.
They fought back-to-back. Arya's wind arrows carved through the night. TISK's hammer sent wolves flying. Salsa's shadow tentacles bound and crushed. Fa tried to raise a sand barrier—it rose, wavered, then collapsed just as a wolf lunged.
But in that moment her Star Eye flared. She saw the alpha lurking at the rear.
"Cover me!"
Her team responded instantly. Fa darted through the chaos, blade shining with starlight—and buried it in the alpha's throat. The pack broke and fled into the dark.
Panting, they regrouped.
"Desert's full of surprises," TISK grunted, wiping blood from his hammer.
"We'll be ready," Fa said.
Ruins and Discovery
Days later they stumbled upon half-buried ruins—crumbling pillars carved with runes, scattered fragments of strange metal that hummed faintly with both magic and technology.
Inside a buried chamber they found a vast stone map showing the central fortress and several marked outposts.
Salsa traced the route with a claw. "This will save us weeks."
Following the ancient map, they reached the edge of the rocky plateau where the land itself changed. Sand gave way to stone and metal spires that caught the sun like beacons.
At last the fortress rose before them—walls of living glass and steel, banners of every nation fluttering above gates that never closed.
Fa stopped at the threshold, heart pounding with equal parts exhaustion and excitement.
"This is it," she said. "Whatever waits inside, we'll find the next piece of the star—and the next step of our destiny."
Her companions nodded, weapons ready, eyes fierce with loyalty.
Together they stepped through the gates, into the heart of the desert, toward whatever trials and truths lay ahead.