The Land Below our Feet COMPLETE

SAND VALLEY

They had been riding in the scorching heat for days, the sun reflecting on the sand and nearly blinding them during the day, the cold relentless winds freezing them at night.

Ussi rode with his back straightened and a white cloth covering his entire frame from head to toe. He had given Souna and the kid similar attires as soon as he spotted the immense Sand Valley extending ahead of them.

A makeshift leather shield had been wrapped around each of Kohu´s paws, protecting them from the blistering ground.

It had been so long since they'd seen anything but that endless desert glow, and they were so tired and thirsty that Souna feared they were going to die soon. Food was scarce, and they had not much water left either. Her milk was gone and the kid was so dehydrated by now that he had fallen into a deep slumber, his tiny body quietly bouncing inside his carrier as she stared worriedly at him.

When a brief patch of vegetation slowly appeared in the distance. Souna had been sure that she was just hallucinating and her eyes were tricking her with a mirage. She had dared not to say a word about it as she did not want to sound crazy to the warrior's ears. So, when they got close enough and the herbage only became clearer and bigger, she had been overjoyed with surprise.

They had made it to the fertile refuge in extreme fatigue. Ussi tiredly helping Souna down Kohu´s exhausted back and ridding him of his saddle.

The beast had rushed to the water source that fed the foliage and drank until his thirst was fulfilled. Souna, the warrior and the kid doing the same, before taking a relieving bath.

-I am sorry, my friend – The Yahurian had said sadly, as he tossed a big chunk of cured meat to the disappointed jaguar – This is all I can give you for now. It will have to do until we get to Cahen.

Souna sat by the fire watching the feline devour the food in no time while she held the quiet kid. Ussi walking towards them and handing them both two more pieces of meat.

-Do all Yahurians have their own Kohu? – The girl asked, distractedly eating her share of food – I didn't see any other like him when we were at the citadel.

-No – Ussiariah laughed, taking a seat before her and extracting the last chunk of meat from his provisions, pausing to eat it discreetly, turning his face away from her – Giant jaguars are rare, and they are not easy to catch.

-So, how did you end up with one, then? – Souna questioned him curiously, her eyes sparkling with interest.

-I was out on a solo mission one day, right after we returned from Mavaer, I had been walking through a pathless mountain and his mother pounced at me. I killed her instinctively before I could realize what I had done. When I finally looked past her, I found her terrified cub hidden in the brushwood, and I understood she must have been desperate to feed her offspring. So, I picked him up, and I took him with me. It was all I could do after killing his only survival means.

-And how did you get him to be so obedient? – She commented with appreciation, glancing at the sleeping, massive beast.

-Well, I treated him as an equal – The warrior shrugged off – That means mandatory training from sunrise to sunset, just like any other Yahurian.

- So, you see him as a warrior, then? – Souna asked, taking a sip of water, swallowing the last bit of her meal.

- I sure do– Ussi nodded proudly – I consider him my brother, one of my best ones in fact. After all, he has been my partner for the past ten years. We have been through plenty by now.

- When you say he is a Yahurian, does that mean he has attacked a human before? – She regarded the cat with suspicion and a bit of worry.

- Well, of course – Ussi chuckled, amused at her statement – But only when they pose a threat. Don't worry… He is not going to flip out and rip your head off without a good reason.

- How are you so sure about it? – She muttered with a concerned tone.

- Because he knows what I would do to him if he did – He calmly assured her – He is not allowed to kill if it is not for our own protection.

-Not even out of hunger? – Souna retorted with fright, looking at the famished feline.

-Not even then – The warrior sighed confidently, leaning back on a palm tree – But do not fret too much about it. He is not that hungry yet, he's had worse… Besides, we are close to Cahen now. We should be at its gates by tomorrow, I believe.

- Have you been there before?– The girl wondered as she rocked Axe in her arms steadily.

- Yes, a few years back we rid them of a rogue faction that wanted to overthrow Hethan.

- So, that is why the Guider is so confident that he will help us, because he owes your kind? – Souna deduced, looking into his eyes.

- That, and because if he refuses, he won't have a land to reign over for much longer anyway.

- But this is such an arid land, why would he want to rule it at all? – She commented, looking around at the devastated landscape.

- Don't let these sands fool you – The Yahurian shook his head with disapproval – Cahen is a very prosperous city. You will see it very soon.

- What does it look like? – Souna asked, intrigued at his words.

-Big – He simply answered, stretching his hands towards Axe and gesturing for him to approach.

The kid smiled and jumped up from Souna´s arms, happily throwing himself into Ussi´s extended limbs as the warrior tucked his tiny body in the heavy blanket and positioned him against his chest.

-Quiet now – He raised his brow at her, urging her to lie down – It is sleeping time for both of you. I'm keeping watch.

The sun was high in the sky when Kohu´s wrapped paws reached the peak of a large dune, and a big fecund valley extended before their eyes. A huge, prolific city enclosed by endless miles of sand.

-Welcome to Cahen! – The Yahurian cheered as he urged his feline to lunge forward. Souna´s eyes taking in the immensity of the exuberant urb.