“I would be honored to,” Hadjar made the sacred gesture of the Sea of Sand.
Shakh responded in kind. He dusted off his caftan and, with a slight bow, disappeared into a sandy whirlwind.
***
“What does this all mean?”
One of the heads of the Katekan family rushed up to Shakh and grabbed him by the shoulders. A saber flashed and, even before the gray-haired man screamed in pain and his severed hand fell to the ground, Desert Mirage returned his weapon to its sheath.
“You paid me and my Sect to help you take part in the race for the key and the stele. I’ve fulfilled my end of the bargain.”
“We agreed to-”
“I fought their champion and lost,” Shakh interrupted him. He raised his voice and examined all of the cultivators gathered around him. “Maybe one of you wants to test your met
