Miyah let her eyes flicker closed, staring up at the dark sky above her. This deep into the desert, there wasn’t a spec of light pollution to be found. The pitch black abys above her, littered with thousands of stars stared back down onto the small camp that had been erected onto the sand.

“We’re eating soon, miss.” A voice called out from a campfire, where a group of three men sat, the fourth busy handing out the small metal containers full of rations. Miyah didn’t move, keeping her head against the sand, staring up. She had a soft spot for stargazing. The lack of, well, anything in the desert made the night sky as clear as glass, no blemishes, or clouds to obscure the night sky. She smiled, following the stars around Ursa major. As she closed her eyes, settling back into the sand bellow her, she felt a sharp sting in her arm. Wincing, Miyah held her arm up, glancing at the white display that hovered over her forearm. She waved it left to right, the white screen following the movements of her arm seamlessly as if it was a part of her body.

“What the fuck…” She murmured, pulling her forearm down closer as the text on the screen came into focus.


She continued to stare at the words, the light from the small screen illuminating her face in the dark. Was she having a stroke? It wasn’t heatstroke and it wasn’t dehydration. She gently mouthed the word nomad. She wasn’t sure why, but it stood out to her, like an oasis. As soon as the words left her lips, a searing pain shot through her forearm. The girl grabbed her arm, the screen distorting as Miyahs hand pieced the screen. She gripped her wrist as the pain continued, before it taped off, leaving only the faint sting in its place. The girl slowly pulled her hand away, looking down at her left wrist. Black ink marked her arm, a small tattoo of a planet.

“Okay?” She muttered, twisting and turning her arm.
It was definitely a tattoo, it wasn’t like the screen she had had moments before. It was ink, embedded into her skin. But as her finger brushed the black ink, the screen re-appeared. She let out an intrigued huff, pressing the tattoo again, watching the screen flicker back into nothingness. Miyah let out a laugh. What the fuck was happening, seriously. She sat up, glancing over toward the crackling campfire a few feet in front of her.

“Ammar? Laith?” Miyah called out.

She’d been speaking to them, they’d been right there. She noticed the metal containers, food spilling out as they lay in the sand. The caravan had been traveling together for the last two weeks, they wouldn’t just leave. Even if they had, they wouldn’t last a week without their supplies. She took a step forward, letting out a shout as her leg evaporated into light, the rest of her following. All that remained was the quiet crackling of the campfire, as the desert fell silent.

She stumbles forward, cursing as she hit the ground. The sudden change of light flashed her eyes. Looking around, she frowned. This wasn’t a desert, not like the one she was just in. It was arid, sure, but the small shrubbery and sparse vegetation littered the land. Miyah spotted the two others in front of her. She shot her hand back, her fingers closing in around what should have been a pistol holstered around her belt. But her fingers grasped nothing but air. “Fuck, did it fall out when I teleported?” She muttered, moving her hand across. If the gun was gone, a knife would have to do. She didn’t draw it, she just kept her hand ready. “Who are you, speak, now.” She said, a rough tone to her voice. “And don’t come any closer!” She barked, posturing herself ready for a fight.

[attr="class","elistyles][break]

Miyah kept her arms crossed, glancing between the two as more people began to appear around them. She watched as the bike the woman had originally had by her side. It looked just like any other motorcycle. Maybe a little more pristine than the sand battered ones she was used to. “Well, that’s new.” She took a step forward, examining the bike. The bright neon coloured lights pulsing and beating to some muffled beat that seemed to be emanating from the engine. “I’m seeing it…” She answered, staring in slight bewilderment.

She turned to ask Elisande a question, watching in disbelief as the girl materialised a dolphin next to her. The white light dissipating as the floating dolphin clicked. The celestial animal shimmered slightly as it flowed through the air, surfing on invisible streams. Miyahs eyes went wide, taking a step back as she let out a small yelp. She quickly stepped forward; her eyes fixated on the small glimmering stars on the animals skin. She’d spent countless hours staring up at the sky. Since she was old enough to remember. Bending down, she reached out her hand, gingerly pressing her finger against the stary display in front of her. “wow…” She muttered, before shaking her head and taking a step back.

“And you did that with the screen thing?” She asked Elisande. Miyah pulled her arm up, squinting as the white screen enveloped her forearm. Her eyes flowed across the screen. Having not had the time to fully read through the strange message that she had received. Desert Veil? She appeared to have some form of stats, and abilities? After she finished reading through the text on her arm, she lowered it, the white screen fizzling out. Reaching behind her, she pulled out the knife from her holster, gripping it in her hand. Miyah held up the sleek silver blade in front of her face. Did she just have to just, think it? She squeezed her hand, and to her surprise, the blade heated up. a gentle yellow glow emanated from the metal, following the knife as Miyah slowly swished it from side to side. A grin manifested on her face as she carefully placed it back into her holster.

“If this is real, that means that’s real.” She said, pointing up at the large screen in the sky. Spinning around, she darted her eyes across the wasteland around them. It was vast and arid, the monotonous plains broken up by small hills ahead. “We get up high, stay low and see what comes. If were going to fight something, I want to see them before they see us.” She stated, knelling down to begin to fasten the laces around her boots tighter. “No more than three, too many and we stand out.” She glanced back up, first to the bike flashing its neon colours, and secondly to the astral dolphin, currently circling around the pink haired girl. “Stand out more than we do already.” She corrected, getting back onto her feet. “That hill's the best.” She finished, pointing to an outcrop of rocks a few hundred feet behind them.

[attr="class","elistyles][break]