Orbis

Chapter 3: Exile

"No. No, they would probably just ignore you brother." He said, giggling along with his words. Khan raised an eyebrow at him.

"They would definitely be afraid of me," Khan said. Ali let out a roaring laugh as he looked up from his book. Of course, Khan doubted the validity of his words. But, he didn't say them because he was particularly offended. No, he just savored his brother's laugh. It's not like it was rare, but it always lit up Khan's day. It made him smile, at the very least.

"They're afraid of big, intimidating beasts. Like sand wolves or dragons." Ali explained, still laughing. Khan feigned shock and betrayal.

"Come on. I'm pretty intimidating, aren't I?" Khan asked, standing up straight. But Ali shook his head.

"Brother, you're as scary as a mouse."

"Mice can bite, you know?"

"Really?" Ali asked, his curiosity peaking. Khan walked towards him.

"I'll show you!" Khan bellowed and Ali gave a cheery scream, running away from him. Of course, Khan chased him back into the house and caught him relatively quickly. Tickling poor Ali all over, no matter how much Ali told Khan to stop. But, much like Ali was laughing earlier, Khan roared his laughter. And the two brothers, laughing as they wrestled one another, received a downcast look of confusion from their mother. Who, simply rolled her eyes and moved along. Just another day in the Amir residence.

...

Khan didn't know why that memory had fully resurfaced. Perhaps it was nostalgia or the longing for home. Either way, he attempted to focus on the important part. Nytrons run away from bigger beasts. Which means I'm in big trouble. Khan backed up against the dragon upon this realization. Keeping his eye trained on the dunes surrounding the sandpit. And his ears peeled for any sort of noise. But he heard absolutely nothing. And, for a second, he though the Nytrons had simply made a mistake. Perhaps they became full. He thought though he doubted that sentiment.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! The noise finally came. It was loud and rapid. As if looping over and over again. Which means, whatever's coming, there's more than one. I need a weapon. Something. He thought as the sounds approached closer. He quickly turned around, looking for anything, any bone he could use from the dragon's corpse. The exposed bones from the body and face weren't gonna work. Too big. But the teeth--they looked promising. Khan immediately ran over to the face of the dragon and grasped one of it's hard, sharp yellow teeth. The one he had grasped wasn't particularly large in comparison to the others, but it was enough. About the size of a knife actually. And, still sharp. He grabbed it with both hands and pulled. Nothing. He could feel it tug, but it wouldn't come off. He tried again. Nothing. He tried a third time, this time pulling with all the strength he could muster while pushing his feet off of the dragon's half-eaten mouth. Finally, the tooth came loose and Khan fell over. He picked himself up, not bothering to rub the sand off as he surveyed the fraught situation.

Sand wolves. 5 of them. Their fur was, as the name entailed, the color of sand. Their eyes, however, were red. A maroonish color that stood out from other creatures. They had surrounded the sandpit, standing atop a singular dune adjacent to Khan. And they were hungry. He could tell. Their stomachs were caved in as if they had been dented like metal. They growled like lions and the one at the front, the one Khan assumed to be the leader, roared. The Alpha's face was scarred. But it was an old scar. One that ran down the center of his face and over his nose. Khan raised the knife--no, the tooth outward, and smiled. I'm going to die. Great. He thought. His sarcastic thoughts, oddly enough, put him at ease. The wolves made no move. No, they instead growled and roared. But their roars were wretched and insufferable. Not like the roars of beasts like dragons or lions. No, their roars were shrill and hoarse. Khan almost felt bad for the wolves. But the sentiment fell away as soon as they descended. They were slow, cautious creatures. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce. Khan thought of running away-- climbing over or going around the dragon. And then trudging up the dune behind him. However, he knew that would be a stupid move. As soon as I turn my back, they'll go for the kill. No, I need to stand my ground. Hopefully, if I kill one or two, the others will run.