Desert Kings

Halls of Time

She jumped and rolled into the sand with an "umph".

For a second it was just her, just her and this giant monster. But then a cry resounded.

"NO! NOT AGAIN." and suddenly Tanra was standing at her side.

"What are you doing?!" Nya cried

"I WILL NOT LET HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF AGAIN!" Tanra screamed with tears in her eyes.

Nya could even ask what she meant before they were slashing at the maw of the hideous creature.

It was to big, the caravan had enough distance now but the shifter was to large for them to even fairly attack it. The best they could do was slash at it but as long as it's wide mouth was open They didn't stand a chance.

As long as its mouth was open...

"TANRA! AIM FOR THE MEMBRANE AT THE CORNER OF ITS MOUTH!"

The water Ninja had no time to confirm if her counterpart had gotten the message before she was dashing straight at the reptile. The creature thrashed attempting to turn at her but with one flick of her wrist condensed water lashed out slicing the pink flesh of its jaw in two forcing the lizard to snap its mouth shut.

Muffled shrieks were the only thing heard as it sunk back down into the sand and it slithered away.

Breathing heavily Nya looked to the Side to find Tanra in a similar position. Then excitement broke out.

Cheers and whoops sounded from the caravan and Nya met up next to Tanra before they walked back to the others.

Honestly Nya was expecting a hug from her not-really-little brother so she was a little caught off guard when she felt a harsh kick against her shin. She found herself looking into teary reddish brown eyes though and her initial anger left her.

"Don't ever do something that stupid again." He growled at her and even that stupid ass lizard she was considering make disappear agreed with the green ninja as Smokey poked his head out and hissed with the most disappointed look a lizard could possibly give.

The excitement in the air and the adrenaline eventually settled down and they continued on.

The halls to her surprise weren't actually halls at all. It was more like someone had broken some giant clay tiles and set them around in the sand to make a sort of aboveground canyon. Lloyd had gone off with some of the younger Centka and Nya found her place walking alongside Tanra.

They walked in what she considered comfortable silence. Until something caught her eye. "What are these?" She ran her hand along one of the stones which she was now noticing had faint sandblasted pigment on it.

"Careful, you're literally brushing your hand on our culture's history. Here follow me." Tanra said waving a hand in gesture to Nya and climbed up a ladder on one of the wagons.

With a better viewpoint she could now she the full paintings. They were almost like mosaics or stained glass windows but mixed with graffiti.

One stone showed a group of what she assumed were Centka around a campfire. The colors were fading and it made it hard to discern but they seemed to be laughing with someone with long gold and teal robes. A few similar ones appeared like one of some sort of chicken-dragon and another of a dragon that didn't have wings but also wasn't a lung dragon. More like a regular dragon but with it's wings missing.

Then a different stone appeared and caught her off guard. This stone was pure soul sucking black. On it in white was probably the pointiest snake Nya had ever seen. It looked like it had spines coming out of every single spot on it's body. "Inclementia Desdemona." Tanra hissed and spat behind her and Nya looked over to see that several other Centka were walking up to the stone and swearing, gesturing, and some even slashing at it with their weapons. Even Tanra brought out something akin to those rock poppers and threw it at the drawing making a loud boom noise that the others cheered for.

"If you all hate it that much I could just wash it away for you?" Nya offered confused but Tanra rejected her almost immediately.

"No, we need to be reminded of what he has done to our people."

Lloyd had found his way up the ladder and now stood with her. A few more noticeable ones popped up like someone with a far to indecernable face reaching out and then one that looked blank at first but actually had a bluish smear underneath all the sandy colors.

Soon the caravan lurched to a stop and Nya realized that this must've been the centerpiece. Three massive stones stood up in front of them. The center one had a large blue crystal on it with beams to show it must have some sort of power nothing really special though. She was more focused on the two murals to the sides of it.

On the right a man with brown hair with blonde streaks in it stood wearing orange and yellows and reds. He stood almost in a shrugging position but with more dignity to it. If you looked very, very, closely you could see he wore a necklace with the crystal in the center on it. The mural had a diamond background with hills of crimson sands and a sun. The man had no face though, only a pink triangle for a nose.

The other mural had a similar format. A diamond background but now blue with purplish dunes and a moon and stars. The man on this mural gave off an entirely different attitude. He had squinting yellow eyes and a grin so wide it almost looked condescending. His clothes were mostly a shade of something near periwinkle but he also had a teal half skirt with golden rims. He had a pattern of peacock blue on his face almost reminiscent of Harumi's face paint which really put his more defining feature into contrast. Beside his pale pinkish skin he had stark almost blinding white hair.

"Those are the Desert Kings." Tanra spoke proudly staring at the murals.

"The Red Sand King, he represents daytime of the desert. Mercilessly heated and ruthless. But also very key to our survival, we cannot live without the sun or the heat that it brings. In the end the heat will protect you if it deems you worthy.

And the Blue Dune King. He is the night in the desert. He brings relief and joy, a break from the withering heat. But the nights can be just as cold as the day is hot so be careful of it. Enjoy it's relief but do not blind yourself in for then your undoing will be nothing but your own fault.

The two kings, always leaning onto each other. One cannot exist without the other's comfort, they bring balance to each other in a way only accomplished by the night and day itself.

The kings brought us together, they are why our world has order and without them we would be lost."

Both Lloyd and Nya stared entranced at the murals.

Tanra smiled at their awestruck looks. "You know, I had the same face when I learned of all of this too."

"How long have the kings been here?" Lloyd asked.

"They brought our world to order ten years ago. And saved us from our fear and cowering."

"This is incredible" Nya said breathlessly.

Red Sand King and Blue Dune King the sun and moon the night and day. Nya smiled to herself.

Kai and Jay were kinda like that, hopefully her brother had finally admitted his stupid feelings to Jay while they were stuck out here. It felt like she was smiling on the inside almost in a way she couldn't quite explain. She was reminded that if any of them could make it out here for a year it would've been the ninja of fire and the boy who grew up in the sea of sand.

Sniffling beside her. She expected Lloyd but Lloyd had the safe goofy expression on his face that Nya was feeling on the inside. No, the sniffling was from Tanra. Nya just stared, yeah it's rude to stare but they had taken down a monstrous snake beast this more with nothing but rage in their eyes and now she was crying out in the open? Was it normal to cry this easily in front of people?

The Centka quickly wiped her eyes and pulled a small blue crystal from her robes raising it into the air. It lit up, as did one crystal from each and every person in the caravan and as the sun completely dipped below the horizon and the traveling people illuminated their home on wheels in blue light Nya felt more at home than she had in a year.