I. The Second Greatest Card Tournament (Chapter Two)

The sun is high in the sky as you and Burt reach the South Gate of Windrose City. Just outside the city’s great walls are a line of wooden stables with a couple of whiskers tending to the animals. One of the whiskers in a brown cloak spots you and Burt and waves you over.

“Friends of Allard!” the whisker shouts, motioning you to follow him.

You and Burt stroll over to the whisker next to the stables.

“I guess you could say we’re ‘friends’ with Allard,” says Burt with a chuckle.

“Allard has rented two lameks for your journey across the desert,” the whisker says as he walks inside the stable. He returns, holding a rope that’s tied to a large animal standing taller than any whisker with two large humps on its back. “However, we only have one lamek as the second chose to run off last night.”

You and Burt look at each other.

“Are you suggesting we both have to ride on one lamek the whole way to Amalhasu?” Burt asks in disbelief.

The stable whisker shrugs his shoulders.

“One is all I can do.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Burt shouts in frustration.

You can’t help but laugh at the misfortune of the trip before it has even started. You grab the rope tied to the lamek while thanking the whisker. You walk the lamek over to Burt.

“Oh! What’s that smell?” Burt asks, holding his nose. “No way! This animal stinks!”

The lamek turns to Burt and lets out a deep belch. Burt gags as you and the stable whisker laugh.

“That means the lamek is well fed,” the stable whisker informs you. “He only needs to eat once a day, and won’t need water until you reach Amalhasu. This is the most efficient animal for this journey. The only thing you should watch out for is desert sliders, desert pirates, sandsharks, or perhaps other dangerous whiskers.”

“That’s it?” Burt asks, expecting the whisker to continue.

“Of course not! There’s the heat, the ever-changing sand dunes, mirages…” the stable whisker continues as you motion for him to stop freaking out Burt, “... and finally desert pirates. Did I mention that already?”

“Yes, I believe you did,” Burt mumbles, rolling his eyes.

You throw yourself onto the back of the lamek with ease and motion for Burt to join you.

“Giving me the back seat? I call the front on the way back!” Burt shouts as he hops on, holding onto the hump between the two of you.

The stable whisker smiles and smacks the lamek’s backside. The lamek immediately begins to trot south along the road. Each step feels like you are being thrown into the air and back down again onto the uncomfortable back of this animal. You hold on for dear life, and the lamek seems to be catching speed. You look back at Burt, who’s bear-hugging the saddle under him, trying to stay steady. You see Burt shake his head and wonder how long you two can handle this the whole way to Amalhasu. You reach your hand out and gently caress the lamek’s head and try to soothe the animal. Eventually, the lamek starts to slow down, and the ride begins to smooth out.

“Thank the Old Wizard! I didn’t think I was going to make it!” Burt shouts.

After traveling for half of the day, you and Burt watch as the grass of the Windrosian Kingdom slowly gives way to sand, and the road becomes a dusty path with dunes in the distance. The heat begins to radiate from the ground, so you and Burt decide it's time to put on the sandshark cloaks.

“I can’t believe how well these work!” Burt says with surprise. He reaches into his pack and pulls out some dried fruits and hands you some to munch on. “Maybe this journey won’t be so bad after all now that I’ve gotten used to the smell and the heat,” he continues, while pulling out some Last Fish cards. “I’ve been thinking of my strategy since we left. If only I could have kept some of Mr. Sprinkles’ cards, this tournament would be over in no time.” You spin around facing Burt, watching as he flips through his cards. “I like to lose so much gold, I can hardly breathe,” Burt says.

You look at him incredulously.

“That’s what Philo Ivy, one of the greatest card players of all time, used to say. He played his best under pressure. Maybe if I lose…” Burt suddenly stops talking and drops his jaw wide open.

You raise your eyebrow and wave your hand in front of his face. Burt lifts his arm and points in front of the lamek. You turn around and see the sand moving like something invisible is being dragged along the surface, causing a tide in the dunes. The lamek stops and makes a grunting sound. You watch as the sand runs a sinuous path along the north side of the dune.

“What is that?” Burt whispers.

You watch as the moving sands pass over the dunes and continue to the southwest. The lamek begins to move slowly again, heading south. You and Burt release the breath you had held while watching the unknown desert threat pass by.

“Do you think that was a sandshark?” Burt asks in a frightened voice.

The sun begins to set, so you and Burt decide it is time to set up camp for the night. You both hop off the lamek and set up your tents. The scorching desert heat slowly turns into a bitter cold as Burt lights the fire using his magic.

“I hope these sandshark cloaks keep us warm as they keep us cool,” Burt says in a hushed voice. Ever since the shifting sands, you have stayed cautious, using low voices and tip-toeing through the sands. The lamek kneels down, laying its head on the sand, and without another moment, starts to snore. “If the lamek isn’t worried, maybe we shouldn’t be either,” Burt says between yawns.

The sun seems to have drained you of all your energy, and you begin to fall asleep in the comfort of the makeshift bed in the sand. The morning comes faster than you would have hoped, and the heat with it. You and Burt douse your cloaks in water and feed the lamek to continue your trek through the desert.

“With an early start like this, we might be able to make it to Amalhasu before nightfall,” Burt says hopefully. “Then we could stay in a real bed and have a freshly cooked breakfast!” Burt drums on one of the lamek’s humps with excitement. The lamek scoffs as if it disproves Burt’s behavior. “Sorry, buddy!”

By midday, the sands begin to turn to a red rusty color, and you begin to notice more stones peeking out from the sand. The wind is howling, and the sand is dancing across the dunes like dandelion seeds. The sun’s relentless heat beating down on the surface causes an illusion of ripples across the landscape.

“How can whiskers live this far south? The heat is unbearable,” Burts complains as he wipes sweat from his brow. You look back at Burt, suggesting that whiskers don’t live here. “Oh yeah? Well, what about the whiskers that have been following us?” You question Burt, worried he’s having a heat stroke and seeing a mirage, only to find four other lameks with mounted whiskers a few dunes behind you traveling at a fast pace.

You snap Burt out of his daze and slap the belly of the lamek. The startling slap sends the lamek to a sprint.

“This isn’t good. I don’t like whiskers following us in the desert. What if they’re pirates? What if they steal our goods? Or worse, my cards!” Burt begins to panic.

You and Burt hold on tight as the lamek seems to have reached full speed. Cresting dune after dune, only to glimpse back and see the other lameks gaining on you and Burt. After descending another giant red dune, the lamek takes a hard turn and runs along the sandy valley until it reaches a couple of sandstones. Right behind the stones is a small opening of a cave. The lamek runs directly into it and comes to a halt. The floor of the cave is rock, almost like a hidden room in the middle of the desert. You and Burt hop off the lamek, resting your arms and legs from holding on.

“We have nowhere to go if they find us down here,” Burt whispers, still breathing heavily. “We’re trapped now.”

You crawl to the cave entrance waiting to see if the other whiskers have followed. Luckily, the wind is howling and has covered the recent tracks. You lie patiently, waiting while Burt pulls out the Atlas of Old to see how far you are from Amalhasu. You begin to hear the sound of lamek trots. You look back at Burt and point outside the cave. In a short distance, you can see whiskers with ragged clothing and a flag that stands tall from the saddle of a lamek. There is no mistake; they are desert pirates.

Suddenly you see the sand move like it did yesterday, slithering its way around like it is moving through the sea. Then you spot another. And another. The pirates stop in their tracks as they also spot the shifting sand. Suddenly, a large lizard-like creature breaches the sand and begins to attack one of the pirate’s lamek. Some of the whiskers begin casting spells toward the creature. Another uses a whip, and with each crack, a jolt of static zaps through the air.

The whiskers shout and retreat once the creature backs off for a moment. The creature dives back into the sand and begins to chase after them.

“Now is our time. Let’s go!” Burt yells as he hops back on your lamek. You join him as your steed runs out of the cave and back into the bright desert daylight. You watch as the pirates retreat and the sand creature suddenly stops chasing them. Burt slaps the belly of the lamek to make it run faster and then looks back.

“Uh, Adventurer, I think we have a problem,” Burt shouts.

The sand creature has turned and is now chasing the two of you at top speed.

“Run, lamek! Faster!” Burt commands.

The lamek seems to have sensed the threat and reaches speeds you’ve never seen before. You hold onto its neck as Burt grabs onto you. The amount of sand being kicked up makes looking around impossible. All you can do is hold tight and cover your eyes. Dune after dune, the lamek runs at full speed until finally it halts, throwing you and Burt off of its back. You both land face-first in the sand. Picking up your head with a mouth full of sand, you see the great desert city of Amalhasu in the distance.

“You smelly, good for nothing, humpy, little…” Burt berates the lamek until he turns around to see the city himself. “...lovely creature. We made it! We’re not dead!”

The lamek looks disgusted with its passengers and begins to walk toward the city, leaving you unceremoniously. You follow along and wave for Burt to do the same.

“Thanks to the full sprint, we’ve made good time! We can stay in a real bed tonight!” Burt cheers as he grabs you, shaking you with excitement. “Come on, let’s get to the Inn.”