Dune Challenge

The dunes searing orange in the glittering sunlight surrounded the village. A great crowd had gathered yelling the names of thier chosen champions. The great Umiri Zar held the large purse aloft for all to see, it's silken sides bursting with gold, jewels, and a sand scroll posesing three ancien spells of the Umiri tribe.

Untato noraha jemb the Zar began his speech of the dangers of the race. The harsh land and deadly opponents. There was only one rule in this race and that was to win you must cross the finish line first...200 miles south of this little village in the capitol city of the four great sand tribes Umiri (OO-mir-ee), Bembetoo (bem-BET-oo), Shadra (SHAA-dra) and Castinee (ca-STEEN). The city was rumored to shine with a million saphires mined deep in the badlands only know to these tribes. It was said that water flowed from the rocks there and the ground was covered in rich grass and soft dirt, not the sands of the desert. The city was called Hiwanee (hi-WAN-ee) meaning gem of the desert.

Holdesta fidgited on the starting line looking about at the other challengers. There were people from across the land brandishing weapons with marks from at least a dozen clans and many more unmarked. The sun was like a hot poker against the skin, the wind had gone deathly quiet. This was not just a race for money, it was also the race that would determine who would marry the princess of the four tribes and thus which tribe would suceed the throne. The Umiri tribe had ruled for three generations now, each time the line passed to the women who then married the man that won this race. There had only been one time in all of thier history that a woman won and thus shifted the royal line completely to another tribe.

These warriors would kill anyone who got in thier way to get that prize but for the first time there were many outsiders here at this race, for the money and scroll alone. Each contestant was given two days food and water and a map and that was all.

Holdesta sat on Great Ones back, his dragon wings shimmering in the sunlight. About the size of a small elephant, the white dragon got many stares.

Ame lifted the hood of her cloak from her face. Man was it hot under there. She touched her head just to make sure her concealling spell was still in tact. Why she decided to enter this competition, for men, was more of a spontaneous act than a well thought out plan to teach a couple rowdies a lesson about getting in her way.

She looked around at the competitors, all trying to show off the strength and masculinity which most didn't have. She glanced at some dragon dude close by but her attention was brought to the Zar who began speaking. Now what? What did she plan on achieving here? She knew at least that she wouldn't get involved in the part of the competition where the men go against each other. After all, she didn't much fancy princesses.