Adlan

How long had Alexandra been wandering in the sandy deserts of the Steppes region? One day? Two days? Perhaps three? She was no longer in a state to think clearly, overwhelmed by heat and exhaustion. Under the blazing sun, she struggled to even take one step after another. Alexandra was of strong constitution, trained in grueling physical exercises since childhood, but the treachery of these ocher-white lands quickly wore down even the most resilient. Moreover, she had already depleted all her water reserves, the most precious commodity in these parts. And anyway, where was she to go? Her only thought was to flee as far as possible. In the preceding days, during a stop in a nearby village, she had been spotted by imperial soldiers. Unfortunately for her, Alexandra was a high-ranking member of the rebellion; her head was now worth a bounty, and she had no illusions about the fate awaiting her if captured.

So she fled as far as she could. But all around the village, there was nothing but endless sand. With no other choice, she ran, and ran... managing to evade her pursuers for now, but for how long? They wouldn't give up, but they also knew the dangers of the desert, which explained why they had turned back to search for supplies or mounts that would help them easily catch up to their prey.

This heat, my God, this heat... A scorching sun that nothing could mitigate, not even the smallest cloud. Despite wearing a loose cloak meant to protect her as much as possible, sweat continued to stream down her face, blurring her vision. Alexandra was reaching her limits; many others would have perished long ago. She couldn't take another step, and as she turned a dune, she collapsed onto the ground.

Exhausted but still semi-conscious, she wondered if it was better to die here, in the Steppes where her body might never be found, or to be executed by her captors. At least, by quietly fading away here, she would deny them the satisfaction. But she regretted failing in her quest. Others would replace her, of course, but her hatred for Astyanax was such that she wanted to see his downfall while she was still alive. It didn't matter what happened afterward... The hunted woman then lost what little clarity remained and slipped into sleep.

Zdoing Zdoing Zdoing An odd sound approached. It was two soldiers searching for her, mounted on cacarovitzs, a commonly used animal in the region—something like a giant kangaroo with smooth pink skin, lacking eyes but equipped with a highly developed sense of smell and a metabolism capable of enduring the infernal temperatures of the area.

"We should be catching up to her soon!" "You're right, Marius. Under such scorching sun, she couldn't have gone far!" Marius and Olive were two brothers who had joined the army willingly several years ago. Marius, the older one, a sturdy man with tousled blond hair and perhaps a few extra pounds, had worked his way up the ranks through effort and dedication. Olive, the younger one, was his opposite: tall, slender, almost lean, with impeccably cut black hair. He didn't particularly have a military calling, but he followed his brother for the job security that military status offered. In a population largely accustomed to living under the Emperor's rule, the role of lower-ranking soldiers mainly involved tracking rebels and ensuring the smooth running of everyday affairs—plenty of paperwork, in other words. The older brother let out a cry of victory. They had finally found her! Their prey lay just a few meters ahead on the scorching sand. Marius dismounted. "I hope she's not dead yet. I wanted to take care of her myself. Well, let's see..." The soldier approached Alexandra's motionless body, only a few dozen centimeters away when suddenly... BAM!!

Before he could see where the blow had come from, he received a monumental punch that sent him flying several meters, crashing down on a dune. Getting up in a rage, rubbing his sore right cheek, he shouted: "Who?! Who did that?!"

"Marius, look up there!" Olive pointed to a silhouette perched on a small hill. "It's me, Adlan!! The greatest of heroes!!" Apparently ignoring the concept of modesty, the newcomer nonetheless seemed like a seasoned warrior. Muscular but not overly so, tall, dressed in a navy blue dogi over what looked like a fishing net resembling a ninja uniform. One had to admit he had a certain presence, at least in his own eyes... Marius yelled. "You'll see what happens when you attack the Emperor's soldiers!!!" "The Emperor??" Adlan had never heard of any Emperor, or anything else for that matter related to the recent geopolitics of his planet, to be completely honest. Under Olive's watchful eyes still mounted on his cacarovitz, the soldier lunged at his opponent, intending to deliver a punch he would remember (Marius was right-handed but more comfortable with his left fist in a fight, that was just how it was). Although far from matching the best-known fighters, his size and years of army training had made him a formidable opponent. Yet Adlan effortlessly dodged the blow with such speed that Marius was left dumbfounded. No normal human could move so swiftly. And before Marius could comprehend what was happening, he was effortlessly thrown several meters away, his head sinking into the sand. This was becoming a habit.

Olive then grabbed his weapon, a laser pistol that left no chance if it hit its target, and as a skilled marksman, aimed it at Adlan's back, unaware of what awaited him.

And yet. Without even turning around, the warrior simply extended his arm backward, absorbed the beam with his hand, and sent it straight back to its sender! The beam of light returned to the weapon, causing it to explode and dismounting the rider.

In panic, both mounts cried out and seemed about to abandon their owners. Marius, spitting out a mouthful of sand, having no idea who this Adlan was but understanding that they probably had no chance against him even together, bravely decided to flee. With his brother, they managed to climb onto their respective cacarovitzs and speed away.

All this noise had allowed Alexandra to awaken. Oh, she was still in bad shape, suffering terribly from thirst and dehydration, but she had been able to observe Adlan in action and realized that fate had not abandoned her. Adlan, watching Marius and Olive flee into the distance, turned to her and asked if she was alright. "As well as can be... Thank you so much! May I ask your name?" She then lifted the hood of her outfit, and her savior was struck by the beauty of the woman before him. A face with delicate features, long chestnut hair with improbable highlights, and eyes... Hazel eyes that, when used well, could have captivated many hearts. But he quickly regained his composure. "Adlan! The greatest, the most handsome, the strongest, the..." "Are your ego's okay? I appreciate you saving me, but that's no reason to boast." Interrupted in his enthusiasm, Adlan paused for a handful of seconds before speaking out loud. "Could you please tell me what you were doing in such a place??! I've lived here forever, and nobody ever passes through this area!" "It's a long story, but... I'm completely exhausted and half-dead. Would you kindly take me somewhere cool where I can drink, please?" At his place, then. Given that there couldn't be any other habitation within at least twenty kilometers; by chance, it was right nearby, Adlan then took Alexandra on his back and carried her to his home. And it's fair to say that he hadn't gone small! Indeed, there, in the middle of the desert, surrounded by a few sand dunes, stood an immense pyramid, likely made of bricks, with "ADLAN HOUSE" written prominently on the front. Alexandra also noticed a mailbox at the entrance, wondering which mailman would be crazy enough to come deliver mail out here. Rather proud, Adlan then listed the rooms in his pyramid. "I have two dining rooms, a living room, a kitchen, eight bedrooms including two guest rooms, a billiard room, three garages, five bathrooms, a game room, a gym, three storage rooms, a library, a laboratory, a fallout shelter, three cellars, all spread over nine floors, but I only use the first three with Marcel." "Stop, I don't want to know more... Who's Marcel?" "You'll see, miss...?" "Alexandra." Her savior then pressed the keypad (composed of a single digit), which caused the front door to open vertically, a rather original feature, we must admit.

As soon as they entered the hall, a pleasantly cool sensation enveloped them! The air conditioning must have been running at full blast. If the entire house operated on solar energy, which was highly likely, it must have had almost unlimited fuel in such a place. Alexandra already felt herself coming back to life; she almost felt like she had gone from the fires of Hell to the gentle embrace of Paradise in an instant. She looked around and was surprised to see such a tidy interior; everything was perfectly organized, not a speck of dust, impeccable tiling...

"IT'S ABOUT TIME, WHAT WERE YOU DOING?!"

"...Don't tell me?" "Yes. Allow me to introduce Marcel." "Hello." The young woman was left speechless. Before her stood a brightly colored humanoid robot (mostly red and yellow), of modest size she estimated to be around four feet tall (she herself was five feet nine), dressed in a cute apron with a chick pattern and the words "piyo piyo" written on it, holding a feather duster.