Legends of Runeterra

Six boys and a camel. The boys' lives were even more precious. Some were orphans, some were runaway slaves, but most were foundlings—teenagers abandoned by their families because they were too poor. When Shahib came looking for workers, Jaheje hadn't eaten in days.

Only the desperate would attempt to cross the Kalike Sai, but anyone with even a modicum of wealth would hire Shahib. Jaheje looked across the campfire at the older man sitting across from him. Shahib's face had sprouted a few wisps of beard, and his voice had grown deeper. Few young men could survive more than a few seasons traversing this desert. Those who made money would never make the journey again. Except for Shahib, who had been walking the Kalike Sai for nearly a decade.

Shahib whistled, and the other boys immediately ran to him. He showed them how to open the skin on the soles of their feet.

"Feel each step," he instructed. "First, place your big toe on the ground, then roll outward until the entire sole of your foot touches the ground. Now shift your weight from your back foot." He stood and demonstrated how to walk quietly with long strides. "Practice well," he continued. "If the camels walk too slowly, it will give away our position. You must be quiet, and you must be fast."

On the first day, Jaheje's feet bled profusely; he nearly fainted from the pain. After the caravan stopped, he continued practicing for a long time on the cool sand. By the fourth day, the pain was so severe that he had to bite a piece of leather to stifle the pain. Shahib praised his skill.

Shahib laughed and told the other boys. "Come and see," he said. "Jaheje walks quieter than I do. Copy his moves. Each step should be as light as a mouse, as long as an antelope. Yes, that's the only way to get out of Kalik Sai alive."

Jaheje, eager to earn his brother's praise and yet also to learn the basics of survival, followed Shahib wherever he went. He saw Shahib rest with one foot folded around the shaft of his flagpole. He saw Shahib re-knot the flagpole every morning, ensuring it fluttered like a palm leaf. He saw Shahib's eyes scan the surrounding desert in a rhythmic pattern, over and over again, stopping only to sleep.

They arrived the following month. Standing atop a sand dune, Jaheje could gaze down upon the god's skeleton. No one knew what the monster had looked like in life, but to this day, its massive ribs tilted toward the sky, each one casting a shadow large enough to obscure the entire caravan. This skeleton signaled their approach to Kalixai.

The northmen called Kalik'Sai the "Sea of ​​Bones," but that was a mistranslation. The Rai tribe had never seen the sea. "Sai" in Rai meant a plain of sand and gravel, slow and painful to walk on. It meant the land was full of tunnels. It meant the Xer'Sai hunted here. It meant death lurked beneath the sands.

Before daybreak, the young men set off with their camels, keeping half a day's journey ahead of the caravan.

The next day, Jaheje discovered his first burrow and waved a signal flag. Shahib quietly approached him. They approached the burrow cautiously, stopping a yard away. The opening was no wider than a melon, but it emanated a poisonous fumes, suggesting it had only recently been dug. Shahib sent a young man back to guide the caravan.

Jaheje looked behind him and asked Shahib, “Can we kill an Ax’Sai that size?”

Shahib scratched his chin and replied, "Their hides get tougher with age." A proud smile crept onto his face. "Last season I killed an Axai the size of a jackal. We lost the camel, but I did kill it."

Jaheje smiled, sharing his mentor's pride. But he couldn't help but ask, "Does Rek'Sai really exist?"

Shahib shuddered, his mood suddenly heavy. “I’ve seen her.” Before Jaheje could ask more about the legendary beast, Shahib stood up and told Jaheje to keep going. They slowly left the cave, listening, waiting, scanning the horizon for any movement.

When Jaheje heard the first ring, it took him a moment to process its meaning. Something was emerging from behind them, coming from the east. He had been so focused on finding the hidden cavern that he had forgotten to keep his eyes on the horizon.

The camel brayed, and Jaheje began to search for the other boys’ signal flags. As far as he could see, he could see three.

The bell rang again. The young man who had first spotted the Xer'Sai would now be using the bell to distract the beasts. Jaheje had to drive the camels off the caravan's planned route, toward the sentinel's location. If the sentinel was still alive, the Xer'Sai would chase the camels away from the caravan, allowing the sentinel to retreat safely.

Jaheje saw Shahib running toward him. The scrawny young man, having abandoned his quiet walk, bolted toward the camel and Jaheje. A cloud of dust suddenly appeared behind him, and Shahib dropped his spear.

Jaheje ran to the large bell hanging from his camel. He dragged it to the ground and struck it with all his might. Though the sand muffled the sound, the rich twang was still deafening. He kept striking the bell, but the cloud of dust behind Shahib didn’t change direction. It was getting closer with every passing second.

It looked like Shahib was doomed to be caught. But instead of running or dodging to the side, he suddenly froze in place and shouted, "Don't move!"

The other boys all stood as still as possible. Just then the old camel broke into a gallop.

Suddenly, a burst of energy erupted, crashing towards them like a wall. The hairs on Jaheje’s neck stood up.

“Close,” Jaheje whispered.

“No,” Shahib said in a warning voice. “Not close, but huge.” It was the first time Jaheje saw genuine fear on his eldest brother’s face.

Shahib scanned the desert, searching for dorsal fins, dust, or any trace. Then he estimated the distance. "The caravan is too far away. If it's diverted by the camels, we can reach the rocky area over there."

Jaheje turned desperately, searching for the lurking creature. “Where did it go?”

In the distance, they heard the camel howling in pain. Then its howling stopped abruptly.

“What kind of thing is this that kills a camel so quickly?” Jaheje asked.

Shahib urged them on. "We must reach the rocks," he said firmly.

So they started running.