Life. The thing that keeps up all beings, ranging from trees to animals, even rocks if you want to be really specific.

This place has it scarce.

The desert.

The area which life forsook. Hot. Dry. Dead. A wasteland.

A courier must overtake every and all obstacles put in his path to deliver a message.

This desert is mine.

At first I just stand on top of the dune, gazing at the seemingly endless mounds of sand. My dark cloak and long cross patterned scarf flutter as the dry wind blows across the sandy plains. The hood shields my face, if you could call a shadowy mass with white eyes a face.

I take my fist steps and feel the sand shift under my feet. It is hot and very fine. There is no use running. Doing so would just tire me faster, and here that would lead to death.

After hours of walking it seems as if I had not come any closer to my goal, but I know that is only a facade. A trick to make travellers lose their spirits and give up. I know better. The desert is ever changing, so the only reliable ways to navigate are the sun and the stars. Good thing I have been in Equis before, so I know how things work here.

I have no illusions of this journey. It will be long. It will be difficult. But I have survived worse. The burning inferno of a supernova. The furious savagery of the Zerg Swarm. The toxic blood of the Darkspawn. A Murloc bite... That one hurt like hell.

I have lived countless lives. Countless battles. Countless victories.

Countless losses.

I know defeat. I know loss. I know death.

This is just another waypoint in my road of fate.

What comes next? Only the Gods will know, if even them.

I have seen these 'games' before. I've never taken part in them. It is not my destiny. But this 'game' is different. My aura resonates with this land, this world.

I have a mission here. And I will futfill it.

I halt as I sense something. Even a desert like this has a faint aura. The life force here is weak, but it is scattered everywhere. But now, something is disrupting it, interfering with it. It's... receding. Impossible. Unless...

I hear a low humming noise and look up on reflex.

… Unbeliavable. I have seen many things in my long life, but never this.

In the sky was what I could only describe as an island made of somekind of black stone. No... Not stone. Crystal. Black crystal... Why does that seem familiar? It was floating in the air. No, levitating is a more accurate term. The most unbeliavable thing is what I presumed held the island in the air. Over the black crystal island was a black hole. I know what one looks like, so I am very certain. It moved with the island, allways staying directly over it. The black hole seemed to be contained.

That is not the all. The very air around the island seems to distort and ripple. I could also sense the islands aura. Or rather the lack of it. I've seen the effects of anti-magic before but never this intense. I could feel something immensly powerful and ominous from the island, if not the island itself.

I just stood still and watched as the island passed and suddenly vanished right in front of my eyes. Anti-magic was unpredictable that way.

A part of me was glad that the island had gone. Then again, a part of me, the stupid part, wanted to see what was causing so much anti-magic to be released into the air.

Disregarding everything I saw, at least for now, I went back to the job at hand. A desert to cross. A challenge to beat. A mission to fulfill. With my focus restored, I begin to walk the endless dunes once more, not stopping to rest.

This message was entrusted to me, to deliver it to the Princess. The way to find the one that is lost. What the message means is none of my business. I'm just here to deliver it.

And I will deliver it. This I swear by my name.

I go by many names. Most forgotten by time itself. Ever changing. Allways the same. My original name no longer nothing but a memory. Just words that bear no more meaning.

I am many things.

Currently, The Messenger.

Occasionally, The Wanderer.

Allways, The Pillgrim.

I'll just say it right now to avoind confusion, this chapter is a look at what will happen in the future, so this is a mild spoiler. I was lucky to get away with as little spoilers as possible. And yes, this dude is like the robed figure from Journey(AKA Awesome McAwesome Game).

The sand in your shoes,

Doctor D, The Sandman Next Chapter: Trouble in the horizon Estimated time remaining: 25 Minutes