South

Part 1.

Early in the morning, LanJi wakes up and finishes to get ready to leave. He takes just a few important things and also wears his chain silver bracelet. He cannot wait to have everything done.
He walks out of the room, carrying a large black backpack. He meets Lani and WuXin for the final greeting.
"Remember, don't take risks, don't hesitate to call reinforcements, keep in touch with us!" WuXin says, hugging him tightly.
"Alright, appa, don't worry. I'll be back soon." LanJi says, smiling slightly. He hugs Lani too and finally heads out, joining all the others by the portal. To lead the mission, a silver knight, the oldest there, with Justice and Life powers, very defensive.
They take the portal for the southern village.

When they arrive, they can clearly see some destruction all around. "We have to meet the head of the village first...watch your back." The captain says.
LanJi follows but looks around very carefully, to detect any illusion but there aren't.
They find the main building and present themselves. Right away, a man approaches them eagerly and in hurry. "Finally you are here! I contacted you days ago! Do you see what they caused, again? You have to act quickly to stop this, we live in terror by now!"
"Calm down, sir. We arrived as soon as possible. If you could explain us better the matter..." The captain says.
"Yes, yes, whatever. We started getting attacked about a month ago by this creature coming from the sands...the creature looks undead! Like a giant scorpion...it has a black aura." He continues to give more explainations pointing towards an Hori's artefact.
The group of knights leave to discuss. "There might be a fragment lost in the nearby sands or it is stuck on the creature itself. He first spoke of it like 'they' then as one. We have to investigate it on our own. I will monitor the situation here, you split and ask around if they confirm his version. We need more clues and tonight we will take position on different spots and be prepared for possible attacks."

As they ask around, most people just want to avoid them at any cost, like scared. Only one tries to warn LanJi but is roughly interrupted.
When they group up again, they tell each other what they found, which is not much. They decide to go to the rooms they were offered and rest till evening. LanJi though cannot help himself and sneaks away to look for the man who tried to tell him something. He can't find him anywhere, not even in the prison of the village, under the main building where they spoke with the head of the village, Elodie.
In the prison though, he finds a tribeman. The other tries to communicate with LanJi but he realizes he hasn't his amulet. "Slow down, I can't understand you." He whispers. He hasn't the permission to be there, he did everything secretly using illusions.
The tribeman continues to try but causes too much noise, attracting there the guards. LanJi is forced to leave but the matter doesn't abandon his mind.
He returns to his room to take some rest.

In the evening, he joins the others and they make small teams of two to take place on different roofs near the border to monitor the movements from the desert. Nothing in the first night.
The day after repeats pretty much the same way. LanJi tries to communicate with the tribeman again but when he arrives in front of the building, he finds the guards about to execute him. He decides to act through an illusion, causing the guards to get distracted by the voice of Elodie, calling them desperately and giving the chance to escape to the tribeman. The other breaks free from the only guard holding him and flees.
He tries to reach him then and he does, continuing to help him till the way out. When at some distance in the desert, the other shows signs of gratitude to LanJi. This time, he has his language amulet. "What were you trying to tell me? It might be important, to save lives here."
The tribeman grabs LanJi by shoulders, holding tight. "He caused it. He sent that monster to attack our tribe...he managed to kidnap me so they would come to attack before time to free me! Don't trust..."
LanJi remains a bit thoughtful at his words, figuring out who. "The damages were caused by tribemen? Why would he cause it to his own village? And why call us? If he controls that creature...must be nothing good. I have to report it. It is getting late already, I should be in my spot!"
"Imperial. Wa-.."
A voice from behind them. "Very well. Look who is not doing his job...don't you know my mobs are already attacking? No one of you was ready, night didn't fall....what a shame. It is going to be a massacre." The head of the village stands there, holding a southern flute in hands.
LanJi quickly moves his gaze towards the village nearby, seeing scorpions and other huge desertic animals coming out of the sand and rushing against the houses.
"You know part of it, now I have to kill you. Don't run too fast, you won't escape." The man begins to play a horrible melody and the sand near them starts to shake and soon a massive snake comes out. Much bigger than those attacking the village. It immediately aims to go after LanJi and the tribeman.
LanJi struggles but forces himself to act regardless his fear of snakes. He makes eye contact with the undead snake. What the tribeman sees is another LanJi appearing exactly in the position of the sect of Hori's man. Real LanJi apparently disappears. Overall it is confusing seen from outside, Amiir can't properly follow the fight, he just sees the snake rushing against a LanJi then a sudden cut that kills the snake in one go. Things return normal, with the Elodie on the ground, shaking, and LanJi now standing in front of him with his blade against his neck, covered in sand and a disgusting black blood. "Call them back! Stop the attack or I'll kill you right here!"
Elodie doesn't cooperate even if he looks scared. He seems to eye something behind them. Suddenly Amiir shouts. "CREATURE!"
LanJi turns his head, seeing the snake starting to return together and move. He has to fight it again and this time, he makes sure to destroy it. A pale pink flame starts to burn the remains.
When he last expects, Elodie jumps on him, making him fall. They fight and the other does his best to stab LanJi's eyes. He stabs his left eye, but the other soon reacts against LanJi's will, changing into the hypnotic Sharyngan. The effect is not the usual but it hurts Elodie badly. Amiir tries to help LanJi, which is holding and covering his right eye regardless it is the other to be bleeding and hurting.

Without looking back, Amiir takes LanJi, bringing him away before Elodie can have the time to recover.

Part 2.

Elodie is put in jail but the man is already aware it will be over for him if they find Amiir and LanJi. He needs to do something that won't make him risk to look more suspicious. He has to act but by staying there.
He finds a small spider in his cell and kills it, using it to sneak outside the cell. He manages to kill the person guarding him but making him a minion under his control. He whistles, forcing him to go to find him an instrument. Elodie returns to his cell, remaining there without complaints and never changing his version: LanJi freed the tribeman and they ran away together after releasing the creatures on the village, Elodie tried to stop them but they nearly killed him.
When the minion finally returns with what he asked, he plays a short melody, then hides the wooden flute. He sends against LanJi and Amiir all his minions left. On the way to exterminate them and the whole tribe.