My mind drifted back to awareness slowly, with a peculiar feeling of something being wrong. Why was there sand under my hands? I finally pried my eyes open and stared into the shadowy recesses of an abandoned house.

Sluggishly, my mind roused enough to form something akin to coherent thoughts. A quick check of my ankle confirmed the events hadn't been a heat hallucination. I groaned and crawled out of the hiding spot; the empty shoulder-bag strapped to my back reinforced the reality of my recent close call.

The village was deserted, as per usual. I groaned as I stood up and stretched the stiffness out of my muscles. I gauged the sun, guessing I'd slept for about four hours. As much as I wanted a second nap, Grant would be getting worried about me.

Even though I didn't want to go to the Guard Station, it was a necessity. With a sigh, I plodded over to the crystal. I frowned as I remembered how I had needed to use the location phrase during my last attempt to port. I rested a hand on a spire, and light hummed through my veins once more.

I reached for the Guard Station crystal with my mind. With a dragging sensation, my view hazed over. Relief flooded through me. I must have been too panicked to properly direct my mind last time. The haze cleared to reveal the familiar location. One of the guards was already coming over with the scanner.

"Mind scanning me?" I asked. "The Saursunes seem to be lurking around the crystals lately."

"We noticed that. Three others narrowly escaped so far today," he replied.

"Three?" I asked, blinking in shock. People porting to safety after glimpsing a Saursune happened about once a month, but having one get so close they might have stuck a tracker on us was rare. If the aliens got that close, their target rarely survived, and I'd never heard of a story like mine where they'd been let go.

A woman replied, "The lizards are out in full force. A hunter from Sandstone Village was killed, although the porter got the others out. Teriel had one on his heels when he ported. At least a dozen others bounced here when they spotted one in the distance."

"No trackers," the man proclaimed. "You're clear."

"Thanks." As I walked to the resting hides, I asked the woman, "Which hunter? Do you know which crystal they were at?"

"Freddie. The group was at Sunflower Farm."

I winced. I didn't know him well, but the name was familiar enough. She named the two locations where there had been close calls, both of which had been near fields. The other locations, where Saursunes had been spotted, were varied. I memorized the names, although one didn't ring a bell. Grant would have to check his notes to figure out what we called it.

I told her about my encounter and advised them to let porters know to avoid that spot.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "It just let you go?"

"Yeah. I was positive it had planted a tracker on me. Maybe it fell off in the scuffle?"

"I don't like it," a man grumbled, staring out across the desert. "Too many sightings, too many encounters, and now this? We haven't seen them this much in decades. They're up to something, and it has me worried."

The guards told me all the recent gossip, and my brows creased with every new detail as I listened to what they said—and what they weren't saying.

Every village, even the ones who got most of their food by raiding the storage bins on the Saursune farms, were beginning to avoid the Saursunes' lands like the plague. One guard's comment about seeing how long they could hold out against hunger painted an unfortunate picture.

My village worked hard to feed ourselves, but some places didn't have the manpower, enough foraging locations, or were too used to the easy pickings. The woman's haunted look made me wonder how long those villages would remain standing.

The upcoming quarterly gathering had just been canceled. Too many people in one place and not enough porters to clear them out in two round trips if airships showed up. I was quite troubled by the time I took my leave and ported back to my village.

Grant ran over, worry etched on his face. "What happened? I expected you back hours ago."

"Had another close call with a Saursune," I said briefly. "Exhausted myself trying to get away, so I rested in an abandoned village before heading to the Guard Station to get scanned."

He ran a hand through his thinning hair and pried his notebook open, adding another red bookmark to the growing collection. "How close did it get?"

I reached down and pulled up my pant leg.

"Shoot," he mumbled, blood draining from his face as he stared at it. "Are you okay?"

"Just some strained muscles. The Guard Station confirmed it hadn't put a tracker on me."

"That's good. How did you get away?"

"The Saursune was pinned under a tree that had just fallen over. I think it finally decided it wanted to free itself instead of holding me hostage while stuck under the branches."

He was silent for some time. "Definitely avoid that area for a while. If you feel like porting later, I have some grain to plant on the Jungle Sandbar. If anything shows up, at least you'll see it swimming across the river. Stay away from the shore though; Mitch saw at least two dozen big crocodiles sunning themselves last time. No telling where they are in that murky river."

I nodded and went to sit on the furs spread across on the sand. He didn't even have to tell me to take a ten-minute break.

I lay back and had barely closed my eyes before the rapid pattering of light feet informed me of company. I pried an eye open as a blonde-haired bundle of energy ran over. Thankfully, my niece plopped down beside me instead of jumping on me like she usually did.

Callie held out a tiny fingernail-sized piece of dried fish. "The cooks said I could share this with you!"

"You can have it," I told her, ignoring how my stomach gurgled at the sight of food. There was no way I was going to eat my niece's food portion, especially when that was all she'd likely get between lunchtime and dinner. "I'll be fine until they serve the soup."

She promptly shoved the morsel in her mouth. "Did you see all the fish Ariel brought back yesterday? I didn't know there were that many fish in the whole world!"

My niece's enthusiasm brightened my spirit, although her words saddened me since they reminded me that she'd never been outside the desert.

I smiled at the child. "I did! Did you help clean them?"

"No, but they let me watch! And guess what?"

"What?"

"I get to go with Mother tomorrow! I'll get to see grass and trees!"

My heart skipped a beat. She had no way of knowing the kind of danger she was about to enter—no idea about the close call I'd had—and the possibility of finding her bloody body sprawled on the grass sent chills through me despite the desert heat.

Her mother was assigned to the safest areas due to her pregnancy. And despite how much I wished there was another way, Callie needed to start learning the locations for the day her porting abilities emerged.

Children learned things a lot easier than adults, so it was best to start while they were young. One day, likely in her early teens, she'd feel the crystal's energy shimmering through her when she touched it. At that point, she'd be able to port by herself.

"That's great!" I exclaimed, forcing a cheerful note into my voice. "Which spot are you going to tomorrow?"

"Flax meadow! Can we go look at the magazines? I want to hear about the histories again! Please?"

Despite how much I'd rather take another nap, I knew my niece wasn't about to let me sleep. With a groan, I got to my feet. I couldn't believe how tired I was, even after my nap. Callie took my hand and half-way pulled me up the path and into a large crevice.

The large opening let in plenty of light, but the overhang prevented direct sunlight from touching the walls and fading the magazine pages that had been carefully hung there.

Callie quivered with excitement but walked silently beside me as I regarded the rare items that had survived the Last War and the centuries that had passed until now. I reached out, my fingers almost brushing against the glass-protected image of a mountain meadow.

"There were once many flowering meadows where we could walk without fear." Another step took me to an image showing rolling sand dunes. "The deserts only covered a tenth of the world, and there was more rain before the sky was set on fire. Plants like cacti grew in many of them without being watered by us."

Despite hearing the same story from her parents countless times, Callie practically held her breath as she stared at a grape vineyard that must have held hundreds of plants. "We were able to grow our own food freely, and many raised their own animals. We didn't have to hide."

The next picture showed dozens of strange grey rectangular cliffs. "We built cities wherever we pleased and lived in harmony, hundreds of thousands in one place."

"Mother said some places even held millions," Callie whispered.

I couldn't comprehend such a number—the largest village we knew of only had five hundred people—but I'd been told the same story, and the faded image was proof, so I nodded.

"We had technology to travel faster than a deer can run," I murmured as we reached a picture of shiny cars and trucks. "There were machines that let us see our bones without touching the skin, which allowed the doctors to set broken bones with ease. Our medicines were capable of curing almost any sickness."

Another step brought us in front of four charcoal drawings, each showing a Saursune. One was leaping over a fallen log, depicting a chase on four legs. Another stood on its hindlegs, bedecked in armor and carrying two types of ranged weapons. The third sat on its haunches and stared with the same unnerving gaze as a tiger. The fourth picture had a dozen miniature sketches with various poses; some slashing or biting at invisible prey, others running on their hind legs or on all fours.

"Then the Saursunes arrived and stole it from us," I said quietly.

"Why?" the child asked.

"No one knows," I murmured. "They claimed that humans had been destroying the earth, and that they were attacked first when they tried to fix some areas, but they really just wanted it for themselves."

"Are you sure?"

I waved a hand at the twenty-three torn-out pictures. "Look at these. Beautiful mountains, endless green plains, lush rainforest, sparkling blue seas, pristine cities. Who wouldn't want to live here? But Saursunes don't share."

"I thought Saursunes couldn't talk?"

"Not in words. This was back when we had computers that could connect to their devices and translate what we typed. Their spoken language consists of growls, hisses, and rumbles, many of which are too deep for us to hear." I shrugged. "We might not have technology anymore, but you don't need a translator when an alien hisses and charges at you with bared teeth."

"They killed Uncle Vic," Callie murmured sadly.

I nodded somberly. "They killed many people. Never let one get close to you."

She nodded far more resolutely than someone her age should have been able to. She hesitated, then asked, "Was Chase really killed by a tiger? Or did the Saursunes catch him?"

Pain lanced through my heart. My boyfriend's death six months ago was still too fresh to hear his name without grief resurfacing. All of our hopes and dreams, gone in an instant. I tried to push it to the side so as not to alarm the child.

It took me a second to muster up my breath. "It was a tiger. They like to hide in the rainforests. You will have to watch for predators when you go with your mother. Animals like bears, crocodiles, and lions are very dangerous." And tigers. And coyotes. Pretty much anything with sharp teeth if it got hungry enough.

"And snakes," she added. "Father almost got bit by a rattlesnake yesterday!"

I guided her out of the crevice. "Yes, and even some spiders are dangerous. Make sure you listen to your mother when you go with her. She will show you a lot of things."

She nodded excitedly, eyes wide and drinking in every word I said. Her fascination with the world outside the desert was an asset for a future porter, although she might change her mind when she was old enough to realize that she risked death every time she left this place.

In an effort to distract the child, I asked her, "Did Sophia ever tell you about the time she saw wolf pups?"

Her eyes went wide. "She saw wolf puppies?"

"She'll tell you about it, if you ask," I replied. The aged gatherer would also tell her how the hunters had barely fended off the parents until they made it to a crystal.

With a speed that was better suited to being chased by a Saursune, Callie pelted down the path in search of the gatherer.

I doubted I'd get a nap now, so I decided to go plant the grain on the sandbar. Thankfully, the short trip was uneventful. No thunderstorms, no Saursunes, and nothing making me run for my life.

When I got back to the village, I sprawled out on the fur rugs. Today's six solo ports had left me as tired as if I had done twenty.

Grant wandered over and evaluated my prone form. "Either your acting skills are getting too good for me to tell when you're really tired, or you're about tapped out."

I pulled myself into a sitting position. "This morning knocked me on my butt, but I've got a few ports left in me. There isn't any porting strain yet. I'm just tired."

"Can you handle the water cart?" he asked. "Roxanne and Derek already had to bounce today, so I'm a bit short-handed."

There was no point in asking if he meant the big cart or the small one. I'd never cared before, so the question would immediately rouse his suspicions. After a day of regular porting, only Roxanne and I had the strength to drag that big cart around. If the others had to immediately bounce to safety upon arrival, even the smaller cart would be too much for them.

I could see villagers planting seeds in the most sheltered part of the ravine in an attempt to grow some of our own food. The plants would need more water than what our limited well provided.

"Yeah. Where to?"

"Orange Flower. It's the closest to the water."

The woman and a teenage boy were already pulling the larger wagon over, so I got to my feet and stretched, stifling a groan.

"Hang on," I told them as I took a firm grip of the wagon handle and reached for the crystal. Light danced through my veins readily as I murmured, "Orange Flower By The River."

Porting strain blossomed in my chest as the world around us hazed into green. I quickly looked around but didn't see anything amiss.

"If you can keep a lookout, we'll fill the jugs," the teenager told me as he jogged over to the nearby creek without waiting for me to reply.

In other words, I was supposed to rest while they worked. It was standard protocol in most villages, since no one wanted their porter tired if they had to flee. Hard physical labor and porting didn't go hand-in-hand.

I leaned against a tree and covered a yawn. Sitting would have been preferable, but I needed to see over the shrubs. I could have sworn the jars were half-full from how tired the port left me, but a quick glance confirmed they were desert dry. I wasn't looking forward to the trip back.

Insects sang and buzzed around while the two carried their buckets back and forth. The grass was too uneven to roll the cart closer. Besides, once it was full, we'd need a dozen strong men to move it, even on flat ground.

I glanced behind the tree I was using for a backrest. The forest was as peaceful as it had always been, but my eyes never stopped moving. A rabbit darted across a patch of grass. Not far away, something much larger moved behind a shrub.

I kept turning my head the other way as I scanned the area, pretending I hadn't seen it, although my eyes remained locked on the spot.

"Get ready to bounce," I whispered harshly, leaning over to grab the wagon handle.

The woman held onto the cart, anxiously looking around while the teenager ran back from the creek with a pail full of water. He immediately grabbed onto the wooden sideboards. I finally let my gaze return to that spot for a better look, ready to drop to my knees to reach the small crystal.

Realizing it had been spotted, a dark brown Saursune slid out of the bushes and stopped in full view. Her gaze lingered on me.

She was only about two hundred paces away. Far too close while she stood on all fours. No weapons or a hip belt with devices, but that wouldn't matter if she raced over to hitch a ride. It only took a single Saursune to kill dozens or even hundreds of humans.

I dropped to my knees and grabbed onto a spire, hastily whispering, "Sunrise Village! Sunrise Village!"

Repetition wouldn't do anything to push the young crystal into taking us faster, but that didn't stop my mind from desperately reaching for the safety of my bounce location. The Saursune remained where she was as the greenery faded. Porting strain spread through my chest, arms, and legs as the abandoned village and tan cliff appeared.

I leaned against the wooden wheel, my muscles going limp in relief. We'd made it without the Saursune trying to grab onto the cart.

"That thing was huge! Its head was bigger than mine!" The teenager continued to cling to the cart as if letting go would make him reappear at Orange Flower.

"They're big," I agreed, feeling slightly out of breath. Saursunes were also dangerous—and this one had simply watched us leave even though she would have been able to catch us if she'd tried.

The woman walked closer, going hand-over-hand so she was in constant connection with the cart. She stared at the murals on the cliffs as she asked me, "Where are we?"

"Sunrise Village. It was abandoned over a century ago." Abandoned was a mild term for the blood that had been shed here—a stark reminder of the fate we had narrowly avoided. "I didn't want to accidentally port the Saursune back home or to the Guard Station."

She took a better look at me. "Are you going to be able to port us home?"

"You two, yes. The cart might have to stay here tonight."

It galled me to say that. I quickly tallied up my trips today, then did a recount, and another count. How was I this tired? I'd only done six solo ports and then the cart, and the trips been spread out across the day. The cart shouldn't have caused this much porting strain.

A good night's sleep would eliminate the porting strain that had accumulated throughout the day, effectively resetting the "clock", so to speak. I could come back for the cart in the morning.

"What if someone else finds the cart?" she asked.

"I'm hoping they won't have enough energy to transport it. Give me a while to rest, and we'll see how things look."

My answer likely wasn't going to change, not when porting strain was radiating through my muscles. I shifted off my knees and sat cross-legged. The sand was hot, but I didn't have the energy to move into the shadows at the base of the cliff. At least the cart was casting shade onto me. Even though the village was deserted, my two passengers were too nervous to stray more than a handful of steps from the crystal.

After about twenty minutes, I struggled to my feet. I slowly walked around the water cart. The ache in my chest had eased and my legs felt steadier, but they were still shaky. I eyed up the mostly full water jugs unfavorably. I'd hit my limits so many times in the past that I knew this was going to be my last port of the day.

Did I dare take the cart back? Or hope it would still be here in the morning? None of the other porters in our village would have enough strength to retrieve it. Resting longer wasn't an option—someone might decide to check on us and end up face-to-face with a Saursune.

The woman murmured, "I really don't want to leave the cart here in case someone else takes it. It'd take us months to build a new one, and most porters can't move trees big enough to make those boards."

I set my jaw. She was right. We didn't dare lose this cart, not when we had just started planting a garden. I'd only ported eight times today, and once in the past, I'd ported the cart three times. I knew I could do it. I just might not be standing afterward.

As a precaution, I told them, "Empty the jars at least halfway."

I winced as they began dumping precious water onto the sand, which was so dry the liquid simply flowed across the surface. I walked another circle around the cart since my legs were often the best indicator of how much strength I had left. They seemed steady enough, although I doubted they'd hold me after this port.

The woman and teenager scooped out water until the jars were only a third full, even emptier than I'd requested. They held onto my shoulders to reduce the drag, and I knelt beside the crystal to avoid the risk of my legs giving out.

Taking a deep breath, I braced myself and said, "Home."

I felt the energy drain out of me as the world faded from view. The cart was an almost physical dragging sensation. The ache in my chest reappeared threefold, rolling down my arms and legs, and tightening my chest.

I struggled to draw a breath, and my ears started ringing. I felt the port "settle" although my vision remained hazy with black spots dancing across the cliffs. Exhaustion flooded through me.

"We saw a Saursune!" the teenager exclaimed, his words echoing strangely in my ears, but it was proof we had arrived.

Ignoring the resulting babble of voices, I leaned against the wooden cart wheel with a faint groan and closed my eyes, stubbornly fighting to avoid passing out. There were always consequences when a porter pushed themselves too far, and they'd just come calling my name.

"Natalie?" Grant asked, his voice close as if he had crouched beside me.

"I haven't fainted," I mumbled, still trying to catch my breath. "Can't give me a lecture yet."

It was hard to think, but this port shouldn't have hit me this hard. The jars had been mostly emptied. It had been years since I'd ended up in this state.

Arms slid under my legs and back, and I cracked an eye open just long enough to confirm a couple of hunters were picking me up. A handful of steps later, I was set on the resting hides.

Grant said, "Sleep. I'll wake you when the soup is ready."

Exhaustion tugged at me, and the moment I stopped fighting it, sleep whisked me away.