"Isamu, what is the principle behind these sand soldiers? Their spears seem infinite, and those shields formed from grit can stop bullets. It is unbelievable."
Tony Stark could not help asking as he watched the undying soldiers unleash their might.
"I heard that warriors who follow the will of the great Emperor Azir sacrifice their flesh to become undying sand soldiers," Isamu said, hedging, not truly understanding.
One sand soldier, annoyed at the crooked explanation, cut in. "That is incorrect. We who follow Shurima's will do not sacrifice our bodies. We continue to uphold the Empire's will after death."
"Enough. Bring your questions to the great Desert Emperor when you meet him. For now, we return to Shurima," said a soldier who seemed to be the captain, striding over after clearing the remaining stragglers.
The captain knelt and began inscribing a magic array.
"This is a teleportation circle. So long as we stand upon sand, we can use it to return to the Shuriman Empire," another soldier explained.
Back to form, Tony leaned in with a drawl. "Oh, that is pretty cool. Spatial transmission tech. Care to share some cutting-edge knowledge?"
"You do not appear to be a citizen of Shurima," the soldier replied coolly. "You have no right to travel with us. You may leave now."
"Uh..."
Being brushed off by unfamiliar beings rankled Tony, who was used to the world revolving around him.
Remembering the power these soldiers had shown, he wisely sheathed his barbs.
Annoyance aside, worry gnawed at him. They were still in the terrorists' stronghold. The gunmen had fled, but if he were left alone, who knew if they would return to finish him.
Isamu clearly shared that worry. He opened his mouth to ask when the silent captain spoke.
"His Imperial Majesty wishes to meet this mortal. I do not know what makes him special, but he has been granted this honor."
The captain turned to Tony. "Mortal, rejoice. You have been granted passage to the Shuriman Empire. You may not remain there forever, but you may take pride in this."
Tony: "..."
Pride prickled. He was Tony Stark. Since when did he need to be honored just to enter some place?
Knowing that mouthing off would end badly, he closed his mouth with a sulky look, wrestling his ego down.
Seeing this, Isamu quietly exhaled in relief. After two weeks together, he knew exactly how bad this man's temper could be. If not for a good father and a bit of talent, someone with that personality would have been beaten to death long ago.
"The teleportation circle is ready. Stand in the center," the captain said.
"First time using a portal, Isamu. Care to share your feelings?" Tony teased.
"Mr. Stark, if you wipe the sweat off your forehead, I might not notice how nervous you are," Isamu shot back, catching the sheen on Tony's brow.
Neither had ever taken a teleportation circle. Tony's vision blurred, and the next instant he stood in a very strange world.
Why strange?
There was no trace of technology anywhere, and yet the people here seemed terrifyingly robust.
Not far away, a middle-aged man shouldered a boulder.
Tony swallowed. "I will stake my physics on it. That rock weighs at least ten tons."
Isamu nodded, awed. The sight was too shocking to deny.
"Come. His Majesty will receive you both," the captain said.
They followed obediently. Led by the sand soldiers, they soon arrived before a palace of overwhelming grandeur. It had none of the sleek futurism of high tech nor the soft harmony of classic art, but it had one overpowering trait: majesty.
Even the White House would pale here, not one part in ten.
Escorted into the great hall, Tony and Isamu saw the emperor upon the throne, radiating authority.
"The fabled Desert Emperor. A god?" the atheist Tony wondered in silence.
The sand soldiers bowed. "Your Majesty, the ones you wished to see have arrived."
Riku, wearing the mantle of the Desert Emperor, inclined his head with solemn dignity.
At once, the soldiers unraveled into handfuls of sand and faded where they stood.