"The Sword, the Shield, and the Hand?" The Chief frowned, gazing at the Guru as he recalled from his memories, "Your tattoo…"

"Yes," The Guru nodded, "It was from the Beast denoted as the Hand."

She slowly wore her turban back, speaking in a placid tone, "The Crimson Desert is a place fraught with danger. Only brave warriors can persevere here. The Hand Beast that arrived back then was powerful. Our three Clans rallied all our warriors, leaders, and the three Chiefs took the lead. And…"

"We were annihilated," The Guru sighed, "Us three shamans broke our laws and joined the battle. My husband, the Namali Clan's Chief used his life to deal the Hand Beast a vicious blow, plunging it towards death. But, it still retained a sliver of its life. It was when us shamans arrived at the scene."

She watched the water in the brook flow past her finger, wetting the bandage on it. The dust in it was washed away as a thin stream of muddy water flowed past, "We picked up the swords from our fallen Clansmen and hacked at the Hand Beast, eventually killing it. But, I ended up as the sole survivor."

She watched the stream turn clear again, retracting her finger, "When I killed it, the voice of the desert resounded in my mind once again, telling me the recipe to create the tattoo using the Hand Beast's essence."

"Only a shaman can inherit this tattoo. Never set foot into a Clan. Treat any injured you come across. Pass your experiences to your successor upon death. Never leak the recipe or the fact about the Crimson Desert's presence to anyone." The Guru looked at the Chief, "These were the restrictions imposed on me by the Crimson Desert's presence. Before vanishing, it told me the hidden conditions that I can use to evade the restrictions when in crisis."

"And, that crisis is now? Is that how you can talk about it?" The Chief stared, expressing his doubt, unable to trust everything she had said without any proof.

"I had talked about this to the Chief of Raga Clan before. But, he didn't choose to deal with the crisis." The guru sighed in helplessness, seeing the behaviour of the Meka Clan Chief, "The Crimson Oath activated and he forgot everything after that."

"So, I'll forget this conversation had ever happened if I don't deal with this so-called crisis?" The Chief said.

"No," The Guru shook her head, "You've already chosen to deal with the crisis. So, you won't forget this conversation."

Seeing the Chief's eyes widen in realisation, the Guru nodded, "The Shield Beast is actually a Sand-Weaving Scorpion. It should be the beast commanding all the other Sand-Weaving Scorpions."

"The Hand Beast was only a single beast. It was the material for my tattoo with healing abilities that the Crimson Desert had prepared for us. But even that wiped out three Clans. The Shield Beast would be even more powerful. And finally, the Sword Beast would be the most threatening." The Guru said solemnly, "If we survive, we would obtain enough power to overcome the real disaster. But, if we fail to do so, then the Crimson Desert would be wholly annihilated. This is the Crimson Desert's gamble on us, its trust in its capable warriors."

"One way or the other, we would have to face against the Sand-Weaving Scorpions anyway. When the time comes, I'll be able to verify your claims." The Chief said, turning around, intending to leave.

"I'm afraid we don't have the leisure for that." The Guru spoke, her words stopping him, "It seemed something had happened, so the Crimson Desert had preponed its plans. Tomorrow, the Shield Beast will attack the Meka Clan. A week later, the Sword Beast will make an appearance at the Harvest Oasis. If we don't have a warrior with the Shield Beast's tattoo, then it would be impossible to survive the onslaught of the Sword Beast."

"Then, how many essences would the Shield and Sword Beast possess?" The Chief turned around, his expression serious, the air around him trembling under his stare.

"The Hand Beast had two, the Shield Beast will have four, and the Sword Beast will have six." The Guru said, watching the Chief's gaze become solemn, even suppressing his desire for the essences, "After seeing the dust fog while coming here, I feel that the number of Sand-Weaving Scorpions with more than one essence is high."

"Alright, you've convinced me enough." The Chief loosened his shoulders, "Speak, what do you need. My previous statement holds true. The Meka Clan will satisfy your needs."

"Currently, I and my Shishya possess the Hand Tattoo. Suppose we were to die, make sure you extract our hearts. The essence to remake the Hand Tattoos will be generated within. If you accept it, your Clan shaman would automatically know the tattoo recipe when the time comes." The Guru waved her hand, "If you refuse, you would forget this part of our conversation."

"Fine, I'll accept this." The Chief gazed into the Guru's eyes, "So, the essences for the Hand Tattoos are maintained even after death?"

"Yes," The Guru nodded, unflinching under his gaze, acting like she was just taking a walk, "It is the same for the Shield and Sword Tattoos too."

"And, there is a condition you must know." Seeing the Chief stare in curiosity, the Guru spoke, her hoarse voice turning softer, "If the Meka Clan obtains the Shield Essence, only keep one portion and distribute the remaining three to other Clans. Also, suppose either me or my Shishya dies, promise me that the Meka Clan would extract our essences and bestow it to a shaman who would carry our fate of never belonging to any Clan."

"Have you proposed this because I have two daughters…" The Chief muttered.

"Yes," The Guru nodded, "Since the eldest will become the future shaman of your Clan, train the youngest for inheriting my legacy."

"Fine," The Chief thought for a moment before deciding, "Anything else?"

"There is," The Guru sighed, "In the future, don't discuss anything related to this with me. I probably would forget everything thanks to the Crimson Oath. And by future, I mean the moment my Shishya awakens her tattoo."

"So, she is a shaman too?" The Chief inquired.

"She's my daughter," The Guru smiled wryly, "But, once I inscribed the tattoo on her back, she forgot all memories related to the Namali Clan, including me. To be the Divya Vaidya, one must never have any attachment or bias to any Clan. Therefore, all related memories would be erased, only leaving the necessary memories and experiences behind. Such is the fate for everyone who would come to possess the Hand Tattoo."

"Finally," The Guru let out a long breath, displaying her exhaustion, "Take my Shishya to your Clan shaman and make her watch the tattoo engraving process. It would rekindle her shaman-related memories. That is one of the conditions necessary to awaken her tattoo. Once her tattoo awakens, she would be bound by the Crimson Oath. Let her set foot into a Clan one last time."

"Is it because my Meka Clan absorbed some of the Namali Clan's foundation?" The Chief gazed at the sky, noticing that it was turning dim now.

"Yes," The Guru nodded, "Once the battle against the Sand-Weaving Scorpions erupts, you have to…"

After hearing everything the Guru had to say, the Chief gazed with a conflicted feeling, "Causing the death of the Divya Vaidya, no Crimson Desert warrior would be willing to witness that."

"It's because I know too much and am not fully bound by the Hand Tattoo's restrictions." The Guru said, showing zero emotions towards her demise, "Once we leave this area, I'll forget everything that had transpired till now. It should be easy to enact the plan."

"Finally," The Guru patted the Chief's shoulder, "As one of the strongest Chiefs in the Crimson Desert, I'll leave its fate in your hands."

"It's my honour," The Chief knelt on the ground, watching the Guru's eyes turn dim immediately. As the Guru mechanically exited the area and walked towards the Meka Clan, the Chief followed her, the proof before his eyes erasing all his doubts.

He noticed faint red mist gush out from the sand and seep into the Guru, with her failing to detect its presence. There was a subtle change in her demeanour once the red mist disappeared, her presence falling below that of the Meka Clan's shaman.

"The Crimson Oath…" The Chief murmured, his gaze hardening. "The weight the Divya Vaidya had to carry with her all along."

When the two returned, the Shishya was sitting on a rock and making circles on the sand, silent. Seeing the Guru, she relaxed, her tension moving past like the drifting dust cloud.

"Guru, I saw the back of a figure made from white sand." Once the Chief left, the Shishya muttered, expressing her delight.

"Good job," The Guru patted her head, "Now, head to the Meka Clan and watch their shaman in action. She would be inscribing the tattoo using the Fire-Tailed Snail's essence on a warrior."

"But…the…oath…" The Shishya was shocked, confused by the strange instruction.

"It is only valid once you activate your tattoo. Besides, this is one of the conditions necessary to activate your tattoo. Now go." The Guru patted her back, watching the leader arrive with a warrior, the one that would guide the Shishya in the Meka Clan.

"Alright," The Shishya muttered in excitement, nodding with respect at the warrior before accompanying him to the Meka Clan. The entrance rumbled as it opened, allowing their entry.

The Guru slumped on the rock, looking at the billowing sand in the desert, heaving a long sigh, "I shouldn't drown in the world I have created. 100 percent realism is dangerous indeed."