Marlew Feulmen stood over the gaping crater, his bare toes burning on the hot sand of the Great Southeast Movement, a strange place that was filled with eternal sand, always circulating under your feet like water.

Marlew’s large green ears flapped in the wind. He was a goblin, and he lived in Hexiub, the realm of the goblins. The straps of his goggles snapped as he put them over his eyes.

A hand was placed on Marlew’s shoulder. “It’s only the Great Skull Maw! Every bogger reaches this point in their life!” Browlen, Marlew’s only surviving family member, his uncle to be more specific, tried to comfort him sarcastically.

Marlew was a bogger, a goblin who doesn’t survive in the Great Southeast Movement- but lives in the Great Southeast Movement. Boggers were scavengers who used the flowing sands to their advantage, creating sleds and landships that go at tremendous speeds.

Great Skull Maw was one of the biggest landmarks of the GSM, as its circumference and diameter were about a mile long. Goblin historians always theorized that the giant crater was the source of the enternal sand, as it seemed to flow in multiple directions in it. All that the boggers saw were a test.

In the center of the Great Skull Maw were ruins of some of the first goblins, large temples dedicated to random gods. It became a watering hole of sorts for scavengers and creatures to mingle, and eventually, the ruins were so degraded that you could fit landships through most alleys.

Marlew’s hands shook as he held his sled, propped up in the sand, his steering mauls in his other hand, dangling. Marlew exhaled. All boggers had to go through the Great Skull Maw to prove themselves worthy of operating a landship.

“It’s a busy day down there… I spotted a few rangers down there… Watch out, kid,” Browlen spat out a desert fern he was chewing on. Marlew nodded.

“I can handle it… If I get into trouble, I’ll use my mauls,” Marlew assured his uncle he’d be fine. Browlen patted his back. “You can go when you’re ready,” Browlen took a few steps back. Marlew put down his sled, his foot on it, making sure it wouldn’t get carried away by the sand.

Marlew sat on the sled and slotted his feet into the small indents near the front. He swung his steering mauls- large, spiked wheels on chains- slamming them into the sand. Marlew pulled on the mauls, and he was sent forward.

Sand kicked up in front of the sled. Marlew put the mauls into small holders by his side, the wheels flying behind the sled like streamers. Marlew wouldn’t have to use the mauls until he got to the ruins, using them by pulling yourself in the direction you want to go.

A bird of prey shrieked as the sled went by a small tree, one of the mauls slamming into it and destroying a nest. Marlew could see the ruins now, their sandy color and texture blending in.

Small obelisks made of stone whizzed by, announcing to Marlew that he was nearing the ruins. He took out his steering mauls and threw them to the right, pulling himself.

Marlew could hear the sound of a whistling conch shell. Must’ve been spotted by the rangers… Marlew though, sighing- then remembering how fast he was going as he swallowed a clump of sand.

He zoomed past the first temple, now he was officially in the Maw. Marlew threw his mauls, dodging stones. “Hey-” Marlew nearly cut off the feet of a scavenger, running through an alley.

“Sorry!” Marlew looked back at the scavenger, now only a small green figure in the distance. A loud cracking sound, and Marlew felt his gut sink as he was lifted in the air. He felt the wind take his mauls out of his hands. He looked down and saw his sled in splinters.

Marlew screamed as he cut through the air. He rolled as he impacted with the sand, its constant movement already sucking in his right hand. Marlew caught his breath, standing up and stepping back and forth, making sure the sand wouldn’t take him under.

Another whistle blew. “Bogger!” Marlew could hear a ranger shout. Boggers were quite unwelcome in the Maw, as all they did was cause damage. Marlew turned around and saw a goblin wearing the beige uniform of the rangers running towards him.

“Stop right there, bogger!” Marlew looked around frantically for his mauls. The ranger stopped a few meters away from him and took something from his belt holster. Marlew cursed under his breath as he heard the click of a hand cannon being armed.

“Don’t move!” The ranger shouted. Marlew wouldn’t have anyways, the only movement being him slightly peeing himself. The ranger walked towards Marlew, the long barrel of the cannon pointed at him.

“By the law of the conjoined creed- you are breaking the bill of laws! Law no.12! You will not trespass on historic grounds without permission or do any act that could damage the environment or any type of vandalism on said grounds!” The ranger’s hand shook.

“You know how it is…” Marlew stalled. “It’s totally not like… Is that Galaatin?” Marlew pointed behind the ranger. The ranger turned around. “Galaatin?! Where is he?!” The ranger shouted at the mere thought of the presence of the famous king.

“Huh? I don’t see anything,” The ranger turned around to see that Marlew had disappeared. Marlew vaulted over crumbling walls, knowing that mentioning King Galaatin would trick him.

He ducked into a discrete alleyway and picked up a stone. He went to a soft sandstone wall and started carving letters. BOGGERS FOREVER! Marlew tossed the rock behind him and started running out of the ruins.

*

Browlen pulled Marlew out of the Maw. Marlew exhaled. “I told you to be careful… You’re going to cause the next creed war!” Browlen laughed, walking towards the landship waiting for them.