Echo slowly got up, pushing off his hand to do so. When he took it off, the blood mark had disappeared -in the sand, on the hand, Echo didn't notice- . As Echo stood up, he shivered intentionally to shake off all the sand that had been covering his body. He growled at the wind when he noticed that the wind started picking up more sand. His wounds -that he had either dealt himself by accident or had really been the oeuvre of the Shiva- seemed to not bother him any more. He gazed a long time upon Serenity's body, sneering with a maniacal expression.

He took one step forwards, a red triangular blade shooting out of the palm of his right hand, which he outstretched to his side. The tip of the blade turned the sand into glass along the way, screeching highly. He loomed over the Shiva's body, snickering quietly to himself. He crouched down, grabbing Serenity's head with his non-armed hand, turning it to him. After looking at her face in a dream-like manner, Echo shook his head, quietly laughing. "I know you can here me now, Serenity," he began quietly, lowering his head. His silver hair sparkled in the sunlight as it slid on his forehead and shoulders, falling like a shining waterfall. "answer me. Should I stick this blade through your throat," Echo continued, waving the blade at his side, "or should I leave you here to die in the incoming sandstorm? The sandstorm would be slower and more painful, but I can't bear to have in mind that I did not kill the only Clonoid who stands on the foot of power beside me."

Serenity hung in his grasp, corpse-like and without resistance. As he lifted her up, sand cascaded from her body, affected by gravity and the sudden incline. The Shiva's limbs dragged, leaving small runnels in the their wake. Yet, the signs that she had shifted, or been shifted, were quickly erased by the wind and sands. A slight groan escaped her throat as she was twisted about to face Echo. Suddenly, as she rested, held up by an enemy, the eyes of the Shiva flashed open, glowing scarlet.

A shadow was cast upon both figures as a silhouette appeared atop the dune which they had descended quite recently. The shade appeared to be cloaked, faceless, and the only distinguishing feature was a blade which extended forth from the darkness. It's length reflected the light of the sun above instead of producing its own.

"Audacious!" a voice called down from the shadowy person's perch, "To claim for yourself such ability... How many times is it that Echo Hunter fought upon the field of battle? I can recall only three occasions to mind..." It was a taunting call, a male's voice that echoed across the space between them.The cloak flapped with a ferocity in the wind. "So, Hunter, I challenge you. That is if you are thoroughly done beating down a little girl, or are you too afraid to fight with a man who holds a blade of metal instead of one of your precious Pylonic weapons?" the words were thrown with disgust, anger, maybe even hatred, and perhaps a little fear, hurled to the wind with the force of all these emotions.