Children of Dune

Leto wakes up in his stilltent. Needing fresh air, he digs a tunnel to the surface and breaks into the moonlit desert. Preparing to move forward, he repairs his damaged stillsuit, noting that half his body’s water has already been lost. Summoning a sandworm with a thumper, Leto climbs aboard and directs the creature southward, aiming toward a distant butte and the smuggler group he expects to find there.

As Leto nears the butte, he spots a spice harvester and a scout ornithopter in the distance, identifying them as smugglers operating near Shuloch, a mythical sanctuary for Fremen outcasts. Bringing the worm to a halt, Leto dismounts as the scout lands nearby. A Fremen named Muriz emerges, armed with a maula pistol, and interrogates Leto. Using traditional Fremen phrases, Leto identifies himself as a traveler from Jacurutu, piquing Muriz’s suspicion. Leto carefully maneuvers the conversation, hinting at his knowledge of the smugglers’ secrets and their hidden ties to Shuloch.

Muriz grows increasingly wary as Leto demonstrates his understanding of Shuloch’s existence and its connection to the Cast Out. When Muriz accuses him of being a spy, Leto disarms him with a feigned movement, seizing Muriz’s crysknife and holding it to his back. Leto then warns Muriz that without his intervention, the spice-producing sandworms will vanish, destroying the smugglers’ future. Cornered, Muriz agrees to bring Leto to Shuloch, but his demeanor reveals lingering distrust.

To ensure Muriz’s cooperation, Leto invokes the ritual of Wadquiyas, offering his blood for Muriz to drink as a gesture of trust and symbolic acceptance into the tribe. Muriz hesitates but ultimately accepts, signaling an uneasy alliance. Acknowledging the ritual’s significance, Leto asserts that only he can guide the smugglers through the environmental transformations that threaten to make Arrakis uninhabitable for the worms and their spice.

Muriz, visibly unsettled, retrieves his maula pistol and prepares to escort Leto to Shuloch, but his body language betrays internal conflict. Leto, meanwhile, assesses the encounter as a victory in securing access to Shuloch, a critical step in his plan. He observes Muriz’s every movement, fully aware of the man’s deadly capabilities and the danger that still lies ahead. As they depart for Shuloch, Leto reflects on his precarious position. By leveraging his knowledge of Fremen culture and the smugglers’ desperation, he has bought himself time. However, he remains alert to the possibility of betrayal, knowing that his survival hinges on convincing the Cast Out of his indispensability to their future.