Refugee by erica stevens

They were the aristocrats that had stood against the king during the war, and fled the palace when it became clear that they were not going to win and their lives would be forfeit. The supposed new home of the vampires that had at one time been some of the most spoiled aristocrats. They had traveled hundreds of miles through her forest to this godforsaken land of sun and sand. And now they were here, preparing to jump head first, straight into hell. Few believed the extent of the stories, but even fewer wandered into The Barrens after hearing them.

The ones that did often ranted of strange creatures, monsters that hunted within the sand, appeared out of nowhere, and were even more vicious than the vampires. There were few people that had entered The Barrens and ever come back. They were desolate, somehow cold, even with the sun relentlessly pounding the earth around them.

The place where horror stories were born, cautionary tales were exchanged and people were frightened by the mere thought of entering them.