Desert Runner

by Dawn Chapman

  “I think they’ll be back soon enough. There’s usually a two-week mark from them arriving for their egg birth, then another week before they feed once more to return to Trofoth.”

  “Let’s hope this journey is quick. I really don’t want to be here if they return.”

  I drove faster. “We’ll be fine.”

  I wished I hadn’t opened my mouth, though. No sooner had we managed to get on the flat of the longest stretch of the desert when the passenger front tire burst and Alex screamed.

  The wheel spun to the left, causing the Hog to swerve. I just managed to stop it from rolling over, but my heart pounded in my chest... I slammed the steering wheel, flinging the door open.

  “Have we a spare?” Alex asked joining me on the desert flat.

  “Of course, I carry two. But this is not good. I pointed to the sky, noting there were quite a few clouds in the distance. “Do you know how to change one?” He nodded. “Under the driver’s seat.”

  He moved quickly. I could see the panic in his eyes as he jacked the Hog up. I helped him with the main nuts, then found the spare under all the equipment we’d stashed.

  Distant rumbling spurred me on. I knew this wasn’t any ordinary rain storm. “Faster,” I said.

  The wheel came off a moment later, and I put the new one on. Alex dropped the jack then tightened all the nuts—just as I could see several tiny black spots appearing behind us. I jumped in the cab, and Alex followed me. I hit the gas, the Hog roared to life, and I floored it.

  “How fast are they?”

  “I told you where the harpoon was, right?”

  He nodded. “I can’t shoot. My aim is awful.”

  “Then you’ll have to drive if we need it. Okay?” I pulled the goggles from my head and passed them to him. “Use these. There’s a catch on the right side. It will zoom in. Keep me informed on their progress.”

  He slipped them over his head, and for a second, I had an even closer look at his eyes. They were green, but also, there was something else there. A fleck of red? I’d no idea what that meant, but I’d only ever seen people from my world with that problem. I pushed the thought aside as he started his running commentary, letting me know what was going on ahead.

  “They’re not gaining on us. They seem to be heading east.”

  “No.” I let out a sigh. They were going to the one place I hoped they wouldn’t, where I’d just sent half the estate’s refugees.

  “That’s the forest area, isn’t it?”

  “There’s nothing we can do. Nothing.”

  Tears burned my eyes, their hot wetness dripping down my cheeks. I wanted nothing more to do with this darned mission. Aiding him meant so many lives I could have helped and now would be lost.

  “I’m sorry,” Alex said. “I wish there was something we could do. Can we save them if we go back? Maybe this quest wasn’t meant to be.”

  I shook my head. There was no going back. We’d most likely die with the refugees. I felt a finger brush my tears away. I snatched his hand from my face. I did not let go though. I placed it between us and just held onto him while the dirt and dust billowed behind us.

  I was sure the Tromoal could see the trail, but they had other thoughts—they needed food. They’d not survive being here without it, then I guess neither would Puatera. That thought was as erratic as I felt. What if? No, I pushed it away. Dail would get them as much of a supply as he could. They’d be okay there, and it would be enough for them. They’d lay their eggs, stick around till they hatched, then they’d be gone. Nothing unusual. Just a little harder on our community.

  While the sun stayed high, I drove as fast as possible. The plains were chiselled almost like pure glass out of a furnace. Polished by the years of Tromoal fire and ice breath. There was a fine dusting of what I called sand, but I don’t actually think it was. I believed it to be leftover remnants of the egg shells.

  Finally, my hand grew tired on its own, so I let go of Alex’s hand. He looked my way and asked, “Hungry?”

  Then he reached back, digging out some rations. I chugged down the water faster than I should have, and it went up my nose. I choked, and the wheel moved slightly. “Easy there.” He patted my back while I coughed.

  “Thanks.” I pointed up ahead. “We’ve made it almost halfway. There’s a cave system we have to stop in there. Usually, there’s no Tromoal about. We can tuck in, and the Hog can rest while we do, then after they’ve returned and settled in for the night, we’ll go the rest of the way.”

  “We can’t do it all in daylight?”

  “No, the Tromoal never stay out all day. They tire easily because of their weight. Heavy females aren’t good at flying too much.”

  “I guess so. Have you ever seen an egg?”

  “Yes. The first time I came out here, I stopped in a cave that had their attention. It took me a few trips to work out where they didn’t rest. I was mesmerised at the sheer size of them, but also because they’re almost see through.”

  “Really? I’d never thought about that. Usually, dragon eggs are solid.”

  “They’re not dragons, though. Your creatures aren’t what we have here. Our world is vastly different.”

  He grinned, and I wanted to ask why but didn’t follow through. I knew players sometimes spouted out stuff to do with programming. The only programming I was used to was what we did with the Hog and her systems. They almost had a mind of their own. Then wondered if that was how we started out. Did we all have minds that worked like mine? Or were we all just programs, like I’d been programmed to fall in love so quickly. I shuddered.

  I was silent in my thoughts for a while. “Alex?” I asked. “I know we’re called NPCs, that we’re characters. But do you feel I’m just a character in this world?”

  “Honestly...” He stared at me, and I kept looking back as I drove on. “No,” he finally said. “There’d been rumours that the AI system had been developing, that some of the people had become semi-sentient. That they were doing things not scripted, designing things that the programmers had never even dreamed of before.”

  “That scares you?”

  “It might make some vast changes to my world if it’s true.”

  “How would you decide it was true?”

  He looked away from me this time. I could tell he was nervous. The way he rubbed his trousers smooth. Something he’d done quite often since getting inside the Hog.

  Alex’s eyes met mine once more with a fierceness I’d not previously seen. “The only true way to know if you are real is if you die and respawn to carry on with life as you know it or if you actually remembered anything.”

  I thought about it for a moment. “I could have died with the Tromoal many years ago. I didn’t. At least, I don’t think I did.”

  I eased off the gas, negotiating closer to the rock formations in the caving system. I knew it so well, I didn’t need to concentrate on it much—where to drive, where the floor dipped, and where I needed to brake on the way in.

  I slid the Hog into the hole, turning off the engine. “Take the light, look around, and make sure nothing else has moved in for us. I’ll unpack and reload the back of the Hog seeing as we made such a mess.”

  Alex opened the door and slid out. I could see him stretching in the light from the Hog’s headlights, but I would need to turn them off soon. It wasn’t good to let our only battery drain. No, I never had a spare on that. It was a bad thing if... I pushed the thought out my head straight away, though and then went to turn off the lights.

  I wasn’t chancing it.

  I wanted to shout to him, but maybe he’d realise something was up when it went dark. He came back over to me with the light shining on my face. “Saving the batteries?”

  I nodded. “Shine the light for me. I’ll unpack us enough to settle in for a few hours.”

  He did so, and I was quick to move everything around, then re-packed it. We’d done really well without the need for many things. I knew I was always over cautious, but that wa
sn’t a bad thing, was it? The sleeping clothes and packages I knew I needed for the cave, so I hauled them out and over towards the edge of one of the walls. I set them up, throwing the blankets over them.

  When I looked at Alex, he blushed. “Don’t worry, you’re not freezing to death now. You’ll be safe in your own bed.”

  I walked back to the Hog, pulling out a small box. This had a special light inside to heat up a package of food. All I needed was water... and we had plenty of that.

  I moved to the largest of the water butts and turned the tap.

  Nothing came out. What?

  I tried to lift it. I’d put it in the Hog, so I knew it was full. It lifted right out of the seat. A slight amount of water at the bottom rattled inside it.

  I swallowed. Maybe there was a hole in the tank, but that seemed impossible. They’d been stored really well.

  “Something up?”

  I motioned to the seats where he’d stuck his head in. “How many flasks of water do we have left?”

  He shrugged and moved to count them. “Seven.”

  “Fuck.” I actually swore. “I don’t know how. I don’t understand this. It’s empty?”

  Alex picked up the tank and shook it also. “It was full when you put it in?”

  “I packed it myself, yes.”

  “Then this is the strangest thing. It seems intact.” He turned it over on its side, allowing the last bit of water to float till he saw a drip. There was a puncture hole.

  I took the light from him shining it at its edge and saw it. Inside the water was a creature... “Did you drink from the bottles in the boot or from here yesterday?”

  He thought for a moment. “No, I refilled the water when you were stretching, after the estate affair.”

  I cursed. “This was put here on purpose. That thing is a water Vilous.”

  “A what?”

  “It drinks and uses water to survive, but it leaches a poison. They’re extremely rare, very valuable.”

  “And deadly, if the way I was feeling is anything to go by.”

  “Extremely.”

  “So who did this?”

  “I could only think of someone who wanted your mission to fail. I was warned it was highly political, the information you are passing on.”

  “It might seem that way to some people, but it’s not. It’s nothing but new trading routes, ways to get better access before and after breeding season. Easier for everyone to harvest the Hismaw and for us to re-sell it to others on Puatera.”

  “So its value is more because it’s countrywide?

  “I guess so.” Alex put the bottle outside the cab, looking around. “Do we have enough water to get to Port Troli?”

  I shook my head. “No. When the heat rises today, we’ll need at least that. Then we have all day tomorrow to travel before we get to any of the nearest water holes.”

  “No other backups?”

  I leaned on the Hog. “There’s only one choice.” I sighed.

  “What... that sounds rather dangerous.”

  “It is. It means we’ve got to go into the other cave systems. There’s a waterhole deep below us.”

  “There’s a catch, right?”

  “There’s a hell of a catch. Unless we’re quick, the Tromoal will be back.”

  Chapter 7

  I placed my goggles over my eyes. They had enough of an upgrade for me to see in the dark. Alex didn’t have any, so he was on his own. If we used flashlights and discovered something untoward, then they’d have the upper hand on us, and that would totally freak him out. I prayed we had enough skins to fill. The one with the poison inside would be tainted, it wasn’t viable anymore. I didn’t think I could take a hit like he had. I knew I didn’t have any major healing potions left.

  The ground ahead of us was so damp it was like the tide had recently gone out.

  I went through all the twists and turns in my mind. I remembered pausing at two small intersections to finally think which way was correct. While I was deep in thought, Alex never spoke. He just followed me, as close as humanly possible without actually touching me.

  I could hear the slight water trickle ahead. I wanted to hurry this up. Flashes of the past invaded my mind, my soul. The water, the cavern, the loot… then the Tromoal. I’d been terrified, and I’d run only to meet a couple of youngsters outside the cave. That’s when my life changed forever. I’d tried to retreat but couldn’t. Then all I could do was defend myself, but I couldn’t.

  Rounding the next corner, I finally noticed the stream. It was nice to see. I hoped things would be fine from now on.

  No sooner had we got to the side of the water’s edge, and he started to drink. “That thirsty?”

  He nodded. “I didn’t want to be any trouble and ruin the supply we had.”

  “If you’re thirsty, drink,” I said. “There’s no point trying to halt what will come. We’re lucky.” He obliged, and I added. “Fill what you can, drink what you need to, and then we’ll soon be on our way again.”

  Alex moved to fill the flasks and canisters he had while I did the same. That’s when I noticed he’d seen the other caving system. “What’s down there?”

  “That’s where the Tromoal usually start to lay their eggs. It’s a huge open cavern exposed only in summer. The water level otherwise fills this whole system.”

  “You’re kidding. It’s only exposed once a year?”

  I nodded. “That’s why they come here, some mineral they get from the rock formations, something they then put back with the Hismaw.”

  “You’ve seen it?”

  I smiled. “A long time ago, yes.”

  “Seems like loot heaven to me.” I remembered all the stuff lying around the caving system. “Why do you think most visitors come out here and die?” He nodded, eyes gleaming. “But the drag-Tromoal aren’t back yet. Can I take a look?”

  I wanted to curb his curiosity. There was no good ending here. It had been a while since I’d actually been in there myself, so what harm could there be?

  “We can look in but nothing else, right?”

  I watched as his eyes lit up. He nodded eagerly, much too eager. Leaving the water canisters, we edged in towards where the water level faded away, and the entrance to the main caving system came into view.

  Alex was ahead of me this time, and when he stepped through, I heard him gasp. Then he asked, “Can I use your goggles, just for a moment?”

  If I’d had a spare pair, I would have gladly given them to him. I tugged mine from my face, passing them over. I waited for him to give me the go-ahead then followed him inside.

  “I’ve never seen anything this amazing before. There’s stuff everywhere!”

  “What kind of stuff?”

  “Gems, armour, magical loot, everything and anything. Players would kill for this location!”

  “Yeah.” The more excited he got, though, the more my nerves twitched. I danced from one foot to the other. “Or the players were killed for... you know we should go, right?” I tugged his arm, but he didn’t budge. So I yanked instead.

  “Wait!” he scolded me. “What’s that?”

  I couldn’t see what he was looking at, but I followed his gaze, then he passed me the goggles. “Right at the far edge of the room.”

  I put them back on, focusing to where he’d pointed. “Oh no.”

  “What is it?”

  I tugged his arm and said, “We’re leaving. Keep close behind me.”

  “Maddie, what is it?”

  “They’re already laying. That’s the first batch of eggs. Four of them in total.”

  “They are Tromoal eggs?”

  “High-end eggs... move. Now!” I started to run, my breath catching in my throat.

  We couldn’t stick around at all. That clutch was... Alex was moving way too slow behind me. We picked up the water.

  “They’re not going back yet. What’s the problem?”

  I slowed down as we made our way back to the Hog. “Sorry, it’s just
been a long time, but that was the matriarch’s clutch. She would never leave them.”

  “What?”

  “If she’s laid eggs, she’s in this cave system, somewhere!”

  I reached the final opening and was about to run through when I heard it... the low grumble of something ahead of us made me reach back, stopping him.

  “Is that what I think it is?” I heard Alex whisper behind me.

  I shooed him back. “You have to stay here.”

  He obeyed. Crouching down, I slowly edged forward enough so I could see the Hog. There squatting over it, like the humongous creature I knew she was, was the matriarch. Her scales, larger than my head, overlapped each other for the ultimate protection. Where they met, there was a hint of the colour beneath. Intricate silver veins ran through them and pulsed with her life force. I wanted to go forth and touch them, to feel her, but the fact she would rip me to shreds, just like before, stopped me.

  I watched cautiously, crouching as low as I could go. She didn’t do anything to the Hog. She just moved over it sniffing the air. Then she stomped over towards the entrance, stretched her wings, and just like that, she was gone.

  I couldn’t breathe, though. My brain and body needed the oxygen, but I couldn’t do it. Alex moved behind me, grabbing my arm. “Maddie, she’s gone. Let’s get back to the Hog and go.”

  “We can’t go just yet. She’s not gone far. If we move, she’ll be back sooner than you know it.” I looked at him, and the light from the front of the cave just made me able to see how scared he really was. “We have to wait it out. There’s no option.”

  He reluctantly leaned back on the wall, crossing his arms.

  “She... I’ve never seen anything like that before, ever. Why didn’t she smash the Hog to pieces?” I paced the area before him, my instinct was to run, but my head won for now.

  I really had no answer to my own questions. Alex also didn’t have any. “I thought there might be something, maybe outside? Maybe she was hungry or could smell the critter in the water tank?” I could just make out the features of his frown.