Adopted: Book 1 Refracted Sand [REWRITING]

Adopted Ch. 50 Horizons Always Cross

Hiding in the desert was harder and required more skill compared to the easier task of getting lost in the desert. When a person can see to each horizon from every which way, they must be swallowed up by and join the horizons to become truly unreachable.

Such was the task Baki faced.

He was so focused on making sure no one knew where to find them that he went further than was necessary.

The merchants were catching their breaths. Baki was drenched in sweat and the strength in his legs failed and when he fell the impact shook at the presence of pain on his side.

The panic and shock from the events faded away into full on collapse as sobs rose up from the scattered group of merchants and hysterical words of despair or rage.

Baki was gripping his side where blood was seeping. Akira appeared and began to skillfully heal his wounds.  

"What are we supposed to do now?" one of the merchants came up to him inevitably and more flocked around. "All of our camels ran away in a panic."

"Oh my gosh, are you injured?" When Baki winced, the man clung to his face, digging his fingers into his skin. "No, no, no, you can't be injured."

"We're going to die!"

"I'll be better soon enough," Baki cut in, "and my students are capable enough while I'm temporarily disposed."

"Our goods, stolen, our supplies, gone," a certain mourning merchant sobbed nearby. "We have no way of living without our merchandise."

"Never mind that, we have no chance of making it to an oasis without camels."

"You still have us," Baki's gruff voice broke through and swept through the group to calm them.

"The Hidden Sand will recompense you for your stolen wares and mounts." He rose to his full height and hid a flinch, lending himself as a symbol of strength and reassurance. "For now, we should focus on getting to a town. Please rest for a bit while we do a headcount. We guarantee your safety above all else."

When the merchants settled down, Baki scanned the aftermath of the attack. No food and water like they said, except for the skins and bottles some probably had on their person. They'd have to set up something for shade. There were some patrons who needed immediate first aid. After his survey, he realized some of his students were missing.

He caught eyes with Akira and knew he should leave them be.

Ritsu found her hunched behind a cluster of rocks. He saw the glint of something shining off of the sun. In the same second he thought it was a blade, he realized it was a needle.

His sudden alarm died down and he lumbered over to his teammate.

Suzume knew he was approaching but either didn't care or couldn't react in time.

"Give me a shot." Ritsu seized the syringe, and while he was sliding down the wall to sit next to her, detached the needle to swap it with his own. She stared ahead as he located a vein on his arm and took the injection of tranquilizer.

He fidgeted in his spot, waiting for the chemical to spread. "You're on some weak stuff."

"Gaara-sama confiscated my stash," Suzume said with an empty voice. "It's not enough."

"Number one rule in mithridatism," Ritsu curled his fingers into a fist and then uncurled them, "never put your emotions into it."

Suzume curled up closer together. "I'm not."

"The hell you're not." Ritsu drew her arms away from their hold around her legs, pushed aside her shirt, and managed to see the damage in its entirety. What he'd never envy Suzume for was her high pain tolerance. It just meant she didn't care. "Instead of holing yourself away and relying on these fucking things, get Akira to fix your shit."