𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃

chapter six - recollection of a lonely dungeon

"Jaron!"

He ignored the call.

"Jaron!" Jalen repeated with more force. He trudged through the dunes and caught up with the other's infuriated steps. "Jaron, it's useless. We've been out for who knows how long, and we don't even know what direction the Jorvik took Linkin in. We don't even know if Linkin is-"

"Don't. Say. It," Jaron growled.

Lucas caught up with them and took a jab at reasoning with Jaron. "Look, rushing in without a plan isn't going to save Link. We just need to take a step back, clear our heads, and formulate a strategy. Jalen, somehow, has a point."

"Thank you."

"Not now." Lucas continued with, "We don't know what direction they went in. We'll probably be searching for a while in this heat, so we're gonna need some water and food."

Jaron paused in his steps and took a deep breath. "...Okay. All our belongings were blown away by the Jorvik, so we won't find much if we go back now. However, I do know an oasis where Vaessen had been collecting water from. I've got a canteen we can all share as long as we don't put our mouths on the spout. The oasis shouldn't be too far away."

Jaron began to lead Lucas and Jalen to the oasis. The trek was short, but the silence was uncomfortable. Nobody wanted to address the worst-case scenario that grew to become the most likely scenario with each passing minute. The whole way through, Jaron was subconsciously twisting around the bracelet on his wrist from earlier. Lucas wanted to ask about it, but Jaron always let out a frustrated groan or an exasperated sigh, signalling to Lucas to keep quiet.

They finally reached the glimmering pool of water, and all three of them broke into a run. Lucas dropped to his knees by the watering hole and cupped his hands. He drank up as much water as he could then washed off his sandy face. He even put a bit in his untidy, gritty hair.

Jaron was already tightening the canteen's lid, and Jalen had submerged his entire head under water. He re-emerged and sighed, "I think this whole experience gas gotten me to re-appreciate goodness of water."

"Did So-srayts have anything to say about water?" Jaron asked.

Jalen furrowed his brow. "It's pronounced 'SOH-KRAH-TEASE'! Not So-srayts! Where did you even get So-srayts from?"

Lucas chuckled, and soon enough, they continued wandering around the desert. They searched the area for clues about Linkin and the Jorvik's whereabouts, but their scout ended up being fruitless. They decided to just head northeast, hold out the Jorvikian scales and cobalt Vaessen gave them, and pray for the best.

"Uh, Jaron? I got a look at your bracelet earlier. What's that about?" Lucas finally asked.

"Oh, this?" Jaron held up his wrist donning the band. "It's made of rhodium. With the Jorvikian scale on it, it nullifies my Gift."

"Why would you need to nullify your Gift?" Jalen inquired.

"It's a Gift activated by skin contact with anything solid. Everything I touch becomes a weapon," Jaron explained.

That explains the jacket sword.

"Even people?"

"Even people."

"Wait, what happened to your parents them? They couldn't just not... hold you or anything like that, right? Even if they avoided it, they would've had to have figured it out the moment you were born."

"They died. Along with the doctors and nurses that helped deliver me."

While Lucas was glad that Jaron was no longer grumbling in fury, he stated that with as much nonchalance as someone commenting on the weather. It was unnerving to say the least.