Faefalling (working title)

17- I return to civilisation and find it still sucks

Surprisingly enough, the desert spared us its wonders this time around. Geysers remained distant, as if afraid to approach. They watched from afar, casting waves of heat that turned the nearby sand into dozens of clear sparkling gems. Speaking of sand, I couldn't wait to be rid of it. Every step I took, it chafed the skin between my toes. Running a hand through my hair, my fingers came back speckled with grains, and I scowled.

The world was heat. It sucked the moisture from my very being, leaving me with nothing but dry sweat. From the shine on the others and the general lack of conversation, it was clear they felt no better off than I.

Lazuli held her cloak under one arm. The fabric swept the floor behind her, leaving a slug's trail in our wake. Agaveah led the parade, posture unwavering. She deigned to toss me her leafy waterskin every so often, which I passed on to the human before taking a swig myself. As the hours came and went, the reserve dropped lower and lower, though the heat seemed to be in endless supply.

Aside from internally cursing the desert's ardour, I tasked myself with finding any signs of life, or, more specifically, of Daemon's men. My caution seemed to be all for nothing. Nothing more than scorpions and beetles skittered across the bland landscape, though there was some flapping to be heard overhead. Vultures.

You're wasting your time. There won't be any meals for you here, I cursed at them.

I found myself glaring up at the deadly ball of heat through slitted fingers for the umpteenth time. It was moving quick, much too quick for my taste. We had to be quicker. The last thing I needed was for Daemon's impatience to win him over.

I shook my head. We'd make it before nightfall. We had to. What was more important was figuring out what to do once we did. How were we to get inside the city? It was safe to assume Daemon was expecting us, or me at the very least. Possibly, he hoped to catch me at the gate. Guards would be on high alert and far too many Deainites had seen my face.

My fingers ran along my torc's cold edge as I jogged through scenarios, most ending in catastrophe.

Agaveah crested a dune, sand trickling down in her wake. For a moment, she paused. Then, her belly was on the floor, head low, eyes scanning. Precious seconds passed before my brain caught up to speed.

Cursing my dizzy mind and lazy limbs, I scrambled to hunker down beside the nymph and dragged Lazuli with me. The beour gasped as she met the ground, looking deflated. Letting go of her arm, I squirmed my way to Agaveah's side. Sand slipped under my shirt and into any other nook it could find, but I no longer cared in the slightest. We'd made it.

Just a couple yards ahead, the desert faded away. Grass popped out here and there in clusters that grew larger by the second, until it was so thick the sand could find no place to rest. Then, the farmlands started cropping up. Sheep and cattle grazed freely, shooed away if they strayed too near the fields of corn and wheat. I gulped.

Shelters and huts were far and few, but just the sight of farmhands going about their business was enough to put me on edge. If anyone reported us, we were through. One tiny suspicion, one shout could bring my whole world crashing down.

Lifting my gaze beyond the farmlands, I caught my first glimpse of the city. Thick stone walls rose out of the ground, imposing giants. A couple of helmeted heads marched atop them. Not as many as I'd expected... Was Daemon underestimating me? I swallowed a growl. Of course he would.

"Olright," I said, "Lazuli, listen up. There're gonna be a whole lot of fae in there. It's a big city. Vendors of all kinds will probably approach you. Whatever you do, do not look them in the eye. It's your eyes that'll give you away. Stick with Agaveah and you should be fine. I'll need the cloak, if you don't mind..."