The Djinni & The Dropout

65. 1001 Days

"Ritsu! Quick! Something's wrong with Uri."

It didn't take Ritsu long to scurry to my side and examine him. Meanwhile, I kept muttering, "Please, please, please!" under my breath. Uri had to be all right. He had to be. The very thought of his soul somehow slipping away made my throat dry up to the point where I could barely speak.

I wanted to tell Uri that I loved him, but still, even then, I couldn't get the words out. All I could do was swallow them down with what little moisture I had in my mouth and choke, "Uri, please!"

"Mistress, it's okay," Ritsu said, his voice steady and relaxed. "He's just passed out is all."

I blinked. "Passed out? But why?"

Ritsu gestured to Uri's limp body. "He's exhausted. It's a result of him trying to rely on his suit of fire as little as possible. You may want to have some food ready for when he regains consciousness."

I stood up. "I'm going to go look for water. Will you watch him?"

Ritsu nodded. "Sure. Just hurry back. I don't know how long I can keep off a palis should one wander in here."

I peered towards the mouth of the cave. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to be back before the sun completely sets."

Before leaving, I planted a kiss on Uri's forehead, willing a fraction of my flame to transfer to him and help speed up his recovery. Then I scratched Ritsu behind his ears and left.

I had lied to Ritsu when I told him that I was going to look for water. I had no intentions of doing such a thing. There was no water for probably hundreds of miles. I'd be looking for it for days. And days were not something that I had an abundance of.

Now that Uri was temporarily out of the picture, I could go back to my original plan and try to enlist the help of a friendly djinni. I knew that this was the last thing Uri would want me to do, and he would be really pissed if he had any idea what I was up to. But we didn't have a choice. If we didn't find resources soon, we were going to die out here.

I kept to the rocky foothills so it wouldn't be hard to find my way back. I took easy, light steps to save as much energy as possible. I may not have been as far gone as Uri, but a few more days of this and I would be joining him.

I hadn't wandered that far from our cave, but the sun had receded low enough that I could pretty much see it at eye level.

Should I turn back?

Shadows began to stretch past the rocks. They shifted across my path as easily as the wind. I had to blink several times to adjust my vision and make sure I knew the difference between the sand, the rocks, and the slanting light. There was something about this place that seemed both empty and crowded.

{See that you watch where your feet step and count your breaths.} Aqua warned. Her voice sounded faint and far off, as if she were hiding deep inside me.

"Why do I have to count my breaths?" I asked aloud. My voice was drowned out by the wind.

{If you aren't careful, the desert can whisk you away . . . . Do you see that?}

I squinted. "See what?"

Aqua's voice grew louder, more present. {There! Near the rocks. Is that a . . . cat?}

"No way."

There was without a doubt a feline shape crouching near an isolated boulder. I picked up speed as I approached it. Once I locked onto it, I realized that this was no ordinary cat. Its body was long, lithe, and traveled with a slinking gait. Gold rings and beads dangled from its angular ears. More jeweled bangles crowded its ankles.