Fabian swung their hammer down, hard, just missing the first crab as it raced by. Their hands shook as they took an unsteady breath, trying to outmanoeuvre their foes.
It was quickly followed by the rest of the small army, all taking vicious snips at the exhausted Fabian, occasionally getting close enough to tear small chunks from their clothing.
The scorching sun made the situation evermore uncomfortable. Beads of sweat dripped down their forehead, fighting through their eyebrows only to purposely discomfort their eyes - more than the blinding white sand had ever. Their palms, similarly, were becoming soaked with sweat, making it difficult to grip the handle of the hammer.
Fabian started taking heavier breaths, their vision blurring from either sweat or exhaustion. If they weren't killed by the crabs, then they'd definitely be killed by the blistering heat.
They gritted their sharp teeth together, letting the rage inside them grow. I've had enough of this. I've had enough of this desert. I've had enough of these crabs. I've had enough of running. I-
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH," they yelled furiously, dropping the hammer between their feet.
Slime started to ooze out of their hands, dripping off their fingertips and clotting as it fell into the powdered sand below.
Fabian let out a growl, deciding that they should take the creatures head on, despite the risks.
As the crabs tried to attack, Fabian chased after them, flinging their slime towards them.
It clung to their exoskeletons, pulling at their limbs, and clumping in the white dunes. Though the critters struggled desperately to free themselves, they couldn't escape the hardening slime.
Crabs half-devoured by the secretion tried to pinch themselves loose.
Those in the softer slime had their other claw absorbed in with the rest of their bodies. And those trying to snip through solid slime were unable to make much of an impact, aside from a few scratches.
Glowing marks appeared on Fabian's face, a sign that they were getting close to their limit. They were dehydrated, tired, and dangerously close to the effects of using their adaption.
They'd pinned at least ten of the speedy miniatures down, but their slime had started to lose consistency, becoming less sticky, and they weren't able to catch the last two.
They wobbled a little as they made their way back over to the hammer, pausing to gather the strength to lift it. It's only two more... Just two...
A deep breath was all it took to hoist it above their head, before they swung it down on the closest crab, shattering it into a million tiny pieces and pushing them into the grainy terrain.
An abrupt side-swing took the second by surprise, knocking it through the air, sending pieces of shell flying across the dunes as it disappeared.
Fabian's body trembled, fighting its own urge to collapse. Their lips paled as their marks glowed brighter. But, they were fueled by their anger, forcing each step.
They smashed every single last crab in sight, even giving the big one an extra hit, just to be sure it wouldn't get up again.
Individually, they poofed into little, red clouds of smoke. The largest having cloud more suitable for it's size. They were quickly followed by four silver coins, dropping pretty much into Fabian's lap.
"I must be delirious," they mumbled, scooping the coins, and a fair amount of sand, into the bag they'd fought so hard for.
They limped back to the hollow tree, the one they'd found the hammer next to, and tucked themself inside, hoping it would keep them safe for the time being.
"I'll just rest here for a bit," Fabian said, their breathing slowing and growing further apart. "Then I'll find a way out of this hell hole."
There was a short moment of silence, just before Fabian closed their eyes. "I'm sorry moms, I promise... I haven't run away again... I'll be home... soon..."
"You just picked me because you wanted to be a saviour, and I looked the most damaged." Fabian yelled back through the locked door.
"No," their mom replied, "we picked you because we wanted you to be part of our family." She gently placed her hand against the door, "We picked you because you shone the brightest."
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up!" Fabian burst through the door, racing down the stairs. They pushed past their second mom, who was standing at the bottom, and rushed to the front door. They flung it wide open, running down the street until they were far out of sight.
Their first mom tried to run after them, following them until she lost sight of them. "Fabian, come home! Please..."
Fabian slowly opened their eyes, staring at nothing in particular. They let out a sigh, their breath forming a white puff in front of them.
I was a horrible son, huh.
It didn't take long for them to realise the cold feeling creeping across their body. Or how the inside of the hollow tree trunk was different, somehow.
The smell had changed, going from a humid burning to a fresh chill.
The light followed a similar pattern, a warm yellow was now a cool, pale blue.
They crawled out of the now-smaller hole, squinting through the white light that reflected off the snow.
"What the hell?" Fabian touched the frozen ground, it melting slightly. Their fingers turned bright red as they caught up with the temperature of the new climate.
There's no way I hallucinated an entire desert. They put a hand to their head.
What about the crabs, and the bag, and the hammer?
They ducked down, peering back into the hollow trunk. There, propped up against the inner wall, was the hammer they had dug up. Next to it sat the bag they'd fought so hard for, filled with the coins of their victory.
They slung the bag across their chest, the black fabric blending with that of their t-shirt, and pulled the hammer out.
Whether they'd hallucinated it or not, they decided to keep the hammer, just in case.
They breathed a deep breath, taking a few steps forward, their eyes scanning their environment.
Giant pine trees, spaced a fair distance apart, covered as far as the eye could see. They caught large amounts of heavy snow, leaving the gaps to be blanketed with the leftovers. There was no other foliage in sight, as it had been covered by the snow, no doubt.
The ground was a frozen tundra, and the snow had made it difficult to determine whether or not it was safe to walk on. The only truly safe ground was that below the trees, which had been left untouched by the freezing weather.
Instead of making them worried, the sudden change of place had left Fabian incredibly angry.
They gritted their teeth tightly, scowling at the world. "I could've dealt with the stupid desert, but no. I had to somehow be put here. In this cold- Ugh."
"Stupid snow." They violently tried to kick the snow out of their path, the random direction they'd picked, but it barely moved.
It wasn't long before they started to shiver. Their arms wrapped around their chest, and their hands were tucked into their armpits, as they desperately tried to stay warm.
They screamed loudly, shouting obscenities at the trees, snow, and anything in sight. Their rage was probably the only reason they hadn't completely frozen.
But, they trudged on, the bottom of their jeans soaked with partially melted snow. Their shoes in a similar state, soggy all the way through, water slowly absorbing into their socks.
Fabian quickly reached a clearing where the snow was slightly thinner, in comparison to the previous masses.
Tiny shrubs had pushed their way through, fueled by the miserable amount of sun. They added colour to the bland biome, in the form of yellows, teals, and pinks.
In the middle of the clearing, laid on top of the shrubbery, was a black insulated jacket, lined with fleece.
There was no one in sight, no one who could've left it, and it seemed like the only chance Fabian had of surviving.
They walked over, trying not to use up their, already lacking, energy. They weaved through the shrubs, the sharp branches scratching at the fabric of their jeans, threatening to rip them if Fabian wasn't careful.
As they reached out to pick the jacket up, their reddened fingers burning from the frigid air, a sudden noise stopped them in their tracks.
Crack.
Fabian quietly looked down, using their shoe to gently brush some of the snow out of the way.
Below them was a vast shelf of foggy ice, underneath which was a body of deep blue water. Darker shadows flitted around in the water, tracing the lines in the splitting layer of ice.
"I am not doing this again." Fabian scrunched their face into an angry glare, deciding what exactly to do. But, that said, they weren't really one for thinking about their actions.
From what they could see, the shrubs were growing in the ice, like it was substrate, each having a single root that extended into the water.
If they could clear the shrubland, they would clear the ice, and aboid being pulled into the depths by whatever abomination inhabited them.
One hand carefully grabbed the jacket, the other held the hammer tightly.
They didn't plan on sticking around, or moving slowly. So, the only good option was to run. Fast.
Running to the left seemed like the best way, as it was a shorter distance, but the brush was much thicker, meaning it would be difficult to get through quickly.
The right was further away, but thinner; the better route of the two, since they couldn't go back, and they definitely wouldn't make it if they tried to go forwards.
Crack, the ice splintered even louder than before, echoing through the open air.
Fabian took a deep breath, taking a single moment to prepare, before running like he never had before.
