Just past the black mountains, down the path, and far beyond the forest, Leita had reached the start of sandy plains.
The sand itself was pale, covered in waves left by blowing winds. Combating the climate, tiny browned shrubs grew through. They looked dead, burnt by the sun, but they were very much alive. They were offset by tall, dark, green cacti, the top of which were covered with little, pink flowers. Though tall, they were limbless, growing straight upwards.
Leita reached down, taking a handful of the sand and letting it run through her fingers. She was hopeful that she would find a beach nearby, or at least some form of water.
She continued on, making her way directly through the quiet desert. The further she walked, the thinner the vegetation grew, until it seemed to stop completely.
The sun had started to burn her usually hardy skin, and was starting to affect her vision negatively. Her body ached, and all she could think about was home.
She unzipped her bag, taking a large swig of the warm water, before scolding herself for drinking so much. She placed it back inside, hiding it from the sun.
The medical tin glinted in the light, reflecting the sun's rays back at Leita.
"Ah, right." She knelt down slightly, untying the t-shirt from around her leg. It had been a while since she'd checked it, as it hadn't hurt enough to draw her attention. "Let's see how bad it really is."
The shirt drooped down into the hot sand, Leita quickly pulling it into her lap, to avoid dirtying it further.
Where it had been, there was nothing, aside from a few skin indentations from where the shirt had been tied. No wound, no blood, no balm. Nothing.
She glided her hand down her leg, checking for any indications of her previous injury. "Huh," she questioned, "it must've been some kind of fast-acting corticosteroid."
Before she could continue her thoughts, a dark shadow loomed over her, providing much needed relief from the glaring sunlight. It took her slightly longer to realise that something was causing the shade, and that it could be something dangerous.
Leita slowly turned around, still crouched down, so as not to startle whatever was behind her.
Her jaw dropped, her eyes locking with that of a giant, bedazzled crab. It reared up slightly, one giant claw clamping shut in front of her. The gold chains that dangled from every part rattled as they knocked against its exoskeleton.
"Stay calm, Tam." A voice spoke softly, a single comforting hand creeping into view, shortly followed by the rest of the person as they slid down from the crab.
A tall, handsome man looked down at Leita, smirking as he took in her features. He held out his hand, offering to help her up. "And who might you be, my desert flower?"
Leita looked at his hand, then the crab, then back at his hand, before standing up and brushing the sand off herself.
She loosely pulled her shirt on, back over the blue swimsuit, then swung the bag back across her chest.
Normally, she'd be happy to see another person, but he gave off suspicious vibes, especially with his smirk. "I think you should tell me your name first."
The man laughed, retracting his hand and placing it on the claw of his crab. "I am Onuris, and I rule these lands."
Leita wanted to laugh, maybe ask him if he thought he was some kind of King, but the towering crab was still stood behind him, a constant threatening presence. "I'm Leita."
"Aha," he smiled at her, "what a befitting name for such a beauty."
Leita just stared at him, clearly disinterested in his simping, "Where are we?"
"In the middle of the desert, of course." Onuris replied. He didn't give her time to reply as he climbed back onto his crab's back, outstretching his arm to her. "Come, let us move out of the sun's light."
Leita didn't trust him, despite his seemingly charismatic demeanour, but she knew how dangerous it would be to stay in the burning sun.
She held her hand out, grasping his, and climbing up the patient crustacean. "If you try anything, I swear..."
"You need not worry," Onuris replied, pulling her up. He gave Tam, his crab, a couple of pats, signalling to him that he could begin to move again. "I won't harm you."
Tam crept through the sands, the gold charms and chains creating a pleasant tinkling as they went. The throne, carefully strapped to his back, had a tall backrest that blocked a fair amount of sun, continuing the relieving shade from earlier.
They headed towards a large pyramid, matching the colour of the sand, slowly coming into view with each step.
Leita, despite not fully trusting Onuris, felt calmed by the shade and the idea of safety from the sun.
