Chapter Eighteen: Drinks

Camo woke with a start, the sound of a gunshot echoing in her mind. She sat up, looking around, and initially thought she was back home. Then the hot air flooded her senses. Damien was beside her, sound asleep.

"Ah fuck. I need a drink... " Groaned Camo.

"Wanna go see what we can find?" Damien  asked groggy, half asleep.

"Hell to the yes." Camo replied, watching as Damien sat up and stretched.

He gave her a half asleep smile and nodded.

"Let's go see, then." Damien stood up, stretching the rest of the way, then reached his hand down to Camo.

She took it and pulled herself up, stretching out herself. She rolled her shoulders to test for pain, then nodded when all she felt was a slight ache. She had the feeling that ache would always be there, but it sure was a hell of a lot better than losing her entire arm.

"You good?" Damien asked, watching her carefully.

"Yeah. Let's go." Camo said, heading towards the tent opening.

Damien rushed ahead of her and pulled the flap aside for her.

"After you. " Damien said, giving her a slight bow, causing her to smile.

She ducked under the tent flap and into the warm night air.

Looking into the sky, she saw a thousand glittering stars. They took her breath away, and their situation fled from her mind. A small smile graced her lips, and Damien slowly slipped his hand in hers.

Without a word, the pair walked towards a bonfire that was burning in a field a few yards away. The Natives were sitting around it, talking joyfully. Bousterious laughter erupted from the group, and Camo and Damien realized they were talking in a foreign tongue.

Still silent, the two joined the group, sliding into the circle. Camo looked across the circle and met eyes with the Native boy who had helped her earlier, Niyol. He smiled and gave her a small wave, before motioning over to a previously unnoticed, smaller fire. He began to walk over, and Camo went to follow, gently pulling on Damien's hand.

The two broke away from the circle and followed the shadowed figure of Niyol to the small campfire. He sat down on a log in front of a old Native woman, and Camo and Damien followed suit.

"Grandmama. Tell them about the Sivatagi Örodög." Niyol said.

"Yes, yes. The Sivatagi Örodög. It is a vile creature with a toxic bite that will eat away at the flesh until it is gone. Then poison the body and spirit. It is painful and deadly, a killer, a true Devil of the Desert."

"That's the thing that attacked me, right?" Camo asked.

"Yes." The old Native agreed simply.

"Then how am I alive, if it is a killer." Camo asked again.

"I truly do not know. It was very bad. I fear your spirit has been corrupted." She said, her eyes kind but worried.

"Is that bad?" Damien asked, holding Camo's hand tighter.

"Very." Niyol said. "Corrupted souls become the evil spirits that haunt the land."

"Can it be fixed?" Damien asked.

Camo stayed silent. So what if her soul was corrupted. It had been since her heart shattered. What's a little more?

"Not that we know." The woman said sadly.

"That won't happen until I die, right?" Camo asked.

"Right." Niyol confirmed.

"What's there to worry about then?" She asked, standing up.

"You aren't worried?" Niyol asked.

"Why should I be? It won't happen until I die, if it does happen. And it all melts down to what you believe. I don't believe about all that soul crap, so it doesn't bother me." Camo said simply.

"Makes sense." Niyol shrugged.

Damien had been talking with the Native woman, and they seemed to be deep into a conversation.

"Now. Do you have any drinks around here?" Camo asked, standing and stretching.

"Yeah. Follow me." Niyol said, standing and heading away.

Camo followed, Damien not noticing.

Niyol and Camo arrived at a tent, then motioned for her to wait and went in. He came back a moment later with two tin canteens. Handing Camo one, he took a swig of the other.

Camo unscrewed the cap and cautiously smelled the contents. It was a strong scent, but unfamiliar. Trusting Niyol and desperate for the lack of sobriety, Camo took a long drink. The liquid scorched her throat, but she welcomed the familiar pain, letting it wash through her and light her veins on fire. Sighing in delight, she could feel the comfortable unsteadiness enter her limbs.

"Damn." Camo said in appreciation of the strength.

"Too much for you to handle?" Niyol asked, a smirk on his lips.

Camo smirked back, a fierce glint in her eyes. "Like hell it is." She said as she took another long drink.

"Then follow me." Niyol said, a mysterious glint in his eyes.