The selquk, riders of the red sand part 1

They tracked through the red desert, the sandstorm only allowing them to see a few meters ahead. The sand was a rust-red color, blowing wildly in the wind and obscuring their vision. The sun was nowhere to be seen, its rays blocked by the thick sand clouds.

The group struggled to keep their footing in the shifting dunes, the fine granules slipping through their fingers as they fought to make progress. The heat was blistering, and the dry air sucked the moisture from their mouths and noses.

The landscape was barren and desolate, with no signs of life or vegetation. The only sound was the constant howling of the wind, making it hard to hear each other. They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts and worries, trying to conserve their energy and resources. The sand seemed to stretch on forever, taunting them with its endless expanse. They knew that they had to keep going, but the harsh reality of their situation was starting to weigh heavily on them.

For two days they walked, everyone carrying their own share of supplies from water to dried meats for food. On the first two days, both Zara and Suomi had used all of their water and dried meats. The others were gifted with great divine powers that gave them unnatural endurance and stamina.

"Guys. How about a rest," Suomi complained.

"I agree. I feel like I am going to puke my lungs out," Zara continued.

"We just had a rest a little while ago," Joan said in an angry tone.

"Joan. Sop it. They are civilians," Rufus protested.

The group stopped and set up a small camp for the night. They huddled together for warmth as the desert night grew colder. They shared their remaining food and water, rationing it out to make it last as long as possible.

As they sat in silence, they couldn't help but feel a sense of hopelessness wash over them. They had been walking for days with no sign of civilization or rescue. The rust-red sand seemed to stretch on forever, taunting them with its endless expanse.

"Maybe we should turn back," Suomi suggested. "We've been walking for days and haven't found anything. Maybe we're just wasting our time."

"No, we can't give up now," Joan said firmly. "We've come too far to turn back now. We will find something, we just have to keep going."

"But what if we don't?" Suomi asked, her voice trembling. "What if we're just wandering aimlessly in this desert until we die of starvation or dehydration?"

"We won't," Rufus said, his voice gentle. "We have to have faith that we will find something. We can't give up hope now."

"Faith and hope won't fill our stomachs or quench our thirst," Zara said, her voice barely audible over the howling wind. "We need to find something soon, or we won't make it."

"Wasn't this part of your pilgrimage? You should be the most enthusiastic of us to find this elusive city of secrets," Edward explained.

"Yeah, but c'moon. Who wants to die in the desert for such a dumb thing as a pilgrimage?" she said.

But the others were determined to press on. They knew that giving up was not an option. They had come too far to turn back now.

"Shut up you all. This desert is still mild compared to what we have on my moon world. The sun is not killing us slowly as the storm above us guards us," Satifa yelled.

"Weren't you the one who was taking this journey so casually that you were buying a barrel of wine," Suomi said.

All of them went silent as Suomi had just insulted Satifa on how seriously Satifa took this journey.

"You have no right to say anything!"

"Everyone calm down," Rufus said and came in the middle.

"Rufus, I will not have my conscious questioned by ANYONE," Satifa yelled in anger.

"And nor shall anyone. All of you. Rest now and grant rations to those who need them. We will survive this together," Rufus said.

The group fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts. They knew that they had to keep going, but the harsh reality of their situation was starting to weigh heavily on them.

As they lay down to sleep that night, they couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time. They had to find something soon, or they would never make it out of the desert alive.

~~

The next morning Rufus woke up with something stabbing him gently. He looked up and saw a group of sassans surrounding them, riding monstrous beasts, like giant lizards with beaks, four eyes, and their skin covered in feathers.

"Get up, trespasser," one of the sassans said.