Chapter 45
Several days had passed since Draco and his siblings destroyed the bandit encampment.
Clair, Michalis, Eleni, Nikolaos, Dimitra, Vasileios, and Vasiliki had all somewhat recovered from the shock of what they had experienced.
The family kept to less-traveled roads and maintained minimal interaction with passing settlements.
Soon, they had left the region and arrived at the desert biome they needed to pass to reach Orario.
"Doesn't seem like there is anyone chasing us," Draco muttered out loud, relieved that the assumed organization behind the bandit camp had not been able to identify who had killed their subordinates.
He had failed to extensively inspect the stolen goods, if he had done so, he would have realized that some of them were branded.
This was a prelude to several troublesome events for his familia in the future.
"Whoa, is this a desert? So much sand! It's almost like the sea," Michalis exclaimed, his tail wagging in excitement. It was his first time seeing a desert.
"Yeah, all I can see ahead is sand and even more sand," Nikolaos said, scooping up a handful of the fine grains.
The girls, however, were not quite as thrilled.
"Ugh, this heat is unbearable," Clair complained, wiping the sweat from her brow.
"And the dust, it's getting everywhere!" Eleni added, brushing sand off her clothes.
Dimitra chimed in, "I don't understand how you boys can be so excited about this. It's just hot, dry, and uncomfortable," she said.
Vasiliki nodded in agreement, "I'd much rather be back in the lush forests we passed through earlier," she added.
They didn’t know that due to the winter season, the desert average temperature was lower than normal.
Vasileios, undeterred by the girls' complaints, turned to Nikolaos with a grin.
"Just think of all the adventures we can have in this endless sea of sand! We can explore the dunes, hunt for possibly hidden treasure, and maybe even find some ancient ruins," he said.
Nikolaos and Michalis eagerly nodded, "Exactly! And the best part is, we don't have to worry about any pesky monsters with the black dragon scales protecting us," Nikolaos said.
The girls rolled their eyes, and Clair spoke up, "That's all well and good, but what about the heat, the lack of water, and the possibility of getting lost? The desert doesn't seem like a friendly place to explore," she said.
Vasileios faltered slightly, glancing at Clair before turning back to Nikolaos.
"Well, I'm sure Draco nii has a plan to keep us safe and hydrated. And with the map, we won't get lost, right Draco nii?" he asked, turning to Draco.
Michalis, seeing Clair looking at Draco, subtly switched his stance to support her, much to the chagrin of the other boys. It was an attempt to pull her attention to himself.
"Ahem, we should listen to what Clair is saying. She has a fair point," Michalis interjected.
"You really think so too?" Clair softly asked. Michalis, unable to resist Clair's charm, nodded in agreement.
Nikolaos and Vasileios exchanged a frustrated glance, feeling betrayed by their brother's sudden shift in loyalty.
"Really, Michalis? You're taking their side?" Nikolaos grumbled.
Vasileios muttered under his breath, "Traitor," earning him a playful shove from Michalis.
A playful scuffle in the sand ensued, with the boys jostling and tussling while the girls watched on, a mix of amusement and exasperation on their faces.
Draco, unfazed by the sibling antics, brought out his map to ensure they were on the right track.
The desert was a difficult terrain, with no landmarks to make his primitive map useful.
If they went in the wrong direction, they could easily become lost for a long time.
Fortunately, the black dragon scales in their possession would protect them from any monsters that lurked in the vast expanse.
However, the terrain itself would be their greatest adversary.
They also hadn't made any connections with the locals, as they had deliberately kept their interactions to a minimum to avoid leaving a trail that could lead to them being tracked.
With no locals to guide them away from the desert hazards, the journey would be all the more difficult.
‘Sigh, at least I can fly, so we won’t get lost completely’ he thought.
Turning to his brothers who were still scuffling in the sand he decided to step in before the boys could escalate their scuffle.
"Alright, that's enough. We need to make it through this desert. Save your energy for the challenges ahead." The siblings reluctantly settled down, and Draco continued.
"Make sure to cover your noses and keep hydrated, because we'll be in the desert for a few days. Luckily, we don't have to cross the entire desert, just from here to our destination," he said, raising the map and pointing to their destination.
Draco then turned his attention to the horses, ensuring they were well-fed and hydrated.
"We'll be counting on you through the journey," he whispered to the faithful animals.
Once everyone was settled in the carriage, they changed into their desert attire – lightweight, breathable fabrics that would protect them from the sun's harsh rays.
As they set out, the terrain quickly shifted from sparse greenery to endless dunes of golden sand.
The heat was relentless, and the dry air seemed to sap the moisture from their very souls.
The horses struggled to maintain their footing on the shifting terrain, and the siblings had to take turns walking alongside the carriage to lighten the load.
"It's so hot, I feel like I'm melting," Dimitra groaned, fanning herself with a makeshift fan.
Eleni nodded in agreement, "And the sand is getting everywhere. I can't even keep it out of my shoes," she complained.
Vasileios, being optimistic, chimed in, "But just look at those dunes! Imagine the thrill of sliding down one at full speed," he said.
“True that looks like it would be fun,” Nikolaos supported.
Vasiliki shot them a skeptical look, "And then what? Get buried alive in the sand? No, thank you," she said, materializing some icicles in the carriage.
It was hard to gather moisture in the desert due to heat, so she had to expend a considerable amount of mind to cast ice spells.
“Thanks, that was much needed,” Dimitra said to Vasiliki, placing some ice wrapped in cloth on her head.
Michalis, sensing the growing tension, tried to redirect the conversation.
"Hey, Draco nii, how much longer until we reach an oasis? We could use a refreshing dip in some cool water," he asked.
Draco studied the map, brow furrowed in concentration.
"Based on my calculations, we should reach the an oasis by nightfall, if we maintain a steady pace. I am a bit worried about the desert quicksand usually close to those areas; it’s hard to tell it apart from solid ground," Draco replied.
He was the only one, not really bothered by the heat.
As if on cue, one of the horses suddenly let out a distressed neigh, and the carriage lurched to the side.
"What's happening?" Clair cried out, bracing herself against the sudden movement.
Draco quickly jumped out of the carriage, the others following close behind.
To their horror, they found that one of the horses had fallen into a hidden sand trap, its leg twisted at an unnatural angle.
"No, Helios!" Nikolaos shouted, rushing to the injured animal's side.
The poor horse whinnied in pain, its eyes wide with fear.
Dimitra covered her mouth, horrified by the sight. "What do we do? We can't just leave him here!" she said.
Draco quickly assessed the situation, seeing that the wound was something he could treat, he decided to save the horse.
Using three horses to pull the carriage just felt odd, additionally he and his siblings had gotten attached to the gentle beasts over the years.
"We need to free the horse, but we can't risk further injury. Michalis, Vasileios, help me carefully pull him out." The three brothers worked together, gently pulling the horse from the sand.
Clair and Eleni quickly fashioned a makeshift splint for its leg, their faces etched with concern.
Once the horse was safe, Draco turned to address the group.
"We will take a short break with Helios injured like this. It will take a while to heal him,” he said.
Using his water magic, which sped up natural recovery and carried some healing properties, the horse was healed within an hour.
‘Phew, that was close. What if all four horses had gotten injured or worse died,’ Draco thought in relief.
He dreaded the thought of having to pull a carriage filled with all their luggage’s through the desert by hand.