Desert Wizard: The Youth Awakening the Ancient Magic

Chapter 5: The Desert Journey

Karim and Safia resumed their journey after dealing with the Shadow Eye spy. On the surface, this desert looked calm, but in reality, it was teeming with danger. Each step was filled with uncertainty. Nothing ever went as per his beliefs, but this time he was convinced that this one time nothing would go wrong. Safia didn't seem to notice the challenges; her visage fuelled with determination, devoid of fear.

The further they went, the hotter it got. At this point, there was hardly any cloud cover, and the sun felt like it was positioned above a furnace. The heat on the sand was unbearable, and even through his insulated boots, Karim could feel the heat penetrating. Streaks of sweat were continuously erupting from his forehead, only to vanish instantly, leaving barren, desolate stripes upon his cheeks and neck.

“Safia, I am going to collapse soon. How much longer do we have to walk in this heat?” he gasped, licking his dry, cracked lips.

Safia turned her gaze toward the sky, then examined the surrounding sand dunes. “Child, every trek through the desert is challenging in its own way. We need to locate the ideal spot to rest and refill our water supply. Just a little longer. If I’m not mistaken, there seems to be an oasis in hiding somewhere ahead.”

The two friends continued their journey through the sand dunes. Each step felt as if it were weighing a great deal. Karim desperately tried to lift his legs, as though they were encased in lead. However, he understood that in this unending desert, death awaited them if they decided to take a break.

As Karim was about to give up, Safia joyously remarked, “Karim, look, that’s the oasis!”

Following Safia's finger, Karim spotted green at the other end of the distant sand dunes. Unlike the dull coloured desert, the patch of green would easily be recognised as the most precious area in the gold-filled desert. Hope began to bloom within Karim and he no longer found the need to feel tired. He increased his pace.

The sight that mesmerised Karim as they arrived at the oasis was nothing short of breathtaking. A serene lake sat peacefully in the oasis's centre while the sun radiated its warmest hugs. The shimmering water, accompanied by the gentle waves glistening like jewels, outshone the already amiable sun. Date palms grew vigorously around the lake while their broad leaves made a gurgling rustling sound as the wind blew. Small unidentifiable flowers blossomed in the grass which grew deeper and added to the blooming beauty of the oasis.

"How about we take a break and refill our supplies?" said Safia. Afterwards, she went over to the lake, crouched and lifted some water in her palm.

The cool breeze of the oasis was such a delight that Karim daydreamed about how drinking the water would feel. Karim could not resist drinking the oasis water. The sweet tangy water made its way down his throat and calmed any feelings of exhaustion he had. The feeling of extreme fatigue was replaced with a comforting feeling as Karim lay on the soft grass by the lake, drenched in sunlight while observing the clouds floating across the sun's beauty.

But danger in the deserts appears out of nowhere. Just when they were at ease, a delicate rustling noise came from the grass near the lake. Safia, holding her staff tightly, stood up alert. In a whisper, she said, “Be careful, something is coming.”

With a worried expression on his face, Karim stood up, the tension in his body visible. He made a sand sword and fixed his gaze on the grass. To his surprise and horror, a giant poisonous scorpion was crawling out of the grass. With a body that was half the height of a person, topped off with a venomous stinger and pincers that glimmered dangerously, it looked ready to attack. It hissed, opening its pincers wide, clearly showing them that it regarded them as threats.

"Karim, we can't face it directly. Its stinger's venom is far too strong. Think of ways to restrict its movement using sand, while I try to find a way to attack its vulnerable spots," Safia said softly.

The scorpion sensed danger and raised its tail, spraying a stream of green venom at the oncoming sand. Upon contact with the softened sand, green smoke began to rise, corroding some of the grains.

“And do not retreat. Forward, full force!” Safia instructed, and with a wave of her staff, magic hurled an azure beam toward the scorpion. The scorpion shifted its body to the side and narrowly avoided Safia's attack before darting towards her.

At once, Karim seized command of the sand. It was now his will to control. He turned the sand into strong tendrils that would ensnare the clawed arms and limbs of the scorpion. The scorpion was trapped in the sand. Although it thrashed its limbs painfully, the grip the sand held was unyielding. A few tendrils were indeed torn asunder by the creature, yet many others remained fast, bound enough to restrict the scorpion’s movements but not so much as to allow for silence.

As the scorpion struggled to right itself from the sand, Safia made a bold move. She propelled herself directly toward the scorpion. Focusing on the scorpion, she carefully placed her staff on the unusually soft tender section of the abdomen, where she subsequently stomped her staff. The scorpion screeched in agony, flinging its tail violently towards Safia. Safia stepped back just in time, but the scorpion's tail still nicked her arm, drawing blood. The wound was shallow, but poison seeped in quickly.

“Safia!” Karim called out in panic. His emotions swirled as he set eyes on Safia's injury, half worried and half furious. In a surge of intense rage, he directed his full might into shaping a sand sword, which he launched at the beast. The sand sword transformed into a blazing projectile that thrust straight into the creature's head. After a few spasms, the scorpion lay still upon the ground.

Without a second thought, Karim dashed to Safia, whose arm was already swelling, bruised, and blackened. Pain was etched across her features. “Safia, how are you?” he questioned, overwhelmed with concern.

Safia looked at him with a calm face, but reached her arm lightly and gritted her teeth. “Hang on. The herb should be near the lake. It must have serrated leaves and small blue flowers. That should be enough to counter this poison.”

Karim didn’t waste any time. He ran towards the lake full of confidence and started checking the sides of the lake, not missing a single patch of grass. It was tough work but he eventually found the herb Safia described. He grabbed the herb and bolted back to Safia.

“Safia! Look, I got it!” Karim exclaimed in excitement as he ran out of breath at the end of his sentence.

Safia took it out of his hands as she put the leaves over the gash of her arm. The juice of the herb mixed with the dark liquid oozing out of her arm and she could feel the blackness start to fade. The colour started returning to her face as her condition improved.

“Whew, that feels much better. Thank you, child,” Safia said as she exhaled deeply as she turned to Karim.

“I should be the one to say thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I might have faced the brunt of that scorpion,” Karim replied baffled by her words.

Once the battle was over, both Karim and Safia understood that in the desert, trouble could instantaneously leap forth from anywhere. They were obliged to maintain a high level of alertness. After resting for a bit, they came to a decision to pursue their journey. Safia's friend packed her things and together, they resumed their journey.

Once they were done at the Oasis, they had a long walk ahead of them. The two decided to rest in the not so cold desert night while basking in the sunset’s orange glow, right at the foot of the dune.

Karim and Safia prepared to spend the night and for that, Safia set a few magical barriers to keep any spies from "Shadow Eye" away. Meanwhile, Karim gathered some leaves and put them on a boisterous fire to warm up the cold desert night.

"Karim, you showed great courage in battling the scorpion today. But if you recall, fighting is not just about brute force. It's done with a degree of composure and strategy. In the face of danger, you need to learn how to look for the enemy’s point of weakness and devise the best ways to attack,” Safia said to him while sitting near the bonfire.

“That much I remember, Safia. Looking back at the battle today, I must admit there is still so much more for me to learn. I will try much harder,” Karim responded.

Safia directed a gaze at Karim that had a grin. “It is nice that you possess such self-awareness. The magic ‘Soul of the Sand’ has endless opportunities. As long as you continue to learn and practice, be sure that you will get to unleash its might. There are more hurdles that await us in the subsequent journey, but I trust that with the challenges we face, we will get through it.”

Karim was now staring blankly at the bonfire and lost in deep thought. He reminisced about the relatives and friends back home in the village as well as the tasks he needed to take care of. He realized that letting down Safia was out of the question, even betraying the villagers would be harsh. Vowing in silence, he decided that controlling the “Soul of the Sand” magic was a must, battling the “Shadow Eye,” and defending his homeland was ideal.

Karim and Safia shared a bonfire together where they slept off little by little. In his dreams, Karim envisioned himself as a mighty sorcerer. He fought with the Shadow Eye and emerged victorious. The peace in the desert was finally restored. The village embraced him as he returned.

Nonetheless, the desert expedition in real life was still riddled with uncertainty. Surrounded by the glow of the sun, Safia and Karim woke up and got ready to go on another treacherous journey. As they grabbed their bags, determination coursed through them, enabling them to stride into the unknown without any idea of what challenges were waiting ahead.