Shadow Dagger

Wasteland

             Rotted wood buildings creaked as a breeze blew through them. Out of the shadow of one of them, a giant sand scorpion hurried across the heated desert sand. Sandstorms blew across the scorpion’s body, halting him momentarily. Once the sandstorms seized, the sun blazed against the scorpion’s shell-like body. Needle-like legs dug deep into the shifting sand, as the scorpion continued its quest for water.

            Pushing itself hard, the scorpion could smell water in the air and knew he was nearby. Sandstorms continued to disrupt his progress as visibility started to become an issue. Using his strong legs he continued across the scorching sand.

            Within seconds the sand gave out beneath him as force started to drag him down. The scorpion twitched his tail into the air but connected with the sand around him. Faster and faster, a vortex surrounded the scorpion as he was pulled beneath the sand. In less than a minute, the nearly five-foot monster was buried.

            The Wastelands were a desolate desert located between the menacing Shadow Mountains of the west and the abandoned town of Farfield. From the north ran a cracked and steep bog that contained deep dark oily mud that ran carelessly down. The south provided the Wastelands with a small forest that carried water if you were able to escape.

            Smoke rose from the west as Tripit watched what once was Bloodsoak Village burning to the ground. Shock filled Tripit’s body as he limped through the heated sand. The sun blinded him as he tried to shield his face by ripping shreds of materials off his shirt he wore to comprise of a makeshift hood. Dried blood soaked a leg of his pants and scratches covered his face and chest.

            He made his way to the dead sand scorpion. Entrails oozed from its open stomach wound, eyes wide open seemed to stare up at Tripit as he got closer to it. Shifting sands already started to bury the scorpion. Tripit stopped by the scorpion and painfully bent down and turned it over to its stomach. He grabbed under the scorpion’s shell and started to pry, slowly at first. A loud suction was made as orange pus started to drip down its side as Tripit struggled to peel a section of its shell off.

            Inch by inch, the shell started to come loose until a loud pop meant Tripit had won the battle. Taking pieces that he needed, he formed the shell to cover his neck and head and any other exposed areas. The shell was light, but he felt confident it would stop an attack from an animal or sneak attack by a pirate.

            The sun made steam hiss off the scorpion, as he slowly raised himself from the scorpion’s side. Winds blew diagonal as he continued losing footing. Sand creatures big and small scurried and dug their ways into the sand around him. Most stopped to smell in his direction but shortly carried on, as water and survival were more important than curiosity.

             The hours rolled by slowly and painfully, until finally the sun settled in behind some dunes, and one by one stars started to pop into the sky. Tripit scoured the wastelands until he came across a pallet buried in the sand. He started digging with his hands until about six feet down, the wood ended and started to his right. After digging for another hour, Tripit revealed that he had dug up part of an abandoned building.

            Sweat dripped down his body and found its way into his open wounds and stung him causing him to yelp softly and swear under his breath. Now that enough sand was cleared, Tripit could sit himself in between the wood boards comfortably. Within minutes he was asleep as sand pelted the outside of the boards.

            Sometime during the night Tripit awoke to the sound of sand shifting all around him. The moon wasn’t enough to light up the desolate wasteland, as his eyes slowly made out the darkness. In the distance, little blue orbs started dancing in the darkness as one by one they popped up all over the dunes. Closer and closer they got. Pop! Tripit was startled as he saw the space above his head start to glow blue.

            Slowly a weight on his head pressed in more and more until Tripit buckled under the weight and fell to his back. Bouncing off his head was a short creature. In the darkness, Tripit could make out scales that covered its entire body. The creature wasn’t over three feet tall. A long curly tail extended from its body and big eyes opened wide as it glanced at Tripit.

            Scurrying into the darkness, its blue light fading into the sand dunes. As quickly as they appeared, the creatures disappeared, their light flickering out into the sand. Without hesitation, Tripit got up as quickly as his wounded body allowed him to as he limped after them.

            He noticed that they all disappeared into a central location and headed that direction. It was a thousand feet from his shelter. The sand was warm when he arrived. Tripit approached cautiously as his hands slid across the smooth hard dune. He felt a pulsation from the other side, like a heartbeat. It came in steady rhythms. Tripit put his ear onto the dune. Nothing. Just warmness. He pushed to lift himself off the sand when he heard it. Breathing followed by murmuring.

            Tripit fell back in shock. He couldn’t believe that the sand was alive. He sat half buried in the sand trying to catch his senses. Creepily the wasteland shifted. First right. Then left. Tripit struggled to get up against the moving earth but the sand had other ideas as it continued to breath and with each breath, Tripit sunk farther down. Sand piling on top of him.

            He felt low hums under the sand, as within minutes the last of the moon became as dark as the night. Swallowed by the hot sand, Tripit fought and struggled to find a way out but he didn’t know which way was up. The weight and pressure e felt on his body told him he was sliding deeper down.

            Dehydration and starvation took over his body as the barren desert started to swallow him up. Struggling with the heat, Tripit fell to his knees sinking into the sand dunes that surrounded him. With his eyes rolling into the back of his head, Tripit watched as the world went black and he fell face down into the sand dunes as the hot breeze blew sand across his unconscious body.