It seemed that Morn was more focused on capturing and securing the city of Masyaf than in pursuing Emerald’s party, because after several hours of moving quickly, but not too quickly, there didn’t seem to be anyone chasing them. Then again, anyone who knew that Emerald had escaped the dungeons was either dead or broken, so it was entirely possible that Morn was still scouring the city looking for the former pegasus.
He was welcome to do so, Emerald thought to herself. The more time he wasted searching Masyaf for her, the more time she would have to find the artifact that was, by Aldilu’s own admission, somewhere in the White Desert.
The mages had not been idle during the two weeks that Emerald had been imprisoned. They had initially, of course, planned to break her out, but without sufficient knowledge of the architecture of the palace, that plan had gone nowhere.
So instead, they had procured maps and charts of Saddle Arabia in the hopes that, should Emerald be released, they could go after the artifact that was in the White Desert. They had even purchased a camel upon which they had loaded some supplies.
Posey was sitting on the camel now, sleeping from a sort of crude painkiller that Light Speckle had concocted. They had taken out the arrow in Posey’s midsection, but without proper magic with them, there had only been so much they had been able to do. Just to bandage it up and keep moving. Posey had insisted that they leave her behind, but Emerald was having none of it.
“We won’t leave you to fend for yourself,” Emerald had put her foot down. “You’re one of the group now, Posey. We look after each other.”
And so they had gone on.
According to the map, the White Desert was to the east of Masyaf. Having left through the western gate, they had circled around the city under the cover of darkness and by the time the sun had risen, Masyaf was a small model-like structure on the horizon. Following the glowing orb, they had journeyed a fair distance before they stopped to eat and rest.
“Ah wonder how come Masyaf fell so quickly,” Honeygold said as she drizzled some honey onto a piece of bread. “Woulda thought a big city like that would have a lot of soldiers. Morn can’t have brought so many knights that they could conquer Masyaf that quick.”
“Ah’m curious about that as well,” Apple Bean replied as she drank sparingly from a waterskin. “But the innkeeper lady did say that a lot of people were out dealin’ with that white flyin’ monster. An’ Morn’s got Excalibur. He can take over people’s minds.”
Emerald and Light Speckle were helping Posey change her bandages while Nightfall checked the maps for the right way to go. The archer’s wound hadn’t gotten any better, and the site of the injury was an inflamed, angry red.
“I do not like how that looks, Emerald,” Light Speckle said as she applied more salve to Posey. “Normally I would recommend rest and not moving in order for the arrow wound to heal better. Even then, there’s a chance it might become infected. Out here, however…” She did not finish the sentence, but Emerald caught the meaning well enough.
The former pegasus nodded grimly. “Stay strong, Posey. We’ve come this far; you won’t die from just this.”
The archer nodded, but said nothing.
“Ah wonder what happened to the tradin’ group that came here with us.” Honeygold looked out to the desert. “Maybe we’ll bump into them.”
Nightfall Gleam was looking up into the sky, then back down at her maps. “I got these from the best cartographer in the city, but they’re not very detailed when it comes to the White Desert. It mostly lists oases and rock formations, but no caves or temples.”
“Cause ain’t nobody gonna put some place like that on the map.” Golden Nugget passed the busy mage a hunk of bread and cheese, which she accepted gratefully and ate while still examining the charts.
“At the speed we’re going, it will take five days to traverse the White Desert from one end to the other. Not suggesting we do that,” Nightfall said as the others looked at her with expressions of disbelief on their faces. “But if the temple is at the other end, it will take a minimum of five days to get there. I hope we have enough supplies.”
“Just keep an eye out for any structures.” Guard Streak waved a hand through the air. “I am sure a temple will be hard to miss in all this sand.”
“It can’t be that easy.”
Emerald privately agreed with the notion that the temple wouldn’t be simple to find, though she resented it. If the temple was out in the open, then they wouldn’t need to go to the king to ask about it. And it also didn’t appear on any maps.
“Look,” Emerald said at last. “Let’s just get to the next oasis. Maybe we’ll find some clues on the way.”
I hope.
After getting up after a good night’s rest, the group was once again on the trail. Nightfall led them from the front with her map. She had even managed to procure one of those little north-pointing devices; she had wanted to take it apart and see how it worked, but right now it was more useful intact.
They had been proceeding in a straight line since leaving Masyaf, which had now vanished from sight behind a couple of sand dunes.
They saw no temples, or actually any structures of any kind. Just sand. Sand that was a lighter shade of brown than the sand that they had traveled to get to Masyaf. It would seem that they were beginning to impinge upon the territory that King Aldilu had called the White Desert.
Emerald would have liked to think on this a bit more, but her half-empty waterskin was distracting her. Without all the carrying capacity that Salt Flats’ trading caravan had offered them, the group was already more than halfway through their supplies.
“Don’t worry, everyone,” Nightfall had said. “We’re almost at an oasis. Just a couple more hours and we’ll be able to see it.”
Spectrum ran ahead to look at the map. “We’re around here, right?” She pointed to the map.
“Yes, that’s right,” Nightfall confirmed.
“Then why aren’t we going to this oasis here?” Spectrum’s finger landed on a patch of blue on the map’s surface. “It’s way closer, isn’t it?”
Nightfall Gleam sighed. She pointed at the sky in the northeast. “That’s why.”
Spectrum looked up and followed the mage’s finger. There, above the sand dunes, was a familiar white shape that was circling around in the sky. Spectrum’s face grew grim.
“Oh.”
Emerald also saw the white smudge in the sky and her heart sank. If that thing decided to come towards them and attack, she wasn’t sure her crew would be able to fight it off. Especially with Posey in the condition that she was.
The sun continued to beat down on them mercilessly with its scorching heat. They went around another bunch of dunes, slipping and sliding on the loose, white sand. The particles were a lot finer here than before, almost powder like. Emerald found herself sinking almost ankle deep into it, weighed down as she was by her armor. It got everywhere, but at least it wasn’t coarse and rough.
It was nearing sundown when Nightfall announced that the oasis should be over the next dune. Emerald felt her spirits lift at the idea of drinking some cool water, but as soon as they reached the peak of the dune, the entire party stopped in their tracks, horror setting in on their faces.
“Oh, no…” Nightfall whispered.
There had been an oasis here at some point, but now all that was left was a few small muddy puddles and some withered palm trees and rocks. And to nail things home, there was a bleached white skeleton of a human lying next to the hole where the water had once been.
“No water?!” Jewel Pin wobbled over to the skeleton and fell to her knees rather dramatically. “What are we going to do now?!”
“Nightfall?” Emerald asked quietly. “How old are these maps?”
Nightfall looked distressed. “The salesman said they were the most accurate and recent ones!” She looked at the little number on the bottom corner of the map. “Five years ago?!”
“Well to be fair,” Light Speckle said consolingly. “Cartography does take many years. These probably are the most up to date maps. Does not help our situation, though.”
Behind them there was a soft thump.
“Posey!” Emerald scurried over to where the archer lay on the sand, her mouth gasping and her hands clutching her wounded abdomen.
“Emerald…” Posey croaked. “So thirsty…”
“The bleeding hasn’t stopped,” Nightfall said with an undercurrent of worry in her voice. “She’s losing a lot of water through that arrow wound. If we run out of water, she could die.”
“Here, Posey,” Emerald unstoppered her waterskin and poured the remaining liquid into Posey’s mouth, who gulped it down.
“We need to restock our water supplies,” Light Speckle said somberly. “Nightfall. The only close oasis is that one to the west?”
“According to my maps, yes.”
Emerald helped Posey back up onto the camel. “Then that is where we will have to go,” The former pegasus declared.
“Emerald,” Nightfall said uncertainly. “You are aware that there is a dragon flying around that oasis? If we go there, we’re certain to catch its attention!”
“And unless we get some more water, we’re going to die of thirst out here anyway,” Emerald shot back. “At least we have some chance against a dragon. I’ve fought one before. They’re not so tough.”
“We’re not in your world, Emerald!” Nightfall fretted. “None of us can fly, only you have armor, and only a few of us even know how to fight! If we catch the dragon’s attention, we’re doomed!”
Emerald was in a quandary. If they did not get more water soon, Posey, and eventually the rest of the group, would die of dehydration under the hot Saddle Arabian sun. Death was a certainty, and even if they did find the artifact, it would be no good to them dead. On the other hoof, the only oasis that was close enough was the one that had a dragon circling around it. She knew which one she preferred.
“Maybe we can reason with the dragon,” Emerald suggested. “They are intelligent, are they not?” A look of desperation came over her face. “Please, Nightfall. Everyone here needs water, and Posey won’t make it much longer without some. I’d rather die fighting against the odds than out here in the desert where nobody will even remember us.”
“Death or glory, eh?” Light Speckle got a strange gleam in her eye. “Fine. We’ll go that way. Mayhap my magic will be of help should it come to a battle. Nightfall?”
Nightfall Gleam looked torn between choices, but in the end she squared her shoulders and nodded. “I will go with you. But the others should be told of this decision. I will not bring them unknowingly into a fight to the death.”
Emerald nodded, relieved. “Agreed. Let’s go tell them.”
“No need,” Golden Nugget’s voice said from right behind them. “We’ve heard it all.”
“And?” Nightfall waited for an answer.
“We ain’t gonna let ya go on your own.” Golden Nugget planted his staff in the sand. “We’ve gone this far together. Ain’t gonna let ya go on your own all o’ a sudden.”
“Yes, we’re with you, Em!” Honeygold bounced over excitedly. “Ah ain’t never been up close with a dragon before.”
“Knighthood, here we come!” Spectrum nudged Streak and patted her shortsword.
Emerald felt a feeling of gratitude and camaraderie rise up and her eyes misted over. “Oh, my friends…” she said, wiping the tears from her face. “I couldn’t ask for better companions. You are like the brothers and sisters I never had. I don’t know how I can repay you.”
“Aw shucks, Em, don’t get all sentimental on us now,” Apple Bean walked over and patted Emerald on the shoulder. “Tell ya what, all ya gotta do to repay us is stop Morn and bring peace back to Canterlot. We wouldn’t ask anything more from ya.”
Emerald sniffled and smiled tearfully at the farmer. “Of course, Apple Bean. I’ll do that.”
The trek to the next oasis was mostly done in silence, first thing the next morning. The group walked with weapons drawn, with the exception of Posey who was half-passed out on the camel’s back. They walked quickly but stealthily, though privately Emerald reckoned that this was for their own delusional well being rather than a practical strategy. There was nothing but white sand all around, and with an aerial view, the dragon would see them coming from miles away.
Though speaking of the dragon, Emerald didn’t see it now. She kept glancing up into the sky, but apart from a few little scraps of cloud, there was nothing else up in the heavens. Emerald hoped that maybe it was sleeping, or even better, had flown away.
Before long, the blue, sparkling water of the oasis caught Emerald’s eye, along with the large collection of flora that grew around it. This was a big oasis, all right, practically almost a small lake. There were some rock formations all around the pool, with an especially big one on the north side. Emerald perked up. Could this be the site of the secret temple where the artifact was supposed to be hidden?
As the group got closer, Emerald held up a fist for them to stop.
“Alright, we’re almost there,” the former pegasus said in a low voice. “I’m going to scout ahead to see if there’s any danger. I’ll just take a look around and come right back.”
“Be careful, Em!” Spectrum said.
Emerald sprinted over to a pile of stones that would provide her with cover and rolled into position. The sand here was shallower, and Emerald felt her feet sink in and touch dirt or bedrock. She peeked out between a pair of stones, looking for anything white. There did not seem to be anything, so the spymaster crept out and scurried to another pile of rocks.
As she crouched there, Emerald’s foot bumped into something hard. She looked down. It was some kind of circular thing, made of metal and wood with a handle in the center.
Is this… a shield? Emerald picked it up, the sand falling out of it. It was a shield, no doubt; a little dented and cracked. Emerald remembered that a lot of monster hunters had set out looking to slay the white dragon. Maybe this shield belonged to one of them.
Still, there was nobody about so Emerald looped her left arm through the straps on the shield and sneaked further towards the oasis. This was where she saw the first unusual feature. The sand around the edge of the water was muddled with huge footprints, tipped with talons that had dug into the sand. But there were human footprints too, a lot of them. There were also faint smears of something reddish brown in the otherwise pristine white sand. It almost looked like dried blood.
Emerald gulped and tightened her grip on her sword. She heard splashing and peered out at the water. There were ripples on the surface of the surface. Were they big enough to belong to a dragon?
Gathering up her courage, Emerald left her cover and faced the body of water. There was nothing there, only ripples from the far shore. As she watched, she caught a glimpse of something white whipping behind the largest rock formation, easily visible against the brownish orange stone texture.
“Right,” Emerald muttered. She knew she had come here to scout and shouldn’t be thinking about fighting the dragon, but the tension built up inside her was threatening to burst if she didn’t do something. “No more games.”
There was a sparse trail of feathers leading behind the rocks, which Emerald followed.
Feathers? From a dragon? She wondered, but kept advancing. There weren’t any shadows to hide in, given that it was about high noon right now, but the shade cast by the rocky outcroppings left her some darkness to hide in.
Finally, Emerald reached the corner. She was breathing heavily. Dragons in Equestria had a keen sense of smell and hearing. Oh, and they could breathe fire. There was every chance that the dragon was right around the bend, ready to incinerate her the second she popped out.
She had an idea. Unstrapping the shield from her arm, she made ready to throw it. If a torrent of flame or a crushing pair of jaws took it, then the whole quest was as good as doomed.
Hooking her fingers on the rim of the shield, the former pegasus wound up and tossed it around the corner, where it landed in the sand with a small paff. She could just see the edge of it, half buried from her throw.
A slender human arm, colored cameo brown, reached out and picked up the shield, pulling it away and out of sight.
Emerald blinked. That wasn’t a dragon that she had just seen. What was going on here?
The spymaster could take it no more, she breathed in and stepped out from behind the rocks, sword in hand.
“Oh!” A female voice said. “Who are you?”
There was a willowy young woman standing there, wearing pure white fabrics draped around her waist and upper body, adorned with gold bracelets and leg bangles. Her hair was as alabaster as the sands around her, and fell about her shoulders and face in a feathery halo. She looked at Emerald with her golden eyes, a faint look of polite inquisitiveness on her face.
“Uh,” Emerald said, lowering her weapon. “I’m, ah, my name is Emerald Edge.”
“Well met, Emerald Edge,” the other human said cordially. “Now, there is a question that I must ask. Are you here to slay the dragon?”