Rebellion: Prince of Dawn

Chapter 21.2: Go Your Own Way

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ILIAS VAN PAYNE

When we rode into Orisa, passing by a group of what seemed like fifty people camped outside of town. They wore tethered clothes and tired eyes. A middle-aged man with tattoos on both his biceps seemed to be the leader of whatever they were. Wherever he went, a young blonde girl wearing spectacles stuck by his side.

Our first stop was the Rohan Company, where we sold our horses. Jaime asked the worker about the people camped outside.

"We call them Desperados," the worker explained. "They are desperate people who want to cross the Great Sand Sea but don't have enough funds to join the expedition. Every couple of months, people who are in the same boat congregate outside of Orisa and attempt to cross the desert their own way."

"Desperados," Roxy said. "I remember people from Roa talking about Desperados that succeeded. So that's what that word meant."

"Why would they cross it without a guide?" Jaime questioned.

The worker brushed a horse. "They are desperate. Maybe they're on a deadline, maybe it's something weighing down their hearts. As they see it, the reward of making it to the other side of the desert is worth any risk, even their lives."

"How many usually survive?" I asked.

"If the group is decimated by monsters, a few are lucky to make it back."

"How about actually crossing the desert?"

"The desert has an iron will. But once in a while, a handful of Desperados whose will is stronger than iron will defy the labyrinth and successfully cross."

"Do you know anyone who's made a trip into the desert and survived?"

"Yes, and he's made more than one trip. He's an archaeologist trying to find the lost civilizations within the Great Sand Sea. He's made about eleven trips into the desert and he's come back every time. Albeit a bit beaten up."

"But to be fair, this archaeologist guy isn't trying to cross the desert," Roxanne pointed out. "He's just looking for things and retracing his steps."

"Still. Going into the desert and coming back eleven times is something unheard of. I've lived here all my life. This man is the first person to truly shock me."

The office to register for the expedition party was a small box. Inside was only a bulletin board posted with information about anything and everything about the desert labyrinth. Behind the desk was an eccentric girl who greeted us.

"My name is Mrs Robinson! I'm going to be the main guide for the next expedition which is tomorrow. I'm glad you dropped by. Many die because their supplies and gear were unprepared."

"What do we need?" Roxy asked.

"Stock up on a lot of dried and canned food. There's not a lot of game in the desert and hunting is a rare luxury. Bring enough provisions for a month just in case. Next, bring enough water and, if you have the money, I recommend buying this bottle." Mrs Robinson reached into her bag and produced what she was talking about. "The desert air is dry, but there is still moisture, especially at night. This bottle uses heat and cold to condense water for drinking. And speaking of night, just because it's a desert doesn't mean to only dress for the heat. Bring things to keep you warm at night because the desert becomes a tundra when the sun disappears. The sun is a funny thing in the desert. At the beginning of the day you hate it, by midday you get used to it, and when night falls you'll yearn for it. And you'll repeat that over and over. Also, we don't pick up or help hitchhikers. If word that a person who didn't pay joined us because he was lost, many people would start to walk into the desert to avoid our payment. Anyone who helps hitchhikers will be kicked from the expedition right then and there."