Scorched Scales (ARK Fanfic)

Chapter 2 | Sandstorm

There's a moment of silence. The Wyri who had been talking to us leaps on her lightning wyvern and it flaps its wings. Then all three rocket into the sky.

Sand stings against my face. The storm is very, very near.

I jump out of line. I want to get as far from the group as possible before the sand and wind became too much. 

Scrambling over boulders and ledges, I flee. The sandstorm howls behind me. I bow over awkwardly to snatch silk-flowers and twigs from the ground as I run.

My leg muscles scream in protest. Finally I lean onto my knees, chest heaving. Sand slashes my calves like the jagged corners of crumbling stone walls. 

I look up. The brown wall swirls just in front of me, sand flying out and clawing at my eyes. Snow whines nervously on my shoulder.

I hurl sticks into the ground and toss another stick on top of them. Then I pull a silk sheet from my SI and fling it over the wooden frame. I crawl inside and tie down the ends.

The wind howls against the cloth walls. Sand beats at the tent, lashing under the silken edge and whirling at my feet.

I wait in the tent for what felt like eternity. Finally the wind dies down and the patter of sand quiets. I emerge from my little haven and glance around.

It looks like a whole new world, barely recognizable. Soil lays piled in places it had not been before. The drifts had rearranged themselves on top of rocky outcrops.

"What a storm, eh?" I tickle Snow's chin. "Let's get out of here."

I check my map again, then look up at the horizon. My destination was very far away. With a sigh, I sip from my waterskins and begin the long trek down into a valley with a stream.

Finally we reach the waters. I carefully place my waterskins on the ground so they wouldn't spill. Then I kneel on the shore and keel over into the water. I drink and drink. The clear water soothes my parched throat and softens my cracked lips. I refill my skins and continue on my journey.

Soon the sun was setting. 

I clamber up a boulder and settle cross-legged on the rock. The sun is being swallowed by the horizon in waves of blood-red flame. The first gust of cooling air brushes my skin with a chilling touch.

I swiftly summon a few supplies out of my SI and begin to work. The sky has dimmed to deep cobalt blue by the time I finished weaving a shirt and pants from sparse plant fibers I collected on the way.

Quickly, I throw down another tent and worm into it. The uneven, stony top of the boulder is not the most comfortable camp, but it's safe. After snuggling into my new clothes, I curl up in the silk shelter. Snow cuddles up next to me.

I fall asleep with his fur rising and falling against my cheek.

.               .               .

Pale, orangey-pink light seeps through the tent walls. I wake but don't open my eyes. The light shines through my eyelids, turning the darkness behind them to crimson and then tintoberry red.

I sit up. Snow tumbles off my head with a squeak. 

"Good morning!" I yawn, stretching my arms far over my head. My body aches from the exertion of yesterday and the discomfort of sleeping on a rock. The second I drop my arms, Snow hops onto my shoulder and nuzzles my neck.

"You're right, buddy. We have a lot of desert to traverse." I stand up and begin dismantling the tent. 

A whole new day of . . . walking. And walking. And more walking. I sighe, but hey, I had worked for this. And I would get a lightning wyvern. Whatever it takes.

Pretty soon, I started hating walking.

The sand! Oh, the sand! It stung my eyes and clotted in my hair and crusted onto everything I owned. I was so tired of of pouring it out of my belongings.

And the heat! Sweat rolled down my neck, dripping from my shoulders and my nose. My clothes were plastered to my back almost constantly. The heat leeched energy from my veins and caused so much dizziness  and drowsiness that sometimes I just wanted to float in one of the many cool streams and just relax forever.

But then the memory of the lightning wyvern always brought my motivation and determination right back.

So I traveled on.

It was terrifying, really. I had always thought we had civilized everything, but most of the vast desert was empty of human interaction. And I'm positive I would have gone insane a long time ago if I didn't have Snow. His constant company, constant cheerfulness, just having something to talk to, was very comforting. And he saved my life quite a few times as well with his storm prediction.

The desert was really vast as well. So much went beyond our little colonies, it was a little disturbing. 

I felt very small.

But, existential crisis aside, it was also amazing. Sometimes we would camp out on a ridge so we could watch dawn break over the dunes until they glittered like chips of gold, then the light would spread, and the gray lifeless world became alive with riotous color. 

It seemed like everything was encased in stone until the sun hit. The spindly gray trees would be frozen, then a hint of gold would brush their leaves, and instantly they started dancing until it looked like someone was sticking their hands in a pile of painted green berries and shifting the pile around.

The silk-flowers look like nothing more than a collection of pebbles until the sun's rays reach them. First, one leaf turns to gold then it turns green, then the rest of the plant follows suit, with the petals flashing purple like supply drops.

Soon, my feet were sore and swollen. My legs ached constantly. But hey, I wasn't skipping Leg Day at any rate! Yay . . .

That's why I began considering a mount. There were many, terror birds, direwolves, raptors, sabertooth cats, you name it! 

Terror birds pestered me constantly, and being as that I hated them with the passion of a thousand fiery suns, I did not want to be reminded of their existence whenever I rode my pet.

Raptors weren't cuddly enough. Yes, that's a requirement. I mean, I know they can cuddle, but I want something soft and furry to keep me warm during the cold desert nights, and raptors are just too scaly for me.

Sabertooth cats would need a very specialized saddle, and my resources are stretched thin enough as it is!

And the main problem with all of these is that they need a saddle to ride. I can barely scrounge up enough hide to patch my clothes and throw together tents, let alone craft an entire saddle. Also, my hands are sore, I don't want to put a saddle together!

But direwolves don't need a saddle to ride. So a direwolf it would be.

Yet of course, when I finally gathered up the supplies, it was nighttime . . .