Drops of Fire

Chapter 10- Risky Decisions

Endless miles of golden orange sand stretched out behind Skywatcher in vast lapping waves. Not a sound except for the howling wind blew across the scorching desert and the beams of heat on her back made her coat feel like it was caught with flames. She tried not to flinch at it's touch.

It had been nearly three days since Tide Breaker's drastic fall back at the edge of Klugetown. Amazingly, the older stallion was recovering well despite being a little shaky from the experience. The gash above his head had stopped bleeding and was now only a small scratch beneath the blue fur which had grown back over the wound.

During those three long days, the group had passed by nothing but sand and cacti. They had walked by dunes, rocks, tumbleweeds, and of course....sand. The desert didn't have much to offer for sightseeing, and Skywatcher thought that she would be completely happy if she never saw another speck of sand for the rest of her life.

"I see why they call it the Bone Dry Desert," groaned Storm, shaking sand off from one hoof to another. "Phoenix, are you even sure we're going in the right direction? Cause it seems like we're heading in circles."

Pheniox lifted the map with a hoof, and nodded. A tiny compass was placed on the beige paper, and it pointed north; the direction of the Badlands. "I'm sure," replied the yellow coated alicorn. "It just seems like it because there's been only sand for miles."

"When can we take a break?" whined Cloud Chaser, coming up behind Skywatcher. "I can't hardly feel my legs anymore."

Graphite lashed her long tail across the ground. "No!" the brown pegasus hissed roughly. "We have to keep going! I can almost smell the Badlands from here!"

"Wait a minute," Phoenix Feather broke in. Thunder Paw and Tide Breaker both followed closely behind, both panting from exhaustion. "Graphite, you may be right! We're approaching an area of vegetation!"

Sure enough, In the distance lay a line of lush green trees followed by more rows of different forest-like plants. Fluffy, white clouds pursued above them, promising shade and wind. A dark, unusual jagged peak rose just above the trees, like a rotten black tooth. Skywatcher gulped. Umbra's castle.

"Is that the Badlands?" asked Cloud Chaser. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

Phoenix nodded. "I'm afraid so. But look on the bright side," the yellow alicorn stifled a wry smile. "No more sand we have to deal with. "

The ponies trekked onwards, the wind beginning to blow back their hair. Skywatcher gazed back up at the clouds with a sense of dread. Her belly began to churn with fear at the thought of entering the hollow of the Badlands in such a quick time. This is it, she thought struggling to calm her racing heart. The Badlands. We finally made it.

Shadows surrounded the gang as they entered the thick canopy of trees. Skywatcher couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After days of traveling in the scorching sun, it felt nice to be in the shade once again. The others looked relieved too. Thunder Paw closed her eyes while Tide Breaker's muscles relaxed. Although it was still warm, the protection of the shade provided natural cooling for the ponies and the forest around them.

"Ok, does anypony think it's a little weird that there's a random forest in the middle of the desert?" Thunder Paw coaxed, breaking the silence.

Graphite Paint shook her head. "Who cares why its here?" she took off her glasses and rubbed the sweat off of the clear lenses. "I thought we would never get out of the sand." The rest of the ponies murmured in agreement.

"Skywatcher, look!" Phoenix had pointed to a nearby group of green bushes. Beyond it, Skywatcher could hear the faint gurgling of water, and splashing over rocks. Beckoning the others with her tail, she followed the sound and found a small stream coursing through the trees. It poured over a small pile of rocks and followed down a small ravine.