Part 13: The Dark Lands

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The first step on the soil and they could feel the difference. The air was dry and heavy, as if with smoke. But, nothing attacked them. Going like that for hours, they got hot, and their voices got hoarse. On the bright side for the others, Camie stopped talking after a while because of this.... Then the silence got so eerie they almost wished she hadn't. No one was looking forward to sleeping there. In fact, they put it off as long as possible. But, finally, they were almost asleep on their feet.

Deku woke up, not sure what had woken him, until something skittered over his face. He yelped! The others all jumped. He was up and swatting around... then in the light of the half moon, he saw the cause. Scorpion! Deku only recognized it from a picture in a book.
"Bugs!"
Then he saw there were more, a whole nest worth, crawling around the others. Camie suddenly started screaming.
"Bug! Big Bug! Ew! Ew! Get it away from me!"
"Shadow Scorpions!"Momo cried, she seemed to know the name of everything. "Careful, they can disappear almost completely from sight." As if to prove her point, several did.

Shoto tapped his left wrist. "Hot." The dragon of fire uncoiled and blazed up, illuminating the scorpions, who scattered.
"No sudden movements!" Momo warned at the same time. Denki clutched his alpaca, it was trying to run for it. Kyoka kept her eyes on the bugs. Bakugo held perfectly still too. Ei had sprouted scales. For a second, it looked like the bugs would just run and leave them alone. But then Kyoka looked down and one was climbing up her shin. She couldn't help it, she flinched. Fast as lighting, the scorpion stung her right between her armor plates. "No!" Momo cried.
Ochaco swatted it off with her staff and crushed it. "Gross!" she said.

"Ah! Tibult!" Denki cried, as the alpaca finally succeeded in bolting.
"Hey!" Camie jumped out of the way of the alpaca and two scorpions jumped out of the shadows at her feet, one stabbed through her sandal. "Ow!" She cried, in shock. Bakugo blew it up quickly.
Ei frowned. "Quick!" he said, suddenly he sprouted into a full size dragon the same color as the fire one almost, but bulkier, like a cannon. "Everyone on!" he said in a very different voice that was hard to understand, but Bakugo got it.
"You hear him, climb on losers!"
He grabbed Camie's arm and yanked her up on top of the dragon, everyone else rushed to it, dodging scorpions. Kyoka moved but then stumbled and fell down. Momo hesitated,
"I got her, go!" Shoto said, turning back to scoop up the much smaller girl.
Momo jumped onto the dragon with ease, and then pulled her friend up after her. Kyoka muttered something indistinguishable before going still.
Ei used his tail to sweep remaining bugs away from the others, then he began to run for it, over the dry land, trying to stay vaguely in the right direction.

They covered several miles in this way, and Deku consulted his map, "there's a small town not too far from here, it might not be open anymore, but, we could try, maybe there'd be some shelters at least."
"Right..." Ei growled.
"She's not waking up!" Momo said, sounding very scared. "How venomous are those things?" Denki asked, worried.
"I...well,... I've never actually talked to anyone who got stung by one..." Momo said. "I only know what they are from a book."
"The traveler's guide to accursed species of Flora and Fauna?" Deku asked.
"Yes.. you read it?" Momo said.
"Most of it... I remember the scorpions were in the poisonous section." Deku thought "I think it said they were deadly."
Momo whimpered. "Nice job," Denki muttered.
"I know that," Momo said, "but hearing you say it... but, there could be an antidote." Bakugo frowned. Camie had passed out some time ago, but she didn't seem as deeply under, she was still stirring now and then.
Ochaco spoke up "I can help maybe," she said. "I don't know much healing magic yet, but, I can boost their health, and try to slow it down."
"Please," Momo said. Ochaco flexed her fingers and muttered some words and waved her staff. Gold light encased both of them. Ochaco then looked a little faint. Camie sat up.
"Whoa, what was that?" She looked around. "Oh, hi, Bakugo, how long have you been holding me like that?" Bakugo turned red.
"I was keeping you on the dragon, you idiot!"
"Oh... oh wow, he's huge!" Camie just then noticed the dragon again.
"Don't you remember what happened?" Denki asked. "It's all kind of a blur after the sting," Camie admitted. "And...uh...actually, it still kind of hurts a lot..." she winced. "Oww... can you just knock me back out." "Actually the longer you stay conscious the better," Ochaco said. "Sorry."
Camie moaned.
Kyoka blinked. "Hurts..." she muttered woozily.
Momo bit her lip. "We have to find an apothecary."

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