It was the hottest day of the year. The Sun, a dazzling yellow eye, burned the ground until it cracked. And under this Sun a young man wandered, or rather trudged, on what was a desert land, strewn with weeds, rocks and wild animals.
Rivulets of sweat lined his face, neck and other patches wet his clothes. A bag hung from his shoulders that grew heavier each mile. He carried only the bare essentials: a change of clothing, a saucepan, a compass, a crumpled map, a pack of matches, a small lantern, a notebook, a pencil, a flask and a mysterious fist-size stone. He also carried a dagger in a leather sheath and some coins, well tied to the belt of his trousers.
Two days had passed since he fled from his village. Since then he no longer saw a living soul, time passed slowly and food and water became increasingly scarce. His legs struggled to support him and his vision blurred as he looked beyond the horizon.
He almost doubted his senses when he glimpsed two figures on the flickering horizon. They didn't look like trees or plants and as they got closer he could make out their outlines.
Two men on horseback.
You hope they are not mercenaries.
They saw me. What do I do?
Both are wearing a wide-brimmed hat, waistcoat and shirt. One was tall and older, with graying hair and a goatee. Besides, he saw the guns.
Gunslingers.
The other was bigger and stockier and had a head so round it looked like a ball.
They weren't spared the heat either.
«Hello stranger» said the tallest one, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.
«Greetings to you» said the young man, his throat was so dry that he wasn't sure if the sound had come out of his mouth.
«What madness drives you to travel these wastelands, son?» the grizzled man asked.
«My horse was bitten by a snake yesterday and died. I am forced to continue on foot and I run out of water.»
Be careful, they can be spies.
The tall man nodded to his companion, who took a canteen from a bag and threw it to the young man, so that he immediately gulped it.
«Do you know where we can find the Vossmyn Gorge?» he asked.
«Go west for about ten miles until you find a crossroads, then take the road north.»
«Our gratitude be with you, young man» he said and pointed his finger east. «In five miles you will find Altromonte city, after the praire.»
«So to you» the young man passed the canteen to the fat man who held out his hand as he passed him.
He followed them with his gaze until they were far away. A smile emerged on his lips and he walked in the indicated direction.
A place to rest, it doesn't seem real to me.
