Chapter 38: Desert Night
I stood up, flicking my short sword downward to shake off the bloodied ice shards, wiping it on my robe before sheathing it at my waist. I gathered my hair into a ponytail and took one last glance at the dead beast, ensuring it had officially clocked out of life, before hurriedly rushing into the cave.
“Betty!”
The cavern was pitch black. I could vaguely see the spot where the little girl had been lying; the sand was all churned up, but she was nowhere to be found. On the soft ground, there were traces of claw marks. I scanned the cave and spotted a small, curled-up body in a narrow corner between the rock walls on my left.
“Betty, are you okay?!”
As I approached, the little girl seemed so frightened that she’d gone mute. Even when I called out to her, she didn’t respond. Instead, she instinctively recoiled when I got closer. The faint light highlighted her face, which was a picture of shock and sheer terror, tears welling in her eyes as she stared fixedly toward the cave entrance.
“Don’t be scared, it’s me, it’s me… You’re okay now…”
I squatted down in front of her, gently taking her trembling hand and stroking the back of it to comfort her. After what felt like an eternity, her dazed eyes began to focus, and she turned to me.
“Si… Sister?”
She whispered, and I nodded gently, letting out a soft “Mm” while a smile spread across my face. “So, are you hurt anywhere…? ”
As I spoke, I quickly scanned her over and saw that her little face was just fine, her neck wasn’t scraped, and her clothes weren’t torn… she was perfectly intact. She was just scared out of her wits!
“Phew—”
I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“When did you wake up?”
I tried to help her stand, but the poor little girl’s legs were already like jelly. She stumbled when she got to her feet, and I hurriedly caught her. Feeling her icy, trembling little body, she clutched my robe tightly. Her face buried in my chest, she took a deep breath, then whimpered out:
“Where did you go… where did you go, Big Sister… I was so scared…”
She dropped the formal address.
“I was so scared…”
“Ah—”
Moments later, the little girl’s loud cries echoed through the silent desert night.
…………
Late at night, the temperature around us dropped even more. A bright campfire crackled and popped, painting the entire rocky cave in a warm red. Gray smoke wafted out into the night, disappearing into the darkness.
“I… I just woke up too…”
The little girl with messy hair squatted by the fire, warming her hands. Her face was dirty, and her eyes were still red from crying. Wrapped tightly in her wind robe, she murmured while staring intently at the sizzling red meat skewered on a thick branch, her throat giving a loud “gurgle” in response.
Meanwhile, the black-haired girl sat on a rock she must have scavenged from who knows where, flipping the meat over and over as she muttered to herself, “I wonder if this will taste good.” She leaned down to throw in some dry grass for the fire, puffing a few breaths to make the flames roar even brighter.
“That beast is called the Lister Sand Leopard, but we just call it Sand Cat. It’s quite fierce. Not as strong as the Lanie Giant Lizard, but way sneakier, with tougher scales too. People living in Eborista are terrified of it because it appears and disappears like a ghost, the desert’s top hunter! By the time you see it, good luck making a getaway…”
The little girl edged closer to the fire, rubbing her nose, a shy smile breaking through as she said, “But to Big Sister, it’s just about how tasty it is… I’ve never had this before, but my grandpa once told me that there’s a legendary hunter in the town, Mr. Robert, who once took one down in the desert and shared it with everyone. My grandpa ate some too and said it was delicious.”
“Really…”
The girl’s eyes lit up at the mention, and the campfire raised the temperature in the cave. Before long, I felt warm, and little Betty stopped shivering. Her thin lips regained their color. She was clearly a resilient child raised in tough conditions; the earlier fright didn’t seem to have left a dent on her psyche, as she began chattering away.
“I can’t believe I have to sleep in the desert… with no adults around, this is my first time! It’s my first sandstorm too, and my first time eating Sand Cat… I could’ve died of fright today… but also, wow! I can’t wait to tell the other kids in town; their jaws will hit the ground… hehe…”
“Too bad we can’t go back for now. I wonder how worried Grandpa must be…”
“Big Sister, can I see that short sword? I think I’ve never seen one before… what’s it made of? How did it stab the Sand Cat’s head like that…?”
“It was a gift.”
I detached the sword sheath from my waist and tossed it to her. She fumbled to catch it, cradling it in her hands, feeling the striking patterns on the leather. After a moment, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow… such a beautiful beast pattern! Just touching it feels so powerful, my heart is racing for no reason, how strange… what kind of beast hide is this…?”
Before I could respond, she swiftly drew the sword with a ‘clank,’ revealing a gleaming blade that shimmered brilliantly in the firelight.
The light caught Betty’s blue eyes like stars falling from the sky, indescribably beautiful.
“Wow…”
She gasped again, “Why is it white…? I’ve never seen anything like this; what is it…?”
“It’s a dragon.”
The meat was starting to change color, so I flipped it again, poked it with my finger, popped my finger in my mouth for a taste, and smacked my lips in satisfaction, giving a nod: “Dragon bones and skin.”
It tasted like beef… once it’s cooked, I bet it’s delicious! If only I had some salt… I brought it but lost it all in the sandstorm…
“Oh, so it’s a dragon…”
Betty nodded eagerly, completely unbothered by the earlier horror. She drew the sword all the way out, wielding it in the air, but then suddenly froze two seconds later.
“Dragon dragon dragon… dragon!?”
She shot up straight, her eyes wide with terror as she looked at me, disbelief plastered across her face. “What did you say, Sister? This is a dragon?! The legendary giant dragon!!?”
“Yup.”
Her voice got a little too loud for my liking, making my ears itch. I poked my pinky into my ear, frowning slightly: “None of that, no need to make a fuss. It’s just a dragon. There’s even a live one around here.”
“Eh!?”
Hearing my words, Betty shot upright, her shock deepening as she frantically glanced around. “Is… is there?! Where?! We should run…”
Then, realizing, she burst into giggles, “Sister, you’re teasing me!”
“Ah-ha.”
I shrugged, feeling a tad bored.
Before long, the meat was done, and the little girl handed me back the dragon claw, which I used to slice off a hefty piece and split it with Betty, keeping the rest for myself. She must have really been hungry, clutching the greasy Sand Cat meat while puffing and blowing from the heat, absolutely beaming with delight.
The meat was indeed delicious, even without any spices. The inherent flavor was rich, tender, and so easy to swallow without much chewing. Honestly, it tasted even better than lizard meat! I couldn’t resist roasting another leg, but Betty couldn’t eat anymore, so I polished it off myself.
“… So, we’ll rest here for the night. Tomorrow, we head east again?”
“Yep!”
While munching on food, I shared our current predicament. At first, Betty seemed anxious, but upon checking out the terrain, excitement replaced her worries when she came back, and joy radiated from her.
She said she recognized this place; last year she had come here with some folks from the town to the nearby town that Old Man Robert told me about, the one far to the east. Little Betty had exchanged hair bands there, and she remembered passing through this area, vouching that she wouldn’t miss it.
Best of all, she said we weren’t far from that town anymore.
What luck…
“Big Sister, you really are the Goddess’s chosen one… so blessed, I’m catching some good vibes too!”
Betty grinned goofily at me.
