Sorry for the hiatus. I've been feeling unwell lately... But here it is at last!
So now we arrive at the desert, and of course things don't go nearly as well as any of these three had hoped... Here be the ninth chapter of this book, 'kay?
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The Guardians of Life: Justice-
Chapter Nine-
Separated

Sometimes the desert had soft sands. Other times the ground was hard. It was as if the terrain around them was bipolar, and could not decide if it wanted to be nice, or not. And thanks to Storm’s overall cheerful nature, he couldn’t not keep from kicking up the sands in pure delight, making the trip into the desert, more interesting than Aerobolt expected. Shade, however, was not amused.
“Do you mind, Storm!? It’s going to take ages to get all this sand out of my fur! Iridescence! Plazma definitely had his paws full with you!” she exclaimed, annoyed.
Aerobolt on the other paw found the whole situation rather enjoyable to watch. However, he could only manage a sheepish smile at them, because the desert still had him worried.
Storm did not stop bouncing around, even though he fell back just a bit. Shade sighed so close to Aerobolt it made him jump. “What am I going to do with that cub…?” she thought somewhat absently. “You doing alright, Aerobolt?”
Aerobolt was surprised to find that he was calmer than he felt he should be. The desert was blistering hot, and yet, he felt a little secure. He thought it was how soft the sand currently felt under his paws, and how soothing it was. “I’m alright. The sand must be why, ya know? It feels so nice, especially after all that stone in Hydyraen.”
“Yeah well. As you could tell by now, this desert is not always this soft. In some patches of this desert is pure sandstone. I don’t suppose you will be looking forward to that, do you…?” Shade replied.
Aerobolt shook his head stiffly and tight lipped.
“Anyway, I can’t wait until the river comes back into sight again; the river water feels heavenly after a long walk through the desert,” Shade added. The river trailed off to the east after the trinity had entered the desert initially. Aerobolt had to admit, he missed the river already, and felt he was only going to start missing it even more.
Shade stopped. Aerobolt, bumped into her, almost knocking both of them over. “Huh? Shade what is it?”
Shade did not look at him. “Something is not right here,” she said worriedly.
Now Aerobolt was really worried. “Huh? What do you mean?” he asked, trying not to let his shaky voice noticeable.
“Isn’t it… quiet? To you?”
Now that Aerobolt thought about it, it did seem quieter all of the sudden. What could it be, though…? Only a slight breeze blowing through the sand was the only noises he could hear. He felt, that wasn’t supposed to be the only thing he is supposed to be hearing right now. Then something hit him hard. And before he could voice it, Shade beat him to it.
“Wait! Where is Storm!?”
The cub was no longer behind them; his playful sounds were cut off a minute ago. Where he used to be… was a narrow and shallow rut, surrounded by paw prints. “Storm!?” Aerobolt exclaimed.
Shade was suddenly furious. “Damn it! I can’t believe I let myself forget!”
“Forget what!?” Aerobolt said loudly.
“See those?” she pointed to the rut and the paw prints leading parallel to the forest behind them, to their left, even further from the river, the wind already covering them slightly.
“Storm’s been--!” Aerobolt started.
“Iridescence forbade! I knew it!”
“What? What do you know!?”
Shade looked at him with angry eyes. “Kobold Bandits. They are creatures that resemble wolves and rats, but are neither, that live in Shadow Vulpine territory that raid travelers of this desert. They are stealthy, yet ruthless. They can sneak up on you before you even feel that someone is there. They are excellent at their work. If they do not get what they want from a certain traveler, they often end up killing them,” she explained.
“Does Storm have anything of value?” Aerobolt pressed.
“The closest thing to any value is the Thunder Gem used to train his powers. Even then, it wouldn’t be worth enough to those greedy bastards,” Shade replied.
“We must save him!” Aerobolt declared.
“If we can’t find our way back to the trail, we’ll be-“
“I don’t care! He’s just a cub! He’s too young to be killed like this!”
Shade looked at him. “You truly do deserve the name ‘Arrabalta’ for risking your life like this. You don’t even really know Storm!”
“I barely know you… and look at how much I trust you,” Aerobolt countered quietly.
“Fair point. Let’s hurry. The wind is covering their trail. And who knows how far ahead they are already!”
Shade took off in front of Aerobolt, following the trail. No way those bandits could have gotten far. Storm was gone for no more than two minutes! However, the trek was agonizingly slow for him; he was not used to running in sand. His paws just sank in with every step, slowing him down. Shade was several yards ahead of him already. Panting and stumbling, he desperately tried to keep up, but Shade already disappeared over the next dune. Trying hard not to panic, he tried to call out, but he found himself spitting sand; he had just fallen over. He scrambled up to the top of the dune, hoping that he did not lose her. Upon reaching the peak, his heart skipped several beats: she was nowhere to be seen. “No, no, no, no, no,” he muttered quickly. Wait! The trail! All he had to do was follow the trail! It was still there, but the gusty winds had covered a large portion of it. As fast as he could, he followed the quickly depleting trail, hoping that Shade wasn’t too far ahead. ‘I can’t get lost here. I’ve come too far!’ But his confidence was fading fast with every step. To make matters worse, the wind had gotten so strong, it started kicking up the sand, causing the trail to fade even faster, and the sand to fly around him. The only trace of the trail to be found is the small rut that Storm’s dragged body had caused. Even that was fading quickly. Aerobolt struggled to see. It was all dust and sand at this point. Aerobolt was caught in a sandstorm. However, an even harsher reality had struck him: the trail was gone at this point. Despairingly, Aerobolt continued to look around him. He couldn’t see the forest anymore, the trail was gone; Shade and Storm were gone. Alone, and lost in a sandstorm, unable to see, unable to breathe, unable to consider what he should do next, Aerobolt just screamed into the dirt filled sky. He only got a muzzle full of sand and grit. He ended up coughing and spluttering. Turning away from him, still hacking, he collapsed to his paws and knees. The sand instantly started to bury him. “N-no. N-not like- th-this,” he choked out. He was certain his Bane was Fire; his last piece of confidence was his commitment to believe the sand wouldn’t kill him. Unless these things don’t apply to those who are not Guardians yet… ‘No! Don’t think like that! I will get out of this alive!’
It was several minutes before the storm finally died down. Aerobolt was nearly buried completely. He was at least able to create an air pocket to prevent suffocating. The sand was so heavy on top of him, he was uncertain if he could shake free of his tomb. It took him a lot of his remaining strength, but he did mange to escape. He looked up, and saw the blue sky. Aerobolt had survived the sandstorm! He could not celebrate that, for he was lost, alone, in the desert, which was already regaining its scorching heat. There was no way the trail could’ve survived that. Even the outline of Ryanda Forest was gone. His sense of direction was completely obliterated by the sandstorm. He knew going into this desert was a bad idea! He found himself on top of another dune. He knew the first thing he needed to do was find a way out of the desert. But what about Shade and Storm? Were they okay? He was certain they were, and looking for him too. But he knew if he moved too much, he wouldn’t be discovered. So he decided to move only around the dune he was on. Maybe they would be able to him moving, or maybe he could see them too. He had walked around for close to an hour and realized that it wasn’t working. Shade and Storm had to be close by, he felt that, but they were never going to find him. Staring at his own paw prints in dismay, he kicked the sand in frustration. The heat had long returned, and it was starting to bake Aerobolt under his fur. ‘No! I can’t die out here! I refuse to die here!’ he protested in his mind. Then he realized something wasn’t normal. He felt a tingling sensation in the middle of his legs. He tried to take a step, but found he could not. Then it struck him harder than the sandstorm did: his legs were half buried in sand. On top of that, he was moving down the opposite side of the dune. It isn’t long until he realizes the dire situation he is in. Quicksand!? Panicking, he tried to see if he could scramble out. There was none. So he resorted to swim, as if he was in water, but he couldn’t; it was far too thick; he couldn’t move! He realized the quicksand had reached his shoulders. He was trapped. No way out. ‘I’m going to die here! There is nothing I can do!’ The words echoed sadly in his mind. He hadn’t gotten very far, and he’s dead. His last attempt to keep his muzzle above the sand enabled him one last deep breath before the entire world turned pitch black and silent…
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Wanna start from the beginning? Here is Chapter One! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11187661/
Here is my series' index! http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5340298/