Dungeons and Deserts: A Isekai LitRPG Adventure by Melas Delta

Author:Melas Delta [Delta, Melas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-11T16:00:00+00:00

11. Shakhs of the Desert

The sun beat down savagely upon the two girls as they trudged through the torturous desert of Southern Gorgoroth. The afternoon before, they had left the low-lying mountains in their desperate search for the great southern caravan road. Now before them lay the shimmering, sandy dunes and rocky outcroppings which seemed to stretch on into infinity. It had been two days since their escape from Kafakudraûg Cavern, and though they still had some orc draught left, their waterskins were almost empty.

Their strength waning, they struggled to climb to the top of an immense dune. When they had reached the crest, they saw the road far in the distance, shimmering like a pale ribbon through the desert.

Directly below them lay a vast expanse of sand turned golden orange by the sun's fiery light. Dark, jagged boulders, remnants of rocky ridges worn down by the ages, stood out from the sand around them.

Far beyond the road, a short stretch of low, flat-topped hills rose from the barren, rolling plain.

"Look over there! A lake!" Elfhild exclaimed, pointing to a shimmering mass of silver which lay at the base of the hills. "Though it is out of our way, we could refill our waterskins there."

"No!" Özlem caught Elfhild's shoulder as she started to walk down the slope. "I can see it, too, but it is not really there. You behold a mirage."

Elfhild turned to look questioningly at Özlem. "A mirage? What is a mirage?"

"It is an illusion caused by djinns and their trickery," Özlem explained. "Pay no heed to such illusions. If you chase after every oasis you see in the desert, you will be lured out into the wastes, either to die of thirst or be at the mercy of the evil spirits that dwell there. Come, and you will see." She took Elfhild's forearm and started down the slope.

"The lake is no longer there!" Elfhild exclaimed in astonishment as the image gradually faded until it disappeared altogether. She stared unbelievingly at the empty expanses which stretched out before them.

"The magic of the djinns," Özlem whispered, shaking her head. "If we had journeyed to the lake, we would have found nothing but the sand."

"What is a djinn?" Elfhild asked, putting her hand over her eyes to shade them. "Can you see them?"

"They are powerful spirits which can pass between the worlds. Unless they choose to reveal themselves to mortals, they are invisible to the eye. They can change their appearance as easily as we change our garments, so they can appear in many forms, both terrible and fair." Özlem lowered her voice, in case one of these powerful beings were close by, eavesdropping upon the conversation. "Some are good and some are evil, but all like to play games with mortals. Now let us go down to the road."

The two girls were quiet as they made their way down the gentle, sandy slope. The sun was little past her zenith, and the heat demons swayed and shimmered, rising in the sultry July air.

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