Quest for the Scorpion's Jewel by Amy Green

Author:Amy Green
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion, Christianity, fantasy, kings, medieval, heroes, wars, action-adventure, kids, disabilities, battles, suspense, youth, good vs. evil
Publisher: Warner Press
Published: 2013-01-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Noon in the desert. The sun blazed mercilessly on the three travelers, mocking their slow progress. Jesse felt ready to fall to the ground and die. At least then there would be some relief from the heat, the pain of his crippled leg and sore body, and the endless monotony of the white sand in front of him.

They had started out well. After digging out what remained of their supplies, they had journeyed in the direction that Silas assured them was east, toward Leden. No one could find Jesse’s water skin, and they decided to leave it behind rather than spend more time searching.

It was a great loss, they soon learned. Between the hard travel and the constant release of fluids through sweating, they needed much more water than they had planned. Soon, Silas’ water skin was empty, and Rae’s only half full. It might be enough to last us until nightfall, if we conserve. But what then?

“Rest,” Silas called out. They had all been trying to use as few words as possible. Their mouths were dry, and conversation wasted precious moisture.

Rae looked the worst, although she did not complain. Her lips were cracked, and she moved stiffly, as if putting one foot in front of the other required great effort. Silas had insisted she drape a cloth over her head to protect her fair skin from the burning sun, but her pale cheeks had already turned scarlet red.

Jesse wished he had brought some of Kayne’s remedy for burnt skin. Then again, his pack already felt heavy enough to pull him deep down in the sand. Each step was a fight, and he was glad to slump down to rest.

“I’ll look ahead,” Rae said, walking toward the rocks ahead of them. She was still their scout, scanning for any sign of civilization, but her ventures had become less and less frequent as the day dragged on.

“We should have reached Leden long ago,” Silas muttered heavily.

“The sandstorm,” Jesse said. “It changed everything. We don’t even know where we are anymore.”

There was certainly nothing around him to look at. Everything was hot and white and endless. He fingered the tortoise high on the staff. The upraised ridges on its shell reminded Jesse of all the times he and Eli had caught tortoises on the banks of the Dell River. The river—all that water, gushing over the rocks….

Jesse shook his head. Just think about the tortoise. For determination, Kayne had said. Well, determination would serve me well here.

The wooden tortoise gave Jesse an idea. “Silas,” he said. The older boy was studying the map, and barely looked up at Jesse’s words. “I’ve heard about desert tortoises who eat the buds of a cactus to survive. It’s a source of water for them.”

Silas’ face had frozen.

“We haven’t seen many cacti,” Jesse continued, starting to feel a little bit of hope, “but if we….”

“Don’t move,” Silas ordered, interrupting. His voice was quiet, but the deadly seriousness in it made Jesse obey instantly. He did not blink and tried not to breathe.

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