Chapter 13: Desert Trekking
After getting the sleep she needed, Lapis was well-rested and ready to get back to her brother and friends. She peeked out from the tent and was surprised to see that the sky was still a velvety dark blue.
That couldn't be right. It felt like morning in the hybrid's head, but the sky looked like it wasn't even daybreak yet. Time in this realm was so confusing.
"You're awake already?" the Daydream Knight's voice said.
"Yeah, I slept like a baby last night." Lapis nodded. "Anyway, let's get back to the city."
"What do you think you're doing?" the young man stopped her. "It's too early to be out and about just yet."
"But, it's morning now." she whined like a toddler. "You said we could get going by then."
"The first sun has barely risen yet." the knight pointed out. "And it takes longer for the second sun to rise than the first. So technically, it's still dark out."
"I don't have time to wait for that." Lapis said, feeling antsy. "Jasper's gang is out there and my friends still don't know where I am."
"I understand your anxiousness, but you are not going out there by yourself." her savior reasoned with her. "You've never gone through this desert before, it's pitch dark, and you have no idea where you're going. You need my help."
"Your help isn't the only help I'll need." the genie hybrid muttered.
"If you insist on not staying, then I need to come with you." the Daydream Knight continued as he clapped his hands to have the tent disassemble itself. "I can't let anything bad happen to you on my watch. You are my top priority."
The blue-haired girl felt her heart racing and her cheeks blushing. In all her life, she never had a boy (other than her big brother) want to protect her that much.
"Okay." she finally stuttered before she started walking. "Then, I suggest we better get moving."
The two teenagers roamed across the almost empty landscape for what was about an hour. The arid environment seemed nearly endless. Lapis was beginning to worry that she and her protector would be stuck wandering aimlessly through this desert forever.
"Be careful." the DaydreamKnight suddenly stopped her. "This is sand people territory."
"But, all I see is a barren stretch of sand." the genie hybrid said skeptically.
"Looks can be deceiving." her protector proclaimed. "The sand people lie dormant right here. We can't walk all over them or else they'll get mad. They've been said to drag interlopers down to their sandy grave."
"Okay, this is no problem." Lapis swallowed her fear. "We can just fly over the sand on my flying carpet."
She then proceeded to close her eyes and put her hands to her head in order to focus all her mental power.
"What are you doing?" the Daydream Knight asked, looking confused.
"I'm summoning my magic carpet." the genie hybrid answered. "Now shhh, I need to concentrate."
And just like clockwork, the flying carpet arrived.
"Wow, that actually worked." the human boy was stunned.
"Okay, carpet." Lapis told her ride. "We've got a second passenger here. Don't worry, he's a friend. Just don't be too unsteady while we fly back to the city."
Once the two passengers were on the carpet, it started flying over the domain of the sand people. As the carpet flew over the sandy plains, the duo found something astonishing: a little girl genie flying on a carpet of her own.
The younger genie had bright orange skin, little orange hair, and dark orange eyes. She wore a dress in different shades of orange, bracelets with diamond shaped beads, and peach colored slippers.
Just then, another older genie came flying in.
"There you are." she reprimanded the younger one. "What did I tell you about talking to strangers? We don't know if they're dangerous."
This genie had light magenta skin, black and mauve hair, and magenta eyes. She was barefoot and wore a fuchsia colored top, pink tulle scarves that hung from bands on her forearms, a gold choker, and a light red skirt.
"It's okay." the Daydream Knight reassured her. "We don't want any trouble. We're just trying to get back to the genie city."
"You don't say." the older genie gave a grin. "I'm Rhodonite and this is my apprentice Padparadscha."
"I'm Lapis Lazuli." Lapis introduced herself. "I'm a genie. Well, half genie; on my mother's side. And this is the Daydream Knight. He's pure human."
"We know the way back to the city." Padparadscha said gleefully. "We can help you get there."
"That'd be great." the hybrid girl smiled. "Lead the way."
The foursome continued to fly with Rhodonite and Padparadscha leading the way. That was when a whimpering sound got Lapis' attention.
"Did you guys hear that?" the young hybrid asked, putting a hand to her ear.
She brought the flying carpet down to investigate with Padparadscha and Rhodonite not far behind. The half genie searched a dead looking bush and found a living orange gourd with stumpy little legs that acted like a dog.
Now, that was the most unusual thing that Lapis had ever seen. And she had seen a lot of unusual things lately. She walked closer and picked up the living gourd.
"Lapis, get away from that thing!" the Daydream Knight ordered. "We don't know what it is. It could be hostile."
"This little cutie?" the genie hybrid giggled. "Come on, she's harmless. Not exactly a puppy, but close enough."
"What about getting back to the city?" Padparadscha reminded her.
"Guys, we can't leave this poor thing in the wild to fend for herself." Lapis debated as she picked up the gourd. "I'm going to keep you. And, I think I'll call you Pumpkin."
"Are we really going to let her keep that thing?" Rhodonite whispered to the Daydream Knight.
"Come on, look how happy she is." the human boy said, rolling with it. He watched as the hybrid girl giggled from being licked by her new pet.
Back in the sky, the group of four attempted to navigate, but the landscape was pitch dark as if it were still midnight.
"Ugh, it's so dark; I can hardly see my own two hands." the Daydream Knight squinted through the blackness.
"I wish we had some light." Rhodonite said.
Then a cloud of blue smoke, a candlelit lantern appeared in Padparadscha's hands.
"Huh?" she looked so confused. "Where did that come from?"
"That was me." Lapis giggled sheepishly.
"You can grant wishes for other genies!?" Rhodonite was in disbelief. "That's unbelievable! How is that even possible?"
"My friends say it's because I'm half human." the hybrid girl simply explained. That was when she heard a loud screech. "What was that?"
The newly acquired lantern revealed a trio of rather large birds that were circling ahead of them.
"Those are bandit eagles!" Padparadscha cried. "They hunt genies!"
"Bandit eagles are active at night!?" Lapis stiffened. "Why doesn't everybody tell me these things?!"
"We need to get rid of them before they swoop at us." the Daydream Knight said. "Any ideas?"
Rhodonite only cowered in fear and her apprentice's worried expression did not ease her nerves. Lapis was scared too, but she knew that somebody had to do something so she racked her brains. Bandit eagles were just birds, right? What's the one thing that birds couldn't resist? Then, a lightbulb lit up in the hybrid's head.
"I know what to do." she proclaimed. "Time for a little distraction action."
She used her magic to make a glittery blue cloud and then blew it in the birds' direction. The circling eagles caught sight of the sparkling wisp and their eyes lit up with wrapped attention. When the cloud drifted away, the raptor trio chased after it and Lapis and company were out of danger.
"Lapis, that was genius!" the Daydream Knight cheered.
"How did you know that would work?" Padparadscha asked.
"Birds love shiny, sparkly things." Lapis explained. "I learned that back home in the human realm."
"Your friends would be so proud." her protector smiled.
"If they saw that, I guarantee they'll think I'm ready to rescue my parents from White Diamond." Lapis grinned with confidence.
"Wait, did you say the emperor kidnapped your parents?" Rhodonite said.
"Yeah, why?" the young hybrid asked.
"I don't think you should do that." the older frowned. "Anyone captured by the fearsome White Diamond never gets a taste of freedom again. Your parents are a lost cause."
"I don't want to believe that." Lapis disagreed. "I have to have faith that I can save my mom and dad. Faith and courage."
She had to admit that in the short time she had been in Zanaraha, the half genie was gaining confidence in herself. Lapis no longer felt like that shy, little girl who was so afraid of people. She was slowly growing into the heroine who would save her parents from the evil emperor.