Chapter 9: A Day of Calm

The road soon ended for Max and Nausicaa, who were back to climbing up the sand dunes and walking across the desert plains. The sun had now climbed high into the sky, and it was bearing down on them without mercy. The hot winds also began blowing, causing the two to become thirsty and to start sweating. Fortunately, they were wearing long-sleeved clothing, so the sun wasn't burning them, but they were getting really hot from their clothing.

Deciding to take a rest, the two stopped near a small cliff, where they sat on some small rocks. There really wasn't that much shade, but what they did have provided them with some relief. As they rested, they checked their provisions; most of the canned foods had gone bad, which they had to discard, so now they had hardly any provisions left. Not only that, but the water in their canteens was practically gone, and they were unable to refill at the junkyard, as the water pump there only spat out dust.

"How much water you have left?" Max asked, his tone tired.

"A little." Nausicaa replied, her tone equally fatigued. "How much do you have left?"

"I'm all out. You better drink yours up; you're going to need it."

Nausicaa obeyed, and brought the canteen to her lips, drinking the last of her water that was in there. Once she was done, the two rested for a little bit, before slowly rising to their feet and continuing on. Back out into the harsh desert sun, they continued their journey on foot, both hoping and praying that they would find an oasis or somewhere that had water and food.

After several hours of walking in the sun, the two were now suffering from heat exposure. They were both covered in sand, both sweating profusely, had no provisions or water, and to top it all off, the scorching sun and the hot winds were beating down hard on them. In order to lessen the assault of the sun, Max took off his jacket and held it over his and Nausicaa's heads, acting as a sort of covering for the two of them. It helped, but only a little, and they eventually had to break apart, so that they could climb up a sandy dune.

"I have to… thank you for something, Nausicaa…" Max panted, as they climbed up a sandy dune.

"What?" Nausicaa asked, also panting as well.

"For not complaining… since we've been out here…" Max replied. "Most women who travel… out in the desert, complain about… the conditions."

"Complaining never helps, and it never will…" said Nausicaa. "Nobody is to blame… for what we're going through, so grumbling about… it will do no good…"

"Smart thing to say."

"That was what my father always told me when I was younger…"

"He's sounds… like a smart man."

"Thank you…"

The two made it over the sand dune, and were about to go down, when Nausicaa suddenly toppled forward, causing her to begin rolling down the sand dune. Shocked by this, Max followed to catch up to her, tripping and falling down the sand dune as well. When they made it to the bottom, Max went over to Nausicaa, who was lying sprawled out on her stomach.

"Princess, are you alright?" Max asked, rolling her over and cradling her in his arms.

"I'm fine…" Nausicaa replied, her tone tired. "I think I tripped…"

"It's the desert heat…" said Max, his tone worried, as he helped Nausicaa up. "You're not used to it…"

Max helped Nausicaa back to her feet, but she began stumbling forward a little bit. Max then slipped her backpack off her, slipped his backpack onto one shoulder, and then put her backpack onto his other shoulder. Once he did that, he lifted Nausicaa and began carrying her in his arms, slowly walking towards a group of narrow cliffs.

"You don't have… to carry me, Max." Nausicaa spoke, her eyes closed, and her tone tired. "I can walk…"

"I give you credit for perseverance…" said Max. "But, you need to rest…"

"And you don't?" Nausicaa asked, her tone somewhat playful.

Max let out a grunt in reply, and as they were approaching the narrow cliffs, there was a rushing sound. There was also a cool breeze emanating from the narrow cliffs, and once Max put two and two together, he realized what it was!

"Water…" said Max, his tone relieved and shocked at the same time. "Water! There must be a… spring out here!"

Quick as he could, Max headed into the narrow cliffs, carrying Nausicaa with him. After a minute of navigating the winding rock structures, the two came upon, much to their relief, an oasis! It was a large oasis with a flowing waterfall, a deep pool of water, grassy grounds, and trees with strange fruits growing from them!

Max didn't waste anytime taking in the view of the land; he needed to get some of that fresh water to Nausicaa. He went down a hill, pass some of the trees, and straight to the water's edge, where he put Nausicaa down. He dropped the backpacks, got down on his knees, cupped his hands into the cool water, lifted them up, and then gently poured the water into Nausicaa's mouth. Nausicaa coughed for a few seconds, and then her eyes opened slowly. Upon seeing that, Max breathed a sigh of relief.

"What happened?" Nausicaa asked, her tone tired.

"Somebody's looking out for us, that's what happened…" Max replied, opening his backpack to get his canteen. "Hang on a second; I'll get you some more water…"

Max took out his canteen, unscrewed the top, and put it into the water to fill it. Once it was filled halfway, he brought it over to Nausicaa, slowly putting it to her lips for her to drink. Once she had enough, Max drank from it himself, finding the water to be fresh and cool tasting.

"Whoever is up there, I thank you for this water being fresh." said Max, looking up at the sky and raising the canteen. He then looked back at Nausicaa and said, "We'll stay here for a day and rest up…"

"Okay…" Nausicaa replied, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "I think I'll sleep here for a while…"

Max gave a small smile, and brought over Nausicaa's backpack for her to rest her head on. He then rested his head on his backpack as well, and both fell asleep. They were both exhausted, but at least they were in a safe place…

Having awakened from their rest, Max and Nausicaa decided to bathe in the oasis. Since the water was constantly flowing, it wouldn't become tainted if they went in. The two first removed their outer clothing, with Max only leaving on his black pants, and Nausicaa leaving on her undershirt, which was a black tanktop, and her beige colored trousers. Max then went running and diving into the oasis pool, while Nausicaa went to stand underneath the waterfall, letting the water fall on her and wash the sand off. The water was cool and refreshing, so bathing in it was a welcoming feeling for the both of them.

Once Nausicaa was done with the waterfall, she climbed down some rocks and waded into the oasis pool. She then dove in and swam over to Max, who was splashing some water on his arms.

"This water's a blessing." said Nausicaa, as she stood up from swimming over.

"You can say that again." Max replied, splashing some water on his arms. "I saw that the Valley of the Wind has a beach. You visited that place often?"

"Most of the time I went there to test my glider." Nausicaa replied, before laughing a little and saying, "Water is softer to crash into than trees."

"I bet." Max chuckled a little, much to Nausicaa's surprise and amusement. "Tell me, can you swim?"

"Yeah, my father taught me."

"Well, show me then!"

Max fell back into the water and began swimming, to which Nausicaa smiled and dove in after him. The two spent some time swimming around the oasis pool, occasionally laughing and joking with each other. With the oasis being a safe place, it seemed that all threats were gone for the moment, and they could just enjoy the calm atmosphere.

They could heal from the obstacles they encountered so far, and prepare for what lied ahead of them.

Night soon fell, and Max and Nausicaa built a small fire to keep themselves warm. Now, Nausicaa was lying on her back on the sandy ground, and looking up and at the starry sky, while Max sat beside her with his back propped up on a rock. Their outer clothes, which had been washed of the sand, were left on a rock to be dried out. The two were silent for a couple of minutes, before Nausicaa broke the silence with a question.

"What was life like before?" Nausicaa asked.

"Before?" Max replied a question.

"Yes. Before the 'Seven Days of Fire' that wiped out everything. What was the world like before that happened?"

"Seven Days of Fire, huh? So that's what you call it? We just called it a nuclear war. To answer your question, the world before was… complicated. A lot of things that were taken for granted are now luxuries, and people relied heavily on technology. So heavily, that when it all went wrong, they didn't know what to do. Personally, my family and I never really saw the point of technology; cars were really the only thing we knew."

"If it's okay with you, can you tell me about your family?"

"Since you asked so nicely, I'll do you one better; I'll show you my family…"

"How?"

Max picked up the photo of his wife, Jessie, and his infant son, Sprog, which he had removed his pocket before going into the oasis pool. He then handed it to Nausicaa, who looked at the picture, a small smile forming over lips as she studied the picture.

"That's called a picture." said Max. "We used a device called a camera to take it. That's my lovely wife, Jessie, and my baby boy, Sprog."

"She's pretty." Nausicaa replied, her tone kind, as she handed the picture back to Max. "And your little boy is cute."

"Thank you. She was the best saxophonist in the world, and she would play just for me and my boy."

"She was a what?"

"A saxophonist; she played the saxophone, which is an instrument. Please tell me you people have instruments in the Valley of the Wind."

"Yes, we have instruments; guitars, flutes, and drums, but I've never heard of a saxophone."

"Never mind." said Max, staying silent for a few seconds, before continuing. "I was originally a member of the Main Force Patrol; we were law-keepers for the roads and highways. A high powered gang member was killed, and his men came after me and my family. We tried to get away from them, but they caught up and… Jessie and Sprog were killed by them."

"Max, I'm so sorry…" Nausicaa spoke, her tone apologetic and saddened, as she rested a kind hand on her arm.

Max gently patted her hand, and after she took her hand off, he continued by saying, "When I found that I wasn't able to save them, the only thing that went through my mind was revenge. I became 'Mad' Max, going after them until they were none left. I killed them, wiped out, eradicated them until there was only one left. And with that last one left, I handcuffed him to a wrecked vehicle, set off a timed bomb, and drove off… never looking back."

Max looked crestfallen after saying that, and even Nausicaa looked saddened as well; now she knew why he acted this way, and what Obaba meant about him. They were silent for a few seconds, both ruminating their thoughts, before Nausicaa broke the silence.

"Max, I know how you feel; my father was killed too." said Nausicaa, her tone solemn.

Max turned to look at her and asked in a calm tone, "How'd it happened?"

"A warship from another country crashed into the valley." Nausicaa replied, sitting up and beside Max. "The next day, that country sent soldiers to find the warship and attack the valley. In the ensuing battle, I went to find my father, and I found him. He was dead, and the soldiers were crouched over his body. I became enraged, and I fought them, killing several before I was stopped by Lord Yupa."

"Lord Yupa?" Max asked.

"A dear friend of my father and myself. He's a traveler, and he recently left with another friend of mine, a boy named Asbel, to travel the kingdoms. Lord Yupa told me to stop fighting and remain calm, but the damage was already done…"

Nausicaa let her eyes focus on the fire in front of her, and she stopped speaking, remaining quiet. Max slowly brought his hand up and rested it on the back of her head, gently stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry you lost your father, Nausicaa…" Max spoke, his tone calm. "You're a brave kid for having to go through all of that…"

A small smile formed on Nausicaa's lips, and the two remain quiet for a couple of minutes, with Max gently stroking the back of Nausicaa's head. When he stopped, Nausicaa let out a small yawn and began lying down again.

"It's too bad we don't have Ace with us…" said Nausicaa, her tone tired. "I would've loved for him to read that Infinity Ranger book as I fell asleep…"

"As a matter of fact, Ace gave it to me before we left." Max replied, opening his backpack and reaching into it, before pulling out the Infinity Ranger book. "I'll read some of it to you while you fall asleep…"

Nausicaa turned over on her side to face Max, as he opened the book and began reading from it. As he told the story about the infinity ranger, and how he was stranded in deep space, Nausicaa's eyes began to feel heavy, and she started to fall asleep. After several minutes, she was dozing, and Max stopped reading. He then put the book back in the bag, laid down next to Nausicaa, and fell asleep.

There were no enemies, no hazards, nothing to scare them. They could sleep peacefully in the oasis, and not have to worry about what was going on outside the canyon walls…

Finger and Neck-Bone, after traveling across the roads, came upon the junkyard that Max and Nausicaa were in. There, they found the body of the large cannibal, which now looked torn up and ripped apart!

"Looks like dey picked em clean." Finger spoke, his tone shocked, as he examined the body. "Looks like a lot picked em clean."

"Finger, I don't like this." said Neck-Bone, his tone scared. "Let's just get out of here; this place gives me the creeps!"

"I tink we's on da trail, Neck-Bone!" Finger announced. "Let us re-tern do the motorcycle!"

"Thank goodness." Neck-Bone replied, his tone grateful. "I'll drive!"