Disclaimer: I own Holt and Moss, seeing as they are really similar to several characters of this world.
* ** *
Along the path of Moss, Holt found more houses, found more mummified skeleton, and did find canned foods in basements and old walk-in ice boxes. In one house, he did indeed find some water, an old tap that spurted the wonderful Elixir of Life. He refilled his canteens before greedily turning his mouth on it.
Holt, having refreshed, began the search for Moss. He knew he was close, he was so close. He could almost smell Moss, and at one time thought he had. It was an old musty smell, like a house that never seemed to be the same when one looked at it. Holt had heard of such houses. They were called tirza houses, which in the Old Tongue meant "place of death."
Near No-Shadow time on this day, Holt found a rather splendid surprise: a cluster of old Desert Oaks. He climbed under the shadowy refuge that shouldn't be and settled down for a long nap. In his dreams, he had reoccurring nightmares of Moss and his Double, Moe. He had a dream where Holt's own Double, in the other world, had guided Calvin to the necessary outlet that would lead into Holt's world. Holt then dreamed of the monsters that plagued the land, the ones that Calvin was here to save them from. He dreamt of what Borden (a child's name, in Old Tongue, for a "boogeyman") might really look like. He dreamt of Calvin's own Dark Double, whom which Holt really did fear.
When Holt awoke, he mentally felt worse, but his body was ready for another long day of trudging the sands. Holt creaked, snapped his back, had a quick lunch of salted meat that he had dipped into his special julin, or fiery, sauce. It was a rarity, but he felt he much needed it.
* ** *
It was between Narrow-Shadow time and Late-Shadow time when Holt first saw them. There were only two, but still they posed a serious threat. Holt crouched down to a three-point stance when he saw over the dunes climbed the monsters.
Holt had seen these before, but had never actually fought one, but of course, if he was to find Moss, much fighting with these strange beasts would be involved in the end. The first creature, the dominant male, looked strong and muscular yet reptilian his ways, and Holt suddenly realized why these creatures must scare Calvin so badly. The second creature came to, slightly smaller and lighter in color than the first, but also a male. Holt might be able to take one on by himself and his natural weapons, but alas, two (one of which a dominant male to boot) was too much alone. Which is why Holt reached into his pack for his two secondary weapons of choice.
The smaller male was the first to go down, a shot right to the face. The dominant male looked from his partner to the small creature holding the two guns, back to his partner, and decided that maybe it was indeed time to go.
Holt put back his guns when he saw the second creature run. Holt nodded and looked at the carcass of the dead. Under normal circumstances, he would have cooked it, eaten what he could in one share, then salt and pack as much meat as he could carry in his backpack, and then see what the bones might make, maybe a spear or a nice necklace that could be traded in at a village. But alas, the dead monsters were not one to touch. Holt could smell its toxic flesh already deteriorating in the hot sun, hissing and giving an ozone smell. Holt turned around and toward his path again, leaving the carcass for the birds.
As Bill as his witness, Holt would catch Moss.