Hey, guys! Welcome back to RFL 2: Into the Dark! Before we start, time for reviews!
A TON of thanks go to last chapter's lone reviewer, NE4! They made an awesome AMV tribute to the original Running for Life on YouTube, and I can't possibly be more grateful and honored! Thank you so much, NE4! For the rest of you, check out their video here! www . youtube watch? v=L4s3kHuMDCc FanFiction doesn't like links, so just take out the spaces!
Anyway, with that said, on with the chapter!
Chapter 3: Start of a Journey
Surviving the Desert
By William B. Hohtt
When attempting to cross the vast desert that separates Motorean civilization from the rest of Soluna, exercise extreme caution. DO NOT attempt to make the journey on foot, and make sure that your mount's saddlebags are full of supplies, especially water. In general, ensure that you follow these guidelines:
BRING ITEMS OF SUBSISTENCE
A desert is defined as "an extremely dry landscape characterized by its scarcity of vegetation and sources of water." As such, water is the most important item to keep with you during your trip, followed closely by food. Make sure that you take several insulated bottles of water with you (magic-infused is best for cooling purposes) and conserve it for as long as you can. Only drink when you feel thirsty so that your supply may last as long as it takes you to reach a town or oasis. Do the same with your food supply, and make sure that you don't bring food that could easily spoil.
BE KIND TO YOUR MOUNT
Ensure that you have extra food and water for the animal's consumption, and give them frequent chances to rest to avoid overexertion. The mount's well-being aside, being forced to wander the desert on foot could only lead to tragedy for you.
DRESS APPROPRIATELY
For most people, mention of a desert calls to mind burning heat and glaring sun. While this is certainly true of the daylight hours, during the night, the area will become dark and frigid due to sand's inability to retain heat. As such, ensure that you have clothes suited for both extreme heat and extreme cold on hand during your crossing. During the day, keep your skin covered to avoid sunburn, but wear lighter, more airy fabrics. At night, you may benefit from a thick cloak or even a blanket.
DO NOT TRAVEL ALONE
It is always best to have companionship on a journey through the desert. You will have to take more supplies, of course, but support from another could save you in a dire situation. You could easily get lost in the desert alone, and if such a tragedy were to occur, the rest of the tsardom would be none the wiser. That being said, also remember to keep a map and compass on your person at all times in order to avoid losing your way. If possible, also make use of any pathfinding spells you or a companion might know of for best results.
BE ON YOUR GUARD
While wildlife in the desert is limited, there have been several reported sightings of bandit groups taking up residence amongst the dunes. It is believed that they gather in small underground hideouts near oases, ready to attack unsuspecting travelers. If you don't own a weapon or know how to defend yourself, bring someone who does with you. Take whatever other precautions you feel to be necessary, and stay safe out there.
()()()()
Sapphire eyes dull and half-lidded, Jack leafed through a few more pages of the desert survival guide he had picked up a couple of days prior, interest in the text steadily fading. Most of the advice the book had to offer would not even apply to an immortal such as himself, and the rest was practically common sense.
Good thing it had only cost him a single silver coin. Those weren't worth much in Soluna, especially given the vast quantities of silver that lined the capital city itself. He supposed he should have figured that such an inexpensive book wouldn't hold much merit.
Jack gave a slight sigh and shut the book, setting it down on the nightstand beside his bed, where he currently lay. He had woken up slightly earlier than he had initially planned, and now that the book had proven pointless, the young sprite was not quite sure what to do with himself. He considered trying to go back to sleep, but wasn't sure that it would be worth it. At that point, he was only about an hour away from having to get up, so applying any more dreamsand would likely cause him to oversleep. Considering his less-than-favorable track record with sleeping without the aid of dreamsand lately, the logical decision would be to rise and try to do something useful instead.
Regardless, his eyelids did not seem to possess a sense of logic. They steadily grew heavier as Jack continued staring dully up at the ceiling, and eventually, he was forced to close them.
For a time, he lay there in peace, suspended in a state that was not quite awake, yet not quite asleep. Soon, however, sleep tugged at his mind, upsetting the fragile balance that he had found, and pulling him into unconsciousness.
Within minutes, he was dreaming.
()()()()
-heat seared his skin and clogged his lungs-
-"There is no escape."-
-"Not a soul shall stand in my way."-
-"Jackson…?"-
-staggering away from the hunter's body-
-knife's blade fell-
-"NO!"-
-blood pooling around her-
-knife sticking out of her chest-
-fell into his own shadow-
-"...kill the Guardians…"-
-Kill...KILL…-
-Maybe I deserve to suffer-
…
…
...run, run, run away...
()()()()
After little more than a few minutes, Jack's eyes snapped open once more, visions of the past flooding his mind. He sat up in bed, trying to slow his quickened breathing.
Damn it… he inwardly cursed as he brought up a hand to rub his forehead. Five months...and still, the nightmares haven't subsided…
Indeed, though the boy's living conditions had significantly improved since his years on the run, he had still been constantly plagued with nightmares every time he closed his eyes. If anything, the dreams had gotten even worse during his short period of Guardianship. He had never directly spoken with the others about his plight, but Jack knew that they had most likely figured it out long ago. If no one else, Sandy certainly knew, as he had recently provided the young sprite with his own personal pouch of dreamsand to ease the night terrors and help him get some rest.
Jack was almost certain that he had never been more grateful for anything else in his life.
He was not entirely sure what had caused his rate of nightmares to increase tenfold, but he had an idea. He privately assumed that, in gaining a better life and a roof over his head, he had somehow developed an intense fear of the past.
Everything that he saw in his dreams were his memories. The acrid smoke rising from the fire that destroyed his village, the frozen expression of the man he had accidentally killed, the pool of blood collecting beneath his little sister's limp form, the lilting voices of his mother and father singing him a lullaby, the insatiable hunger for fear that engulfed his entire being as his Fearling self, the gnawing, twisting feeling of his own self doubt and hatred always lying at the back of his mind and heart...all of this haunted him.
Jack had finally found some semblance of peace amidst the hellish tempest of pain that he called his life, and he was now terrified that it too would be taken from him.
He was terrified of once again being left alone to suffer.
The winter boy flinched and banished the sickening thoughts from his mind. I'm a Guardian now, he firmly reminded himself. I'm not alone...I'm not alone and I never will be again… He grimaced. So long as I don't do something to mess it all up…
Easier said than done.
"No," he murmured, shaking his head. "I can't dwell on this now...I need to stay focused on my mission."
And prepare myself for whatever extravagant send-off North has planned for me… he mentally added.
That in mind, the boy pushed back has blankets and stood, dressing quickly in his usual blue tunic. He then pulled his belt around his waist, deftly fastening the silver crescent-moon buckle, then slipped his boots on as well. After half-heartedly running a comb through his eternally windswept hair (and, of course, ensuring that his teeth were clean in order to avoid the wrath of a certain fairy), Jack busied himself with double checking the contents of the saddlebag he had packed the night before. He was only stalling at that point, but it was preferable to falling back asleep.
When he was sure he had finally wasted enough time, Jack gathered up everything he would be taking with him on his journey and exited his room. Quickly dropping off his saddlebag and staff near the entrance to the base's indoor stable, he proceeded to head back towards the main meeting area empty-handed.
Almost immediately after entering the room, he was forcefully pulled into a tight hug, courtesy of the Guardian of Wonder.
"Good morning, Jack!" North greeted jovially as he shifted his grip to only hold the boy's shoulders with one arm. "Did you have good sleep?"
Jack snorted slightly and nodded. "Thanks to Sandy, yes," he said.
The little golden man in question gave a friendly smile in response, paired with a nod of greeting. Jack returned both the nod and the smile, adding, "I appreciate your help." Sandy smiled once more, giving Jack a thumbs-up.
"That is good!" North laughed, patting Jack on the back. "You have to be rested for trip, yes?"
Jack couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. "I know, North," he sighed. "You've only told me at least a dozen times…" His gaze dulled to a deadpan as his eyes swept over the other three Guardians. "...each."
This time, it was Toothiana that spoke up. "Still, it's important!" the feathered fairy insisted. "Immortality takes a long time to get used to...we don't get tired nearly as often as mortals do, so it's easy for us to forget to get the amount of sleep that we do need. If we're not careful, we can get drained and severely weakened by exhaustion, and someone with as powerful magic as yours is even more susceptible."
Jack couldn't help but heave a sigh running his fingers through his snowy white hair. "Yeah, yeah...I found that one out the hard way during my first few days as an immortal, remember?"
Less than a week into his Guardianship, Jack had indeed experienced immortality exhaustion firsthand. Having not felt tired for days, he didn't bother with sleeping for a time. Unfortunately, it was at that point that he had decided to test out his recently unlocked ice magic-while previously inaccessible for reasons he was still not entirely sure of, the full extent of his snow sprite power had shown itself at last during the battle with the Nightmare King. Naturally, Jack had wanted to see exactly what else he was capable of now.
He didn't expect to pass out the moment a blast of ice left his fingertips. Or to wake up two days later wondering what the hell had happened to him.
Needless to say, he had been more a bit more careful after that particular incident.
"I remember," Tooth conceded. She then crossed her arms, eyeing him sternly. "And I remember the other four times as well."
...she had him there.
"Well...fair enough," Jack replied, grinning sheepishly. "You win this time."
As Toothiana smiled triumphantly, Aster scoffed. "She wins most times, mate," he pointed out.
"Unless I'm mistaken," Jack said dully. "You were not asked."
Aster merely shrugged in return. "Don't need ta be. Just felt like I had ta say it."
"Well you didn't-"
"Gentlemen, gentlemen!" North interrupted with a laugh. "Save fighting for later. For now, is time to say goodbye! That is why we are here, yes?"
Aster rolled his emerald eyes and shook his furry head. "I dunno about the rest of ya, but the kid's only here ta make my life hell."
"And the kangaroo's only here to antagonize me even though I've done nothing wrong," Jack retorted.
"Oh, I beg to differ, Frostbite. Ya've gotten on my nerves enough to justify every word I've said."
"That's a lie!"
"'Tis it?"
"Oh, don't even start with-"
"Boys!" Tooth cut in impatiently, hands on her hips. "That's enough!"
The two of them instantly silenced after one glimpse of the expression on the fairy's face.
"...he didn't even use ''tis' correctly," was all Jack could mumble in response.
"I don't care," Tooth told them matter-of-factly. "Now, you boys make up so we can give Jack a proper send off, alright?"
Jack sighed. "We started as 'gentlemen,' and now we've been reduced to 'boys.'" He shook his head and looked up at Aster, a dark eyebrow raised. "Temporary truce?" he asked.
After taking a moment to think, Aster shrugged and replied, "Fine. Truce." They shook hands, which seemed to satisfy Toothiana.
The sprite and the Pooka no longer actually despised each other, but they had quickly become friendly rivals in the days following Jack's becoming a Guardian. The two almost constantly bickered and argued, but according to North, they were beginning to act like a pair of brothers. Both Aster and Jack denounced this theory immediately, but the other three Guardians still tended to tease them about it frequently.
Regardless, despite their common "fights," the two were usually able to quickly make amends and interact civilly with each other...at least for the next few minutes, anyway.
Presently, they stepped away from each other after shaking hands and allowed North to take the floor once again. "Jack Frost," he began with a smile. "You have been with us for five months now. Considering all things, you have adjusted well! And now...you are going out on own for Guardian business for first time. How do you feel?"
"I'm...a little bit nervous," Jack admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've never actually been to Motoraus...I don't even speak the language."
North nodded. "Is understandable, but do not worry. You will meet with translator speaking both Iskald and Motorean once you reach city. He will help you know where to go and what to do."
"Good," said Jack. He paused for a moment, glanced around, then looked back up at North, eyebrows raised. "So...I must say I'm surprised. No decorations? No toys flying around? Not a trace of music anywhere? You must be losing your dramatic flair, North."
"Actually, we talked him out of all that," Tooth said with a slight chuckle. "He wanted to throw a party of sorts, but...we convinced him there wasn't the time."
"It would have been amazing!" North stubbornly insisted, not noticing how Jack mouthed a silent "thank you" in Tooth's direction.
"Well, as...enjoyable as that might have been," Jack said aloud, stopping North from beginning to ramble about his previous plans. "It would be best for me to get going soon. Now, even. I have a two-day's ride across the desert ahead of me, and I don't want to keep those captured children waiting for too long. They're probably terrified…"
Luckily, the boy's words seemed to bring North back to his senses, and the older Guardian gave a firm nod in response. "Ah...you are right. We will not keep you. Let us go to stables to get your horse, and then we four will see you off!"
The five of them left the room at once, soon entering the stables, where Jack's white stallion, Zephyr, was waiting in his stall. Jack smiled and stroked the horse's nose affectionately, murmuring, "Alright, Zeph...ready to get going?" Zephyr nickered as if in response to the snow sprite's question. As such, Jack quickly outfitted Zephyr with his tack (each piece embedded with a small cooling gem like his own in order to protect the horse from the heat as well), then added the saddlebags. He led Zephyr out of the stall and towards a tunnel entrance that would be their way out of the base, then turned back to face the other Guardians.
"Well...off I go," he said with a slight smile.
"Good luck to you, Jack!" North called out to him.
"Take care of yourself!" Tooth added.
"Yer gonna be fine, mate," Aster put in confidently.
The ever-silent Sandy merely smiled and waved, his expression conveying his well-wishes perfectly.
Grin never fading, Jack nodded in thanks to them, then mounted Zephyr. "Okay, Zephyr," he whispered. "Let's go." With a kick to the stallion's sides, the two were off at a rapid gallop, pounding through the tunnel on their way to the surface.
And with that, things are starting to get moving! I hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see you next time for Chapter 4!
Until then, Sapphire316, out.