Wooh, just a bit of a filler today, I promise tomorrow will be better.
"Okay, I found the red dot, and there's this spinning compass thing in the corner which says we're facing North." said Leo, furrowing his brows.
I grabbed the map from his hands, but to my surprise he had actually interpreted it correctly. "Okay, and we're supposed to head North so walk on!" I said in my best 'I'm bored and far too good for all this' face.
"Soooo...got any water?" asked Leo after about five minutes. Shit, these tasks better have snack bars.
"Ya know." I gasped through cracked lips "we've been walking for three hours I'm pretty sure we should have found an obstacle by now."
"Yeah." he replied, his voice cracking. "Am I the only one who feels like they're about to collapse?"
"Most definitely not." I rasped back, adjusting the piece of cloth I had ripped off my tee-shirt and tied around my forehead.
"H-hey." croaked my partner "is that water?"
I looked to where he was pointing and saw, much to my delight, what appeared to be an oasis. "It could be a mirage." I said, tapping his arm. We staggered over to the water hole, clinging to each other for support.
"Why does it keep getting further away?" moaned Leo softly.
"I don't think it exists." I murmured in reply.
He groaned and placed his head in his hands, as I started licking my dry lips with my swollen tongue.
"Come on Leo, can't stop now." I said tugging desperately at his arm. He threw his arm around my shoulder, to support both of us (an action which I found rather attractive) as he grabbed the map from his pocket and we continued to look despairingly at its dirty surface.
"We're going the right way." said Leo despondently. "Why haven't we found anything?"
"I don't know." I replied, leaning against his shoulder as he folded the map and we staggered on.
It was sunset by the time we found the narrow, dirt road, equipped with a tiny gas station. I guess people actually do come to Death Valley for fun, I realised with surprise.
"This isn't on the map." rasped my partner, flattening the map out in his hands.
I looked at it over his shoulder and confirmed his statement. But then I noticed what looked like an upside down N in the bottom left-hand corner. I ripped the map from Leo's hands and wiped away the oil smudge which concealed the letter.
Beneath it was an upside down compass rose. Very slowly and deliberately I turned the map around so that was the bottom was now the top, stating softly "We were supposed to head south, the map was upside down. Gods, how could I be so stupid." I cried, petulantly stamping the ground.
"Shit, shit, shit." He cursed, scuffing the ground with renewed vigour and anger, as we shuffled towards the gas station.
"Well, we can't go back now." I replied, scowling. "And we lost the damn tournament that's for sure."
"Sorry." He muttered through chapped lips.
"It's not your fault." I sighed back "Come on, let's get some food and water in that delightful gas station store over there."
We sprinted to the door with renewed vigour, bursting into the air conditioned room with relief. We instantly fell upon the fridge which held hundreds of small water bottles. Never has luke-warm water tasted so good.
"Well" I said, cracking a rare smile "look on the bright side, at least we won't be attacked by any ravenous monsters, right?"
"Hopefully, unless there's some cannibalistic desert monster planning to swoop down and kill us." he said with his trade-mark grin.
"Oh what a clever kiddie." Rasped a voice from behind us. "Ma said you would be here."
"You just had to tempt the fates didn't you Leonardo Valdez?" I sighed, spinning around, and jumping into battle position, my sword at the ready.
"Torque?" gulped Leo, staring at the huge, ugly, one-eyed monster standing before us.
"You know this ugly bastard?" I snapped, shifting uneasily on the balls of my feet.
"I kinda killed him." He shrugged back. "And if you think he's ugly, wait until you meet his mother."
"I think I'll pass." I shouted as I dodged one of the Cyclops' giant fists, landing in a rack of 'Death Valley' post cards.
I jumped quickly back to my feet, sheathing my sword and pulling out my catapult. I shot round after round at the one-eyed monster as Leo attempted to toast him with his fire. Unfortunately, Cyclops are immune to fire, my shots were too small to damage him and to attack him at a closer range was far too dangerous.
The same restriction, however, plainly did not apply to Torque as he lunged towards me, his fist clipping my shoulder, sending me rolling to the dusty tiles, my shoulder smashing into the floor. I heard Leo shout at me to get out of the way, but I was too slow to avoid the huge fist that smashed into my thick skull, leaving me on the ground, unconscious and helpless.
My apologies, that was reeeeally short, but whatever. I have a lot of studying to do…which I suppose I should do some more of…