Patch of Druid-Chapter 21 – Desert Dawn

The first rays of sunlight spread across the desert landscape, painting the sky in shades of gold and orange. The day's warmth slowly began to push away the night's chill, and a gentle breeze lifted fine grains of sand into the air.

In the shade of one of the stone buildings, on a makeshift bed of clothes and thin bedding, two travelers stirred to life.

Lyra was the first to open her eyes, feeling the familiar warmth right next to her. Her body was nestled against Alex's, his arm resting across her back. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized how close they were.

Moments later, Alex woke as well. They looked at each other, their eyes meeting for the briefest second before quickly turning away, suddenly interested in the textures of the stone walls. Embarrassment colored both their faces, though neither spoke a word.

Lyra broke the awkward silence first.

"We should eat something." Her voice was steady, though it trembled slightly.

They pulled supplies from the backpack and ate a modest breakfast: dried meat of unknown origin found among the slavers' belongings, and a few twisted, sweet fruits. Their flesh was juicy, with a taste that reminded them of honey and citrus — leaving a refreshing note on the tongue.

While they ate, they looked around, searching for any place they could refill their water. But all they found were dry rocks and sandy dunes.

Alex frowned, observing the surface of the stones. The morning light revealed tiny droplets of dew nestled in the crevices. An idea began to form in his mind — a method for gathering water in the future.

"Ready to go?" Lyra asked as she packed up the rest of their gear.

"One more moment," Alex replied, stepping toward the stone runes to examine them more closely.

As he approached one of the boulders, he heard a hiss. He froze, his gaze dropping down.

Just inches from his foot lay a viper. Its slender body was nearly invisible against the sand, and its eyes glinted menacingly in the morning sun.

Alex went still, his muscles tensing instinctively. Slowly, carefully, he began to back away, trying not to make any sudden movements. But before he could take a step, the snake struck.

It darted forward, its sharp fangs aimed at his leg.

He had no time to react — when suddenly, a dagger whistled past his leg. The blade pierced the snake's head with deadly precision, pinning it in place.

Lyra was already at his side, her eyes blazing with tension.

"Are you okay?!" she asked sharply, full of concern. "Did it bite you?"

Still stunned, Alex looked at the dead snake and only then realized how fast his heart was pounding.

"No..." he finally muttered. "Thank you."

Without thinking, he pulled Lyra into a hug, grateful for her quick reaction.

She remained in his arms for a moment before quickly pulling back. Her expression hardened.

"You need to be more careful. It's not just humans and demons that are dangerous out here," she warned.

Alex frowned.

"Why just humans? Isn't your race guilty too? Don't elves take slaves?"

"No. Neither we nor the other races do," she said firmly. There was anger in her voice. "Only humans. To them, everything is a commodity. Even life."

"You mean they can't be trusted? All of them?"

She looked at him carefully, then exhaled through her nose.

"Some are different." Her voice softened, though it still carried an edge. "But most... most still see the world as something to conquer. They don't understand balance. They know nothing but force."

She knelt beside the dead viper and swiftly severed its head. Then, as if it were nothing, she stuffed the rest of the body into her backpack.

"Let's go," she said.

Still slightly shaken, Alex glanced at the massive boulder etched with a rune.

"Wait just a moment," he said.

He tore a strip from the sleeve of his tunic and dipped his finger into the snake's blood. With the greatest precision his nerves would allow, he began to replicate the rune's symbol onto the fabric.

When he finished, he lifted the bloody cloth and examined his work.

"Done."

They were just about to leave when an impulse made Alex reach out and touch the rune on the stone.

The moment his hand rested on the cold rock, something changed.

He felt a slight tingling, as if invisible energy had begun to flow through his body. For a brief moment, it was like standing in the eye of a storm, the air charged with electricity. The rune under his fingers trembled slightly, and then the symbol he had drawn on the cloth flared with a faint, pale blue light.

It was like a momentary connection — as if the stone had recognized his symbol as part of itself — but then everything returned to normal.

Lyra stood frozen, staring at him with wide eyes.

"You're incredible..." she whispered, her voice full of awe and disbelief. "It's only the second day since we escaped, and you keep surprising me."

Alex looked at her, a shiver running down his back. He didn't understand what had just happened, but he felt power stir within the drawn rune.

Lyra shook her head, as if trying to clear her thoughts.

"But seriously... we have to go."

There was no time for experiments. The endless desert still stretched before them, and more challenges waited beyond the horizon.

And so, without another word, they set off toward their next stop, marching under the scorching desert sun.

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