After the first few hours passed, I started to get nervous. There really was almost nothing out here. Dunes upon dunes stretched for miles, with no apparent end in sight. Heat waves arranged the terrain in wavering zigzags—something I’d only ever thought happened in movies. Occasionally, I’d catch the stray insect or reptile here or there, but they’d quickly burrow into the sand, never to be seen again. Once or twice, our gigashank stopped for something he saw in the sand, but he never managed to snag anything from its depths. I felt a tinge of pity for the dude.

Seeing what Ichi Island was made of—or rather, not made of—had me wondering how in the hell we were meant to survive out here. Forget making money or developing a trade. I’d be more concerned about finding food or water. I remembered hearing about oases and rivers being the source of life in a desert. Probably saw it on TV on some late-night documentary about Africa. I was half-expecting to see catgirls walking by with jars atop their heads, filled to the brim with water. That hadn’t happened yet.

Instead, the scenery only reminded me of the games I’d played back when I was a kid. Countless wasted hours had passed me by because it just so happened that every developer had the same idea of forcing the player to guess their way through the desert levels. You’d move in one direction and some sand or storm would hit you or bring you somewhere you couldn’t predict. Then the game would teleport you back to the beginning, and you had to try and remember where it was you’d walked the last time. All that progress… lost. This led to an annoying method of trial and error until, through a process of elimination, you finally stumbled upon the right path.

Something told me this would’ve been one of those situations if not for Agni. I could not overstate my gratitude for her.

I wiped at the sweat that’d collected on my forehead, then whipped it away into the sand below me. How much longer would we have to travel until we could take a break? “How are you feeling, Keke?” Something told me I already had the answer, but I decided to ask anyway.

“It’s too hot.” Her reply came in a hushed, throaty response. “Water.”

“Hang on.” I reached for my [Cat Pack] and retrieved the hand-sized water flask from within. “Here you—” Keke snatched it from my hand instantly. “Go?”

I counted three large gulps. Keke held it out at her side to give it back. “Thanks. Here.”

I put the flask back. “Are you feeling okay otherwise?”

“Yeah, just a bit hotter than I’m used to.” She turned her head to look at me. Her face was flushed. A bead of sweat fell from the tip of her bangs and she flashed a weak smile. “I’ll be okay.”

I was starting to feel like her mom. She looked exhausted. “Are you sure? I can tell Agni we need a break.”

“Why’s it so fucking hot?” Ravyn bellowed. “I want off this fucking ride!”

“Hey now, you best keep your focus. We can take a break right soon, promise ya that!” Agni yelled over her shoulder. “That’s [Energy] you’re wastin’, so don’t be doin’ nothing unnecessary, ya hear?”

I could feel the blood vessels in Ravyn’s forehead popping from where I sat.

I turned around to see Lara’s head sinking between Ravyn’s shoulders. “I’m sorry I can’t speak with Fire.”

Ravyn’s head snapped around to look at her. Her eye was twitching.

“W-why don’t we sing a song?” I suggested in hopes of stopping Ravyn from saying something she might regret. Maybe Cannoli could strike up a jaunty tune to raise our spirits.

“That’s a stupid fucking idea,” Ravyn spat.

“Gonna have to agree with ya there, feisty one!” said Agni.

“Feisty one?” I barely caught Ravyn say.

“Like I said, don’t waste no [Energy]! Calm breathin’, steady does it, slow sips of water. Try to talk less!”

“It was a fair suggestion,” Keke mumbled. “You tried.”

I smiled at her. “Thanks. It was worth a shot.” I turned to my left to check on Ceres and Cannoli. They’d been awfully quiet for the majority of the ride, and my protective instincts were kicking in. Both of their skin was so soft and alabaster that I think anyone who saw them would think they’d never seen the sun in their lives. They’d burn to a crisp if it weren’t for the capes. At least Ceres had a lot of stamina. Cannoli, however… “Cannoli, are you doing okay?”

She slowly turned to me, giving me a faint nod. Not a great sign. “Yes.”

“Ceres?”

Ceres squinted, then snapped her eyes back open. She puffed up her chest and looked at me. “Yes, Sir Matt. While it is a struggle, it is… an experience that I am— U-um, sorry, I appear to be having trouble forming co… co…”

“Coherent?” I asked.

She snapped her fingers. “Exactly that. Yes, coherent thoughts. Let us wait until a respite reveals itself.”

I wasn’t sure how helpful a short break would be for someone delirious from the heat.

Agni’s arm shot into the air. “Halt!” With that, every gigashank stopped dead in its tracks. I was impressed with how much control she had over these giant lizards. “Let’s call it early and set up camp. Only another hour until the sun goes down, anyhoo!”

“Thank Saoirse,” Cannoli squeaked.

“Pitch a tent, pitch a tent, squawwwwk! Death is near, squawwwwwk!”

Ravyn ripped Ball Gag from the air with impressive speed. She drew him close to her face, looking him straight in the eye as she whispered, “If you don’t shut the fuck up, I’ll cook you myself.” There was a pause, and then Ball nodded enthusiastically. “That’s a good boy.” She released her grip, and the poor guy flapped at her ear before perching on her shoulder.

Scary.

Agni was clearly in her element. While we were still descending from our lizards, she’d already taken the liberty of pulling out the necessary tools and equipment to assemble the tent. “When ya’ll are ready, could I get a few helpful hands over here?”

“Sure thing!” I called back. I held out my hand to Keke. “Let’s get you cooled off.”

“Please,” Keke whispered.

After I helped her down, I looked toward where Ceres and Cannoli were standing. They’d already dismounted, and Ravyn was quickly approaching. Lara was abandoned several meters behind her.

No matter who I checked, everyone looked the same. Red faces riddled with grains of sand looked at each other, their expressions sour and tired. Ravyn stamped her foot for some reason, but I couldn’t hear why from where I was standing.

A hand touched my shoulder. I turned to see Tristan, who looked no better than the others. “Hey, Matt. How you holding up?”

As hot as it was, I admit that I was confident I could go another hour or two as originally planned. But I wasn’t about to make everyone else suffer through it. “Bad, but could be worse. How about you?”

Tristan nodded. “About the same.”

“T-Tristan,” Destiny said as she gripped his sleeve, “water, please.”

“Hang in there, Destiny.” Tristan turned to put two consoling hands on her arms before he pulled out his flask of water, giving it to her with a tremble in his hand. I hope he doesn’t push himself too much. “Drink slowly, okay? I know you want to guzzle it down, but that’s not good for you.”

Destiny nodded, tears collecting at the edges of her eyes. She did as she was told, though, and took a few sips before handing it back. “Thank you so much.”

Poor thing.

I tapped my shoe against the soft sand, impatience sliding through my veins. Everyone needed a shaded place to rest. Now. “I’m going to go help out Agni. What about you, Tristan?” He took some time to answer. His gaze constantly switched between Destiny and me while he wrung his hands.

“I’ll stand by her,” Keke offered.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

She smiled. “Yes, I’m sure. So, go on.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks. That okay, Tristan?”

He nodded, smiling back. “Yes.” The two of us began to walk side by side, and he waved back. “We’ll get this done in no time!”

Keke and Destiny waved back, walking in the direction where the others were quickly congregating.

By the time Tristan and I arrived, Agni had already gotten two of the supporting poles in the ground. We each waved as we came near. “Heya! Anyone else?” she asked.

We shook our heads, but then another voice came from behind us. “Please, Sir Matt.” Ceres put a hand on my left shoulder. “Allow me to assist.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to rest?” I said with a frown. She seemed to have a tendency to overextend herself when she didn’t need to. But at the same time, I’d feel guilty robbing her of the pride she seemed to get from helping others.

“It is my wish,” she said, splaying her hand across her chest. “Allow me to assist. I am feeling much better already. Please do not worry yourself over me.”

Sorry, that’s asking too much. I’m going to worry. “If you say so.”

“Thank ya kindly!” Agni said with a salute and a wink. She knelt down and grabbed one of the other support beams, turning to hand it outward. “Mind takin’ that one and pinnin’ it down where I put the marker? Should match the same color as this one.”

Ceres stepped ahead of us to retrieve the beam from Agni, observing the yellow speck of paint at the bottom, then situated it across her shoulders. Ceres shuffled to where Agni had colored one of the many web-like arms spread across the sand.

I watched the entire time, entranced by how the muscles in her back flexed. Damn, she has a strong frame.

“Sorry, bad with names,” Agni said with a laugh, snapping me back to reality. “Matt, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. What do you need from me?”

Agni held out another beam. “Same as your girl there.” She tapped at one end, indicating the blue paint. “Don’t matter which way you stick it in.”

Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it.

I smiled. “Thanks.”

It didn’t take half as long as I thought it would. As soon as Agni signaled that the tent was ready, everyone made a mad dash to get inside. The difference was night and day. Even with nothing more than a thick piece of fabric over our heads, I swore it was a twenty-degree difference.

I was amazed at how prepared Agni was. I mean, it made sense. She seemed to have lived out here her whole life, but still. Color me impressed. A tripod stood a few meters away from the tent that held an empty black pot over a fire she’d built from her own supply.

“Considerin’ how ya’ll acted earlier, I take it you ain’t ever had a taste of Ichi Island’s cookin’, ‘ave ya?” Agni asked while she was putting the finishing touches on the campfire.

Cannoli’s spirits had returned. She rushed over, practically sliding on her knees to arrive at Agni’s side. “I would love to taste Ichi Island’s cooking!” She rummaged through her [Cat Pack] for a few seconds, pausing when she’d grabbed hold of something. “Promise you won’t think this is weird?”

Agni blinked. “It can’t be that weird.”

Her eyes darted one direction, then the next. “Okay.” She procured her trusty frying pan from within, holding it out in front of her. “I take this everywhere I go! I can never learn enough about cooking!” There was a pause. Cannoli’s arms fell slightly. “It is weird, huh?”

Agni turned and threw her hand into her own [Cat Pack]. Seconds later, she retrieved another frying pan. “Hey, me too!”

Cannoli’s eyes lit up. “Oh gosh, I’m not the only one! Yay!”

“Ya never know when ya might need it, am I right?”

“Yes! Especially when you’re traveling! It’s a lifesaver!”

“Couldn’t agree more, hahaha! Give me just one right moment, and we’ll learn together, you and I!”

“Should I call Ravyn?” I asked.

“Nah, this won’t take but a second.” She flashed Cannoli a big smile. “Ready to learn somethin’ new from Ichi?”

“Yes! Please!”