Chapter 349: Initiation into a Healer (4) (1/2)

It was a sprawling desert, with the skeletal frames of animals peaking in the sands along the way. Some were fresh, with traces of blood and flesh as they were gnawed by vultures while others were mostly dull and brittle, eroded by exposure to the differing weather during day and night, breaking under the hooves of the horses that traversed past.

At the lead was the leader of the Meka Clan, riding his horse with an indomitable posture. Following half-a-pace behind, on his right was the Guru and Shishya. The remainder followed in files of three, making a lengthy passage.

The Guru adjusted her posture, struggling to keep pace with the others, displaying her lack of skill in riding the horse. She still maintained enough stability to not embarrass herself, controlling her horse. Seated behind her, the Shishya was finding it hard to remain seated, her body failing to be in sync with the horse's movements.

The leader noticed their struggle, slowing his horse as he aligned with them, making a light bow toward the Guru, ”Is the horse not to your liking? We'll change it to the one you desire.”

”No, we are fine,” The Guru freed her right hand for a second, waving to show she was okay, ”I have always travelled on foot, and have seldom ridden a horse. So, I can't control it as well as your warriors at such speeds.”

The leader shouted towards the others, ”We'll be slowing down a little.”

”Thank you,” The Guru nodded, finding it easy to control her horse at their current pace. Seeing that she was fine, the leader moved his horse to the front, taking the lead once again. They swiftly travelled through the desert, scaling past dunes of various sizes.

When a fierce wind blew, they would take shelter behind a large dune, resting their horse while waiting for the winds to die down. While they were marching as such, the leader raised his hand, bellowing, ”Stop!”

Everyone immediately halted, looking at the leader with gazes of concern. The leader gazed afar, noticing a dust cloud moving about, dismounting his horse as he placed his ear on the sand, listening to something. He then turned around, looking at a Clansman as he made a couple of hand motions.

The Clansmen immediately took off with his horse, sprinting forward, disappearing into the dust cloud after a couple of breaths had passed. He returned after a while, his face pale, covered by red clay, his turban missing.

His body was fully covered by sand, the eyes of his horse red, bordering on the verge of insanity. It weakly arrived, stopping before the leader as it panted. The Clansman said without pause, ”Sand-Weaving Scorpions are moving within the dust cloud, numbering more than 30.”

”More than 30?” The leader was stunned into silence, his face turning pale. He then gazed at his Clansmen, noticing the fear lingering in them. He sighed, motioning for everyone to rest.

The Guru moved closer to the leader, whispering, ”This is a sign of disaster. You would have to alert the other Clans too. Otherwise, the Sand-Weaving Scorpions would annihilate every Clan one by one.”

”Please stay with our Clan for the time being. Your presence will reassure us.” The leader bowed in gratitude.

”I can't stay for more than 2 days. I'm on a mission myself.” The Guru replied.

”Thank you,” The leader bowed even lower, his action bringing a smile to the faces of the Clansmen, reassured knowing the Guru would help them.

When the dust cloud passed by, the leader signalled as they resumed their travel, sprinting forth at the maximum speeds their horses could on the sand. They didn't wish to be spotted by the Sand-Weaving Scorpions and show them the way to their Clan.

The Sand-Weaving Scorpion was a beast, similar to the Fire-Tailed Snail. Individually, they were weaker than the Fire-Tailed Snail, as they were often preyed on by it. But they became stronger through numbers, able to use their strengths collectively.

In a group, they can manipulate the sands, creating a massive dust cloud that would give them a significant advantage in their hunts. The greater their number, the stronger the dust cloud they raised. This was why the Meka Clansmen were pale with fright upon spotting such a massive horde of them.

”We are here,” The leader sighed in relief, noticing the presence of rocks strewn across the sand, growing in numbers. Soon, they approached an area filled with rocks, noticing a wall of rock, spanning the height of a grown man before them. It was the Meka Clan.

A tower, twice the height of a grown man stood behind the wall, upon which stood two warriors, keeping watch. Seeing the leader's arrival, they motioned for the people below to allow entry.

With a rumbling sound, a small section of the wall moved inside. The section was wide enough to allow a horse to pass through. After moving for a distance, it stopped moving, showcasing a gap on its two sides, wide enough for a horse to pass through either of them.

The Guru looked around, noticing a flat piece of rock a fair distance away, dismounting the horse. The Shishya followed her as the two headed towards the rock, sitting on it to rest their aching backs.

Seeing their actions, the leader could only smile wryly, ”The Divya Vaidya stays true to his word.”