Book 3, Chapter 31 - Dust Bowl Lodge (1/2)

Deserts were the most prevalent terrain in the wastelands, but nothing like the expanse that spread before them now. Those deadly pits stretched out as far as Oddball could see, thousands upon thousands of ugly pockmarks on the planet’s weathered face. It looked like the whole area had been pummeled by comets. The only way to get around were the thin ridges between the pits.

The surface of the pits seemed calm and unassuming, though the sands inside swirled. Its dangerous dragging tide was only felt by the unfortunate souls that fell in. Carelessness was a death sentence out here, for once you were caught it dragged you to the center. There, the monster’s hungry belly waited.

Whether someone weak like Autumn, or strong like Barb, it didn’t matter once the sand had you. Struggling only made you sink in deeper, robbing you of any chance of escape.

“I can’t breathe!”

By the time Cloudhawk saved them, both women were red in the face and fighting for air. The quicksand was fine as dust, and deadly. A single breath was enough to fill up one’s lungs, making Barb’s situation of being buried head first especially dangerous. Every lungful now burned and felt like sandpaper. She could hardly get any air.

Cloudhawk took out a bottle of water and used it to rinse out Barb’s mouth. She hacked and coughed, vomiting up mouthfuls of sand and water. After a few moments she could breathe a little easier.

Both Autumn and Barb were still recovering when Oddball cried out in alarm. Cloudhawk shot his eyes skyward. “Sandstorm!”

Wind whipped across the barren landscape all the time, that was nothing special. This was different. The wind wasn’t dangerous, but the clouds of thick yellow sand it kicked up were. They could see it blotting out the horizon like a tidal wave. It was coming at them with frightening speed.

Cloudhawk didn’t hesitate. “Cover your nose and mouth. Quick!”

The powder sand was incredibly lethal. Once it was over you, breathing became a challenge. For most it ultimately ended in painful suffocation. The three of them somehow had to make their way through a sandstorm now, toward a settlement on the other side of a field of monsters. Their only recourse was to try and keep to the ridges, blind and unable to breathe, until they got to safety.

“Quick, get moving!”

Autumn stumbled ahead, staggering though the sand with great effort. Cloudhawk knew she wouldn’t be able to keep up, so he picked her up and slung her over his shoulders. He then waved for Barb to follow and led them toward the distant camp.

It was only a few moments more before the sandstorm reached them. All of a sudden the world was lost in a mist of yellow and brown, making it almost impossible to tell where one was headed.

Cloudhawk’s demon mask served him well in this environment, keeping out much of the sand. Barb and Autumn had to resort to covering their faces with strips of cloth. Far ahead was the settlement, the only place where they could find succor.

Chirp chirp! Chirp chirp!

The shrill call of a bird could barely be heard over the tempest. The noise got louder until it was a blaring cacophony, as a mass of creatures charged at them. They were without measure, featherless hawk-like creatures with earthy yellow bodies. Amidst the sandstorm they were hard to spot, but they were closing in on Cloudhawk and the others.

Mutant animals. This sandstorm was getting more irritating by the second, one disaster after another!

These meat-eating creatures preferred to travel with sandstorms. All manner of living things got lost in the tempest – humans and larger beasts alike. When they eventually suffocated these vultures swooped in for a free meal.

It went without saying that these blood-thirsty critters also didn’t have the best temperament.

If their dinners didn’t die fast enough for their liking, the birds didn’t mind helping things along. Hundreds of the flesh-eating scavengers would dive at the target, using their sharp beaks and talons to wear them down. They were ravenous, too, and a group of humans was only going to be an appetizer.

However, as the birds would soon find, these appetizers would be hard to swallow.

As they closed in, Cloudhawk pulled out a book that shimmered gold in the uneven light. He threw it high, where it dissolved into sand. As the cloud of golden particles wafted toward the ground, the sand encircled Cloudhawk like a curtain.

The choking cloud of dust was locked out.

The sandstorm vultures started to pummel the curtain, leaving smears of blood. The ravenous things didn’t pause for even a second, throwing themselves toward Cloudhawk with wild abandon dozens of times. Eventually the curtain of sand was coated with a layer of blood flesh.

Luckily he’d recovered some psychic energy in their ride over, otherwise this might have been the end of them.

As Cloudhawk continued to channel his relic, the sandstorm roared by all around them. Step by step they moved ahead, until eventually they made it safely to the settlement. They were surprised to find that it was even smaller than they thought.

Just a camp.

The buildings were set on a relatively even spot of land, the ruins covered in years of grit and sand to create a sort of earthen wall. Only a few structures were still standing, and most of those had obviously been repeatedly fixed up. From the outside they looked like sorry shelters. Only the one in the very center of camp looked in good shape. There were lamps on inside.

The makeshift wall had kilns dug out inside of them, and were burning something that let off a caustic stench. Black smoke rose into the air. It seemed the sandstorm vultures hated the smell, too, and avoided the settlement when they got close.

After several minutes, the cloud of hungry vultures were forced to give up among a chorus of angry cries. The unfortunate souls who lived here seemed like they had a lot to deal with.