Ranger24: The story is nearly a year old and shall be so tomorrow. This is taking longer than I thought and wanted but it's this or the horribly done movie! They practically "raped" Eragon in that peice of shit! So on I go with the story that has taken more than a year to write. Just imagine Eldest.
Chapter 37: The Hadarac Desert.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Several days after escaping from Gilead, the heroes stood at the edge of the massive Hadarac desert. It stretched out for miles in any direction. In the past few day they had gone south hiding constantly from soldiers pursing them with hunting dogs. The had crossed the Ramr river and thus the border of the empire. Now at the edge of the wild lands Naruto gave whistle.
"Damn. That's one big cat box." He muttered.
"Maybe we should just keep going south instead of south east." Ichigo suggested.
"How's the elf?" Naruto asked.
"Same as always." Ichigo replied nodding to the still unconscious elf.
'You guys bitch to much, I like this place! I feel so alive!' Cortana said flying above them.
'Yeah glad you're happy.' Naruto growled.
"Well nothing for it but to get going." Ichigo said and they mounted their steeds.
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"So hot." Naruto groaned wiping the layer of sweat from his forehead.
"What do you expect it's a desert." Ichigo growled.
It was a miserable ride. Sand got in their eye's, hair, clothes, mouths, weapons sheathes, saddle bags, and just about everything else. The Rapidashes mouths hung open, tongues lolling out from thirst.
They stopped at mid day and Naruto drew up water from under the sand. The horses drank more than he expected so he had to drag up more. He and Ichigo then refilled their water bottles. Cortana had landed so they checked the elfs ropes. With a few minor adjustments they were ready for further use. Naruto glanced at Cortana.
'If you need water now's the time to drink.' He said.
Cortana lowered her head and took three long drafts. Naruto then released the spell holding up the water and he gave a sigh of relief as his strength returned. They rode off then and continued until it grew dark. The blistering heat was replaced by an icy chill. Naruto and Ichigo gathered around there small campfire and Cortana landed with them.
"How far do you think we got?" Naruto asked Ichigo.
"I don't know!" Ichigo snapped.
He had a slight sun burn and the troubles of the day had put him in a fowl mood.
"All that matter's is getting out of this blasted desert!" Ichigo said kicking a sand drift. The sand however flew into the fire and extinguished it. Naruto and Ichigo stared at the smoldering embers.
"Nice job." Naruto said sarcastically.
"Oh shut up." Ichigo growled trying to restart the fire.
'My god are you guys grouchy. I haven't felt this great in months. It's like I was born for the desert. For a Dragon it's a paradise. I could spend months sailing amongst the few clouds and never remember the time. I could spend days hunting camouflaged prey and the warmth.' She gave a mental sigh of pleasure.
'Cold doesn't bug me but this heat makes me feel great. I could spend weeks flying over this desert.' She finished.
'Good for you but not all of us have wings so flying is resigned to you and our still out cold companion.' Naruto growled.
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The next day was just as bad as the first, windy, hot, and irritable.
Suddenly Naruto thought he saw palm trees and plants ahead of them.
"An oasis!" Naruto shouted and he and Ichigo leapt off the rapidashes and ran towards the blue waters! They dove in a swam leisurely about in the water. That is until Cortana landed "On" the water.
'What the hell are you two doing?' She asked.
"We're swimming what does it look like?" Naruto replied happily.
'Swimming in sand?' Cortana said raising a blue eye lid.
Naruto and Ichigo came to a stop and realized they had been swimming on sand and were now covered in blisters, dust, and scratches. Ichigo scowled.
"Frakking sand." He growled.
Much later they passed over a hill and came upon a large dig site filled with men working.
"What the hell is this?" Naruto asked.
He took a step forward and fell through a small hole and down into a stone chamber. Standing there was a man in white robes holding a long staff.
"What the hell?" Naruto shouted.
The man glanced over his shoulder.
"Yeah I think you wandered into the wrong story man. This is raider's of the lost ark." He said.
"Oh sorry." Naruto said climbing out of the hole with his power.
"No problem." The man replied.
Naruto and Ichigo were to exhausted at the end of day two to even bother speaking that night. When day three dawned Naruto was just as grumpy as ever when he saw in the distance massive purple columns stretching up into the clouds. He growled in annoyance believeing it to be another mirage.
Two minutes later however he noticed the purple things still there. He was about to point this out to Cortana then he realized to his shock what he was looking at. No mountain could get that big!
Grinning he poked Ichigo in the shoulder.
"What?" Ichigo growled glancing up before going slack jawed.
"That's impossible." He whispered.
It was though. They were approaching the edge of the desert and the start of the Beor mountains! They were more than twice the size of the spines mountains! Naruto and Ichigo practically danced for joy at the sight of the massive mountains. They spurred on the rapidashes and rode on through the day excitement building as they approached the edge of the desert.
Still the immense size of the mountains betrayed their distance. It wasn't until that afternoon that the hooves of the horses meet soft turf and grass instead of sand and dust. Now they could see sparse trees and the snow capped peaks of the mountains. Naruto and Ichigo nearly broke into tears that night as they reached the first tree. They had escaped the Hadarac desert.
Ranger24: Oh boy I'm nearly seventy five percent through this story! Next chapter I should be there! Next chapter, A path revealed. Read and review!