“Just tell him that you like him, it’s not that big of a deal!” Luna said.

“For the last time, Luna, no.” Luna has been nagging at me about this for most of the day, and just won’t stop. Flint and Riley walked behind us, and I could occasionally hear whispers from Flint. They seemed to be having a similar conversation. We’re lucky that we can do it mentally.

"Why are you so against the idea?" Luna pressed.

“Please, I don’t wish to be distracted from what we need to do, a relationship is the last thing we need. Maybe when everything’s done.”

“Fine,” Luna subsided, “but you have to do it, okay?”

“Okay.” She finally shut up.

“According to the map, we’re near the end of these mountains. Our next place to go through is a low-lying plains area, which should be easy enough to travel through.” Flint spoke up from behind me, and I slowed down to look at the map.

“Hopefully without shards of metal to annoy us,” I agreed. “It’s been a while since we last had some proper ground to walk on.”

“Well, too bad. After the plains – which is a short distance – we have a desert to travel through. You and Luna will be at high risk.” I slumped. I expected it but didn’t want to ever face that.

“How long do we have to be there again?”

“It’s not that far. Given that we passed the echoing mountains in three days, the desert will take around one. Do you need to gather excess water?”

“Have you seen me gather water at all? My necklace has enough stored in it to last for hundreds of days. The main thing I’m worried about is heat exhaustion, but I’ll prepare for it to the best of my ability.”

“You know about the name and description of it, right? The singing sands.”

“Yes.” The map had described it in relative detail to us, and I’ve heard some descriptions in the books that I’ve read. “The true danger lies in the enchantment in the sand. When the wind blows through the dunes, it carries an enchanting melody. The haunting song makes travelers see illusions, play tricks on their senses and lead them astray. This effect strengthens when people are tired” I prattled on from memory. I haven’t thought of a good way to deal with it, only to cover our ears.

"Indeed. The singing sands pose a unique challenge. We may be able to fight off the sound." I nodded.

"It's important to maintain focus and not fall to the supposed allure of the song. We need to maintain our strength and travel through the desert as fast as possible."

As we descended from the mountains, the landscape gradually transformed into a vast expanse of low-lying plains. The air felt lighter, and the ground beneath our feet was no longer treacherous and uneven. In fact, the main surprise was the green grass and plants that covered the entire place, an unexpected location in the middle of Steel. A sense of relief washed over us as we stepped onto the open terrain. The journey through the mountains was not to my taste, though the Hunter was certainly very interesting.

The plains stretched out before us, seemingly endless. The grass swayed gently in the breeze, rustling against itself. The absence of obstacles and the ease of travel gave us a reprieve.

Flint looked at the map once more, tracing his finger along the route we had yet to travel. "According to this, the plains should be relatively safe and straightforward to traverse," he remarked.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

I nodded in agreement. "It's a welcome change," I replied. "No shards of metal or perilous cliffs to navigate. Just open land."

As we ventured further into the plains, enjoying the tranquility and the absence of imminent danger, we couldn't help but encounter a few hiccups along the way. It seemed that even in the most peaceful of environments, trouble had a way of finding us.

At one point, Luna spotted a particularly enticing patch of wildflowers off to the side. Unable to resist their vibrant colors and sweet fragrance (and the possibility of strawberry bushes), she darted off the path and into the blossoms, disappearing from sight.

Flint and I exchanged glances. From various events that happened before, we knew that she would probably fall down a rabbit hole or something. I heard a squeal, more likely from a smaller animal than her. “Willow, help! It’s drowning me!”

With an exasperated sigh, I ventured into the patch of flowers, determined to retrieve our companion. As I pushed through the thickets, I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the coyote thrashing around, pinned by a particularly fat rabbit. It was extremely plump, so plump to the point that it was larger than Luna and could pin her to the ground to prevent her from escaping. By the time that Flint came stumbling over, her words had ceased sounding in my head, and devolved to a cacophony of auditory screeching, barking, and yelping.

The sight of Luna, struggling to escape, and the rabbit sitting on top of her with a bored expression caused both of us to laugh at Luna’s predicament.

"Hey, it's not funny!" Luna protested. "I was just trying to have a little fun, and that rabbit came out of nowhere!"

“You have to admit, it is funny. A coyote being trapped, and by her prey, no less.”

Luna huffed. "Well, I hope you’re enjoying the show," she grumbled. "Next time, I'll make sure to bring back an even bigger surprise."

Eventually, the rabbit leapt off Luna scampered off with a speed befitting its size. We caught it and ate it, Luna getting a large share for her “contributions”. We all ate well that night.

Our camp was nestled in a spot next to a small brook. The brook meandered through the landscape, its crystal-clear waters reflecting the last rays of sunlight and casting dancing patterns on the nearby rocks.

The campsite was adorned with a few trees. Towering above us, they swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves rustling and creating a pleasant symphony of whispers. The dappling sunlight filtered through the foliage, casting patches of warm, golden light on the ground.

Surrounding the campsite, the grassy terrain stretched out. Wildflowers dotted the landscape, adding vibrant splashes of color to the green expanse. The sweet fragrance of nature permeated the air, creating an atmosphere of tranquility and serenity. This place was so calm and beautiful compared to many other places we’ve been to. I had a night of good sleep.

The next morning, we packed up our campsite and prepared to continue our journey. After a quick meal, we set off towards the edge of the plains, where the vast desert awaited us.

As we approached the border between the plains and the desert, the temperature began to rise steadily. The once cool breeze turned into a scorching gust, carrying with it the first hints of the arid environment that lay ahead.

We sat down somewhere, discussing what to do.

“How about this, Luna and Riley stay behind somewhere on these plains for one or two days, while we get past these deserts. Then we summon them two and continue.”

“I think that’s a good plan, and Riley does too.” After a few moments of consideration, Luna and Riley decided that they liked my plan. I relayed Luna’s message to Flint. He agreed as well, and with a small goodbye, they headed off, back towards where we came from.

Flint and I stood up and continued our walk.

As we reached the edge of the plains, the landscape transformed abruptly. The lush greenery gave way to barren, sandy terrain as far as the eye could see. The dunes rose and fell like waves, their golden hues shimmering in the sunlight. A faint whispering song had already started sounding at the edges of my hearing.

Taking a deep breath, we stepped onto the edge of the desert. The air felt dry and heavy, and the heat intensified with each passing moment. Our footsteps left imprints in the sand, quickly erased by the wind. I quickly began to tire. What had not even been half a day of travelling felt to me as if I had been walking for a few days. I couldn’t think clearly, a lulling melody played by the wind trying to force my eyes shut.

“Willow, douse yourself in snow or something. I think you’re getting the heat exhaustion that you told me about.” I snapped out of my daze, just realizing that my skin was starting to redden. I hastily drenched myself in snow, which quickly melted. The water beads that dripped onto the sand evaporated rapidly. My necklace spewed out another few puffs of snow. I fumbled with my pack, pulling out a froscherry to chew on.

We continued this trip in a similar manner. Flint was completely fine, probably used to such temperatures in his home. I was definitely not, especially when I almost drowned.