Faerûn: Lord of the Eternal Sun

Chapter 15 Adventure, The Hyena's Stalking

"Ian, you don't need to come tomorrow. Go to the slaughterhouse and help your father slaughter sheep."

"The blacksmith shop will be closed for the next few days. I have to go out and take care of some things. I'll let you know when I get back."

As dusk fell, in the blacksmith's shop, Isaac took out five silver coins and handed them to his apprentice; this was his wages and bonus for the week.

Ian was a little embarrassed to accept his salary, as his blacksmithing mentor had been diligently guiding him in forging and combat skills these past few days.

"Take it if I give it to you!" Isaac forced the silver coin into his hand.

"Big Uncle, can I go with you tomorrow?"

Ian still wants to try.

"Let's wait a couple of years. Once your combat skills are a bit better, I'll take you out for a real adventure."

Isaac gently shook his head in refusal. He didn't mean taking his apprentice to find a prostitute to relax with, but rather using blood and battle to temper his will and build a strong heart.

The apprentice left, extinguishing the furnace and sweeping away the iron filings from the shop floor before he did.

And you know what? Since he arrived, the shop has become noticeably cleaner. In his spare time, he would use an oiled coarse cloth to wipe and maintain the weapons and shields in the shop.

After a peaceful night and a good rest, Isaac arrived at the Vulture Tavern just as dawn was breaking.

I made an appointment with the Sandblade Adventurer Group yesterday to meet at Old Neil's tavern and set off together.

Isaac carried weapons and a shield, and wore a simple linen robe over a hard leather armor made from the thick hide of a desert monitor lizard's back.

With large and small bags hanging on his back, he was well-prepared as an experienced adventurer.

Adventure supplies include enough fresh water to last for several days, stored in several large water bags.

The items included strong liquor for disinfection, highly filling dried mutton and wheat cakes, a ten-meter-long bundle of hemp rope, a dagger, candles and flint, a sleeping bag, a windproof cloak, hemostatic drugs, and antidotes, among others.

With weapons and shields, the total weight exceeded one hundred pounds, but fortunately, he could borrow a camel from Old Neil, so he didn't have to carry it himself.

In the backyard, the package is hung on the camel's back. Before setting off, the camel is fed a lot of coarse salt so that it can store enough water in its body.

Not long after, the Sandblade Adventurer Group and two other lone Sandwalkers arrived and greeted each other.

The two sandwalkers stared wide-eyed at Isaac, feeling that this adventure would be much easier, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Isaac, however, was not so optimistic. The dangers in the desert were not only the various monsters, but also the sand traps that were everywhere and the harsh weather, each of which was deadly enough.

These are not so much related to combat ability, but rather rely more on survival experience.

"Hey buddy, how much commission did Anton Tans give you?"

A young, solitary deserter approached and whispered his inquiry.

"Just like you."

Isaac glanced at him, surprised that he was so ill-mannered, and the young sandwalker wisely walked away.

Anton Tans clapped his hands in the courtyard to gather everyone to set off. The group consisted of seven people, each leading a camel.

During their conversations along the way, Isaac learned that this makeshift team not only included the most common warrior class, but also a druid, a sand patroller, and a wanderer.

Female druids belong to the Earth Society, specializing in spellcasting in desert terrain. They can also transform into Death Dogs, two-headed hounds with exceptional tracking abilities.

Her animal companion is a desert monitor lizard that is nearly three meters long, with its tail accounting for one-third of its length. It is clearly not yet an adult and follows behind her obediently.

A fully grown desert monitor lizard can weigh six or seven hundred pounds and be five or six meters long, almost as big as a saltwater crocodile.

The Desert Ranger is a variant of the Forest Ranger, also known as the Desert Wanderer. His weapons are a bow and arrow and a light scimitar. He has no contracted animal companions, his ears are somewhat pointed, and he may have some half-elf blood in his veins.

The wanderer was the young sandwalker who had just come to question them, with two daggers tucked at his waist.

Five men, two women, and a monitor lizard left the city. Captain Antontans determined the direction and led the way on a camel.

-----------------

Time flew by and it was already afternoon. The scorching sun baked the yellow sandy land, and the hottest time of day was no longer suitable for traveling.

Led by Anton Tans, the adventure team found a desert and rested in the shade of the rocks.

The sandwalkers drank the clear water in large gulps; after leaving Shahramun, the clear water became their most precious resource.

Because there is a flowing underground river beneath the desert city-state, groundwater can seep out by digging a well only six or seven meters deep, so there is no shortage of water resources.

In desert adventures, dehydration and heatstroke are the most common causes of death, followed by various monsters lurking in the sand.

As for sandstorms and sand traps, camels will tell you the answer: when it comes to seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster and finding water, wild animals have a better instinct than humans.

Desert adventure is a battle against nature; no one can win forever, and losing once can cost you your life.

Unlike the other team members who were drenched in sweat, Isaac sipped water and didn't feel particularly hot despite being exposed to the sun for several hours.

Unlike previous adventures, this one felt like a vacation.

His relaxed demeanor also attracted the attention of others, but no one asked any questions, assuming that this was his ability.

"Captain, how much longer until we reach our destination?"

The one asking the question was a young wanderer who had been traveling for five or six hours since leaving the city, and probably had covered about forty miles.

Anton Tans, munching on a sambal, replied, "Three days and two nights, I think. If all goes well, we should arrive at our destination the day after tomorrow."

Isaac was also eating to replenish his strength. The raw material for the sambal cakes was sambal, a drought-resistant crop with extensive root systems that could penetrate seven or eight meters deep into the ground to draw water. The texture was very rough, and its only advantage was that it was cheap.

The group rested in the Gobi Desert for more than two hours before setting off again after the hottest period of the year had passed, and continued their journey until nightfall.

The desert night was filled with starlight, and the temperature dropped noticeably, quickly falling to the teens.

After reaching a suitable clearing at the foot of the hill, Antontans immediately called a halt to the group, preparing to set up camp and rest, and continue their journey at daybreak.

The temperature can drop to around zero degrees Celsius in the middle of the night, and the huge temperature difference will make it difficult for adventurers to adapt.

Although Isaac didn't feel cold, he followed the others and put on a windproof cloak to prevent his body temperature from dropping too quickly.

The day wasn't just about riding camels; sometimes the sandwalkers would dismount and walk to let the camels rest, so they were already exhausted.

After Antontans arranged for people to take turns keeping watch, the rest of the men crawled into their sleeping bags and fell fast asleep.

Isaac wasn't very sleepy, so he told the watchmen to go and rest while he sat in the open space gazing at the stars.

I didn't get to sleep until midnight, when I was exhausted. After handing over to my teammates, I crawled into my sleeping bag to rest, but I didn't fall into a deep sleep and remained vigilant.

Weapons were kept at hand so that they could quickly enter combat mode should an accident occur.

……

The next morning, as soon as the sun rose, the group continued their journey. Along the way, they discovered several resilient sand coconut trees laden with abundant coconuts.

This is a miracle of life. Adhering to the principle of not wasting anything, the wanderer nimbly climbed the coconut tree, picked a few coconuts as supplies, and then continued on his way.

Of course, not all of them were picked. The supply is still sufficient. Leaving some sand coconuts for later arrivals might just save someone's life.

The coconut juice was incredibly sweet, and the group munched on coconut meat as they continued their journey.

A desert hyena stood on a sand dune, its tongue lolling out, silently watching the people hurrying along, before turning and running away.

This scene caught the attention of several people. Antontans sensed something was amiss and quickly gestured:

"Hurry up, or trouble will come knocking on our door."