Chapter 61: Red moon.
The destination turned out to be in a middle of a desert. Not the desert Lee was familiar with – there were no yellow sand dunes and no scorching sun. This one was a never ending field of gray nothingness.
When the wagon stopped, before getting out, Lee looked around, but as far as he could see there was not even a cliff in sight. The depressing gray-colored flat ground stretched in the distance in all directions, and the only thing that disturbed the scene was three to four feet tall stone wall.
It clearly wasn't meant to prevent the young captives from escaping, but its existence also didn't make sense because it didn't encompass a particular territory, but went in a straight line from one side of the horizon to the other.
"Yes!"
"Thank you!"
"Finally!"
Lee's attention was drawn by the sudden cheers. The children who got off the wagon first were currently receiving some kind of bags that looked like waterskins. They were given out by two locals who had their bold heads and faces partially covered in bright scales.
If the kids saw them right after the arrival, everyone would be terrified, but the long awaited opportunity to finally have a drink trumped everything. Only now Lee realized that the last drop of water he had was back in the farm in Sunwell's outskirts, and suddenly felt dried up.
After jumping off the wagon, he also got one such bag.
Judging from the weight it felt like it could hold a bit more than a gallon of water, maybe one and a half. And it had a strap that allowed it to be carried on a shoulder. He was about to open it and drink, when the kids who sampled the contents one after another began to collectively vomit.
The two local men, snickered at the view, but didn't seem to be surprised. One of them said something to the children, but obviously no one could understand a thing. His voice was kind, though, and so was the expression.