Red Sand

The Sun once again set on the wide expanse of the desert. The mountain ranges to the north and west dominated the landscape, and cast massive shadows across the dunes below. Soon, instead of searing heat, all would be freezing cold.

It had been several days since Meridian left the Junction. He lost count, and it didn't matter how long he has been here. All that mattered was that he had enough supplies for a few weeks more, and that he could tell which way was south, as south was the only good direction to go. Rumors circulated through Dodge Junction that there was a great river to the south, and any traveler who made it that far would be rewarded with clean water and safety.

Unfortunately, now was not a time for safety. Wind speed was picking up, and disaster would be spelled for any who weren't prepared. Meridian recalled a line from his guidebook:

"There is little wind in this clime, and when there is, it only appears in massive sandstorms. If even the slightest gust of air occurs, prepare yourself for the worst."

His heart began to race, and he looked for cover immediately. An old brick ruin (perhaps an attempt at settlement) would be his only shelter. He ran to the shelter and ducked behind an eroded wall. Shortly after he did, the storm mustered all of its strength and blew away anything that wasn't securely grounded.

As the wind blew on, he looked to his side and noticed a shape next to him covered in burlap clothing. He couldn't make out any details, but he did recognize the figure of another pony. He would love to introduce himself to the stranger, but nature would not allow it at this time, it was too loud. With no other options, he waited for the storm to pass, protecting his gear. Before eventually falling asleep he noticed something interesting about his neighbor: he (she?) was almost too relaxed for this situation.

'You're an odd fellow,' he thought, 'to be so tolerant of a sandstorm. No pony I know would be this comfortable here...'

It was nearly midnight when the sandstorm settled down. Everything was blanketed in a thin layer of sand by the time it was over. Meridian felt a light prodding on his shoulder. He opened an eye and saw the stranger poking him with a walking stick. He got up and wiped sand off his face. Suddenly, the unknown pony said something odd to him.

"Kamet?" This pony was female, and had an inquisitive tone in her voice.

"Come again?" Meridian must have misheard something.

"Dilos? Arraka?"

He eventually figured out that this pony is trying different greetings in unfamiliar languages.

"Hello?" he replied.

"Oh." She was probably trying the wrong dialects or speech. "The sandstorm has gone away, stranger."

"I noticed that," he observed, "Isn't it a bit late, though? We should probably be asleep."

"Yes. We should try to leave by morning."

"Leave for where?" he worried, "Should we travel together?"

"You can follow me," she requested, " I know the closest town from here."

"Sounds like a good idea to me. Good night, stranger."

Meridian went back to his corner of the wrecked building and tried to go back to sleep.