What a wild week it has been. We are back in Bordertown and I finally have some time to write. It has not been a good week. We started out into the desert six days ago, with our small party joined by Franklin, our guide, and Elijah a fat brute of a man from Wallace. Rainald and Elijah never seemed to get along well, like everything was a competition, but I guess that won’t be a problem anymore. Elijah is another victim of the desert and its creatures.
We travelled at night and the first two days we made a good pace with little to trouble us. Dixon and Elijah we’re using a little more than their daily share of rations, but it was manageable. On the second night we caught glimpse of a camp ahead. Gabriel and I moved forward to investigate, but the camp was deserted, though we now know why. The reptile men in that camp had fallen victim to the same beasts that took Elijah. They are like nothing I have ever see before, and god willing, I hope I don’t encounter them again. And their smell, it’s beyond words. At least I know they can be killed.
Two of these creatures followed us for the next day, always watching at a distance. It reminded me of the way vultures would follow and wait for a wounded animal to succumb to the desert. When we set camp at the end of that days travel, these desert demons as Rainald called them, came closer than they have before. Instinct told me they were done waiting, but before they could react Elijah charged away from the camp at one of them. The stupid fool. It was over in seconds and his body was hauled away. Damn they are fast.
Dixon despite all his schooling, obviously thought Elijah’s rash action was the right thing to do, and he to fled the camp. Dixon, just like Elijah was attacked and dragged off. The creature had some distance to run before it would have any cover so arrow after arrow I loosed at this desert demon. I don’t know if it was luck or just my shear persistence, but the beast dropped from an arrow that struck it in an eye which grew from the its tail. I continued to loose arrows until it was still. Gabriel charged out to check on Dixon, while Rainald helped me take the beast’s head as a trophy. I don’t know what magic spawned them, but when it had died it’s body turned to stone and its eyes to gems. Using whatever magic Brother Mendel possesses, he was able to bring Dixon back to the living.
Dixon has remained unconscious the entire time back to Bordertown, and we have all been plagued by the same nightmare. I think it may be this beast head as it hums constantly and Brother Mendel has divined it to be of some magical nature. I’m going to try sell it.
