Roderick
The hot sun beat mercilessly upon the band of adventurers as they rode up the barren wash toward the sun-baked plains beyond. Nearly a week had passed since they had left the last town on the edge of the desert wastes, and Roderick’s friends were beginning to grow restless.
“Gods above,” Andrej murmured, “what I wouldn’t give for a jug of good Kevonan wine right now!”
“Forget the wine,” said Jura. “Where are we supposed to find water in this waste? And what about grazing for our horses?”
“The next oasis is less than a day’s journey ahead of us,” said Roderick, though he knew that grazing was going to be a problem. Perhaps they should have traded their horses for camels at the last town.
“To hell with this!” said Andrej. “Rod, this quest is a fool’s errand. We’ll die of thirst in this wilderness before we find this treasure you seek.”
“Or on the way back,” Jura concurred.
Roderick gritted his teeth. He had known that his friends had been growing increasingly disillusioned with their journey, but he had hoped that their loyalty to him would have outweighed their doubts.
“Fine,” he said. “If you both want to turn back now and leave me to die alone in this desert, then go ahead. But I’m not giving up on my quest, even if it means that I walk through the gates of Xulthar alone.”
He spurred his horse forward, leaving Andrej and Jura to exchange looks of resignation before reluctantly following him.
As they rode on, the heat grew more intense, and the parched ground beneath them turned to cracked sand that shifted and cracked beneath the horses’ hooves. By midday, they had reached the oasis that Roderick had spoken of, a small pool of brackish water surrounded by withered palm trees.
They dismounted from their horses and drank deeply from the pool, feeling the cool liquid washing away their fatigue. But as they prepared to continue their journey, a strange sensation began to overcome them.
At first, it was just a feeling of slight dizziness and lethargy. But then it intensified into a full-blown sense of disorientation and confusion. Roderick stumbled and fell to his knees, feeling as if he were being pulled in multiple directions at once.
“What in the name of the gods is happening?” Jura cried, his voice suddenly distant and muffled.
Andrej’s face went slack, his eyes rolling back into his head. “I… I don’t know,” he muttered before collapsing to the ground.
Roderick tried to stand, but his limbs felt like lead weights, and he could barely move his fingers. He looked out into the oasis and saw that the palm trees were swirling around him like a whirlpool, their trunks twisting and bending in impossible ways.
Then everything went black.
When Roderick awoke, he found himself lying on the ground, with the sun beating down on his face. He squinted as he tried to focus his vision, struggling to remember what had happened.
As his memory returned, a chill ran down his spine. Had it all been a hallucination? The oasis, his companions, and the strange sensation that had overcome them?
He stood up unsteadily and looked around, searching for any sign of Andrej and Jura. But they were nowhere to be seen. Roderick called out their names, but his voice was weak and hoarse, barely audible in the scorching desert air.
Feeling a sense of panic rising within him, he started to walk in the direction they had been heading. The sand burned his bare feet, and he struggled to keep his balance as he stumbled forward.
After what felt like hours, Roderick finally spotted a figure in the distance. As he drew closer, he saw that it was Jura, lying motionless on the ground.
Roderick rushed to his side, feeling a surge of relief mixed with fear. He checked for a pulse and found it weak but steady. Jura’s eyes fluttered open, and he groaned as he tried to sit up. “What happened?” he muttered.
Roderick shook his head. “I don’t know. One minute we were at the oasis, and the next… everything went black.”
Jura rubbed his head, wincing at the pain. “Where’s Andrej?”
“I haven’t found him yet,” Roderick said, scanning the horizon. “We have to keep moving. We can’t stay here.”
Jura nodded weakly, and Roderick helped him to his feet. They stumbled forward, searching for any sign of their missing companion.
As they walked, Roderick couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching them. He glanced over his shoulder but saw nothing but endless sand and sky. But the sense of unease persisted , and he knew that they were not alone in this desert.
Roderick and Jura walked through the desert, searching for any sign of their missing companion. They had been walking for hours when they spotted a figure in the distance. As they drew closer, they saw it was Andrej.
He was standing still, staring off into the horizon with a dazed expression on his face. Roderick called out to him, but he didn’t respond.
Roderick and Jura approached him cautiously, worried that something might be wrong. His clothes were covered in dust and sand, and his skin was dry and parched from dehydration.
Roderick gently shook Andrej’s shoulder until he finally stirred to life. His eyes blinked rapidly as if he’d just woken up from a deep sleep. “What happened?” Andrej croaked out in a low voice. “Where are we?”
Roderick shook his head in confusion as he tried to explain what had happened at the oasis. “It must be some sort of witchcraft,” he said. “When we drank the water, that’s when we all blacked out. I don’t know how long we were out for, but when I woke up, you were gone.”
Jura nodded slowly, still trying to piece everything together. “I remember feeling…strange,” he said, his voice trailing off. “Like something was trying to take over my mind.”
“I don’t remember a thing,” Andrej said softly, his voice full of bewilderment and fear. “It’s like my mind went blank.”
Roderick and Jura exchanged worried glances before turning their attention back to Andrej. “Come on, let’s go,” Roderick said. “We have to find the oasis.”
The trio trudged through the sand, their feet growing heavier with each step. They had been walking for hours when they finally spotted a faint shimmer in the distance.
Their spirits lifted as they drew closer and realized that it was the oasis. Their animals were still there, grazing peacefully on the sparse grass and drinking from the muddy water. Everything was just as they had left it, as if nothing had happened at all.
“I’m so thirsty,” Andrej moaned. He knelt down as if to drink again, but Roderick quickly took him by the shoulder and stopped him.
“Wait,” Roderick said, his voice urgent. “We can’t drink from this oasis again. Remember what happened last time?”
Jura nodded in agreement as he scanned their surroundings. “Roderick’s right. We need to find another source of water.”
“But I’m so thirsty,” Andrej protested weakly.
“We all are,” Roderick said, his eyes scanning the horizon. “But we have to find water that we can trust.”
Suddenly, a strange mist started to form around them. It began to swirl and thicken, until a sinister but strikingly beautiful nymph emerged from the water. Her long dark hair cascaded down her naked body, and her eyes glowed with sinister intent.
Roderick, Jura, and Andrej instinctively backed away. She smiled wickedly at them, as if she could sense their fear.
“Welcome, travelers,” she said in a sweet voice. “I am the undine nymph who guards these waters. What brings you to my oasis?”
“We’re just passing through,” Roderick said warily, eyeing the nymph with suspicion. “We’re looking for another source of water.”
“Ah, but why leave so soon?” the nymph purred, taking a step closer to them. “I could offer you so much more than just water.”
Andrej and Jura’s eyes glazed over as they stared at the beautiful water nymph, their mouths slack-jawed and their tongues lolling like dogs. They slowly loosened their grips on their weapons, letting them drop to the ground with a clatter. The two men began walking aimlessly, mumbling in different tongues and laughing to themselves. Once again, they began to wander out into the desert sands.
Roderick’s grip on the sword tightened until it felt like a natural extension of his arm, the hilt biting into his palm. Veins bulged along his wrist and he felt his heart beating so hard he thought it might burst from his chest. The nymph’s magic pulsed in waves around him, whispering promises of power and pleasure into his ears. But Roderick refused to succumb, no matter how much it tempted him. Instead, a bead of sweat formed at his temple as he gritted his teeth and prepared for the fight of his life.
The nymph laughed, and the sound was as dark and as dangerous as storm clouds over the desert. “Oh, brave little warrior,” she crooned, “you think your measly sword can save you from my power?”
Roderick stepped forward, determination etched into every line of his face. “I won’t let you harm my friends,” he growled through gritted teeth.
“Harm you? I was just playing with you. I have no intention of harming you, unless you give me a reason to.” The undine nymph tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly. “But I sense something in you, Roderick. Something…different.”
Roderick tensed, his grip on his sword hilt tightening even more. “What do you mean?”
“Unlike your friends,” she said, gliding over the surface of the water toward the animals, who grazed on unperturbed, “you are a man of honor.” She pulled a strand of hair behind one ear and gave him a sultry smile.
“Release my friends,” Roderick said, his voice dangerously low.
The nymph’s smile widened playfully, and she sat on the edge of the water, her long and slender legs stretched out to one side. “Very well. I promise to release your friends if you will give me one thing in return. One very simple thing.”
Roderick held her gaze, unwilling to show any fear or weakness. “What is it?” he asked at lenght.
The nymph’s lips curved into a delighted smile. “A kiss,” she said, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. “What else?”
“A kiss?” said Roderick, frowning. “What sort of kiss?”
The nymph’s eyes remained locked onto his. “A kiss of passion,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “One that would make me tingle down to my bones.”
She laughed, and the sound was like gurgling of a crystal clear spring to his ears. Even so, he sensed that it would be a terrible mistake to give in to her seductive demands. Many a traveler had been led on to his death by the illusive desert mirages, and he sensed that beneath the water nymph’s playful demeanor lurked a terrible, deadly mischief.
“And if I refuse?” he asked.
The nymph’s sultry smile turned into a scowl. “Then you can go from my waters and die of thirst with your friends in the desert!”
“Whoa,” said Roderick, lowering his sword. “I meant no offense, fair undine.”
Her smile returned, though it was strained. “Don’t push you luck,” she said sulkily. “There is no other water in this desert, but mine.”
“Why must I give you a kiss?” he asked, trying to stall. “If you can control minds, why don’t you simply take it?”
She smirked and arched her back, her breasts perking out between her arms. “Because a kiss is nothing if it is not freely given.”
He sheathed his sword, knowing that it would do no good against her powers, and reached into the money pouch at his belt. “Perhaps we can come to some other arrangment. I can give you coin–“
“The coin of Xulthar?” she all but spat. “You and I both know that it is cursed. That is why you seek the lost city, is it not?”
“It is,” said Roderick, “and I meant no offense. I can offer other coin.”
The nymph idly ran her finger across the water and sighed. “Coin is so… transactional. So impersonal. Not like a kiss.” She wet her lips and eyed him eagerly. “A kiss is always personal, with lips so soft and warm–not at all like the cold, hard metal you carry on your belt.”
“My apologies,” said Roderick, his mind racing. He suspected that if he gave in to the nymph’s request, he would never leave this oasis alive.
His hand went instinctively to the pendant under his shirt, and his breath caught in his throat as he realized that he did have something personally meaningful to offer the fey nymph. It pained him to do so, but it didn’t seem as if he had a choice.
“What about this?” he asked, pulling it out to show her. Inside was a locket that contained a lock of his mother’s hair, and this he quickly removed, knowing that any piece of a person’s body could be used to gain magical influence over them. His mother was yet alive.
The nymph rose to her feet and walked over to examine the pendant. While Roderick held onto the necklace, she took the locket in her fingers and peered at it.
“I would rather have the kiss,” she said sulkily. “But a gift freely given is a gift freely offered. Very well.”
Roderick drew a sharp breath, but let her take it from him. She swayed her hips seductively as she turned and descended back into the pool.
“Wait,” he said, suddenly remembering Andrej and Jura. “What about my friends?”
“Go and find them yourself. And don’t you dare come back here with them. I won’t be so forgiving next time.”
With that, she disappeared back into the water.
Roderick emerged from the oasis, feeling both relieved and unsettled. He had managed to escape the nymph’s clutches without sacrificing anything too precious, but he was also alone in the midst of a vast and unforgiving desert.
He glanced around, searching for any sign of Andrej and Jura, but there was nothing to be seen except for sand dunes stretching out in every direction. Roderick cursed under his breath, feeling a growing sense of panic in his chest. He knew that the desert was a cruel and unforgiving place, where even the most experienced travelers could easily become lost and perish.
huddled under the shade of a rocky outcropping. They looked up as he approached, squinting against the harsh sunlight.
“Roderick!” Andrej exclaimed, relief evident in his voice. “We thought you were gone for good.”
“I almost was,” Roderick replied, his voice rough. He collapsed onto the ground beside them, feeling the heat of the sand seeping into his bones.
“What happened?” Jura asked, concern etched on her face.
Roderick told them about the oasis and the nymph, leaving out the part about his mother’s locket. Fortunately, his friends didn’t seem interested. In fact, they seemed angry with him.
“You were willing to abandon us for a woman?” Andrej spat, his eyes flashing with rage.
“I didn’t abandon you,” Roderick protested. “I was trying to find help. And she wasn’t just any woman, she was a nymph. They have powers beyond our understanding.”
“A nymph?” Jura scoffed. “Don’t tell me you fell for her tricks, Roderick. They’re known to be deceitful creatures, using their beauty to lure men to their deaths.”
Roderick bristled at her words. “I didn’t fall for anything. She tried to trick me, but I found another way out of there.”
“And left us to die,” Andrej interjected, his voice dry and hoarse. “Where are we going to get water now?”
Roderick clenched his fists, seething with frustration. He had hoped his friends would understand, but clearly, they were too blinded by their anger to see reason.
“We should turn back,” said Jura. “It was a mistake to come out this far.”
Roderick frowned. “Is this it, then? Are you going to abandon me?”
“Only if you don’t come with us,” said Andrej. He climbed wearily up onto his horse, and Jura did the same.
Roderick drew a sharp breath of the hot, dusty air. “Very well,” he said. “If that is how it is to be, then I will continue this quest alone.”
“Your horse will die out there,” Andrej pointed out. “There’s no grass to graze–“
“Then take him. I’ll continue on foot.”
“But Roderick,” said Jura, suddenly concerned. “What about you? Where will you get water?”
Roderick grunted and took his waterskin from off of his saddle. To his surprise, it was nearly bursting with water.
“Hey!” said Andrej, reaching for his own waterskin. “Our skins–they’ve been filled!”
“We’re saved!” said Jura.
In their joy, the two friends poured water over their heads and shirts in reckless abandon. Roderick’s eyes widened, and he hurried forward to stop them.
“What are you doing? That water is precious out here in these wastes!”
“Precious for you, maybe,” Andrej snapped at him. “We’re going back. Keep your own waterskin.”
“Are you sure you’re not coming with us?” Jura asked.
“Nay,” said Roderick, shaking his head. “My destiny lies in the desert.”
“Then farewell, friend,” Jura said sadly. Andrej merely grunted and turned his steed back the way they had come.
Roderick watched them go, their silhouettes becoming smaller and smaller in the distance until they were mere specks on the horizon. He stood there for a long time, staring after them, before finally turning and trudging deeper into the desert wastes.
