Hopeless Venture

"Where could we possibly be going?" Us managed to rasp, dragging himself over a fallen log. 

The Bellji didn't stop for a second, pushing deeper into the undergrowth. With a growl, Us raced after it. "I just want to find that stupid- ah!" Us yelped and let out a hiss of pain as she felt a thorn dig into one of his fins.

"Good grief," she mumbled.

She continued slowly, lifting her feet high with each step. How long had she been walking? It felt like a lifetime, trapped beneath the endless sky of green. Her legs had already begun to throb. The humidity of the air clung unpleasantly to his fur and churned in her throat. He swallowed, gritting his teeth.

By the mercy of Aysu, the rainforest began to thin out. The Bellji hovered expectantly a few yards ahead. Us stared at the Bellji, panting heavily. Although his thoughts were racing, he said nothing. Would it be of any use?

With a shake of her head, Us glanced around. The rainforest had quickly given way to nothing but dry, shriveled-up shrubs. All that remained was an infinite expense of desert, glistening beneath the ruthless sun.

The sun... Us' snout wrinkled. If only it had been night. The gentle placidity of the moon was far more pleasant, and the coarse heat stung at his paw pads.

With a soft growl, he continued after the Bellji. After only a few yards, it stopped. With a heavy huff, Us fell back onto her haunches. Out of the corner of her eye, something glistened. "Hmm?" Us glanced down to see a line of small stones, glittering in the harsh sunlight.

The line of stones was slightly crooked, and Us was unable to tell whether the placement was intentional, or simply sloppy. He pushed down the urge to nudge them into place, instead turning his gaze to the Bellji above. "Is... this all you've brought me here for?"

Of course, it was silent. Letting out another huff, Us rose to her paws, taking the moment to survey his surroundings once more. It was simply... desert. Nothing but the dry, harsh ground, and hazy, sandy dunes. A distant spark in the sky-

Wait.

Was the sun not coming from the other direction? Us' shadow stretched long before him. It must be.

Suddenly, A cloud of dust erupted into the sky, sending the earth rumbling. The hills seemed to ebb and flow, cascading violently towards the lone aqualox. Panic overtook her and she froze for a heartbeat before scrambling back. She turned tail, nearly tripping over her own legs in an attempt to get away from the deathly wave.

His legs- too short to run fast enough. He felt dust reaching around his haunches, creeping its way up into his eyes. 'Is this how everything ends-?' No. Us caught herself mid-thought. 'I just need to make it to the treeline-!"

Us' paw slipped on a particularly coarse patch of earth, sending him tumbling with a yelp. A sharp pain coursed through the pad, yet he spared it no glance, instead continuing to run on three paws.

The shrubs began to return, more and more green clinging to their branches. Us flung himself behind the nearest tree, shuddering as the sandstorm cascaded around him, flattening bushes and knocking over the weaker-rooted trees. Slowly, the dust began to settle.

With a shaky breath, Us lifted her injured paw to her face. Blood trickled down the reddish sores, seeping into his fur. He could feel more trickling down his shoulder. Tears stung at her eyes, but not out of pain.

"Why the hell..." Us choked on his own words as he found himself sobbing violently, sides heaving uncontrollably. "Can I not..." 'Why did I come here? This is all so...' Us' thoughts became tangled, looping in on themselves over and over again.

Us could barely breathe, every attempt blocked by another shuddering sob. She tried to gasp, sending herself into a violent fit of coughing that left the ground beneath him covered in her own spit, clotted with brown dust.

He should never have come on this journey, leaving everything behind, and for what? To get killed, buried beneath the sand, eternally forgotten? He missed being home. Yet he had none to turn to anymore. This eternal quest for fulfillment had only left her broken- far too broken to be repaired.

This had all been pointless.

Us had become very quiet, tears slowing to a stop. Only then did he realize how dizzy he felt. Vaguely he wondered if the cuts to his shoulder would scar, before letting himself slip into dark, cool, consciouslessness.