"You pathetic heretic," one of the soldiers spat at Ren.
The soldiers led Ren closer to the turrets. The way they nudged him forward caused a wave of nostalgia, a bitter one.
Just as they were about to walk past the turrets, one of the soldiers fell after something clinged. The other two fell before they could even react. With three shots, they all were lying lifeless on the floor.
Castor fired at one other soldier within the perimeter of the turrets.
"Step back out of there!" he yelled at the duo.
The girl helped Ren and they both limped away from the turrets as fast as they could. The turret bursted with golden beams scattering about in every direction. The beams shot into the sand around them, leaving dark holes in the ground.
The girl fell with Ren and staggered back up again, while still running towards the Castor.
Nine feet away from the turrets, the beams could no longer reach them and they ceased fire.
Ren collapsed on the floor, with the girl, panting heavily.
Castor knelt in front of them.
"We can really help each other here, yunno. We both want something that only the other has."
Ren was already down, his face planted in the sand. The girl face went up to Castor.
"Say, I give you a sip of water and then you give me something I want from you."
She frowned, fear crawling up her face.
"Show me where the real Oasis is… and you can say no. I'll happily leave you both here for the Golden Seat. He might not make it before then."
The girl turned to Ren again. He mumbled something, but it wasn't clear what he said.
"What's it going to be, lass? Time is money."
"Fine. I'll take you there."
"Good girl," he patted her head.
He brought down the goatskin to her. She quickly grabbed it, lifted Ren's head up and make him take a drink from the goatskin. She took a sip after he had taken a mouthful. Castor snatched the goatskin from her hands.
"Get up, let's get moving."
She helped Ren up. He looked more alive than he was before, although his eyes were still sunken and he could barely stand.
"Where are you taking us to?" Ren finally managed to speak.
"Ah, you're not dead, huh," he chuckled and turned to him, "you damn golden cockroach."
Ren stared angrily at him.
"You should smile, lad. You made me good fortune. And maybe when we get to the Oasis, I could give you a rest you deserve."
Ren's stare didn't flinch. He was angry for everything, everything that led to this very moment. He should have just died and all this wouldn't have to happen.
'I might just have to deal with him since I can't figure out what the hell this trial is all about.'
"We are there!" The young girl pointed at the horizon where some rocks opened into a wider valley. There was a touch of green at the feet of the rocks and down the valley.
The girl grabbed Ren's arm and pulled him closer to her as they walked towards the valley.
The valley looked like it was out of place but in a good way, because that was all they wanted. The air in the valley was fresh, a direct contrast to the air they had been breathing on their way. It was cooler down there. Ren sighed when the soles of his feet touched the wet grasses.
Castor pulled his gun out, and turned to them, pointing his gun at them.
"Don't try to be cocky, lady and gentleman. This is the final lap and anything can happen."
"Now, where is the magical water?" The Gunman asked.
"Just ahead," the girl pointed at a cave.
They reached the entrance of a cave. Inside the cave, water fell from the roof of the cave down into a pool at the floor. The source of the water was not visible but it rolled down the triple canopy layer of a large tree that stood at the edge of the pool.
The Gunman pushed them away and limped to the tree, dropping his bag and the goatskin a feet away from them. He kneeled beside the tree, dropping his gun beside him. He trapped some water and gulped it down.
'Fool. I thought your pride would never let you drop your gun.'
Ren glared at him as the girl leaned him against the wall of the cave.
"I'll see which part is the healing part so that I can help you get better," the girl whispered to Ren's ear.
Ren's eyes shifted to the pool. One side of it had dirt and twigs floating above it, and the other half of the pool was sparkling clean with a glassy look.
Castor sprang up from the foot of the tree and rushed to the girl. He picked her up by the neck and pushed her to the pool.
"Let her go!" Ren shouted, but didn't have enough energy to act.
"Which part is the poisonous one?"
The girl whimpered, "I don't know. No one knows."
"Tell me now," Castor commanded, shaking her head.
The girl cried, "I swear, I don't know."
Ren struggled to get up from where he sat. His legs felt like they were aliens to his own body, slipping each time he tried to get up.
"I'll just test the waters and see then."
Castor led the girl to the part that was crystal clear and pushed her into the pool.
Few seconds in the water, she began to scream. Vapour rose from the surface of the water her clothes charred off her body and her skin was slowly losing it vibrance, dissociating into an unknown form. Tears rolled down her eyes as she screamed and tried to swim to the other half of the pool. Castor watched her fight for her life, grinning like an amused genius the entire time.
Before she could reach the other half of the pool, she froze. The whites of her skeleton was already showing and there was no skin left on her. Her face had no expression, except the gaping hollow look that only dead people would relate well with. Her hair lost its silky texture, turning white and wild, before falling off, one strand after the other.
"No!" Ren cried. Tears rolled down his eyes as he watched her skeleton sink into the pool with her outstretched hand. It felt as if her soul was still stretching out to Ren, asking for help.
He wept even more. He knew that feeling, it was the same feeling he had when he lost his sister a couple of years ago.
Castor had no remorse on his face. He wore a satisfying grin, like he was commending himself what he just did.
"You jerk!"
Ren didn't know where the strength came from. He bounced off the floor and dashed at Castor at an insane speed, yelling all the way.
"You devil!"
He speared Castor from the side before he could react and pinned him to the ground. Ren rained punches on his face. Castor took them like a champ and finally tossed Ren over to the side.
Ren got up immediately, but met with Castor's fist that connected well with his jaw. The hit forced him on his knees and Castor kicked him in the face.
Ren fell on the floor, blood dripping from his lips.
"Let's end this now. Shall we?"
Castor walked to the tree while Ren crawled to the bag of gold. Castor picked up his gun at the same time Ren took hold of the bag.
Ren quickly stood up, ran to the pool and tossed it into the middle of the pool.
"No!" Castor shouted, firing his gun.
Ren was shot at the same time the bag dunked into the water. He yelped in pain, clutching his ribs, as he fell into the pool.
Castor ran and dived in. He caught the bag that was already burning away in the pool. He pulled it along with him as he swam to the other half of the pool that had twigs and dirt.
Ren crawled into the dirty half of the pool with a loud groan. He cried out in pain immediately he swam in, causing Castor to pause, confused.
Ren took the advantage and swam after him. He pushed him back into cleaner half. Castor struggled to fight off Ren's grip and slip away but he couldn't. It was a shock that Ren could even hold him in place even if he was frail. He screamed and wriggled as his clothes charred off with part of his skin too.
Ren couldn't feel his legs either and his tunic was burning off too. He quickly pushed away from Castor, falling back into the dirty half, while the courteous gunman and his legacy evaporated into nothing but chalk white skeleton. The bag of gold melted into the water, forming a layer of light gold that slowly sank down alongside what was left of Castor Elmer.
The entire cave fell silent. Ren floated, watching the spot Castor had been in like he was still there.
Tears dropped down his eyes again.
"AHHHH!!!" he screamed, throwing his face up to the roof of the cave.
"Why won't this just end? What next? Get me out of here!" he kept yelling at the roof of the cave.
"I just wanted to be healed. When does this end? Do I have to get eaten by a monster first?"
A light hand rested on his shoulder.
"Only the Pool of Rebirth can heal you."
Before he could turn to see who it was, he was pushed by an astonishing force into thw middle of the pool.