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Description
Hey Howdy Hey!

Its not over yet! GO!!

Neither had known how long it had been since they'd started walking. The blazing sun on their backs cruelly stripped their rational thought, as well as their strength. Only one thought pressed Argus' mind; driving his tired legs forward: finding water.

Since the moment they started out, they'd clung to each other--fearing the moment when either would let go; knowing what the failure to cling would mean. They dreaded who would be the first to give. Argus hoped in secret that Hume would give out first. It hurt to see his friend suffer. Hume however, thought of something else entirely."Any hope is better than none" he repeated in his head. Whatever was out there waiting for them had to be better than this.

Hume reached for the pouch of water in his cloak. Nearly all of the water has gone. Knowing that Argus would need the water more, he offered the dirty pouch to him. Argus looked at the pouch, a pained look of temptation on Argus' face made Hume frown a little. He offered the pouch again, this time with an encouraging grunt. Argus sighed deeply and closed his eyes, pushing the pouch away. Hume, disappointed that his offer was in vain, simply put the pouch back on his hip. He didn't feel like drinking the rest knowing that his friend was more dehydrated that he was.

After walking against the heat of a cloudless desert sun for several hours too long, Argus stopped. Hume looked up at his parched friend. Argus' eyes were looking into the distant horizon. Curious, Hume looked too, and his eyes lit up.

A city. Not a couple of mile's distance away. Shade. Water perhaps. Hope, at last.

Suddenly Hume felt his friend sway. With a muffled cry, Argus dropped out of Hume's grasp and into the scorching sand. Desperately, Hume tugged at his friend; trying to get him to stir. Then he remembered: the water. He uncorked the pouch and slowly poured it into Argus' mouth. At last, the water was gone. Holding his friend tightly, Hume waited for a reaction of some kind.

Argus gasped, then coughed, then groaned, but wouldn't get up.

Hume, filled with a new determination, grabbed a few of Argus' tendrils, and slowly began to drag Argus to the ruined city. "Any hope is better than none" He thought to himself again more fervently.

At last, the sun had finally set, giving the pair a much needed rest from the scorching heat of the sun. But Hume had just barely reached the entrance to the city when what was left of his muscles finally gave out. He couldn't sweat anymore, nor cry--though he desperately wanted to. Like Argus, he too was now completely dehydrated.

Hume turned around to look at his strengthen friend. "Any hope...is..." but Hume couldn't finish the thought before he collapsed to his knees--his strength completely spent.

What was he thinking? Hope? It was beyond the both of them now. Even if they'd reached the sanctuary of the city, they had no strength left to carry on, no water, no chance of survival. Both were too weak to even crawl to the ruins of the city. By now, they might as well be dead already.

Argus slowly opened his eyes to see Hume one last time. Life and hope, once so radiant in his eyes, was gone. He could see the fear, the despair settling in. Argus didn't want his friend to die in such low spirits. And so, with the last of his energy, he lifted his tentacles one last time, brushing the hair out of Hume's eyes with one, and holding him close with the rest.

"I'm...glad I...met you...Hume". Argus croaked.

Hume looked into Argus' eyes, and gingerly touched a tendril to his face. "I...GlAth i mEtH yOu...ThOo." he whimpered.

Hume smiled. Then Argus smiled--his tendril slowly slipped out of Hume's grasp. The light atop Argus' head flickered for a moment, then faded away.

Hume was alone now. He turned away from his friend. The sight was to painful to bear any longer. His eyes drew toward the sky--hoping to find a pleasant sight before he too faded away.

Above the skyline, thought he saw something strange. It looked like one of the silhouettes of the buildings in the distance was...moving. Out of the corner of his eye, another movement. Suddenly, more strange silhouettes began popping up from above the skyline.

Perhaps he wasn't as alone as he thought.

Description
Hey Howdy Hey!

Its not over yet! GO!!

Neither had known how long it had been since they'd started walking. The blazing sun on their backs cruelly stripped their rational thought, as well as their strength. Only one thought pressed Argus' mind; driving his tired legs forward: finding water.

Since the moment they started out, they'd clung to each other--fearing the moment when either would let go; knowing what the failure to cling would mean. They dreaded who would be the first to give. Argus hoped in secret that Hume would give out first. It hurt to see his friend suffer. Hume however, thought of something else entirely."Any hope is better than none" he repeated in his head. Whatever was out there waiting for them had to be better than this.

Hume reached for the pouch of water in his cloak. Nearly all of the water has gone. Knowing that Argus would need the water more, he offered the dirty pouch to him. Argus looked at the pouch, a pained look of temptation on Argus' face made Hume frown a little. He offered the pouch again, this time with an encouraging grunt. Argus sighed deeply and closed his eyes, pushing the pouch away. Hume, disappointed that his offer was in vain, simply put the pouch back on his hip. He didn't feel like drinking the rest knowing that his friend was more dehydrated that he was.

After walking against the heat of a cloudless desert sun for several hours too long, Argus stopped. Hume looked up at his parched friend. Argus' eyes were looking into the distant horizon. Curious, Hume looked too, and his eyes lit up.

A city. Not a couple of mile's distance away. Shade. Water perhaps. Hope, at last.

Suddenly Hume felt his friend sway. With a muffled cry, Argus dropped out of Hume's grasp and into the scorching sand. Desperately, Hume tugged at his friend; trying to get him to stir. Then he remembered: the water. He uncorked the pouch and slowly poured it into Argus' mouth. At last, the water was gone. Holding his friend tightly, Hume waited for a reaction of some kind.

Argus gasped, then coughed, then groaned, but wouldn't get up.

Hume, filled with a new determination, grabbed a few of Argus' tendrils, and slowly began to drag Argus to the ruined city. "Any hope is better than none" He thought to himself again more fervently.

At last, the sun had finally set, giving the pair a much needed rest from the scorching heat of the sun. But Hume had just barely reached the entrance to the city when what was left of his muscles finally gave out. He couldn't sweat anymore, nor cry--though he desperately wanted to. Like Argus, he too was now completely dehydrated.

Hume turned around to look at his strengthen friend. "Any hope...is..." but Hume couldn't finish the thought before he collapsed to his knees--his strength completely spent.

What was he thinking? Hope? It was beyond the both of them now. Even if they'd reached the sanctuary of the city, they had no strength left to carry on, no water, no chance of survival. Both were too weak to even crawl to the ruins of the city. By now, they might as well be dead already.

Argus slowly opened his eyes to see Hume one last time. Life and hope, once so radiant in his eyes, was gone. He could see the fear, the despair settling in. Argus didn't want his friend to die in such low spirits. And so, with the last of his energy, he lifted his tentacles one last time, brushing the hair out of Hume's eyes with one, and holding him close with the rest.

"I'm...glad I...met you...Hume". Argus croaked.

Hume looked into Argus' eyes, and gingerly touched a tendril to his face. "I...GlAth i mEtH yOu...ThOo." he whimpered.

Hume smiled. Then Argus smiled--his tendril slowly slipped out of Hume's grasp. The light atop Argus' head flickered for a moment, then faded away.

Hume was alone now. He turned away from his friend. The sight was to painful to bear any longer. His eyes drew toward the sky--hoping to find a pleasant sight before he too faded away.

Above the skyline, thought he saw something strange. It looked like one of the silhouettes of the buildings in the distance was...moving. Out of the corner of his eye, another movement. Suddenly, more strange silhouettes began popping up from above the skyline.

Perhaps he wasn't as alone as he thought.