After much deliberation, you decide to strike out towards the Temple in the Desert. You head down the path as the sign indicates, and before long, you notice that the scenery changes. There are less animals scampering around, less people than the few you passed already, and the vegetation has begun to dissapate from lush, green plants to a new, hardier variety. The soil color also changes, from a deep, dark, rich color to a more dusty sand. The morning slowly passes into midday, and still you have seen no sign of the Temple. Only the Desert.

You pause to wipe the sweat from your brow and try to summon enough spittle to moist your chapped lips. Your tongue feels leathery and your throat is parched. Your feet seem like leaden weights as you march wearily through the dunes, the trail having disappeared almost completely.

Suddenly, a gust of wind whips through your hair and clothing, swirling the sand about you madly. The grains sting your face and you wrap your cloak more tightly around you for the slightest bit of protection it gives. You stumble onwards, trying futilely to outrun the sandstorm. But your exhaustion overwhelms you and you stagger to your knees. You continue on your hands and knees until you fall behind a large rock. With the last of your strength you crawl around to the other side, using the rock as a windbreak. Your vision blurs and you fall in a faint.

The scorching midday sun shines directly into your eyes, awakening you from your deathly slumber. You force yourself back on your feet and take another look around. The rock you hid behind wasn't a rock after all. It was a fallen pillar, and beyond it are its brethren, standing straight and tall. Your gaze falls upon a pool of clear, rippling water-- your salvation! The soft sound of trickling water is like the music of angels to your ears. You rise instantly and make a run for it, falling clumsily on your face. You groan and pick yourself up. This time, you go more slowly, the thirst gnawing away at your innards.

You fall before the pool and hurridly dip your cupped hands into the pool, bringing out the cool, heavenly water to your lips. You let it run down your throat, savoring the feel of it. When you have drunk your fill, you fetch your emptied waterskin and fill it from the pool. You rise, rejuvenated, and notice that beyond the pool is an entrance in a shaded, stone building. This must be the Temple. From this point of view it seems empty.

Enter the Temple

Turn back around and trek to the Crossroads