As Eugene fled from Tahan and headed in the direction of the more fertile regions of the continent in order to get away from the sphere of influence of the Sand Shamans, many different things were happening at once.
The news of the death of the city lord of Blazing Sun City, the pursuit of Eugene and Gustavo, the eventual death of Gustavo, and the continuous fleeing of Eugene began to spread around. Wanted posters were spread through the various cities and villages that were under the jurisdiction of Tahan. Even the towns that were ahead of Eugene had gotten word of these happenings.
Meanwhile, a couple of days continued to pass as Eugene kept up his journey. He was beginning to eat through his reserves of water and food, and the reduction of the stock of magic fuel he had was more noticeable now.
Luckily for him, with his constant travel and very few stops, Eugene had almost left the Sand Sea. Blazing Sun City and Tahan were not located deep inside the desert. They took positions that were relatively close to the edge of the desert to ensure that traders and trade routes were not cut off because of the harsh environment and long distance. It also allowed them to maintain a relatively solid connection with other parts of the world.
The deeper parts of the Sand Sea was fraught with dangers. Not only were there stray lone monsters, but it was rumored that some monsters with intelligence had even gathered and built their own rudimentary monster kingdom.
When Eugene saw that the sandy ground had begun to turn into stretches of solid brown earth, he felt his heart swell. But his mood dipped as he felt regretful that Gustavo was not present to see the sight with him.
Caw!
Sahar, the young Desert Eagle companion that Eugene had gained, landed on Eugene's shoulder and sat down. Eugene had done a bit of checking and found out it was a male. It had been treating Eugene's head as its nest ever since they started their journey together.
"Hungry again?" Eugene asked as he controlled the automobile to avoid a patch of rough rocks.
Caw!
Sahar cawed again, this time sounding much more urgent. He jumped down from Eugene's head to his thigh and flapped his wings. Then he took off and flew off to a distant rock.
"Sahar!" Eugene skidded to a stop and called out after the unruly eagle. The bird did not always listen to him and that frustrated Eugene to no end.
Eugene sighed and decided to wait for a while. The rock was not too far, but the road to it was bumpy and he did not want to drive there.
Five minutes later, Sahar flew back over with something in his claws. When Eugene looked closer, he saw a strange brown plant in the Desert Eagle's claws.
"What is that?"
Caw!
Sahar landed on Eugene's lap and dropped the plant. Eugene picked up the plant and a pleasant fragrance slipped into his nostrils. Instantly, a rejuvenating feeling bloomed within his body. He felt as if all his pores were open and cool water was running through his veins.
"This is...!" Eugene's eyes snapped wide open as he realized what exactly it was he held in his hand. He had done a lot of reading when he was still under his father's care. He occasionally came across some records of special items that could dramatically increase the strength of the person who used or consumed the special item.
With those thoughts, he gradually recalled seeing the image of this particular plant, and he also recalled its name.
Ambrosia.
"You have got to be kidding me." He whispered under his breath, and almost as if understanding his words, Sahar let out a shrill cry and nudged Eugene's cheek with his beak. He wanted a reward for finding something good for Eugene.
Truth be told, Sahar could have taken the Ambrosia for himself. It would benefit his growth greatly and make him much stronger than other Desert Eagles. However, he had brought it to Eugene, which greatly boosted Eugene's trust and bond with him.
Eugene looked at the brown plant and recalled a few methods to purify and process the plant to make the best out of it. Unfortunately for him, he lacked the necessary things. The easiest way he could extract the ambrosia from the plant was to boil it in water. He looked around and saw a few dry plants. He broke apart their stems and branches before getting back to the automobile and driving away.
As it was still daytime, now was not the best time to pause and prepare the ambrosia. He would wait until he stopped to rest for the night.
"Good job, Sahar. Don't worry, your portion of food will be larger tonight." Eugene smiled and rubbed the head of the young Desert Eagle, causing him to let out low croons.
The automobile bumbled along on the rough ground, heading in the north of the Sand Sea.
Meanwhile, as they were on their journey, a conversation was taking place in the central areas of the Sand Sea.
.
.
"You said he managed to escape?" A rough, hoarse voice grated out as a hooded being seated on a stone throne asked the hooded underling that knelt at the foot of the stairs that led up to the throne. Bright crystals lit up the underground space, allowing for all to see the throne room clearly.
"Yes, my lord. Hazzan Tahan did not put in his full effort into killing the Sandwall boy. The boy managed to escape, but the personal guard that had been with him was killed by Tahan's Masters." The kneeling figure responded in an equally hoarse voice.
"I see... It seems Hazzan has forgotten why he fears me in the first place. No worries, I shall deal with him in due time. For now, send our forces to the various desert cities. The boy is nothing but a rat with no survival skills. He will not be able to evade out pursuit for long!" The seated figure gave his order and the subordinate vanished to carry it out in a flurry of sand and dust.