The Desert's Unyielding Grip

The morning sun had barely risen over the oasis, casting a warm glow over the weary group. Sparrow, still recovering from the previous day's struggles, slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. As he took stock of his body, he noticed a slight thirst, but it was nothing compared to the intense itchiness that had suddenly appeared on two of his toes on his right foot. He frowned, scratching at the affected area, but it only seemed to make it worse. Impa, who had been tending to him throughout the night, noticed his distress and quickly came to his side. "Let me take a look," she said, gently lifting his foot into her lap. She examined his toes, her brow furrowed in concern. "This could be a sign of the disease progressing," she said, her voice low and serious. Meanwhile, Zelda was struggling to sit up, her body heavy with moderate fatigue. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself, but her breathing had become labored, and she could feel her chest tightening. Link, who had been watching over her, quickly came to her side, concern etched on his face. "Zelda, are you okay?" he asked, his voice filled with worry. Zelda nodded, trying to reassure him, but her eyes betrayed her fear. She was struggling to breathe, and she knew that she needed help. Impa, noticing her distress, quickly came to her side, using her knowledge of the desert plants to create a makeshift remedy to ease her breathing. Just as it seemed that the group was starting to settle into their makeshift camp, a loud gasp pierced the air. Link had stumbled to his feet, his eyes wide with terror, as his body suddenly lurched out of control. He stumbled, his legs buckling beneath him, and he collapsed onto the sand, his chest heaving in an irregular rhythm. Impa rushed to his side, her hands flying over his chest as she tried to revive him. "Link, no!" she cried, her voice panicked. "You have to keep breathing!" Sparrow and Zelda watched in horror as Link's body went limp, his face pale and clammy. The air was thick with tension as Impa worked to revive Link, her hands moving swiftly and surely over his chest. Sparrow and Zelda could only watch, frozen in fear, as their friend's life hung in the balance. The desert, which had seemed so unforgiving just hours before, now seemed even more menacing, as if it was actively working to claim them as its own. As the moments ticked by, Link's body remained still, his chest not rising to meet the demands of his struggling heart. Impa's face was set in determination, her eyes locked on Link's face as she willed him to come back to her. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, Link's body jolted back to life, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. The group breathed a collective sigh of relief, but it was short-lived. They knew that Link's near-cardiac arrest was a serious sign that the milk disease was taking hold, and they couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time. The desert, it seemed, was not going to let them go without a fight.