The desert had been anything but pleasant for Ridley, well, except his run-in with the little female. That had been amusing to him at least. But outside of that? He couldn't get out of the desert fast enough. Fuck the desert and it's blistering sun and horrible, itchy sand. Fuck the sunburns and the lack of water and lack of food. Why in the world had he landed in that bastard place anyways? What had he done to tempt his Goddess' wrath? Or perhaps it was a temptation to test him? Gah, whatever the reason, fuck the god damn fucking desert.
Honestly, the volcanic lands hadn't been much better and as he had traveled through them, he had started to wonder if he had ended up in some hellish landscape where greenery and foliage and a normal semblance of life ceased to exist. Just like the desert, the volcano was hot and it dehydrated him quickly. Tack on the horrible sulfur smell that assulted both his nostrils and his tongue at the same time and it took all of Ridley's effort to stop himself from gagging at the taste and odor. The dark forest had shed some relief on Ridley, but he still pushed himself harder than ever to escape the territory. Fuck this place, too. So far, fuck this entire fucking world and fuck whoever had decided to put him into it.
After days of travel with a sluggish pace, there was finally a light at the end of the tunnel. In the distance his ears picked up the sound of rushing water. He prayed that it was fresh water, and not the crashing of waves that had lulled him towards the volcanic region the first time. He was severely parched and the water that ran near the volcano was putrid to the taste at best. He had drank it, but again, it was done with reluctance. When he saw greenery around the edge of the mountain with trees dressed up with fresh summer blooms and not dead like the prior forest he had found himself within, he nearly jumped with joy. Nearly. Better yet, the sound he had heard did seem to be fresh water. His tongue clicked with rapid flicks as he tested the scents in the area. No pack boundaries that he could tell. There were odors, but nothing defined.
Ridley stalked forward with his body held in an exhausted manner. He was hungry. He was thirsty. He could satisfy one of his basic needs here momentarily. He approached the calmer edge of the river and after taking a quick glance around himself to ensure there was no immediate danger, he lowered his head and drank at the edge. Sweet water. Sweet, clean, clear water. It went down his throat and cooled his entire being. Despite his desire to hydrate, he drank slowly and carefully. He knew that sucking down too much water too fast would twist his gut and cause it to come back up. He knew it could be dangerous and make him sick. So, after a few longing laps of the cool water, he lifted his muzzle to take another glance around himself. Thank fuck there was greenery somewhere on this forsaken world. Maybe it would be possible for him to resume his lifestyle here after all.