At some point in your journey you must halt to shield your eyes from the glittering lake of light that wavers across the scorching sands. The crystal fields are approached in steps and with the proper equipment, goggles and heavy cloths included. Moving from shelter to shelter, you may encroach upon it during the day only in fleeting stints. As you grow nearer, the heat increases tenfold, and more than a moment’s exposure can leave severe burns on the skin.
The foremost encampment has become a small town. Dug deep into the sands, great barriers have been made of mud across its western bank to shelter the inhabitants from the crystal glare during the day. Many died of exposure during its construction. By night, the people go about all the business they might in the day; buying goods, washing clothes, sweeping floors. The workers spend their nights in the crystal fields, wading through the fading heat of the day to break down and cart back chunks of crystal for market. Greedy miners have been known to stay too long and get caught out by the rising sun. Just a few rays of sunlight refracted a thousand fold times by the layers and layers of prismatic crystals is enough to kill a man in minutes.
In far flung cities, the crystal is enjoyed on chandeliers and mirrors. In trinkets and jewellery, it is often considered one of the cheaper alternatives to rubies and diamonds. There are few people outside the desert that realise the worth of crystals, let alone the blood spent to acquire them.
Paddy Dobson
8th October 2021