"...No water pouch?"
Silence.
All four slowly looked at Kai.
"..."
"...How are you alive?"
Kai answered honestly.
"I walked."
Nobody replied.
"..."
"..."
"...You WHAT?"
"I walked."
The entire tent exploded into laughter.
One outlaw nearly dropped his rifle.
Another slapped his own knee.
A third actually sat on the floor because he was laughing too hard.
"He WALKED!"
"Across the desert!"
"Wearing THAT?!"
"What kind of idiot does that?!"
Kai frowned.
"I started in a forest."
One outlaw wiped tears from his eyes.
"That somehow makes it worse!"
The laughter continued.
Only the man in sunglasses remained quiet.
Eventually—
He raised one hand.
Instantly—
The tent fell silent.
He looked directly at Kai.
"They're right."
Kai sighed.
"I figured."
The man continued.
"Those clothes would've killed you eventually."
Kai blinked.
"...Seriously?"
The man nodded.
"The desert doesn't forgive mistakes."
Silence settled over the tent.
Then the man leaned forward slightly.
"...Yet."
"You survived."
He smiled.
"That's interesting."
Kai wasn't sure whether that was a compliment.
Or a warning.
The man untied one of Kai's hands.
Only one.