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Seonghwa had been careful, but how could he have been careful enough?
On the rugged map provided by an expert cartographer, a bold blue line indicated the area he should have been nearing. Seonghwa’s gaze settled on what seemed to be a river, or perhaps the remains of one.
He could’ve walked across it and left with dry feet. The unfortunate souls back in the city would’ve crumbled at the mere sight. He might as well have bid them farewell forever, because they would not survive the torturous summer.
Seonghwa pushed forward, weighed down by this knowledge as he carefully rolled the map back into its container. He struggled to swallow, his throat dry and tongue coarse. He glanced at his thigh, where the flask of water concealed in a thick cloth was strapped. His craving to guzzle down the entire flask was overwhelming, as if he longed to drink not just from the bottle, but also to drain entire oceans. Yet, he was far from the oasis on the map, recognizing the need to conserve his resources in case he lost his way.
An hour later, the sun had moved along the sky but its scorching intensity showed no signs of waning. Seonghwa pressed on, feeling like he weighed tonnes. Every step he took was a small victory. There was no shade in between to give him the respite he so desperately craved, a harsh reality of the remote desert, days away from any city.
In the beginning, he had used his sleeves to mop the sweat from his forehead, but eventually, he abandoned the effort and allowed the sweat to stream down his face and neck in rapid droplets.
He was breathless yet he refrained from removing the crimson veil that shielded his face. He had been cautioned about the treacherous far desert and its shifting sands, how it could conjure illusions even more terrifying than the monsters from ancient myths, how the sand worked its way through the airways to one’s mind, how it could cause a man to empty his very flask on the ground and revel in madness.
Seonghwa was careful because he traveled alone, even though it hadn't always been like that. But memories of the companions lost along the way seldom haunted him. He believed they met their fate due to their own transgressions.
It was all in search of the promised fountain. Seonghwa had a daughter at home. Now he struggled to remember what home meant. However, he remembered her vividly and the day the town doctor had declared she would not live past childhood. She was pronounced frail, weak. Seonghwa had no one to share his despair with and stood at the brink of insanity until he heard of the fountain, the far-off wondrous fountain on the other side of the globe whose water would grant anyone a long and happy life. He soon set out for its search with people from all over town, all greedy for the same prize. Seonghwa was resolute.
But that resolution was wavering in the desert, mere mirages of the oasis tempting and teasing Seonghwa, his consciousness ebbing away with the heat. In the haze of the afternoon, he could feel the loose garment start to cling to his back in places and there was a slight sting to his eyes from all the dust. He'd built a steady rhythm, putting one foot after the other to continue for as long as he could. He observed his feet making their way through the dunes, digging into the sand and leaving a seemingly endless trail of footsteps that needed only a small dust storm to disappear forever.
When he glanced up he saw the beginnings of scanty vegetation on the edge of the horizon. He didn't need to consult the map to know it was where he needed to be, not that he had the energy to do so in the first place.
Somewhat content with his progress, Seonghwa delved back into his previous technique, concentrating on putting one foot after the other. His head hung low, eyes transfixed on the ground while the nape of his neck received the brunt of the sunlight, glistening with perspiration, every inch of him sticky with sweat. He continued for another hour like that, stroking the bottle strapped to him, promising himself the reward of drinking it once he was near.
When he raised his head again the oasis he'd spotted was nowhere to be seen. Panic slowly settled in Seonghwa's stomach. Suddenly, he felt a cool breeze from behind him kick up some dust and blow it his way. He looked back, using a hand to shield his eyes. What he saw made his knees give out and he collapsed on the ground. At that moment, he could see the oasis was still at the edge of the horizon but in the opposite direction, directly behind him. Had he, perhaps, been walking away from his destination all this time?
Out of despair, he brought a shaky hand to his flask and unveiled himself to glug it down. This was the only way he could cope. The water was tepid but it soothed Seonghwa better than any booze back home, and he felt calm despite the situation. He downed it all except a few sips at the bottom, uncaring in his attitude all of a sudden.
He had removed his veil and nothing had come for him, the ground hadn't given way, and he hadn't completely lost his mind either. Thus, a reinvigorated Seonghwa continued towards the thin band of vegetation he could spot, the sun seeming as if it didn't move an inch from its place.
When Seonghwa's feet felt as if they would burn and implode all at the same time, he finally laid down, letting the heat scorch him for a few moments. He wasn't getting any nearer to his destination, as if he was stuck in his place in an ever-expanding dust bowl. The sand made a tolerable bed, enough for him to fall asleep forever, but he couldn't let himself doze off in the current circumstances.
When Seonghwa got back up on his tired, fatigued legs, he swore the oasis appeared closer from when he laid down. He blinked and there it went again. It got closer and closer each time his eyes shut and opened. He rubbed his stinging eyes, his fingers feeling inexplicably cold against his eyelids. For a moment, he held his breath. When he saw again, he was standing in the middle of the oasis, and it was a pleasant, wholly unanticipated surprise. That's when he knew he was losing his mind. His usual self would've crumbled in terror in the same situation.
The area was not clearly defined and so it seemed large, with tiny huts littered about. Although, with their condition, it was easy to assume they hadn't been lived in for a long, long time. The trees were scarce, but strong-rooted and tall, almost thrice the height of Seonghwa himself. The whole area seemed to gravitate about an emerald pond, in the dead center. Seonghwa scurried to it, filling his flask and downing it messily. He repeated this a few times until he felt sated. It felt truly paradisal. And also strangely easy.
The trees began to sway a little when Seonghwa cast a look at them, and a balmy wind blew against him, reminding him that he was very much there and tangible. He grew strong against it, muscles working all the more to steady himself. The breeze carried whispers, little ghosts of words as they crept to Seonghwa.
"Come...here."
In the desert heat, Seonghwa found himself shivering, skin raising in goosebumps. To find shelter against the prospect of going insane, he scuttled to the edge of the pond and crouched, washing his face with the cool water. He didn't remember the pond being as deep as it looked now. Or maybe he hadn't noticed before in his hurry. As the ripples stagnated, Seonghwa met his reflection. It wore a knowing grin, an expression he hadn't seen himself wear in ages. The real him wasn't grinning. He blinked his eyes to get the water out of his vision, yet his distorted reflection was unaffected, giving the same sly smile. Seonghwa saw his reflection blink back at him and the whole situation was so surreal he gave an abrupt yell, clambering back on his palms and knees, seemingly escaping from himself.
The winds from before returned, doubling in their intensity, beginning to pick up sand in little spirals and increased in size until Seonghwa was sure he was going insane. The spirals formed something unnatural, metamorphosing into various shapes, sometimes human, sometimes the furthest thing from. But that was soon to be the least of Seonghwa's worries as the body of water before him began bubbling up, sizzling and overflowing until the form of a man emerged, casting a luminescent glow on everything around him. The winds calmed as if to regard his presence.
Not even a fiber of his being was soaked, from his fiery red hair to his robes. He opened his eyes slowly as if he had awoken from a deep and long slumber, effortlessly levitating a bit above the water surface. Undoubtedly, he was attractive with a face and form that ignited desire inside Seonghwa. When the man focused his eyes on Seonghwa, his face lit up in mirth. He gracefully settled his feet on the ground, walking towards the other in slow steps.
"You dare interrupt my sleep?" the creature spoke, tone permeated with more mischief than anger.
"I'm just a traveler, young god!" Seonghwa pleaded, staggering backward. "Please do not harm me."
"Oh? You take me for a god? How flattering."
"Who are you? What are you?" Seonghwa stood up on shaky legs, feigning confidence. The fact that he was a good few inches taller than the other brought him little comfort.
"I suppose you could call me Hongjoong in your human language." His gaze lingered on Seonghwa far too long. His sweat had rendered the tunic transparent, the expanse of his golden skin visible and Hongjoong’s gaze stuck to it much like the moisture.
“Y-You’re not human.”
“Aren’t you clever. Your kind likes to call me a beast, a fiend. A monster, even. Tell me, Seonghwa, do I look like a monster to you?"
"How do you know my name?" Seonghwa asked, shuffling back as Hongjoong advanced toward him.
"I know everything about you, Seonghwa. I can read your mind and your heart. I know of your past, present, future."
Seonghwa seemed horrified at the knowledge. “Don’t read my mind!”
Hongjoong’s grin widened. The up-close details of the breathtaking creature sank in. Seonghwa took in the sight of his little upturned nose, the red of his parted lips, the bright luster of his eyes.
Unknowingly, he had backed into a tree. Yet, Hongjoong kept advancing, closing the distance between them. Seonghwa’s pulse rised, his breath hitching. When their proximity was unbearable, Seonghwa found himself reflexively tilting his head to the side to escape the situation somehow, baring his neck in the process.
Hongjoong's leg wedged between his thighs as he pinned the human's wrists above him, grinning at the small victory. From this close, Hongjoong smelled musky, like deep, lush earth and it drove Seonghwa a little insane. His breaths ghosted against Seonghwa's neck, as he observed his heartbeat pick up and breath stuttering. His thigh rubbed against Seonghwa’s member, the friction incredible.
When Seonghwa felt like he was about to collapse, Hongjoong pulled away, and the two met eyes.
"I understand you," Hongjoong started, holding his chin as he glanced at Seonghwa's wrists to remind him he was bound. "You’ve wandered so long you’ve forgotten how this feels. You want to be wrecked. You would thank me if I pinned you down right now and stretched you open.”
Seonghwa struggled to respond, heat traveling to his cheeks. The words had him sucking in quick, shallow breaths. He trembled under Hongjoong's gaze, feeling himself harden steadily despite the situation. Hongjoong trailed a thumb across Seonghwa’s lips. “Look at you, you’re about to spill at my words.”
”What- what do you want from me?”
"I think we want the same thing.” Hongjoong leaned in, pressing his lips to the shell of his ear. “It’s been a long time since I saw a human this pretty. I want to defile you." The words carried too much raw emotion, and a warm sensation flared up inside Seonghwa. Even though he tried his best to halt his mind, he thought of Hongjoong holding him down against the ground, mounting him, stretching him open with his fingers and cock, having him writhe and beg for more.
Hongjoong's clenched his jaw as he registered Seonghwa's thoughts, taking him in with his eyes like he was about to turn those thoughts into reality. He swiped the thumb on Seonghwa's plush bottom lip, pulling it just to admire its fullness.
Hongjoong captured the other into a needy kiss, Seonghwa's hands gripping his collar, pulling him impossibly closer. Soon, the two were open-mouthed, filthy, sometimes just panting against each other. It was too much, too desperate and the only way Seonghwa could expend his energy was to hug Hongjoong tighter, hands raking up and down his back, occasionally settling on the nape.
Soon, the spirals of wind returned, assuming a narrower shape as they tied Seonghwa's wrists in an unforgiving grip. He made a little whimper of restraint, not breaking the kiss.
Hongjoong distanced himself, enjoying how Seonghwa had immediately unraveled under him. He disrobed himself, naked torso coming into view.
He was built nice and sturdy, broad for his stature. He caught Seonghwa staring hungrily, eyes chasing every little movement he made.
"You're hungrier than I thought," Hongjoong said through gritted teeth, voice strained as if he was internally struggling.
The winds dragged Seonghwa to the area with the damp sand, right beside the water. He lost his balance and fell into the pond, floundering, thinking he was going to drown before he came to realize the water had become shallower. He crawled away yet the water clung to him in a strange way, much like Hongjoong's scent.
As Hongjoong approached him, he found himself losing control, sprawling on the warm sand. Hongjoong joined him, settling between his spread thighs.
The wetness made Seonghwa's otherwise loose garment cling to him like a second skin. The brown of his hard nipples peeked through his white tunic and how the fabric hugged the outline of his cock was more obscene than his thoughts.
Hongjoong held Seonghwa by the waist, thumbs rubbing circles on his midriff, just missing his nubs by a teasing distance. The torture ensued until Hongjoong hiked the fabric up. He licked his thumb and pressed it to a nipple, flicking and rubbing it over and over until he registered intense pleasure in Seonghwa’s mind. Hongjoong dipped down to latch his mouth around the other one, sucking it simultaneously. Each time Hongjoong let his teeth graze the areola, Seonghwa let out a labored breath, hands tugging Hongjoong's fiery hair.
"Hands off or I'll tie you down," Hongjoong warned.
"Please," Seonghwa begged for something nameless, face contorted in pleasure. The winds came, as before, and bound Seonghwa's wrists behind his back with an unfaltering grip.
Seonghwa arched off the ground, pressing his aching cock to Hongjoong's thigh, begging for his attention. Hongjoong did nothing of the sort. Instead, he ran his hands down Seonghwa's sides, the touch almost ticklish as it caused the human to squirm underneath him. Then, he kissed down Seonghwa's shivering abdomen, stopping right below his navel, observing the part of his pants clinging to every detail of his cock.
Hongjoong ran a tentative finger down the shaft atop the pants, watching the cock twitch in its place. He fingered the cockhead, rubbing quick little circles across the slit at the top, all over the fabric until Hongjoong felt the slickness of precum from inside.
Hongjoong removed Seonghwa's pants, his hand feeling like hot, searing heaven around the human's cock, only giving it a few tugs.
Hongjoong’s drew out his own cock, pulling it out from above his pants. It was red, especially at the tip, an angry-looking thing and Seonghwa found that it looked especially tasty. He closed his eyes and slowly stroked his cock, paying special attention to the glans. The muscles of his thighs tightened every now and then, and his face fell in a lewd emotion, eyebrows knitted and mouth softening as painful sounding whines escaped him.
Seonghwa longed to touch Hongjoong's cock, taste it, have it inside him. But he could do virtually nothing, bound like a prisoner. He twitched ever so often, cock bobbing against his stomach just from seeing Hongjoong pump himself.
Hongjoong held onto Seonghwa’s thighs with a hand splayed, clawing at the flesh. Seonghwa appreciated that the binds relented, possibly an invitation from the other, and was soon proved right.
"Touch me, Seonghwa," Hongjoong instructed, expression dreamy, cueing Seonghwa to bring his aching hands back down. He held Hongjoong's cock gently, as if he was afraid of doing too much, and slowly pumped it a few times in a loose grip. It couldn't have felt better than Hongjoong's own quick and sharp strokes but by the flutter of his eyes, it was easy to tell Seonghwa had a special effect on him.
Hongjoong brought his hand around Seonghwa's, showing him how he liked it properly. Soon, Seonghwa caught on, pumping the hard cock as if to milk it. He got a little carried away, a little mischievous, and dug a thumb in the slit a bit, other hand grazing nails over the balls. Hongjoong could've reprimanded Seonghwa, but he remained still, looking down at the other with a lip between teeth, tensing up when Seonghwa played around too much.
In the meanwhile, Seonghwa had diverted the attention from himself, especially from his own cock leaking against his belly. Hongjoong noticed and pushed his knees apart again, spreading him wide enough for a proper look at the ravishing sight.
"You like this more than you should," Hongjoong remarked as he placed his palms beside either side of Seonghwa's head to mount him, voice dripping with honey but eyes unfocused. "I’d take you for a common whore if I didn’t know better." He pressed himself to the other, incredibly warmer than the human.
Seonghwa felt his mind cloud over with visions of Hongjoong making a mess out of him, forcing his cock down Seonghwa's throat, fingers stirring his insides, stretching him open. Visions of sinking onto Hongjoong's cock and hugging him while he drew him to an orgasm again and again. He thought all the thoughts that he wished were reality instead, and almost as a response, Hongjoong made a downright animalistic sound beside his ear, pressing his shaft to Seonghwa's belly.
When the two cocks brushed against each other, Seonghwa let out a whimper, twitching on contact. Hongjoong rubbed against it, reaching a hand down to grip around both the cockheads in a careless grip, cupping over each of them. His hand was warm and loose, but it didn't matter and he jerked the both of them off regardless. Seonghwa straddled Hongjoong, pulling him closer. Hongjoong's hips worked to get them both off, rubbing against the cock with his own, producing abnormal quantities of slick liquid helping with a smooth glide.
Seonghwa's hips started to gyrate frantically, hands writhing on his sides, not knowing what to do with themselves, craving to be bound up again. The winds, on Hongjoong's command, intervened, tying up Seonghwa tighter than ever, no give to them whatsoever. They extended to his elbows this time, almost anchoring his entire torso down.
Seonghwa felt overwhelmed, hips canting up and the rest of him squirming, desperately wanting to chase the feeling and run away at the same time. Hongjoong's hand felt warm and heavenly around his cock, and he could orgasm just like that. Hongjoong raised a thumb and finger to Seonghwa's nipple and twisted and tugged until it looked painful, pinching the little nub. Seonghwa ached everywhere, in the best way possible, fearing for his orgasm because he was sure he'd break if it came too soon.
Hongjoong captured Seonghwa in a deep and slow kiss, not matching the rest of his actions. It was gentle, yet in no way insinuated anything pure or innocent. Instead, it conveyed carnal desire and that much was clear with the way Hongjoong sucked at his lips until they were swollen and plum. A harsh tug of their cocks had Seonghwa moaning into the kiss, back bridging. His wrists burned where they were tied, and he trembled with the effort of keeping himself still. Hongjoong caressed Seonghwa's cheek, reassuring him and it only made the human crave the other more.
This time, Hongjoong jerked off Seonghwa's cock alone, feeling him fall apart. Seonghwa breathed heavy into the kiss, rutting his hips between Hongjoong's fist. His cock was sore and raw already, but he couldn't care less, chasing the feeling until he felt his orgasm build up. He detached from Hongjoong's lips unknowingly, gasping against the other. It poured over him, body trembling before he was even cumming. His stomach contracted and he spilled into Hongjoong's hand in hard spurts, back arched and mouth wide open in ecstasy but barely any sound escaping. Before he even came down from his high, he craved Hongjoong again, but in a different way. In a different place. It felt abnormal, he should've been spent but Seonghwa was even more thirsty than he'd been before his orgasm. Hongjoong sensed it, grinned a knowing, condescending grin.
"You know what I think of you?" he asked, amused as he brought a thumb tainted with his seed to Seonghwa’s mouth. “I think of you as nothing more than a sleeve to rut into." The words triggered a loud whine from Seonghwa. He peered into Hongjoong’s eyes, hips swaying in need. “And you’ll take whatever I give.”
Seonghwa was babbling nonsense when Hongjoong shushed him. Hongjoong inserted another digit into his mouth, pressing it against the grooved tongue, not retreating or stopping till he reached to the last knuckles. Seonghwa's teeth dug a little around them in a somewhat comfortable pressure, and his tongue licked between and around his fingers until they were dripping with thick drool. He retracted them, a line of spit connecting his fingers to Seonghwa's tongue for a brief moment.
"Hold yourself open for me."
Seonghwa did as he was told, spreading his bent knees wide apart. Hongjoong tested the waters by giving a little tap on Seonghwa's pucker and it immediately contracted, sending a thrill through him. He sucked his thumb and pressed it to the rim, rubbing it until it relaxed. He slowly dug the tip of his thumb inside and stretched it until it could take something bigger. He inserted a finger, imagining how it'd feel to have his cock buried deep inside instead.
"You're so tight. So warm too." Hongjoong planted a kiss on Seonghwa's thigh. "I should feel bad for what I’m about to do to you."
"I can take anything," Seonghwa said, mindless, eyes half-lidded.
The words triggered something dark in Hongjoong. He rotated Seonghwa around with ease, propping him up on all fours. The winds whipped around, binding Seonghwa's hands behind his back, not missing a beat.
Hongjoong's hands spread Seonghwa open, observing the small and puckered thing hidden between. Hongjoong pressed the tip of his tongue to the hole, watching it get even smaller, Seonghwa hissing on the other end of it.
He spread the human apart as far as he could, dragging his flat tongue directly on the quivering hole. His hand moved down to tease Seonghwa's cock, enveloping it in a vice and pumping with a tightness that definitely hurt. Seonghwa whined, hole immediately going lax. Hongjoong seized the opportunity and dug his tongue past the rim, kneading his ass, retracting his hand from the cock.
When Hongjoong found that he wasn’t stretching him out enough with just his tongue, he tried his fingers instead. The puffy-looking pucker now allowed access to two fingers. Hongjoong felt up his warm, smooth walls, feeling pleasure in stretching him further. He was mindful to avoid his prostate as he wanted to make the beautiful human cum from just his cock.
When Seonghwa was being fingered open by four full digits, Hongjoong finally decided it was enough preparing and pulled out with a wet sound. Seonghwa had gone a little soft from the aching stretch, but his breathing had steadily picked up pace, anticipating what came next.
Hongjoong flitted his dripping cock against Seonghwa's taint, rubbing it up and down the entrance until he pushed, the tip gliding inside, one hand holding him apart and the other guiding his cock. The stretch was already a bit different from Hongjoong's fingers, fuller, denser. Seonghwa shifted, stretched to his full capacity. When Hongjoong slightly pushed forward, he let out a restrained whine.
Hongjoong pulled out and re-entered. Seonghwa felt his hole being stretched uncomfortably, unnaturally. The searing hot pain was shocking, sending a tingle straight to his cock. In a twisted way, he wanted to feel that distinct pain again. He stuck his ass out, pushing against Hongjoong to experience the full burn a second time, mouth chanting Hongjoong's name like it would save him.
Hongjoong held Seonghwa’s waist, tapering the pace. He slowly built it up, sensing Seonghwa’s heartbeat and doing exactly what unraveled the human. His hands traveled lower, grabbing his hips, using it as leverage to thrust into his hole.
His thrusts quickly transitioned to a punishing pace, feeling deeper and deeper each time, the drag against Seonghwa’s prostate sending sparks of pleasure coursing through him. He pulled Seonghwa back every time he fucked into him, marked by a wet smacking sound. The glide was smooth and slippery, even though Seonghwa's insides clamped around his girth like a glove.
Hongjoong sensed he was close and switched positions, laying Seonghwa on his back. The winds remained unused this time.
Hongjoong registered the familiar tightness in his balls and knew his knot was about to form. Seonghwa immediately felt it, a sudden engorgement dragging against his rim. He saw Hongjoong's head hung low and a bulb at the base of his cock swelling. He felt little panic in his aroused state, gladly welcoming the fact that Hongjoong could grow even bigger than before.
He spread his bent legs farther, holding them apart by the underside of his knees, and stared at Hongjoong with half-lidded eyes. Hongjoong met his hungry gaze, driving his shaft in with renewed effort, jabbing straight across the swollen nub inside Seonghwa.
"Yes, yes,” Seonghwa cried out. “Don’t stop, please.” His eyebrows were knitted together. He felt like he’s been set on fire, the knot inside him growing larger and larger, and his abused hole stretching to compensate it. Hongjoong periodically slowed down and quickened his thrusts, enjoying the shift in expressions it brought to Seonghwa's face. A certain hard thrust had Seonghwa crying out in ecstasy.
Soon, Hongjoong found it harder to breach the entrance, his cock constantly catching on the pucker. He buried himself so deep that Seonghwa made a choked-up sound, straddling Hongjoong to get him closer, and he just couldn't pull back out after that. It was so thick and heavy inside Seonghwa, proving to be a snug fit, shaping Seonghwa's insides around itself. Hongjoong gave a few shallow thrusts, and Seonghwa whined, low in his chest. Hongjoong's balls felt so tight and heavy he knew he was about to burst any moment.
Equipped with the knowledge that he hadn't come in an almost infinite amount of time, Hongjoong had been concerned. But now, there was no choice. He had to do it inside the human. Hongjoong all but collapsed on Seonghwa, rocking his knot back and forward, the other clawing at his back, wanting to take everything he was given.
Hongjoong jerked Seonghwa off using a sure, quick grip, and the human tried his best not to sound too broken, but even his attempts to silence himself were obscene, biting his lips so hard he looked absolutely wrecked. When Hongjoong rubbed a thumb between Seonghwa's slit, he bucked up into the touch and fell apart, partly lifting himself from the knot in the process. It caused such a drag against Seonghwa's asshole it should've been impossible, but he came nonetheless, the burning sensation heightening his orgasm as he cried out Hongjoong's name, spurting hot ropes of cum all over his own belly.
Hongjoong came seeing Seonghwa's expression, his pretty face contorted in ruination, hole squeezing load after load of cum from his cock, draining his balls in fast rounds. Every twitch caused another load of cum to spill inside Seonghwa and by the end of it, when Hongjoong could finally pull out his cock, Seonghwa's belly was bloated and turgid. Hongjoong pulled out with a squelchy sound, cock spent and raw. Seonghwa's hole was loose, gaping, cum from inside flowing out in a steady trickle. He reached shaky hands out to Hongjoong, capturing him in a tight embrace.
They stayed like that for the brief time it took it to let settle in what had happened. Then Hongjoong rolled onto his back beside Seonghwa, heaving difficult breaths. Seonghwa forgot where he had been headed. He glanced at Hongjoong, elated at his sudden realization. It didn't matter anymore.
Seonghwa had found his oasis, one that left him more thirsty than ever.