Tsubaki.2 Voucher Venture #5

This was a fun scene from a story that I had abandoned (or maybe, let's say "paused," because I usually revisit old stories for ideas/inspiration) and I still like to think back on it from time to time. The scene came from an American Wild West story, where an outlaw went good in order to save an old friend. In this scene, the protagonist is carrying his friend over his back, walking through the desert at night, in order to evade his former outlaw comrades. The two are walking through an area where there was fire and lightning, but ultimately no rain. As our protagonist is walking, he begins to notice signs of dehydration. As his vision blurs and unblurs, he notices flashes of light in the corner of his eye. He stop and turns his head, only to see the following sight. There was thunder and lightning earlier, and it is not impossible for a tree, especially a dying or dead tree, but the tree on fire *AND* to see all the animals, regardless of their predator/prey status, surrounding this burning tree? Is this real???? Ultimately, the former outlaw decides that whether this spectacle is real or not is unimportant right now. Now, the former outlaw needs to get him and his friend to safety. The protagonist walks onward into the desert, looking for refuge.