"Wow, look at that thing"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnR0MPtU6Wq
"Ew, where did that come from?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlyU8zWq8V
"Can it even talk?"
I was roused from my sleep at the sound of three separate voices, all chiming in at the same time. I took a deep breath, before opening my eyes- the lids felt heavy against my eyes as I blinked. I heard three pairs of footsteps scramble against the floor, and was greeted with the sight of...nothing.
"Huh?" I said dumbly, wondering just where I was.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSTeztdYyHw
"Hey, you alright there? You just kinda...appeared" a male voice said, sounding significantly older than the other three I'd just heard.
I sat up, my limbs burning as I did, like I'd just run three marathons without stopping.
"HOLY SH-"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTw7ArEG6Dm
Something gritty slapped over my mouth, silencing me.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1nl1FADiG
"None o' that, pal, there be children present" the male voice said.
'Holy- a real- no, this can't be real...this isn't real...'
"Hey, buddy, snap out of it!" 774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHh3I3aCRfB
I did, and I still couldn't believe what I was seeing- standing over me was a pile of sand, not too crazy, right? Wrong, this particular pile of sand had human features- well, at least a pair of eyes and a mouth, other than that, it was a little difficult to make anything out.
"'Bout time you woke up" the 'sand-man' said, taking its hand off my mouth "Thought you were a goner there for a while"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQIsmgBe86N
"Wh-where am I?" I managed.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoU7YCvp2s
"What? Did you get hit on the head, too?" he laughed "Oh...you're serious...well- you're in Arkia right now" 774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27cpBbfWFF
"What? What's that, like the name of the town or something?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlciGjn8TZ
The sand-man stared at me like I just grew three heads...
...whew, still only got the one...
"Did you really hit your head...or you just pullin' my leg?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzLAco8x4Z
"I have absolutely no idea where I am or what's going on" I replied.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfFH8R4qEJ
The sand-man 'hmmph'd', and sat back.
"Arkia's the name o' the land" he said "What idiot don't know the name o' their own land?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrEJKnYNlI
"Me, apparently" I replied "Where I'm from, things like you don't exist-"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuH2xyQt4WG
His face suddenly grew dark, and he looked about ready to attack me.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5NeAcodzR
"You best be careful what you call a 'thing' 'round here, then" he warned "Lotta the 774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8wOxEbWcA
residents won't take too kindly t' that"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRy6qQ5QY8
"Oh, right, sorry...I uh...wasn't thinking..."774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRwLUA1hbE
"Hey, s'fine mate, s'long as y' didn't know" he said, reaching over to slap me on the back.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1079dL0bMd
"Uh, yeah, sure..." 774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYn1N3rzBeI
"Alrighty then, let's get y' straightened out" he said, standing up "C'mon, I'll show you around"
I stood as well, and followed the sand-man out the door, the three shorter ones following.
"So...uh...what's your name?" I asked the sand-man.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4e46jPpE3w
"Grit" he responded "Yours?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUO6sRsjNNy
"Jack"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjJIfSDvwU
"Nice to meet you"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1u8gPj3I5s
"...likewise..."774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvl1WLgcBR7
"So, where do y' come from? Must be pretty far if y' never heard o' Arkia"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkAM9kPi1N
"The...uh...Minnow...Islands"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJUS0Avf6U
"Sounds like an interesting place"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerGPNBWDvl
"Yeah, sure is"
'Considering I just made it up...'
I glanced back to the three still following us.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTTnN61yFT
"Who are they?" I asked.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGNK9HKAtH
"Children" he responded simply.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6TCTSSjxX
"Who's children?" I asked, rolling my eyes.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnG7SrnxSQI
"They're orphans, they're everyone's children"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1tZrPqC3j
"Oh..." I looked back to the three, still following us "Sorry..."774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aj2LhWf3s
"S'alright" the boy responded.
'Shake it off...freak out later...freak out later...'
I repeated the mantra in my head until our group came upon a large, rectangular hole in the wall.
'Must be a door' I deduced.
The sun suddenly made itself known as we exited the house, the rays beating down relentlessly as we walked out into the open. I noticed that there were about a dozen more sand-people walking about, perfectly fine- as if the sun's heat didn't bother them.
'Makes a bit of sense...' I thought 'they're made of sand...I guess I'd be more surprised if they aren't affected like I am'
You know what else? This...this place...it's crazy- I mean, this is like something out of a sci-fi movie. Being the nerd that I am, this is practically a dream come true- well, if I can find a way back home, that is...
A shiver ran down my spine, despite the blazing heat.
'I will find a way home...'
"Hey, Jack" Grit called "The heat gettin' t' ya?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBtUHtgXuT
I shook my head, clearing it for the moment.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuUt5ggN40
"No, just thinking a bit"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tf2dUQfSi
"'Bout what?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxOCBrfyRm
"Home"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwc1ZGXlDIM
"I get y', anytime I'm away from this place, makes me a bit homesick myself"
I nodded absently.
"So- uh- what other kind of...uh...people live here? In this land, I mean"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVvhORPfbe
"Don't really know all of 'em" he responded "Know there's a few types o' dragons enjoy the heat, see one of 'em huntin' out there every once in a while"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbG8OuC7QX
"D-dragons?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rcAPkNzFg
"Yeah, dragons, y'know, they got scales? Breathe fire?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMbXQbGiil
"I know what a dragon is" 774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YESMS0JYo
"Then why'd you ask?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUhtQjlivz
"I d- nevermind..."774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBvx14xsMk
"Might want t' ask someone else 'bout some o' the other people, don't really know much beyond what I saw in that respect"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGr2zdf0nJ
"Oh, well, thanks anyway" 774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaJO56gLZd
"No problem at all"
Before I knew it, we had crossed the street, and were now entering another home.
"What are we doing here?" I asked.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPN0j61nYN6
"Thought y' could use somethin' in your stomach before y' go on your way"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXBqWz1P9nT
"I- could just use some water, thank you"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUegTerTk4f
"No mate, it's unhealthy to cross the desert on an empty stomach"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZzU13Hgox
"How much desert do I have to cross?" 774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdsmXHnUTc
"Not much, couple miles at the most"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5MlMtN0RU
"Then...yeah...guess I will..."
Another slap on the back, and he laughed.
"Now you're gettin' it!"
'Get what?'
"Come on in" he said "What'll y' have?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxWBTncDKJ
"Um, just anything you have" 774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajmcwHLhFI
"Let's see...got rocks, you like rocks? Plenty a' obsidian and graphite"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMjGuVIiae
"You guys eat rocks?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcuhsz6cPY
"Mostly, among other things" he said "Why? You not have a taste for 'em?"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLo2ZFaUQQ3
"Uh, no, my kind can't eat rocks..."774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zdwlXtetN
"Huh...never woulda guessed..."
'What's that supposed to mean?'
"Well...can I just take the water? Then I can be on my way"
"I got a bit, not much water here in the desert- we really don't got much use for it, anyway"
Grit passed me two small clay pots, I set one down and popped off the lid, finding the water almost to the brim. I put the lid back on, and picked up the two bottles.
"Thank you, really" I said, reaching out to shake Grit's hand. 774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6378Tf3iE
"Hey, no problem" he said, his hand meeting mine.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1JVgIFEFy
We shook, and I shivered a bit at the feel of his grainy hand against mine.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1X7fKZb696
"Well, I'm saying it anyway" I said.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8lcJHn56c
He waved dismissively.774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybb9xInk4A
"No problem, anyway" he said "Don't forget t' drop by sometime"774Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRkynzl7bn
"I, uh...will if I can..."
He grinned, and I left the house, walking once more into the heat as I waved back to the sand-people inside.
I sighed to myself as I passed the city limit, and stared out at the expansive desert.
'Better start walking...' I moaned inwardly.
ns 15.158.61.5da2
