"Wow, look at that thing"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQK14a7So6
"Ew, where did that come from?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBo3ZBNw8Q
"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.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuvFTrUsiM
"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-"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPIqIoqyOVt
Something gritty slapped over my mouth, silencing me.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5lLEdTlWx
"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!" 773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9DIgOvWjA
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"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2En9DMcgQ
"Wh-where am I?" I managed.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIk2rnk2uC
"What? Did you get hit on the head, too?" he laughed "Oh...you're serious...well- you're in Arkia right now" 773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKITB6gMxCp
"What? What's that, like the name of the town or something?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIM1XCJYGIT
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?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7lLMGUunX
"I have absolutely no idea where I am or what's going on" I replied.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8MT5RFp5a
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?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3A7xXJNnu
"Me, apparently" I replied "Where I'm from, things like you don't exist-"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMxVdCDbF0
His face suddenly grew dark, and he looked about ready to attack me.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4epIaejfg
"You best be careful what you call a 'thing' 'round here, then" he warned "Lotta the 773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5ASHUBG5a
residents won't take too kindly t' that"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuueWs3twI7
"Oh, right, sorry...I uh...wasn't thinking..."773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizY82KlpdP
"Hey, s'fine mate, s'long as y' didn't know" he said, reaching over to slap me on the back.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQA9ElrJfn
"Uh, yeah, sure..." 773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOB6OJkIEF6
"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.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgCnhiDqaHJ
"Grit" he responded "Yours?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzXcX1o0Gq
"Jack"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYBM4Zxla8
"Nice to meet you"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbz7TnVq5ZC
"...likewise..."773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVUVeqGeCd
"So, where do y' come from? Must be pretty far if y' never heard o' Arkia"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRt0sdolNE
"The...uh...Minnow...Islands"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6VhX65mgx
"Sounds like an interesting place"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOE9KIV6DM1
"Yeah, sure is"
'Considering I just made it up...'
I glanced back to the three still following us.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFq7xU8aW7e
"Who are they?" I asked.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBHHyXlIIR
"Children" he responded simply.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKU0U5uI6H
"Who's children?" I asked, rolling my eyes.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCLMhFqdlgU
"They're orphans, they're everyone's children"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKguJQS13E6
"Oh..." I looked back to the three, still following us "Sorry..."773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcMKgOLByK
"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?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRebUX4sCFe
I shook my head, clearing it for the moment.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHye64qVr1F
"No, just thinking a bit"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWODf8SVMV
"'Bout what?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ohxBqCKzf
"Home"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYt6QP3zJRD
"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"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgF5RUyqDN
"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"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ASCWj44yj
"D-dragons?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHSFMuZcJ1
"Yeah, dragons, y'know, they got scales? Breathe fire?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKifk2c8nC
"I know what a dragon is" 773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSmWWlSJWZ
"Then why'd you ask?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXcf7HaGjM
"I d- nevermind..."773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRT1neRETH4
"Might want t' ask someone else 'bout some o' the other people, don't really know much beyond what I saw in that respect"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgi1COm0B0
"Oh, well, thanks anyway" 773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjhrzjT1O6
"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.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0cjTU5Nk9
"Thought y' could use somethin' in your stomach before y' go on your way"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJG3bgYhPL
"I- could just use some water, thank you"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQoEM2nezB
"No mate, it's unhealthy to cross the desert on an empty stomach"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstgHUINwkZ
"How much desert do I have to cross?" 773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oKyBnRvaI
"Not much, couple miles at the most"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzDH0RmLWT
"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?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgkM5e0k7O
"Um, just anything you have" 773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqbRITo5Hh
"Let's see...got rocks, you like rocks? Plenty a' obsidian and graphite"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdBBrl0JHH
"You guys eat rocks?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW05NvrxFg
"Mostly, among other things" he said "Why? You not have a taste for 'em?"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZWOIXYICY
"Uh, no, my kind can't eat rocks..."773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCdKjZa4bD
"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. 773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcoMnuRkFP
"Hey, no problem" he said, his hand meeting mine.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXijZPDzp7h
We shook, and I shivered a bit at the feel of his grainy hand against mine.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHSwP8KiUy
"Well, I'm saying it anyway" I said.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxkAxY2ny7
He waved dismissively.773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ300rVBom8L
"No problem, anyway" he said "Don't forget t' drop by sometime"773Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jKUYjFLzm
"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 15.158.61.48da2
