"Wow, look at that thing"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHJxgIbly9
"Ew, where did that come from?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3jUsTa2uag
"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.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uy0VIAMFV
"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-"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIh85k5TOdM
Something gritty slapped over my mouth, silencing me.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEUmYyYsCH
"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!" 979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡks2CjL0x2J
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"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZciRYpocL
"Wh-where am I?" I managed.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFxQD6dAdm
"What? Did you get hit on the head, too?" he laughed "Oh...you're serious...well- you're in Arkia right now" 979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuq7L1a9Hk
"What? What's that, like the name of the town or something?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbynX2B9P0
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?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHEy1MVJrAH
"I have absolutely no idea where I am or what's going on" I replied.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcS0YOjGSdf
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?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0jMq0HmiV
"Me, apparently" I replied "Where I'm from, things like you don't exist-"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKw7QWZZvVV
His face suddenly grew dark, and he looked about ready to attack me.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrWKTG1iKT
"You best be careful what you call a 'thing' 'round here, then" he warned "Lotta the 979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbeaZCtLB8
residents won't take too kindly t' that"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Bk6kZsJ9w
"Oh, right, sorry...I uh...wasn't thinking..."979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdO7xOqX8CQ
"Hey, s'fine mate, s'long as y' didn't know" he said, reaching over to slap me on the back.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkHg5Pu8dvm
"Uh, yeah, sure..." 979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEoCeZdUhF
"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.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVTKoeLIjX
"Grit" he responded "Yours?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90EFdgtn3P
"Jack"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6D5NmjUib
"Nice to meet you"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELDyrS1ZMj
"...likewise..."979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtLCwxMVtz
"So, where do y' come from? Must be pretty far if y' never heard o' Arkia"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkAheBuQrx
"The...uh...Minnow...Islands"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrOUVK6hVj
"Sounds like an interesting place"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDiMRMBZGpX
"Yeah, sure is"
'Considering I just made it up...'
I glanced back to the three still following us.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEO3SCI8yPy
"Who are they?" I asked.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIOOkxdSFV
"Children" he responded simply.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyPVCKh2o4
"Who's children?" I asked, rolling my eyes.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRYjnEdCCv
"They're orphans, they're everyone's children"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZiSt5s2bt
"Oh..." I looked back to the three, still following us "Sorry..."979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRT0YwazBlw
"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?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsxUgpupnl
I shook my head, clearing it for the moment.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdR04qcf9wL
"No, just thinking a bit"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4Lqf1eoEo
"'Bout what?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5Gx94oMnJ
"Home"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0acFsRWIBB
"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"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmkBdm9p0kr
"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"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSeKw4oYH97
"D-dragons?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDuwq20tH8
"Yeah, dragons, y'know, they got scales? Breathe fire?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVGJWt006g
"I know what a dragon is" 979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqY3eXunObF
"Then why'd you ask?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8mLmG81UQ
"I d- nevermind..."979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfE5V8wsfu
"Might want t' ask someone else 'bout some o' the other people, don't really know much beyond what I saw in that respect"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoS2e59K8y
"Oh, well, thanks anyway" 979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLMHeZpeJB
"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.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfP32bLzeaZ
"Thought y' could use somethin' in your stomach before y' go on your way"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaOEHvy65w
"I- could just use some water, thank you"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66VrT4m32U
"No mate, it's unhealthy to cross the desert on an empty stomach"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXuQ8OHqh5
"How much desert do I have to cross?" 979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyKQtggCPN
"Not much, couple miles at the most"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9E8AlmS0c
"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?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLw2KaFxfN
"Um, just anything you have" 979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyb6F26NQ7
"Let's see...got rocks, you like rocks? Plenty a' obsidian and graphite"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxKeemyYeL
"You guys eat rocks?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQQpCH2Vsd
"Mostly, among other things" he said "Why? You not have a taste for 'em?"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCytQruivYE
"Uh, no, my kind can't eat rocks..."979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CBPtUQwFM
"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. 979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJvkHYXH1U
"Hey, no problem" he said, his hand meeting mine.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpX7OteCaDb
We shook, and I shivered a bit at the feel of his grainy hand against mine.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0HGRY5orx
"Well, I'm saying it anyway" I said.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZQYVX8wt1
He waved dismissively.979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUq3cSD64cr
"No problem, anyway" he said "Don't forget t' drop by sometime"979Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKBeh9mDQM
"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.
ns216.73.216.143da2
