"Wow, look at that thing"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpglNsqvvik
"Ew, where did that come from?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqxaX99pUK
"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.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBggRyS2XS
"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-"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzm6hO8I0Ra
Something gritty slapped over my mouth, silencing me.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7Odq0btYm
"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!" 948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GrIVw9ihV
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"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfKG1htfTu
"Wh-where am I?" I managed.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0VEVh9Oei
"What? Did you get hit on the head, too?" he laughed "Oh...you're serious...well- you're in Arkia right now" 948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpD9S6vzXQ
"What? What's that, like the name of the town or something?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlocMfMlBPB
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?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRn5Tl8Tu47
"I have absolutely no idea where I am or what's going on" I replied.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCX9KPMJjeh
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?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTgGorKSzv
"Me, apparently" I replied "Where I'm from, things like you don't exist-"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulO4guRd3f
His face suddenly grew dark, and he looked about ready to attack me.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFdnPPnRbk
"You best be careful what you call a 'thing' 'round here, then" he warned "Lotta the 948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvHc6r6TmF
residents won't take too kindly t' that"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMHzT421b9I
"Oh, right, sorry...I uh...wasn't thinking..."948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaRn23e6To
"Hey, s'fine mate, s'long as y' didn't know" he said, reaching over to slap me on the back.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAf9ICXaZDv
"Uh, yeah, sure..." 948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwbFuThEaF
"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.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpXg2FfG23
"Grit" he responded "Yours?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsCnaBb9wp
"Jack"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6ol2eU3Ne
"Nice to meet you"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYGFZdsiVD
"...likewise..."948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsMx2e8zXx
"So, where do y' come from? Must be pretty far if y' never heard o' Arkia"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6wQRn20H1
"The...uh...Minnow...Islands"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw6Hi7qVdy4
"Sounds like an interesting place"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvTZlHtHTa
"Yeah, sure is"
'Considering I just made it up...'
I glanced back to the three still following us.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGD9Q3XVeP
"Who are they?" I asked.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3zwag33Bj
"Children" he responded simply.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdu3Wr8FjpN
"Who's children?" I asked, rolling my eyes.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCToUF40mK
"They're orphans, they're everyone's children"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5kf5RxAfh7
"Oh..." I looked back to the three, still following us "Sorry..."948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lEiwcPJyC
"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?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny0uI1uel2
I shook my head, clearing it for the moment.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZvgA0Zxks
"No, just thinking a bit"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDqLo1QCm2
"'Bout what?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKP1Lxnfj2
"Home"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASPCH1Kxd5
"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"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkILoL0eDbb
"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"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2I62uc5yVM
"D-dragons?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyH6msaOKus
"Yeah, dragons, y'know, they got scales? Breathe fire?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMSFqaMolV3
"I know what a dragon is" 948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5MK4B4fSoq
"Then why'd you ask?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeimah30os4
"I d- nevermind..."948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqudThlRHE
"Might want t' ask someone else 'bout some o' the other people, don't really know much beyond what I saw in that respect"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFZxHg7WX7
"Oh, well, thanks anyway" 948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZjTr2lXSmX
"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.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWV9TE9s1du
"Thought y' could use somethin' in your stomach before y' go on your way"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CbLoHjyCN
"I- could just use some water, thank you"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1geMsc0oVD
"No mate, it's unhealthy to cross the desert on an empty stomach"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCTFuXacCY
"How much desert do I have to cross?" 948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YJhfVV2DV
"Not much, couple miles at the most"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2Wd3lXZWv
"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?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZ3lpVS27Q
"Um, just anything you have" 948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1OHLS3gBo
"Let's see...got rocks, you like rocks? Plenty a' obsidian and graphite"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIF9kAWV26p
"You guys eat rocks?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMcBXf9J4H
"Mostly, among other things" he said "Why? You not have a taste for 'em?"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyB18N9if0M
"Uh, no, my kind can't eat rocks..."948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TMZ1lv9bH
"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. 948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOfLWyTZi0
"Hey, no problem" he said, his hand meeting mine.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6M2blWtrk
We shook, and I shivered a bit at the feel of his grainy hand against mine.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwGn7TGTsC
"Well, I'm saying it anyway" I said.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tpMz8s4l1
He waved dismissively.948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeIOuhJ7Mf
"No problem, anyway" he said "Don't forget t' drop by sometime"948Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprAhaCU5fI
"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.
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