Axolotls

Rattling Windows

  In hindsight, The old woman mused to the paper, ink flowing across the paper in near-perfect handwriting. I think that we both severely overestimated and severely underestimated how long this storm would go on for.

  Against all odds, Rage was getting bored.

  It had been a while, possibly a day or two, if his internal clock was correct, since he had seen clear skies. Days since he had stepped out of the cabin. It was nice here, the Selio providing good company, as did the few books on the shelves, but the cabin was small and he was quickly becoming restless.

  "Pathfinder?" The Selio hadn't quite been able to remember much of her name in life, so she had come up with a name she had remembered from her life, someone kind. "Do you know when this storm will end?"

  Pathfinder perked up from her perch on the bookshelf, a small flame inhabiting the lantern and casting a warm glow over the cabin. Pathfinder had created it, since there was no fuel, and it floated gently, slightly away from the glass and metal. She swooped over, perching on his head. It felt odd, as if there was nothing really there.

  "Hmmmm. Maybe soon?" She peered closer. "Actually, never mind. Unless it gets bored and goes away, it's not going to stop raining soon. It looks angry, or something like that. I don't really know why though."

  Rage raised an eyebrow, deciding to voice his thoughts after a moment of contemplation. "It?"

  "Oh, yeah, this is some sort of god. A very minor one, as weather gods often are, but a god nonetheless." Pathfinder shrugged, or the closest approximation to a shrug she could manage, as she rambled.

  Rage was stunned into silence. A god? Here, of all places?

  How did it even find us? The engineer wondered as the storm kept raging. It wasn't uncommon for odd occurrences to happen around the server, but not something like this.

  Never something like this.

  A shiver went down Rage's spine as he wondered what this meant. It could just be a long rain, or it could be something else, something serious.

  He really hoped it wasn't serious.

  Because if it was...

  The engineer couldn't even begin to think of all the horrible things that could happen if it was.

  One crackle of lightning and a boom of thunder later, and Rage was studying once more, from a book about gods and spirits, with a title that looked like it needed either seven tongues or some form of possession to be able to pronounce. The whole time, there was a sinking feeling in his gut.

  This shouldn't be happening. This shouldn't be happening. What is going to happen?

  Thoughts were spiraling though his head at a million miles an hour, breaking his focus every time he tried to read a single sentence. It felt like another storm was building up in his mind, and it was only a matter of time before the clouds broke.

  Outside, where the storm had already broken, the trees dug their roots into the ground, and creatures nestled deeper into their shelters for fear of getting blown away by the harsh, howling winds.

  Rage could swear he felt something pass behind him, though he knew that he and Pathfinder were the only people in the cabin.

  This place is weird. It's starting to give me the creeps.

  There was another crash of lightning, just before thunder boomed. Rage's mind wandered to Lynix once more; he hoped the blond was okay.

  His mind turned to his other friends as well: Doni lived in a hill, or something of the sort; surely he'd be mostly fine at least. Quiff and Kiply lived close to each other, so they at least had a place to go. Lynix lived near Doni, and in a decently sturdy house. And Bionic...

  Bionic was a cyborg who lived in a tree.

  Rage had never bolted out of his seat faster in his life, tugging a map out of his bag and spreading it out on the desk with more urgency than he had ever had.

  Studying the map, he felt a feeling of dread wash over him.

  No. No, no, no, no, no. Please no. Please don't let this happen. Please, if anyone is listening, please don't let this happen.

  Please don't let me be lost.

  This was bad. This was really bad. Pathfinder's cabin wasn't marked on his map, and there weren't any landmarks nearby. If he wanted to find a way back, he'd have to pick a direction and pray.

  He really didn't want to have to do that.

  So he was stuck for the foreseeable future. Great. And even when the storm went away and the trees weren't holding on for dear life, he would still be lost in the woods with no idea how to get home.

  No, wait. Focus, Rage. We will get home. The engineer wasn't sure he believed himself, but he hoped it was true. He didn't want a repeat of-

  No. He couldn't think of that right now. His mind was already clouded enough, and he didn't need that clouding his mind more.

  Another boom of thunder, loud enough to rattle the windows harder than the howling wind already was. Pathfinder glared at the offending pieces of glass until they went still, before giving a low, dissatisfied hum.

  "I've gotta replace those things," She muttered, before realization crossed her birdlike features. "Wait. I don't have hands. Son of a-" The Selio went off into a series of swears that Rage didn't quite understand, but he could hear the obvious frustration in her voice.

  Maybe we could fix her windows once the storm ends. Once everything is back to normal.

  We probably should. She did let us shelter from the storm, after all. It's only fair that we pay her back.

  Yeah, I guess so.

  Rage stared outside the window, hoping that maybe, just maybe, a flash of lightning would illuminate something that could help guide him home.

  But the storm was uncharacteristically dark as he watched for even a chance of something to get him home. Back to the people he cared about, and to where he could help them get away from the storm.

  A flash of light, too quickly gone to make anything out. The engineer felt a flicker of white-hot emotion stir up deep within his soul, an emotion he had known well, and still did.

  "Please," Rage begged, though he didn't know who he was asking. "Don't let me never be able to get home."

  The flame flickered again, though the wave of near-hopelessness battled fiercely with it. But it felt like the wave was half gasoline, simultaneously putting out the flame and making it stronger.

  The windows rattled again, startling Rage out of his inner turmoil. Pathfinder swore some more, making Rage chuckle. Whoever the Selio was in life, she obviously had the vocabulary of a sailor.

  Rage drummed his fingers on the windowsill in time with the rain, watching the droplets slide down the window. He silently cheered in childlike joy when he had bet on the raindrop that had slid down the quickest.

  His eyes flickered towards the twin-peaked mountain in the distance, observing as it was illuminated by lightning.

  Wait a minute... the mountain!

_:_

  Hello cacti! School and burnout made writing this chapter a lot harder, so sorry for the wait! But I'm back now, and stronger than ever! This chapter was a blast to write, aside from the rough patches, and the drawing was pretty fun too! I drew the lines on paper first, then put it into ibispaint for the colors and shading. I'm probably gonna continue to do that, since it makes coloring a lot easier. Anyways, I'm gonna try to put out two chapters this month to make up for the lack of one last month. Have a great time!