L [o/i] ve is a journey

Change of Season | Tempest

The sound of the raindrops drumming became intense.

The people, who, until two weeks before, were still busy with the last preparation and closing themselves into their buildings, some of them completly retreating into the underground part of the city, were now nowhere to be seen. It reminded Nervie of the time when she visited the city here the first time: exhausted, and ready to just slumb into a bed, with real food.

Except, this time, they didn't rise during the night. The moon had been just as gone from the sky as the sun, and a weird, heavy atmosphere had crept into the area, like a ghost, a harbinger of death. If Nerivie wouldn't be so sure that there was no such thing, she would start to believe the end of the world was near, and death was about to reach its hand out for them.

Whenever they left the motel, the water was flowing in small rivers down the small alleys, the streets, down from roofs, gathering in small canals that just what seemed yesterday gathered the sandy dust of the desert. The intensity of the rain felt, like an actual river fell in a waterfall from the sky, and only gravity split it into all the droplets, and splashed onto everything what was beneath the dark, nearly black cloud.

There was no place where they could stand to be protected from the heavy rain, and Lunaris, more than once, looked into the sky and wondered, how a rain like this could even be possible.

Today, their way did not lead them to the adventurer's guild, not did they went to the temple or the grand libary. Nerivie went to the eastern city wall, as there was something that never left the back of her head ever since she heard it: The valley of the eastern wall would become a lake. And with the tempest, every creature of the desert unfortunate enough to not have run on higher grounds would be swept away. She remembered, how the guard mentioned some of them would go through this valley, and clash against the city walls, becoming a serious threat to the stability of the wall.

The wall was everything that stood against the water and thus, was their only protection.

„Hello, I am Nerivie, I heard you might need some help with the protection of the High Wall?" nervie yelled to a guard, who sat below the lower part of the wall, just in reach to hear and understand her.

„Who told you that?"

„I talked to the Guards of the Western gate a couple months ago. We are registered as help. We are adventurers!" Nerivie answered, trying to yell against the clattering sound of the raindrops.

„The chief is on top of the wall. I am gonna get him!"

„Actually, I am supposed to report right away to the chief. His Name is Kol'hek, right?" Nerivie stopped him. She felt Lunaris clasping her coat in insecurity.

„That's right." The guard thought over his options. Risk detention for not letting them up or for not properly reporting their arrival. One way or another, he wasn't clued in the new arrivals, so, whatever.

„Get up the stairs, then climb the ladder to the top. But stay away from the outside wall itself! There is no hope if you fall in!"

„Alright, thank you for the warning!" Nerivie waved and started to head to the stairs.

„Why are we here again?" Lunaris asked, while they started to climb the last part on the ladder, visibly scared.

Nerivie didn't answer, but pulled herself out of the opening, stepped aside and froze at the view.

„Neri, why are we he-" Lunaris halted his question and just like Nerivie, froze on what he saw.

The endless sea of sand, with the greenery in between, had become a raging sea filled with water, with traversing currents, and just looking at it made them both feel not only insignificant, but also induced a new form of fear in them.

Suddenly, Nerivie understood what they meant with The Walls are our only protection.

„Scary." Lunaris whispered under his breath and felt, how Nerivie gripped his hands. She rarely pulled him since the day they tested for his affiliation, but everytime she did it, he felt a certain intensity in her. She didn't even needed to say anything, but when she did, he already knew.

„Lunaris, I am going to stay here. You don't need to, but I am going to stay right here. But I wanted to see for myself how this eleven years storm looked, and I am sure I can be of help. Even if there is nothing I can, or need to do, I stay! I don't know how long this lasts, but I know the people of Khalaria will die if anything destroys these walls. And then, it's going to become a ruin, just like the one we explored. If you think you are still not secure enough in handling your affiliation, then please don't stay here. Retreat to the temple. I am ok with whatever you decide."

Lunaris looked at her. True. He was scared. Damn, he was really scared. Or was he?

He looked at the water breaking at the wall, being held back by them like a dam, and over thearea he could see from here. It was anxiety, but also, he respected nature. Nature was scary, and just because he never saw her real frightining potential did not mean she hadn't it in her.

This was the first time he saw it. Saw and felt that.

But he also didn't want to leave her side. He had sworn to be with her, and stay with her. And even if his fear of being left behing dwindled, it never went away. If I am too scared here, when nothing might happen, why would she take me with her when the Tempest ends? he asked himself.

„No, I stay!" he responded determined.

Nerivie nodded, and pulled him with her to the Chief.

The guards ran around, getting more busy, and they both could hear a faint rumble beneath them.

Debris?

They couldn't check for themselves as they found the chief.

And they were put to work right away.