The Book of Alren - The city of sand

Chapter One - The Elf in Blue

 

The sun was high in the sky on this day of wandering, the elf had lost count of the days and nights he had spent in this place, but it seemed like now they were numbered. The heat of the sun beat down on him harshly, with no shade or shelter, his body was taking a rough beating. Despite the sunken eyes, dry skin, and aching muscles, he kept pressing on, desperately looking for a source of water, or even a small creature he could eat. After another hour of walking, his mind boiling inside his skull, he began to feel his body weaken, his walking getting harder and harder to do as his feet sunk deeper into the hot sand below him. Soon his knees hit the rough terrain with a thud, followed by the rest of his body. His world spinning as his cheek pressed against the ground, a loud buzzing taking over his ears. The entirety of the world before him slowly began to fade into a comfortably black void, his body relaxing and preparing for the inevitable death which was to come.

"Hey'' a voice echoed inside his head, a cool and wet sensation hit the skin of his face, causing his dull emerald eyes to flicker open. His vision still blurred, only seeing an outline of the being above him.

" You're alright, stand up I got you" said what appeared to be a male voice assuring him, wrapping a hand around the elf's upper arm firm but not too tight, pulling the thin body from the ground and onto the weathered wood of a mule drawn cart. A cold metal feeling was felt against the elf's lip, a canteen filled with fresh water had been placed there, prompting him to drink. With little effort, the elf opened his mouth, a sense coming over him to which he began to drink the liquid fast and needingly, it was then swiftly pulled away. A small noise of detest coming from the throat of the desperate.

"Don't drink fast or you'll throw every bit of it up" the man, chastised, gently holding the elf's jaw to begin assessing the extent of his dehydration or sickness.

" I absolutely hate when the capitol sends exiles out here, they just leave them to die in these damn sands. Do they not realize how hot this sun gets? I suppose that is their intent though isn't it. I have found many creatures on these grounds and some I am unable to get to in time." he spoke with some frustration in his voice, returning the canteen to the elven stranger's cracked lips to let him drink the water slowly. The elf's mind was still very blurred, not really understanding what the other was saying or truly what was going on. His free hand was taken and placed upon the canteen to keep it in place while the man moved to remove a small jar containing a green tinged gel from his knapsack, standing back to resume assessing the damage.

"Alright, eyes sunken, lips cracked" he mumbled and pressed his hand against the unused wrist of the elf's other hand,

" Fast heartbeat and your breathing is slightly fast" he continued as he sighed, moving the now emptied canteen back to his knapsack and scooping up a small dollop of pale green substance onto his middle finger. His hand reached up, beginning to smear a light layer of gel onto the elf's lips, finishing and packing everything away.

"Lay back and rest, we'll be back in the city in only a short while, I don't think we'll be finding any other survivors today." He said, moving to the back of the cart to open up an umbrella, allowing the elf to relax in a small form of shade. Returning to the front of his cart, his hand grabbed a harness attached to a mule, preparing it to begin their routine travel. Turning back towards the way the elf had been heading, it wouldn't be long before they reached their destination.

Soon enough, no more than thirty-five minutes had passed, though it seemed much longer for the elf. The two reached a somewhat small desert town, lined with tall brick walls made from hard sandstone. The main gates were made from a unfamiliar type of wood to the elf, it being a very light brown and looked very fragile, but was strong enough to hold out whatever it needed. As they moved into the city, the cart moved from sand to very smooth sandstone roads, the mule's hooves heard clacking against the ground and the ride becoming more smooth. They moved past many different creatures. Ones that looked like the man who had saved him, but with different shades of skin, though they were not the only ones in which inhabited this place. The elf's eyes lit up with deep curiosity, never seeing such a race before in his life. Around him were buildings not so grand, but not so poor, made of sand bricks similar to the walls of the city. They were well kept but also showing the true age of the settlement. Many homes were lined with the same light wood as the main gate, aiding in keeping the structures sturdy, but it helped with visual appeal. The streets were lined with wooden stands and carts selling desert fruit and vegetables, as well as meat and goods. The population of the city appeared to be quite diverse, being mainly of these man like creatures.