791.II, 9 Berelii: The Golden Sea

791.II, 9 Berelii

I had been asleep in a senseless state for most of the day and night. Rocked by the nonchalant sway of the carriage's pace. We had not stopped for the night for my companions were weary of our unsettling follower. They took turns conducting the hoomas the whole night. Twenty hours passed of comatose sleep, I finally woke to the kiss of dawn of the second day. A warm embrace that would soon turn into scorching heat.

Blinded by the light, I could only hear Berthon's voice. He would never shut at the reins, always mumbling to his beasts when he was not shouting orders or pestering their stubborn sluggishness.

My arm was killing me. My ribs too, along with a few bruises on the leg and back. Now that the shock and dehyration had faded, only pain remained.

As my eyes adjusted, I peeked over the carriage's rim. Dunes. The empty sea of sand waves extended as far as I could see. No shade excepted the few lonely clouds that limped above us, slowly creeping west.

Astrid, who conducted the carriage behind us, saw me.

"Hey Berthon, she's alive!" she shouted. "Finally!"

Berthon glanced back at me, he was smiling. "Thank the gods, finally! we were starting to doubt you'd make it, sleeping beauty!"

"Hey y'all" it was all I could reply, in a meek and painful voice.

"Let's stop for just a sec. I'll extend the tarp to give ya a bit of shade. You thirsty, girl?" I nodded.

He came to the back of the carriage, deployed the overhanging veil above me. then brought a gourd to my lips.

"let's not be long, I dunno what this ryn wants from you but I don't want him getting closer. What girl, we leave you for a minute and you befriend the scariest monsters in the lands, do you?" He paused. "we got five days until we reach Hokarak, I hope it will have turned back cause I don't wanna make a scene, I already have had few clashes with these people in the past."

I felt envigorated by the familiar sight of his ever present frown over my face, he would always worry for the silliest things. I smirked.

"You think it's funny? Does it not scare the crap out of you? I mean, at least it's not that beast who hurt you, right?" I nodded again. "It didn't do it on purpose" I mumbled.

His frown turned into panick. "What the heck, oh hell no, girl. We will need to have a conversation about your shenanigans at some point."

I rested my head down as he was hastily getting the caravan started. The sleds squeaked and the sand underneath gave way. Lifted up by the overheated air, the grains were peppering my face. I rolled up my turban tight, to protect myself from the heat. It tries to suck your force out of you through any opening or exposed skin.

"I think we should try to get as far of this thing as we can" Astrid shouted to Berthod's attention. "no way it's good omen"

"Only through pain and hardship can one percieve the utmost beauty and absolute magic of the desert. Only through sweat and fatigue will one taste its flavour and hear its music. Music made by the dunes, they breathe through the sand; music made by the wind, it weeps."

Joh Latour's personal notes, circa 720.II