Uncharted

[Caira Ayryn]

...

“Well, I couldn’ find no doctor, but ain’t no better healer in this town than my wife. Better than any charlatan I’ ever met.” The old man explained when he saw her eyes open for the first time in eighteen hours. “Meet Patty, she’s my sweetheart an’ she is taking a little dose right now, she took care of ya’ and didn’ leave your side fer an instant.”

“Ah, how long-” Caira rose from her flat position on the bed to a more alert one. Her stomach lurched into her throat as she felt the sensation of air in her nose and the inexorable nausea hit her all at once. She swayed as she leaned her weight against the headboard and took in colors of the small wooden room as her eyes grappled for any stability to grasp. The room spun a few times as she caught glimpses of a window to her left that streamed with light, directly in front of her were her mobile toes that wiggled on command -something that she was thankful for- and on her right was the old man, whom had yet to introduce himself. On an end-table next to her were a few desert flowers and cacti gathered in a vase that had withered with the drought of time.

The cozily themed room was lightly speckled with lares and penates. Still, she smiled, it was better than the unending horizon line. “Thank you.” Caira stammered and winced as she found that she had a swollen wrist, and her attire had been changed into something out of an old western: Buttons, frills, and pink corduroy skirt showered her flowing movements. The girl looked horrified for a moment, but pretended not to after she realized that hopefully Patty had changed her. She didn’t feel any granules of sand in the sheets and the lack of sand was a sensation she could appreciate after being in a windy cage of it.

Across the wooden room in a chair her weapons and clothing sat freshly cleaned but not untouched. The Prime grimaced and held her left wrist in her right hand.

“Problem is, to combat dehydration patients, we always used’a put a pinch o’ salt in with water, but you got yerself some swellin’ there so we weren’t able to.” he said and handed her a glass of water, which Caira first sniffed to see if it was laced with anything -later feeling guilty about this- before chugging the whole thing and asking for seconds. “Can’ have seconds yet, ya’ probly’ don’ave enough salt in your system to retain it.”

Caira understood and held her swelled wrist, and elevated it on a pillow against the end table. “Say, where did Murad head off to?” Caira inquired lightly and remembering the welcoming toothy grin as well as the name assigned to it.

A dark shadow cast on the old man’s face, “Murad is still guarding the town, I got off duty after you showed up and called for me a replacement.”

“That was kind of you.” Caira spoke, “I still haven’t introduced myself. My name is Ayryn.” Caira would continue to masquerade under the alias -it was safer that way- and extended her right hand, she didn’t feel quite as bad bad deceiving her hosts and found an untrue name somehow comforting in this obscure situation.

“Daniels.” he said, looking deeply into her eyes and subtly calling her bluff.

Caira blinked and was startled by his forward challenge, his heart had skipped a beat too. His was a false name like hers, an alias, and a very detectable lie.

“Don’ worry, we’re a town that doesn’t ask questions. I’ve lived here for quite the while, heck my brother owns the saloon down the street, so you could say its a family business.”

The girl wasn’t sure what to make of her current situation, the old man had winked as that her lie wouldn’t be told to Patty, probably because it would break her heart, as the tall and beautiful woman of about fifty entered through the doorway and spoke to Caira in the kindest sense. With a southern and charming accent, she welcomed the girl and told her of her wounds, implying that she had detected the trace amounts of paralysis potion still effecting Caira and later mentioning that she had no idea how she got out of the storm alive.

“Good luck you found my Artie here. Not everyone in this town is so hospitable.” she smiled and held Mr. Daniels’ hand.

The Prime nodded to the couple and Patty left the room to bring the young girl in a sandwich. Caira smiled at the hospitality, and her manners obligated her to eat it despite how the monk had had enough sand for a lifetime. And plenty more to come..

Some time passed, Patty told Caira she could remain in the rather quaint and cozy house for as long as she wanted, provided she gave herself time for her wounds to heal before adventuring through the dunes.

“Oh, Mr. Daniels told you about that?”

“Crazy I think, it is. But, a young girl like yourself has plenty of time to be independent before she settles down. If you ask Artie I’m sure he will give you some pointers as to where to travel to.”

The heat had made her restless and in any case, if she returned too soon to Coruscant there was a chance her captors would show what they were fully capable of. Caira didn’t take the risk, instead followed a lead. What if this was meant to happen? Omni’s will, of sorts. Was there something at the end of the open plains she was meant to see and experience for herself? And there was a slim chance her captors [themselves] had not returned to Coruscant, but had ventured off into hiding on the outskirts of the desert with the bandits. What if, Omni was just around the corner and this was but a step in the right direction?

There was only one way to find out.

”Omni, I’m coming after you, and I will find you. You have my word.”

Caira was left with the wonting question, 'Why?'

Now, she found herself chasing this question.. Into the Endless Dunes.

...

A tumbleweed stumbled blissfully into town as it rode on a gentle breeze. “Glad to see that you got here safely.” Caira said to the rolling plant as she recalled the tremors of wind she had strolled into town with.

Yet, the Prime was back on her feet and fully adorned with her upgraded suit and the weight of her weapons fell naturally on her shoulders and hips while she followed Daniels to his guard duties, “You ever alternate sides? Like, around the walls?” her voice asked shyly as the tent shielded them from the sun.

“Nope. No real reason, with the wind the dunes seem to change th’ scenery daily.” Daniels voice echoed. "So we know what to look for, on our side."

Caira would have asked the reason as this struck her as peculiar, but held her tongue as Daniels offered some advice and a bit of a warning for her travels to come, “If you have any means of going underground, I’d advise against it. I ain’t sure if you Primes can conjure some sorta drill to get past the mountains, but... Them 'uns who dwell there ain’t friendly to nobody. Were you a crying child, they wouldn’t even waste a bullet to shut you up. But they'd let the beasts get ye.”

“Is it really that bad?”

“Worse, some o’ them are cannibals, eat their own only to last another day in the shadows of the sun. I suggest you find yerself an honorable guide, though there ain’ none in this town, maybe make one with some of that Omnilium ye’ have. Still it’ll only take ya so far before you reach the borders of sanity... I strongly suggest you make a stop at Carrefore before you set out on yer journey. I got a friend there that’ll offer some current events and travel advice.”

Caira nodded. Dusk came and the stars peeked out of the sky, she paced the surrounding walls of the town to get a good idea of their defenses yet getting a glimpse of the four scrawny guards she felt more and more insecure of the town’s safety. In her course she passed politely by the men guarding the town and waved to them with a mischievous smile that was enhanced only by the haunting shade of moonlight.