A visit to the Dunes (and Dracwick)

[Yukki Kazuto]

I stepped out of the gate, and was momentarily blinded. I looked around and saw what appeared to be a savanna, with tall grass and a few trees scattered around the area. A pale blue sky with no clouds shined above me, and the sun bore down a blazing heat, a little uncomfortable, but not completely unbearable.

I looked around, spotting a settlement, and made my way towards it. A short walk I found myself in a small village centered around an oasis. Everything seemed to be centered around one building, which I quickly made my way to, hoping someone inside would be able to tell me about this place.

I walked in, and nobody seemed to care. Everybody was busy doing their own activities. Some people were sitting around a bar drinking, others sitting around tables, gambling. Some people were just standing around, as if they were there because they had nowhere else to go.

Everyone was talking. Some people about drinks, about friends, disputes over the value of an item, about how much money was owed to this particular person, if they wanted to live to see the light of day again. I watched one group play a game of cards from a small distance. They seemed to not being enjoying themselves, as if they weren’t really there for the game.

They quickly proved to be painfully boring to watch. Nobody was playing smartly, or bothered trying to hide their emotions. I moved over to the bar and sat down. I waved off the man behind it before resting my head down on it.

It didn’t take long until I realized I had made a mistake. Within a few minutes, someone was stood over me, threatening me with death if I didn’t give them the seat so they could have a drink. I walked out of the building, careful to make sure the person stayed behind and didn’t follow me.

I glanced back in the direction of the gate, unsure if I should stay here or not...