Categories > Original > Fantasy > The Truth in Lies
The sand swirled around my foot as I took another grueling step forward. It had been seven long days under the unrelenting heat of the desert sun. Our flasks were growing empty and the heat was finally chiping away at our nerves. Our journey to the port city of Mietz was only supposed to take a three days but a sandstorm had come out of nowhere and slowed our progress significantly.
"Are we there yet?" grumbled an unhappy Mai. "I'm going to turn into a wrinkly old raisin if this keeps up."
"For the hundreth time no. You'll know when we are close when you can see the walls," I replied weakly. The words were hard to choke out. My mouth felt like the desert I was in and my throat felt ready to crack with every dry swallow.
"You mean those walls?" I followed Mai's pointing finger. Sure enough in the distance you could see the tops of said walls. "Finally! Come on, lets get a move on. I'm parched!" Mai bounded ahead with renewed spirits. Splitting a thin smile I quicken my pace to match hers.
As we neared the city gates a merchant caravan could be seen at the entrance. What looked to be the leader of the caravan was having a heated discussion with the city guards.
"What do you mean everything is closed for business? We've traveled for days to get here and now you're saying it was all for naught?" The caravan leader yelled in the guards face. The guard kept his composure and simply replied that, due to certain circumstances, all business inside the city has been halted.
"Canai, let's just find somewhere else. There is another port only a week and a half away." A girl that looked to be in her teens pleaded with the caravan leader. "We need to make camp before it gets dark anyways." Canai grumbled a few last words to the guard before heading back to the caravan.
"Wow," I muttered under my breath. Mai looked up at me and then at the caravan group.
"What, you have a thing for blondes? I'll admit she does have a sort of charm about her but shes a little to young for my tastes" Mai said grinning.
"Huh? No, I was just. I mean. You don't see hair that colour in these parts. I was just surprised is all," I stammered. Mai chuckled at my flustered response, clearly enjoying herself at my expense. "Anyways, it doesn't look like we will be finding a ship to Tierra Alianza any time soon." I said, trying to recompose myself.
"And to make things worse, we are basically out of water," grumbled Mai while shaking her flask upsidown for emphasis. Mai suddenly grinned, "I guess that means you can ask goldielocks if she has any spare water," she said while nudging me in a playfully.
"Why do I always feel an unsettling shiver down my spine whenever you grin like that?" I ask her. She just replies with a chuckle as we both approach the caravan.
"Are we there yet?" grumbled an unhappy Mai. "I'm going to turn into a wrinkly old raisin if this keeps up."
"For the hundreth time no. You'll know when we are close when you can see the walls," I replied weakly. The words were hard to choke out. My mouth felt like the desert I was in and my throat felt ready to crack with every dry swallow.
"You mean those walls?" I followed Mai's pointing finger. Sure enough in the distance you could see the tops of said walls. "Finally! Come on, lets get a move on. I'm parched!" Mai bounded ahead with renewed spirits. Splitting a thin smile I quicken my pace to match hers.
As we neared the city gates a merchant caravan could be seen at the entrance. What looked to be the leader of the caravan was having a heated discussion with the city guards.
"What do you mean everything is closed for business? We've traveled for days to get here and now you're saying it was all for naught?" The caravan leader yelled in the guards face. The guard kept his composure and simply replied that, due to certain circumstances, all business inside the city has been halted.
"Canai, let's just find somewhere else. There is another port only a week and a half away." A girl that looked to be in her teens pleaded with the caravan leader. "We need to make camp before it gets dark anyways." Canai grumbled a few last words to the guard before heading back to the caravan.
"Wow," I muttered under my breath. Mai looked up at me and then at the caravan group.
"What, you have a thing for blondes? I'll admit she does have a sort of charm about her but shes a little to young for my tastes" Mai said grinning.
"Huh? No, I was just. I mean. You don't see hair that colour in these parts. I was just surprised is all," I stammered. Mai chuckled at my flustered response, clearly enjoying herself at my expense. "Anyways, it doesn't look like we will be finding a ship to Tierra Alianza any time soon." I said, trying to recompose myself.
"And to make things worse, we are basically out of water," grumbled Mai while shaking her flask upsidown for emphasis. Mai suddenly grinned, "I guess that means you can ask goldielocks if she has any spare water," she said while nudging me in a playfully.
"Why do I always feel an unsettling shiver down my spine whenever you grin like that?" I ask her. She just replies with a chuckle as we both approach the caravan.
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