Chapter 11
Squick warning: There is a little bit of watersports/piss play in this chapter but as it's not a main theme, so I left it out of the tags.
-Blu
Kal first noticed the clamor of voices as he abruptly returned from the astral plane. The voices in the group of people ranged from worried and concerned to belligerent and demanding.
"Just give him a shake and see if he wakes up," said one man. Kal recognized him as one of those paying to sleep in his Elven-made shelter. He was also the same man Kal nearly threw out because he didn't understand what Kal meant by, "not for sale," regarding both Kashka and the tent.
"He told me to guard him until he wakes, not wake him up so he can address your complaints. My Master never guaranteed he would continue making his tent available for your use," came Kashka's snarling answer.
"How long do you think it will be?" said someone else. "We would like to get some sleep before we start moving again."
"Nothing is preventing you from returning to your own litters and getting a night's rest there." the cat-girl snapped.
"Ria," Kal groaned. Kashka's ear flicked backward. She appeared to be the only one who heard him, though the blurry and unfocused view through his heavy eyelids made it hard to tell. "Ria, Tent. Kashka, get Laika. Need sleep," he murmured.
"Don't you fall asleep on me, Kal!" shouted Ria even as the shimmering light floated from her bag and turned into the canvas square of his tent resting in his lap. "What happened back home?!"
"'vrybuddy'sokay," he mumbled before his head drooped. The stamina rune on his vambrace flickered for a moment before slowly fading. A light snore accompanied Kal's next breath.
Ignoring the comments coming from the gathered crowd, Ria looked over at Kashka then pointed at the canvas square. "What the hell am I supposed to do with that?!"
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Far behind the camel train, a man and woman sat huddled together for warmth under a heavy blanket beneath the cloudless Sulerin sky. Their backs rested against the camel carrying all of their earthly possessions. A stone's throw away, the corpse of a second camel lay on its side.
"I told you, Fadu, you should have gotten a better camel," the woman snapped at her husband. "Now we have no money to start our new life once we get to the other side."
Fadu kept silent as he and his wife tried to wait out the cold desert night. Aside from addressing the woman's disrespect, there was little he could say in his defense. He purchased the now-deceased camel shortly before they left Fazal, but instead of going to one of the reputable herdsmen, a friend of a friend was selling a camel he no longer needed at a fantastically low price. Sadly, Fadu didn't deal with the beasts often and missed the indications of an aged, worn-out animal. That was until they arrived at Fazal's eastern gate for inspection and compared it to all the normal, healthy camels.
Though the poor thing struggled at times and consistently lost ground to the other caravanners, the beast managed to keep up enough to stay within the line of camels and people. It required setting out a little earlier than the rest each morning not to fall behind the main group by nightfall, but another camel was too expensive, so they made do. If they made it to the other side of the Great Desert, Fadu planned on setting the old thing free to live out its final days wandering the savannah. That idea died just before sunset as the animal collapsed on the sands then expired soon after. A passing merchant saw their predicament and offered to sell them one of his spare animals. The cost of the new beast wiped out the money he and his wife reserved for starting their lives away from Fazal's crowded streets.
As they finished their purchase and transferred everything over to the new camel, the caravan left them behind. Fadu wasn't worried as the caravan's trail was easy to follow unless a sandstorm scrubbed it away between tonight and tomorrow when they caught up. However, the sun set as they struggled to get all of their belongings moved and secured. Unwilling to chance drawing a sandworms' attention by setting up a tent, they were stuck fending off the cold desert air with a lone blanket until morning. Traveling at night with the caravan was fine as they were protected by the sandworms' agreement with the caravan leaders. But traveling alone at night when they were forced to go slow or tumble over a dune's crest was little more than offering the giant worms an easy meal. Though it would be awkward without a proper saddle, they could ride the camel back to the caravan tomorrow morning. The beasts weren't fast, but even a loaded-down camel's brisk walk could outrun a sandworm.
"Silence, Solla, you'll bring the worms upon us," said the man while drawing his wife closer.
Despite her nagging moments ago, Solla grudgingly accepted the arm around her. Though born and raised on the edge of the Great Desert, they were both unprepared for the biting cold of the Sulerin night's air. In Fazal, the stone streets and mud-brick buildings released the day's heat once the sun disappeared behind the western mountains, leaving a small window of chilliness just before sunrise. But out on the dunes, the heat radiated away almost as quickly as the sun vanished below the horizon.
Still muttering in annoyance, Fadu's wife snuggled up under his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. The man leaned over and kissed her on top of her head. It smelled like she put a new scented oil in her hair today, and he found the aroma quite pleasing. His hand slid down her shoulder and cupped his wife's breast through her shirt. He thought for a moment she might push it away when she brought her own hand up to cover his but received a pleasant surprise when she pressed his fingers into her. After a few moments of kneading, she tugged her loose travel robe down her shoulder. Fadu's hand snaked inside, and she hummed happily as his fingers brushed across her nipple.