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Desert Grey 10
Merriam Hayden
ABANDONED CITY, FAIZAH IS DIRECTING GROUPS
“[Scour this place for anything useful. I don’t want to stay here for longer than a couple more days.]” Faizah watches Janet walk up to her “Ah, the Salt Skin’s awake.”
“I want to help.”
Faizah crosses her arms “Why?”
Janet bites her lip “Because I want to do what’s right and I’ve realized that destroying everything I once believed was true to be the right thing.”
“You don’t sound very convinced of that.”
“I’m trying to not let myself back out. I need to stick to my commitments.”
Faizah smiles “Your brother has to be goaded into doing any actual work. He was better as a messenger. Let’s see how well you fare.”
“What do you want me to do?”
Faizah looks over at Malika “Malika! Take Janet on your search with you! Teach her some Gaan while you’re at it.”
Malika walks over to Janet who waves awkwardly at her
PART OF THE WALL COLLAPSES, Faizah starts running toward it “[I’ll take care of it!]”
MEANWHILE AT THE HEALER’S TENT, Torrid starts to open his eyes, Angie is asleep on his chest and there are wet spots near his eyes
“You woke up!” Elijah by his side and takes his hand “Praise the Spirits! I…Angie will be relieved when he wakes up.”
“Why does this seem so familiar?” Torrid sits up and holds Angie who starts waking up
“Torrid?” Angie grins “Torrid!” He hugs him
“Kid, what happened last night?”
“You don’t remember?”
“No.”
Samson walks up to them “Oh good! We worried you wouldn’t wake up.”
“Who’s this?”
“Philip Samson M.D. I’m a healer.” Samson shakes Torrid’s hand
“A tribal healer with a medical degree?”
“It’s a long story. Anyway the important thing is I managed to run some tests on your blood. You’re suffering from alcohol withdrawal.”
“That makes sense. I haven’t had a drink in…Jesa God, it’s been over a week.”
“My wife Ruby is making a detox remedy for you. Since Elijah volunteered to be your counselor he’ll be put in charge of making sure you actually take it-“
“Wait what?”
“Elijah is going to counsel you because, obviously, you’re an alcoholic for a reason. The detox remedy will, well, get the poison out of your system.”
“And who decided this?”
“Um…” Samson points at Elijah
Torrid glares at Elijah “Since when have you been my keeper?”
“Torrid, if Angie hadn’t seen you and woke me up you could’ve died. I will not allow you to continue down a self destructive path.”
“Why would you care what I do?”
“Because I care about you!”
“You care about everyone!”
“Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?!”
Angie and Samson wilt away from the fighting pair
“I didn’t…I don’t…why should I stop drinking? What do I have to live for?”
“You have Angie. You have me. The Wanderers can find a place for you.” Elijah reaches up to touch his face
Samson clears his throat “Well, anyway, Torrid should eat something. It would help with his recovery.”
“I’m hungry too.” Angie pulls Torrid by the hand and Elijah follows close behind them
MEANWHILE WITH JANET AND MALIKA
“So, um…” Janet climbs over some rubble “[Are you fine?]”
“[I am well.]” Malika pushes things out of the way
“[Good.] I think. How am I doing?” Janet walks up to her
Malika just looks down at her and keeps walking
Janet sighs, then hears something, she takes out a gun
“[Don’t waste your bullets. You only have a few.]”
“Did you hear that? There’s something watching us.”
Malika stops and looks around, Janet keeps her defensive stance, SUDDENLY A SNAKE BOY APPEARS, MAGGS POPS OUT AND TACKLES HIM BEFORE HE HURTS MALIKA OR JANET
Janet grips her gun, Malika puts a hand on her shoulder “[You can put that away. Maggs can handle herself.]”
Janet fumbles putting her gun back in its holster
“[Do you fear Maggs?]”
“[Fear? Yes.]”
“[You shouldn’t. Kwame raised her not to harm us.]”
“What was that word you used?”
“Ama. It means mother.”
“Mother…as in Kwame is Maggs mother?!”
“In a way.” Malika pushes things out of her way
“How did that come to be?”
“[The same way I came to join this tribe. We were both rescued from the Jovial Circus.]”
“Jovial Circus? That’s a Norsch Kingdom Circus…so…{Do you know any Norsch dialects?}”
Malika turns and looks at her with surprise “{You know this dialect?}”
“{I studied it in school. I was part of a language club actually. I had a crush on a transfer student from the Norsch Kingdom. She was beautiful and I loved her voice. Kwame has a pretty voice too.}” Janet smiles shyly
Malika just grins “{Kwame is very likeable. She and Faizah saved me from a life of being a cruel ring master’s attraction.}”
“{Let me guess-Strong Woman?}”
“{No. I was a monster. At least that is what everyone called me.}”
“{That sounds horrible.}”
“{I was lucky to be rescued. Kwame helped herself to a snake woman’s egg. Maggs was born soon after we got away. Perhaps she wasn’t the only snake person to escape.}”
MAGGS WRESTLES WITH THE SNAKE BOY AS THINGS TURN WEIRDLY AMOUROUS BETWEEN THEM
MEANWHILE WITH TORRID, ANGIE, AND ELIJAH
The three of them are eating eats
Michael is sitting with them “Is it good? Abeni and I made them.”
“They’re delicious!” Angie chows them
“Then you should eat a lot of them. A boy your age shouldn’t be so thin.”
Elijah chuckles “*That coming from a man so small?*”
“*I can’t help being small. You said so yourself.*”
Torrid is sitting in awkward silence, Andrew and John spar nearby, Andrew shots dirty looks Torrid’s way every now and again
Elijah touches Torrid’s arm
“Are you alright?”
“I feel…ill.”
“That’s normal. You’ll feel a little sick and…you’ll have trouble sleeping. There are also the hallucinations to consider.”
“The more you talk about this the more I want to find a nice tub of vodka to shove my head in.”
“No, Torrid. You’re going to heal. I’ll help you do it.” Elijah holds Torrid’s hand
END PART 10
Desert Grey 10
Merriam Hayden
ABANDONED CITY, FAIZAH IS DIRECTING GROUPS
“[Scour this place for anything useful. I don’t want to stay here for longer than a couple more days.]” Faizah watches Janet walk up to her “Ah, the Salt Skin’s awake.”
“I want to help.”
Faizah crosses her arms “Why?”
Janet bites her lip “Because I want to do what’s right and I’ve realized that destroying everything I once believed was true to be the right thing.”
“You don’t sound very convinced of that.”
“I’m trying to not let myself back out. I need to stick to my commitments.”
Faizah smiles “Your brother has to be goaded into doing any actual work. He was better as a messenger. Let’s see how well you fare.”
“What do you want me to do?”
Faizah looks over at Malika “Malika! Take Janet on your search with you! Teach her some Gaan while you’re at it.”
Malika walks over to Janet who waves awkwardly at her
PART OF THE WALL COLLAPSES, Faizah starts running toward it “[I’ll take care of it!]”
MEANWHILE AT THE HEALER’S TENT, Torrid starts to open his eyes, Angie is asleep on his chest and there are wet spots near his eyes
“You woke up!” Elijah by his side and takes his hand “Praise the Spirits! I…Angie will be relieved when he wakes up.”
“Why does this seem so familiar?” Torrid sits up and holds Angie who starts waking up
“Torrid?” Angie grins “Torrid!” He hugs him
“Kid, what happened last night?”
“You don’t remember?”
“No.”
Samson walks up to them “Oh good! We worried you wouldn’t wake up.”
“Who’s this?”
“Philip Samson M.D. I’m a healer.” Samson shakes Torrid’s hand
“A tribal healer with a medical degree?”
“It’s a long story. Anyway the important thing is I managed to run some tests on your blood. You’re suffering from alcohol withdrawal.”
“That makes sense. I haven’t had a drink in…Jesa God, it’s been over a week.”
“My wife Ruby is making a detox remedy for you. Since Elijah volunteered to be your counselor he’ll be put in charge of making sure you actually take it-“
“Wait what?”
“Elijah is going to counsel you because, obviously, you’re an alcoholic for a reason. The detox remedy will, well, get the poison out of your system.”
“And who decided this?”
“Um…” Samson points at Elijah
Torrid glares at Elijah “Since when have you been my keeper?”
“Torrid, if Angie hadn’t seen you and woke me up you could’ve died. I will not allow you to continue down a self destructive path.”
“Why would you care what I do?”
“Because I care about you!”
“You care about everyone!”
“Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?!”
Angie and Samson wilt away from the fighting pair
“I didn’t…I don’t…why should I stop drinking? What do I have to live for?”
“You have Angie. You have me. The Wanderers can find a place for you.” Elijah reaches up to touch his face
Samson clears his throat “Well, anyway, Torrid should eat something. It would help with his recovery.”
“I’m hungry too.” Angie pulls Torrid by the hand and Elijah follows close behind them
MEANWHILE WITH JANET AND MALIKA
“So, um…” Janet climbs over some rubble “[Are you fine?]”
“[I am well.]” Malika pushes things out of the way
“[Good.] I think. How am I doing?” Janet walks up to her
Malika just looks down at her and keeps walking
Janet sighs, then hears something, she takes out a gun
“[Don’t waste your bullets. You only have a few.]”
“Did you hear that? There’s something watching us.”
Malika stops and looks around, Janet keeps her defensive stance, SUDDENLY A SNAKE BOY APPEARS, MAGGS POPS OUT AND TACKLES HIM BEFORE HE HURTS MALIKA OR JANET
Janet grips her gun, Malika puts a hand on her shoulder “[You can put that away. Maggs can handle herself.]”
Janet fumbles putting her gun back in its holster
“[Do you fear Maggs?]”
“[Fear? Yes.]”
“[You shouldn’t. Kwame raised her not to harm us.]”
“What was that word you used?”
“Ama. It means mother.”
“Mother…as in Kwame is Maggs mother?!”
“In a way.” Malika pushes things out of her way
“How did that come to be?”
“[The same way I came to join this tribe. We were both rescued from the Jovial Circus.]”
“Jovial Circus? That’s a Norsch Kingdom Circus…so…{Do you know any Norsch dialects?}”
Malika turns and looks at her with surprise “{You know this dialect?}”
“{I studied it in school. I was part of a language club actually. I had a crush on a transfer student from the Norsch Kingdom. She was beautiful and I loved her voice. Kwame has a pretty voice too.}” Janet smiles shyly
Malika just grins “{Kwame is very likeable. She and Faizah saved me from a life of being a cruel ring master’s attraction.}”
“{Let me guess-Strong Woman?}”
“{No. I was a monster. At least that is what everyone called me.}”
“{That sounds horrible.}”
“{I was lucky to be rescued. Kwame helped herself to a snake woman’s egg. Maggs was born soon after we got away. Perhaps she wasn’t the only snake person to escape.}”
MAGGS WRESTLES WITH THE SNAKE BOY AS THINGS TURN WEIRDLY AMOUROUS BETWEEN THEM
MEANWHILE WITH TORRID, ANGIE, AND ELIJAH
The three of them are eating eats
Michael is sitting with them “Is it good? Abeni and I made them.”
“They’re delicious!” Angie chows them
“Then you should eat a lot of them. A boy your age shouldn’t be so thin.”
Elijah chuckles “*That coming from a man so small?*”
“*I can’t help being small. You said so yourself.*”
Torrid is sitting in awkward silence, Andrew and John spar nearby, Andrew shots dirty looks Torrid’s way every now and again
Elijah touches Torrid’s arm
“Are you alright?”
“I feel…ill.”
“That’s normal. You’ll feel a little sick and…you’ll have trouble sleeping. There are also the hallucinations to consider.”
“The more you talk about this the more I want to find a nice tub of vodka to shove my head in.”
“No, Torrid. You’re going to heal. I’ll help you do it.” Elijah holds Torrid’s hand
END PART 10
