Chapter 1 - The Wanderer's first companion

There’s a beautiful place out there. In this scorching, unforgiving desert that we call home, we have to believe that there are things worth living for. Things like family or friends, love or money… or the beautiful paradise called Oasis. So, there’s a story about this traveler who decided to go on a journey, he wanted to see what the world had to offer for those of us who lived in Shadaar. On his travels, the traveler found the true struggle of Shadaar. He found people who were living in poverty, off of whatever they could find, people who died in the middle of nowhere from dehydration or from bandits. He meet people who gave up on life, who were near the edge of death, and even he was at death’s door time to time. The traveler truly knew the pain of living in this desert country, and he wanted to give up, but just as he was about to give up, he found it. He found Oasis. It was beautiful. There was water everywhere, the place was abundant with plants and wildlife. He could live there for years and years, with no fear of starving. The traveler decided to tell the world of this paradise, so he went to the nearest town, and told everyone. The townspeople were enthralled, they immediately traveled there. However, something went wrong, the traveler could not find Oasis. He knew it had to be real, how else would he still be alive. So, the traveler apologized to the townspeople, and told them he would be on his way to find oasis. However this time, the traveler found something different. He found people who were  willing to share their home with him, and give him water and food. He found beautiful sights and treasures. He found happiness.

Now, unfortunately, the traveler died before he could ever find Oasis, and tragically, we still have no idea where that Oasis is, or if it’s even real. The only proof the traveler had was his word, and some water he had taken with him. Needless to say, the proof wasn’t very strong. However, while he never did find Oasis, the traveler did spread word of this beautiful paradise that he found, and many of the citizens who heard the story were entranced by it. Like I said, Shadaar can be a brutal, unforgiving desert, and the people who live here need to believe in something. So, when the story spread years ago, a movement began. Thousands of people would began to leave their hometown, in search of new sights and discoveries, and of course, for Oasis. This has become the norm for many young adults, who have always wanted more from life. Since these new travelers weren’t really looking for anything in particular, they wandered the desert, hoping to find anything worthwhile. Because of this, they’re called many things. Travelers, drifters, vagrants, nomads, and most commonly, wanderers.

The Wanderer

“F**k! Goddammit, f*****g bandits and their f*****g-a******s! Ah, s**t, I’m bleeding a lot, what am I gonna do?”

I continue to stagger away from the bandit as I bleed out, realizing trying to steal a bandit's sword from him was a terrible idea. Aghr, d****t! This wasn’t supposed to happen, this was supposed to be my grand adventure, I was gonna find riches, see Oasis, and become a legend! But now, I’m gonna f*****g die in the middle of nowhere. I can’t go back to town either, it’s too far now and I don’t have a map anymore. This was a terrible idea, I should have never left home.  Oh well, I guess this is how it end, alone, with nothing to show for…. bummer.

“Hello? Anyone, please, is anyone out there, argh, F**k!”

I start losing consciousness after a while, and begin to accept my demise. Maybe someone will find my body, I could be like a message to others to be more careful when travelling. That’s a … not comforting thought, actually. As my eyesight begins to weaken, I see two figures approaching me. One of them pauses for a moment, and begins to walk away. The other one continues.

“Oh s**t...You're gonna be alright, just lie still...”  I close my eyes and start drifting away.

Ahh s**t, what happened? I feel… kinda cold, actually. I open my eyes and realize I’m not in the middle of nowhere anymore. I think I’m actually at someone’s place, in an old wooden room.  An old woman walks into the room with a box of things. She sees me and smiles.

“Oh, good, you're awake now. You’re lucky, if it weren’t for Claire, you’d be dead now, at the mercy of the desert.” An old woman says, while putting a bucket of water next to me. Oh my God, Water! Instinctively, I grab the bucket and start chugging the water. I stop when I take control of myself, though. I shouldn’t burden these people. “Don’t worry about the water, it’d be a waste if you didn’t take any.”

“I’m grateful. I would give you something in return, though I’m afraid I don’t have anything to offer anymore. I’d be more then happy to help you in any way you need.”

“Nonsense, we didn’t save you because we wanted a reward, we saved you because you were in need. Though, I suppose if you're going to stay here for a while, we could use some extra hands.”

“Of course, anything! So could I ask what happened back there, I mean, I don’t mean to sound rude, but, I should be dead. I was bleeding a lot back at the desert, but it seems the wound is… uhhh.” I put my hand on the wound, and feeling no pain, I realize my wounds been sealed shut! “What happened, exactly? How long have I been unconscious?”

“It’s been almost a full day. You’ve sustained some damage, so I recommend you rest for while, however we have alleviated most of the problem. We stopped the bleeding as soon as possible, and had your wound sewn shut.”

“Yeah, but it’s strange, I feel like I should be in a worse condition.”

“Huh, well you're right about that, boy. I’ll explain it to you in another time, though. For now, would you mind telling me your name?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have forgotten, it’s Syd. May I ask what yours is?”

“Of course, it’s Teresa.”

Teresa’s about to say something, when she’s interrupted by a knock. “Hey, are you up? I’m coming in.” A young woman walks into the room. “Oh, Teresa, am I interrupting something?”

“Ah, Claire, glad you're here. The traveler you found is finally awake.”

“Huh, that’s good to hear. Uhh, hey, I’m Claire, it’s nice to meet you.” Claire seems kinda distant, almost like she doesn’t even want to talk to me. I almost kinda feel bad.

“Now, Claire, don’t be so rude. Come see our guest, He’ll be staying here for a while.” Teresa then turns to me “This is Claire, the girl I mentioned earlier, she’s the one who found you.”

“Alright, alright.” Claire starts walking around me. As she gets closer, I start feeling this weird sensation, like the air around me is changing. “So, are you a wanderer? That was rough back there, it looked pretty bad. I’m, uh, glad you're okay.”

I almost began to lose focus while she’s talking to me “Huh? Oh, right, yeah, I am a wanderer. I was actually heading to Rincus, when these dumb bandits got the best of me. Ugh, it looks like they got all my stuff, too.” I’m embarrassed to admit this is how my journey starts.

“Bummer, maybe you should make sure you’re better prepared next time.” I get the sense that Claire does not like me.

“Claire, don’t be so callous!”

“No, no, she’s right. It was foolish of me to go out into the desert without any precautions to protect myself.” I had a knife with me, but it feels pointless to say that now.

“Nonsense, no one should be blamed for being robbed because they're not prepared. Well, no matter, you should get some more rest. If you wish to help, like you said, you can wake up early tomorrow to help me get some materials. Though if you want, nothing's stopping you from leaving when your well and able to.” Teresa walks out of the room, leaving Claire alone with me.

“Hey, sorry about that, I didn’t mean what I said. It looked like you put up a struggle, so you must not have been that easy to mug.”

“Thanks, I guess?”

“No, no no, I didn’t mean like that- I just meant that uhhh… just... don’t blame yourself. The bandits around here are tough. I’m gonna head out, I’ll see you tomorrow.” As she leaves the room, the weird sensation I’ve been getting weakens, too. I wonder what that was, it feels kinda mystical.  I try to think about what's happened, though at the moment I’m only drawing a blur. I decide it’s just best for me to listen to Teresa, and get some rest.

Author's Note

I'm still new, so any feed back would be very much appreciated!