[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/jvSJcsv.png[/img][/center] [hr] [i][b]The fork flies, nobody dies.[/b][/i] [hr] The diversion was away. The die was cast. Nothing Yalen could do mattered now, so he held his breath and waited. He pulled his holy medallion off his hand and wrapped the chain around his neck. Yalen’s hands flowed in unison as they formed a divine pentagram, then came together to complete the sign of the Pentad. [color=#FD5E53][i]Oraff is my savior. I shall know no fear.[/i][/color] Yalen’s mind raced with silent prayers of safety and courage. [color=#FD5E53][i]Should this plan fail, let me be the only one to fall. I am ready.[/i][/color] The beast was so close it could shake the earth beneath their feet. The dry winds were blowing, but the monk did not close his eyes. Yalen would stand witness to the coming moment no matter what, whether the group was about to meet its salvation… or its demise. In this rare moment of tranquility, the world appeared sluggish. The bells of the refuge may as well have been distant claps of thunder. When the head of the scaly tyrant breached the surface, Yalen instinctively held his breath. As he beheld the colossal wyrm, his mind instantly froze. A monster of that size shouldn’t exist. His primitive brain would not accept it. He could only stand and stare as time appeared to slow down. And then it turned. The wyrm forced its head back under the sand and withdrew, apparently deceived by the metal decoy. Twenty tons of dragon passed by like a locomotive, and the trembling of the sand forced Yalen to fall backwards. When the sand wyrm was finally gone, the fallen cleric was partially buried by the sand spray. [color=ffdead]"Hahahaaaaa you piece of shit!"[/color] Yalen could hear Jocasta cursing. [color=ffdead]"I-I hope you have to poop it out, you d-damned worm!"[/color] What a mouth she had on her! He felt someone’s spell pull upon him, lifting him out of the sand. After scrambling on all fours to retrieve his pearlwood cane, Yalen managed to rise to his feet and rejoin the others. By the grace of the gods, nobody was hurt. It filled him with relief knowing that they were okay. There wasn’t much time to rejoice though. They had to get behind the sanctuary walls before the sand wyrm decided it wanted seconds. [color=C78A2C]"Yeahhhhhhh!"[/color] Zarina raised a hand for a high-five, which he happily returned. Despite their camaraderie, he declined Zarina’s offer of a piggyback with a look of embarrassment on his face. He had no idea if she was joking. It was hard to tell with her. [hr] [i][b]Safe at last.[/b][/i] [hr] There was an inexplicable delay before the six students were granted entrance into the refuge. A chill went up Yalen’s spine as a stiff breeze hit him, his perspiration causing the air to feel like ice. His body was exhausted by the terror of facing two life threatening encounters so close together. When the wooden gates finally opened, Yalen was hanging on to his cane with both hands. The same could be said for many of those in the surrounding crowd. Though there were a handful unafflicted individuals present, the majority of the people gathered were refugees. The tethered. It looked like a crowd of war veterans. The only ones not being supported by crutches or wheelchair were the children running about, frantically trying to avoid getting snatched up by their guardians. There weren’t enough guards about to keep the crowd from growing, and the air was buzzing with chatter. Yalen was stopped in his tracks when a child managed to slip through and make it to him, beaming. [color=ec008c]"We don't geh visidors verrey offen!"[/color] she said with a thick Segonese accent. [color=ec008c]"Only waan in de whole time I'm heer!"[/color] She blinked and regarded his cane for a moment. [color=ec008c]"Whehr you froam?"[/color] she asked. [color=#FD5E53][i]How precious![/i][/color] Yalen couldn’t stop himself from smiling as he squatted down to meet her eye to eye. [color=#FD5E53]“Me? I come from Ersand’Enise!”[/color] He raised his voice so that he could be heard above the noise. [color=ec008c]“Ersandenis?”[/color] The Segonese girl fumbled over the phrase with a look of confusion. [color=ec008c]“Haha, you talk wead mistuh!”[/color] The way she so innocently derided him made Yalen crack up a bit. [color=#FD5E53]“What’s your name little one?”[/color] He asked her. [color=ec008c]“Rita!”[/color] She giggled. [color=#FD5E53]“I’m Yalen! Nice to meet you!”[/color] He reached out and ruffled her curly hair a bit. Rita laughed even louder, but eventually pushed his hand off. [color=ec008c]“You gottsa cane too! Yuh’re one of us!”[/color] She poked at his fancy walking stick out of curiosity. [color=ec008c]“Big kids dun’t walk on all foors! You do! How come? How come?”[/color] For a little while the young man entertained his wee visitor, but the bubbly conversation was interrupted by the sound of a pistol being fired. An amplified voice made itself heard over the frightened murmuring of the residents. [color=f26522]"It is well past curfew for anyone under sixteen,"[/color] he commanded in Avincian, repeating himself in Torragonese. [color=f26522]"Come now: you know this. The desert is harsh and these travelers encountered some wildlife. You are to return to your rooms or tomorrow's recreation time will have to be canceled!"[/color] A woman with a similar complexion to Rita appeared from the crowd and rushed over to the youngster to grab her hand. She was rather colorfully dressed, though her heavy chainmail shirt and wicked looking halberd indicated that the lady was not to be trifled with. [color=735D7D]“There you are, you naughty child! I look away for ten seconds and here I find you disturbing our master’s guests! Please excuse us Brother.”[/color] The Segonese guardswoman had to practically drag the resistant juvenile away. Rita puffed her cheeks up and pouted, evidently displeased at having to part ways with her new friend so soon. Yalen regretfully waved goodbye to her. He hoped they would cross paths again in the near future. Events played out as expected. The warden introduced himself along with some of his cabinet. Some matters of grave importance came up, especially that of a wild aberration being spotted somewhere outside the refuge. After seeing the Halassa go wild against their natural instincts, Yalen didn’t need to make many inferences as to what would happen if the same thing affected the sand wyrm. He had little to say, so he listened carefully and tried to absorb as much of the conversation as he could. When Marceline led the team to their quarters, Yalen’s entire body nearly went limp. Too much caffeine. Too much adrenaline. Not enough sleep. He was so dearly close to a warm bed… No bath would be needed tonight. His bed time prayers would have to be brief.