AN - I revised this chapter on 03-09-2016

I am blind, but I can see

I am deaf, but I can hear

Soil and air are one in me.

It's the fourth day of this long and tedious journey. We left early, but with the hopes high. My father thinks we can reach the first settlement tonight already. So we travel with the regular pace of the camestriches. I hope to see some changes in the landscape, a bush or a small hill, since we are approaching the end of it, but all I see is the same old dull and lifeless landscape.

While I stare at the red cracked ground, I dwell in a matter that has been bothering me lately. I can't figure out the meaning for my recurring dream. When we were at the Oasis, I dreamt it at night, or better, in the early morning. But lately I dream it while we travel. And every time a new detail is added – I see clearly the interior of a house, I hear a male voice and sounds of anxiety, I smell the smell of smoke. The dream always ends the same way. With the terrifying scream of a small child. My mind is straining to figure out its meaning. Is it a symbolic message or a warning? A memory perhaps, or a glimpse of the future?

While I think in the diverse possibilities, my eyes rest by chance on Near, who is sitting opposite me with his back glued to his father's, as usual. He's staring uninterested at nothing and looks bored, as usual. I blink surprised. All in the sudden, there is a radical change in his expression. His eyes widen and grow large. For the first time, they shine. He looks scared. No, more like panicked. He quickly stands up, turns around and pulls Ryuzaki's shirt.

"Daddy!"

This is the first time I hear him call Ryuzaki like this. His voice is small and frightened. I'm perplexed for his sudden fear. Something is scaring the shit out of the kid. I turn around to look behind me, at the direction Near was staring just a second ago. Nothing. Just the usual red endless deserted landscape. I turn my gaze to back Ryuzaki. He's holding Near close to him, his hand supporting the child's back, while the boy grasps hard at his shirt. Although Ryuzaki doesn't answer Near's desperate call, his shoulders are clearly tense. I'm starting to worry. By now, everybody is staring at Near with confused expressions. The child makes a little noise, close to a little cry and pulls Ryuzaki's shirt harder. Ryuzaki continues silent and this time he turns around to look behind us. He remains static like a statue and looks alert. Nobody dares to utter a word, not even Misa, for its obvious he's focusing all his senses. And then his expression shifts from concentrated to alarmed.

"Stop here!" He suddenly orders my father. His voice is louder than normal and sounds hurried.

"What? Why?" My father asks confused while the looks from the way behind us to the raven-haired man.

"You have to stop, right now!" Ryuzaki speaks with great urgency and jumps of the caravan while my father is still stopping the animals. Near, who was forced to release his father, looks completely stressed out. He presses his stuffed toy against his body, while he stares at his father, his eyes becoming teary. Ryuzaki walks passed the caravan and stops, just a bit behind it. His back is strait and he stands so still. Sometimes he turns his head a bit to one side, like he's trying to see or hear something. He turns around to face us. He looks quite alarmed. Now I'm scared too.

"Hurry, we have little time." Ryuzaki declares and we all stare confused at him. An explanation would be nice. "We have to place the caravan to its side and put all the heavy stuff against it from inside."

The raven-haired man gives us no time to question him, for he's already releasing the camestriches, placing them out of the way. My father looks puzzled, but decides to do what Ryuzaki instructed after a very short hesitation. We all join our forces to turn the caravan to its side and place all the heavy boxes the way he wants. It's like we are building some sort of improvised barricade. But against what? Suddenly, I turn around. The camestiches are making anxious sounds. My mother runs to them because suddenly they are agitated, moving nervously from one side to the other, like if they want to run away from something. I never saw them behave like this before and by heart rate increases as I start to feel more afraid.

"There must be something in the air, some kind of danger, for them to behave this manner." Mother says.

We all look at Ryuzaki, knowing he has the answer. But he's too focused in the boxes' positioning, checking and adjusting them. After a while, he nods silently to himself, finally satisfied with the way the caravan and its load are organized. The raven-haired man turns to my mother. He seems to notice only now the panicked behavior from the camestriches.

Ryuzaki takes hold of the caravan's thick cover and together with my father and I, we fasten it secure to the ground. He quickly orders my mother to bring the animals inside the caravan and tie them well and fast. He tells us afterward to join the animals and sit against the boxes. As instructed, Sayu distributes us blankets. I'm about to open my mouth and ask Ryuzaki what's going on, when I hear a strange sound.

I'm not the only one that hears it. Near seems to shrink away on Ryuzaki's lap. The camestritches are moaning from panic. We all share worried glances. The sound seems to be far away, so I exit the caravan, ignoring everybody's calls. My curiosity is simply stronger than my fears and I want to know what is the origin of this dry rumble. I want to know what is the origin to our travel companions' mysterious behavior, as well as the animals' distress. As I step outside I notice there is wind, blowing small grains of earth on the floor. I turn around and see nothing, so I walk around the caravan to look behind it. I see my father step out of the improvised camp from the corner of my eye. He's calling me back and sounds upset. I freeze when I finally see the origin of this mystery and am terrified.

"Good grace!" I hear my father behind him, his voice denouncing shock and fear.

There's a huge wall made sand quickly travelling in our direction. It's made of millions and millions of small red and yellow sandy particles, which are flying madly and dizzyingly, producing rolling clouds. The tempest is coming closer and closer. All my cells tell me to run back inside the caravan, but I'm paralyzed. The noise becomes louder. It's a horrible sound of one thousand thunders. I watch almost hypnotized the sand storm advancing in my direction. It's ruthlessly majestic in its merciless mightiness, so powerful and uncaring! The tempest is a monster. Nature's dark side. And it is both beautiful and terrifying.

I feel something grab my pulse and pull me away. It's my father and we hurry back inside the caravan, both panting from the shock. I enter and I can see Ryuzaki is shouting something at me, but the sound of the sand storm is so loud, it's impossible to hear anything. He's gesturing in Misa's direction and I see the blond girl in tears, holding her blanked close to her chest. I immediately go to her, feeling strangely compelled to protect het. I sit down and hold Misa in my arms. I look at my right side. Sayu is holding my father hard, her mouth is wide open, her screams muffed by the powerful roar of sand and dust. My mother is holding both Sayu and my father. Next to her are the camestriches, which are at this moment, completely in panic, their eyes widen and mouths opening and closing.

I look at my left side and see Ryuzaki holding Near close to him. I can see the tears roll down the child's face, pale and terrified. Ryuzaki's eyes meet mine. He looks calm, but his eyes denounce uncertainty. I understand he has no idea if we are coming out of this alive. He gives me a small smile. Not one of comfort, not one of empathy; but one that smiles at the irony and cruelty of life. A smile at the fragility of our mortal lives. And then he turns his gaze away and kisses his son's hair. I see the little fingers curl around Ryuzaki's arms. I wonder if we are going to die. And I know Ryuzaki is thinking the same.

A/N

I mainly want to reinforce the idea Ryuzaki and Near are diferent from other people and create an aura of mystery around their characters. Am I being successful so far? ;p