May 9, 2014
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Dust II: Elysian Kingdom
Chapter 2 — Breakout
Grasping Ahrah firmly in his hand, Dust bounded through the long cave tunnel towards the light of the exit, as he felt the air around him slowly get colder. The cavern was also getting slightly smaller as he moved towards the opening to the outside world, worrying that maybe he wouldn't even be able to get out.
But sure enough, Dust burst through the entrance of the cave, suddenly being overwhelmed with the sight of blinding white snow cascading over seemingly infinite mountains. A strong bone-chilling wind was also quick to greet Dust, as it blew directly in front of the cave's entrance, almost knocking him off the foothold until Dust was able to crouch down and gain his balance. He was shaken, and had to pause for a bit to catch his breath.
"D-Damn it Ahrah, why didn't you tell me we were this high up AND in the Blackmoor Mountains?! I'll freeze to death here!"
"Well then it'd be best if we found a village nearby, wouldn't it?" Ahrah suggested, as if they had any other choice.
Dust gave a sarcastic look as he began surveying the area around the foothold outside of the cave, trying to determine if there was a safe way to climb down the mountainside to get to better ground. He cautiously reached his leg down to gain some traction on the rocky ledge, then brought his other leg to the same place. The rough texture of the mountain was almost unbearable without his boots, or any shoes for that matter, but he just had to deal with it. Holding Ahrah awkwardly in one of his hands, Dust slowly traversed down the mountainside, being as careful as he could not to misstep or lose his grip. He couldn't afford breaking his back and freezing to death so early after his return.
After a good amount of time, Dust finally touched down to the snow-covered ground at the base of the mountain. The cold sensation against his bare feet sent a chill up his spine, but he shook it off and quickly pressed on. He had to hurry; he was already feeling his fingers begin to go numb. He ran as fast as he could across the frozen tundra, with seemingly no sense of direction; a desperate attempt to find a village that hopefully had some source of heat.
"Th-There!" Dust let out in a shivering tone as he saw the faint image of a small village in front of him. His vision was a bit blurred, and was made even worse by the dense flurries of snow that flew through the air around him, but he knew that some form of life was there in the distance.
'Small village' was a bit of an overstatement; there were only three houses huddled together that made up this mountain settlement. The houses were simply wood cabins; although cramped, they were perfect for insulating heat and protecting from the harsh conditions. Dust sure as hell wasn't picky, so he hurried to the first house he could reach. Bursting through the doorway as quick as he could, Dust stumbled and leaned against the wall, exhausted and shivering.
"Help.. W-Warmth.." he mumbled as he dropped Ahrah and slid his back downward slowly, hitting the floor in the end.
An older female came quickly to his attention. She was of relatively good height; a little taller than Dust. Her hair was long with two large bangs in the front, and a single huge ponytail in the back. She had long, thin, downward-drooping ears, and wore what seemed to be a traditional kimono. The woman carried Dust with his arm over her shoulder to the far end of her single-room home, and sat him in a wooden rocking chair across from a large fireplace.
Turning to a chest next to the chair, the stranger opened it and pulled out a few heavy blankets, and wrapped Dust in them. "There you go, sweetie.. You'll be fine."
"Thank y-you.." Dust whispered; it was all he could say before passing out.
A few hours passed, as the morning slipped into early afternoon. The snow storm outside the log cabin didn't show any signs of letting up, a clear contrast in temperature to the immense warmth of the room Dust was resting in. Sitting up from his sleeping position, Dust slowly opened his eyes and stretched his limbs, feeling much more rested than he did when he first woke up this morning after he regenerated. He suddenly heard the muted shuffling of the feet of someone coming closer to him; it was the mysterious woman who had welcomed him into her home.
"Ah.. you're up, sweetie! Glad to see you're doing good," she greeted cheerfully as she handed Dust a blueberry muffin. "Baked that myself!"
"Oh, thank you.." Dust started as he accepted the snack from her, and started biting into it. "And thanks for taking me in.. what's your name?"
The woman pulled up another rocking chair from near the fireplace and brought it closer to Dust's chair, and sat down in it. "My name is Erin, nice to meet you! And you are?"
"..I am called Dust-"
He wasn't going to continue after that, but it seemed like Erin immediately interrupted him as her eyes lit up. "THE Dust?! Sen-Mithrarin?! He who is born of the dust?!"
"You actually know about me?" Dust perked up, surprised.
"Dear boy, everyone knows about you! You became a legend in Falana after you defeated General Gaius and ended his vicious reign of terror five years ago, but I never imagi-"
Dust interrupted this time. "Five years?! ..The things that must have changed in that time.."
Hearing their conversation, Ahrah hovered over to where Dust and Erin were seated, letting out his first words since they arrived. "Dust, there's no telling what we've missed in these lost years, we simply must find out what happened to everyone.."
"Oh my gosh, a talking sword?!" Erin exclaimed.
"..Yes, I am Ahrah.. Have you not heard of me as well?"
"Heavens no.. I knew Dust wielded a legendary blade, but only in my dreams would I have thought it could talk!"
"Okay okay, at any rate.." Dust intervened, "It's clear that we have to find out what happened while we were gone.. Erin, do you know of anyone named Fidget, or Ginger, or Elder Gray Eyes?"
Erin jumped up excitedly, "Elder Gray Eyes? Why, he's the Sovereign of Falana!"
