Gurgle, gurgle...
The thick stew in the pot hanging over the fire bubbled softly.
Lu Li sat by the flas, loading a Spirit Gun with engraved bullets. A soft click, and the weapon was ready.
Click.
Lu Li set the pistol aside and picked up the next, repeating the process.
Two more Spirit Guns lay nearby, along with a scattering of engraved bullets.
After loading all four pistols, Lu Li put away the remaining bullets and lifted the pot from the fire.
The bubbling subsided, replaced by the howl of the wind outside, which carried with it the soft tapping of sand against the windowpane.
Pouring the stew into a wooden bowl, Lu Li began to eat in silence.
A sandstorm raged outside, but inside the house, it was warm and cozy, thanks to the fire and the hot stew.
But in this town, Lu Li was completely alone.
Having finished his al, he began to prepare for the journey ahead.
Lu Li checked his compass and parchnt map, then tucked them into his pocket. Next, he secured the four Spirit Guns beneath his cloak, hung a full waterskin from his belt, and next to it, the Beacon and a windproof oil lamp. He removed the Mind Level counter from his wrist and hung it around his neck, positioning it closer to his ear. Finally, Lu Li took the shard of The Atonent and hid it close to his body.
Whoosh!
A handful of damp earth, and the fire was extinguished.
In the suddenly darkened house, Lu Li threw on his cloak, concealing his face in shadow, and opened the door.
A gust of wind burst into the house, the howling grew louder, and his cloak billowed.
The sky was murky, and a haze of sand swirled low to the ground, reducing visibility to just a few kiloters.
Lu Li stepped onto the deserted, wind-swept street and soon disappeared into the sandy haze.
Once outside the town, Lu Li kept the compass in his hand, glancing at it from ti to ti to stay on course in the storm.
The two lamps on Lu Li's belt clinked in rhythm with his steps and the gusts of wind.
The sandstorm wasn't severe, but it slowed his progress. By three in the afternoon, the dust-choked sky had grown even darker, and Lu Li had covered no more than forty kiloters.
A village appeared two or three kiloters ahead.
Through the dissipating dust, Lu Li could see the faint outline of the settlent, and on the northern horizon, at the foot of the World's Spine Mountains, a wall of sand was approaching.
A sandstorm was coming.
Pausing on a hill a kiloter from the village, Lu Li surveyed the scene. Thin plus of smoke curled up from the peaceful settlent, while behind it, the sandstorm drew nearer, growing larger and more distinct.
Natural disasters could be just as terrifying as anomalies.
The most logical course of action would be to take shelter from the storm in the village, but sothing held Lu Li back.
After observing the village from a distance, he turned and walked away, bypassing the settlent and heading toward the desolate plain.
Perhaps he would find shelter there.
The storm closed in. The wind picked up again, growing sharper as it battered his cloak.
To the north, the sandstorm had taken on an ominous dark red hue, shot through with flashes of lightning.
Upon reaching the plain, Lu Li began searching for a depression in the ground where he could hide from the wind.
...
The wind raged at the dark mouth of a cave.
Sand, blown into the cave, was piling up near the entrance.
Clink-clank...
Amid the rising howl of the wind, a tallic clinking could be heard, growing steadily closer.
Whoosh!
A figure wrapped in a cloak, accompanied by a swirl of sand, entered the cave.
The figure threw back his hood, surveyed the low-ceilinged cave, and, taking a lamp from his belt, lit it.
Light gradually filled the space.
The cave was only three or four ters deep, its walls marked with claw scratches. In the back lay a few logs, a mat, and a pile of cold embers.
It had once been the den of wolves or other predators, and later, it had been occupied by people from the nearby village.
The wind howled outside like a scream, and the sight of the dark red sandstorm was unsettling, even from within the shelter.
Lu Li moved deeper into the cave, set the lamp on the sand, and arranged the remaining logs into a small campfire, but didn't light it. Instead, he took out a stone dallion and crushed it.
A few minutes later, a figure erged from the sandstorm and darted into the cave.
It was an old, lone wolf, seeking shelter from the storm just as Lu Li was.
Lu Li rested a hand on the Spirit Gun beneath his cloak and watched the wolf in silence.
To his surprise, the wolf didn't attack. It raised its head, sniffed the air in Lu Li's direction, then curled up against the cave wall and paid him no further mind.
Shortly after, the Trader entered the cave.
The wolf instantly sprang to its feet, fur bristling. In stark contrast to its behavior toward Lu Li, it snarled at the Trader, baring its teeth.
The Trader ignored the threat and walked over to Lu Li.
“Have you learned anything?” Lu Li asked, averting his gaze from the wolf.
“The Rope of Descent and the new evil spirit have not appeared anywhere else,” the Trader replied.
Lu Li nodded and bought food, water, and firewood from the Trader.
Half an hour later, the Trader returned with the goods, and Lu Li lit the fire.
The nights in the Wastelands weren't as cold as in the desert, but they were still chilly. The fire provided light and warmth, warding off predators.
Wary that the sll might attract the wolf, Lu Li decided not to heat the canned food. He opened a can and ate it cold.
The wolf slled it anyway. It padded over to Lu Li, nudged his hand with its wet nose, and then lay down beside him, rolling onto its back to expose its soft belly.
It was a clear gesture of trust, typical within a wolf pack.
Was it not showing aggression because of the Beacon? Or was it soone's pet from the nearby village? Or...
Mulling it over, Lu Li took his hand off the grip of his pistol and shared a can of food and so water with the wolf.
The wolf ate, rubbed its muzzle against Lu Li's trouser leg, and then returned to its spot by the wall.
After finishing his al, Lu Li unfolded his map.
Based on the location of the village two or three kiloters away, he pinpointed his position. Another fifty kiloters to the Canyon of the Holy Fox, then a narrow desert corridor and the Old Riverbed Plain—and he would reach the oasis where Silence resided.
The sandstorm outside showed no sign of letting up, and a small mound of sand had ford at the cave's entrance.
Thanks to the storm, the anomalous fog had been unable to spread across this land.
When the last rays of light faded, Lu Li lay down to sleep without removing his clothes. Man and wolf spent a peaceful night in the cave.
The next morning, Lu Li woke.
The sand at the entrance had piled up nearly half a ter high, almost blocking the passage. A trail of animal tracks led out from the cave.
The wolf was gone.
This dispelled so of Lu Li's suspicions.
After clearing the entrance, Lu Li stepped outside. A cold morning wind blew under a gloomy sky, and the remnants of the sandstorm were visible on the southern horizon.
The storm that had raged all night was finally retreating.
Lu Li crushed a stone dallion, returned to the cave, tossed so kindling onto the dying embers, and began to prepare breakfast.
The Trader soon appeared. Lu Li bought a few more dallions from him and asked about Anna's whereabouts.
“A new evil spirit has appeared in Kandergin on the Main Continent,” the Trader answered.
“A baroness’s daughter was the victim. People noticed her strange behavior, but she soon dissolved into shadow and vanished.”
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