Just a nice day at the Oasis:
9
MAR/21
This takes place just before: Night at the Oasis
The morning started like the last couple of morning. Oni was on watch as the sun rose into the sky. He moved out and took it in again, and again. As he went through his forms and meditations he started to look out around the oasis. It was looking grey to him. It was empty. The dread of Raam came over him. He knew this was his last day at the oasis. He turned in his forms so he could see Mar’iya and David. They were starting to rise. They were his third dawn that morning. The nearly complete purple worm armor was next to them. He could see as they finished the Armor. That was the last thing holding them to the oasis. It would be finished today. Tomorrow they would leave for Raam.
As he worked through his more advanced forms, he swung around to the tent Audun slept in. He came out of it and headed over to the big tent. Most of the survivors were eating and drinking normally. Audun walked in. He was in there for a few steps in the form. He came out with the tribes only working crossbow and a short bow. He was wearing a couple of good daggers and had several sacks tied to him. Oni adjusted his forms the way only a master can do, so he could watch him as he performed. Audun headed back to his tent. Another younger man was waiting for him. He handed the bow to him. He gave him a handful of arrows and a couple of daggers. They both grabbed a couple of pieces of hard tack and prepared to leave. Audun’s son came up to them.
Oni knew this story. It broke his heart a little. Oni could not hear the conversation, but it was the one he had with his own father and older brother his whole young life. The son wanted to go hunting. Oni’s strikes became crisp and sharp as the pain from his own childhood filled in the conversation gaps. The disappointment that formed on the little child’s face was the disappointment on Oni’s face a million times before. Audun had to hand the child off to his wife, Flora. Oni knew this too. He wasn’t man enough to hunt, but he could gather water or berries. The child grabbed a bucket and with his head held low headed to the pond to gather water for his mother. Audun walked away towards the east.
Flora started to prepare food. Oni could smell the hard tack baking on a rock. He looked back. David and Mar’iya were working on the armor. Oni had to take a double take. For the briefest on moments, David looked like Oni’s brother working on the armor. Even the way he looked over to Oni looked like Joe. It would be finished for a couple of hours. Oni walked over to wear Flora was, he grabbed some bread still cooking and took a big bite. He burned his fingers and tongue. Flora slapped his hand, “wait til it is done.” Oni smiled, “I need a little help gathering some berries, and grasses. Is it okay if your boy there helps me? I could use it.” He shied behind his mother. She pushed him towards Oni a little, “take him. He needs a task. Idles hands are the hands of Tiamat.” Oni knelt down to be eye level with the boy, “do you know where the tallest grasses are. I could them.” the boy nodded.
Oni started to walk towards the big tent, “let’s check on the survivors, then we will head out.” They went down to the tent. Inside the survivors were moving around. The hard tack did its job. You could hardly tell these folks had almost died in the desert the day before. They were organizing the supplies. One man was gathering the parts for two crossbows. He had a pile of bits for making bolts. Oni looked at him, “looks like you are making bolts, and a couple of crossbows. That is great. We are heading to the tall grasses. Can we get you anything?” He nodded, “yeah. I can use the palms over there for fletching’s, but some bird feathers would be better. I think there are a bunch of field birds.” Oni could work with this, “you got it. I have a guide here to help.”
Oni and the boy moved into the grasses. He started to give the boy tasks. First, he taught him a special way to harvest the grasses. He told him that this special way was so they could use the grasses for weaving baskets. He had to grab the grass from the base and move it up past his upper body to stop just above his face. Next, he showed him the stance he needed to use to look for feathers. He was teaching the boy as they harvested the grasses and feathers. They even gathered a couple dozen eggs. He taught the boy to only take one egg from any nest. They could not be greedy. He worked him for sever hours.
Lunch brought the entire oasis together. David and Mar’iya finished the armor. It looked glorious in its purple tint. Oni came back with the boy. They had egg, grass, and a pouch full of feathers. Audun returned with a couple lost bolts, and three large lizards. The boy was all sweaty. His arms were so tired he could barely lift them. Oni hoped he taught him something. Even the survivors left the tent for the first time. They were moving normally and had the smallest of smiles on their faces. The entire group sat around the field kitchen. Flora made food. Audun, his guide and his son started to clean the lizards. Some of the meat was cooked for lunch. Most was dried for travel. Oni took this time to entertain. He did acrobatic jumps and flips. He finished the show with juggling tricks. Oni was rusty, but it felt good to bring joy to these folks.
The three sat off to themselves. They were here but not really part of the tribe. They needed to talk and did not want the rest to hear the conversation. As if they were the one mind of Psions, the three spoke at nearly the same time, “we need to leave tomorrow.” They all burst into laughter. The belly laughs drew the attention from the whole oasis. David raised his hand to tell the tribe they were fine. Peace had mildly come to David’s mind. Now that they had the attention of the tribe, they went to mental communication. Oni tapped his temple.
David: “I think it is time to go.”
Mar’iya: “agreed.”
Oni: “I agree too. Is there anything we need to do before we go?”
Mar’iya: “fill the waterskins. And maybe they will give us some of that meat.”
Oni: “I dried some date palms. So, we have that.”
David: “I think our supplies are okay besides that.”
Oni looking at Mar’iya: “any idea how far Raam is.”
Mar’iya: “days not weeks.”
David: “have you heard from Herman?”
Oni: “no. I think he will come back when he is ready.”
Mar’iya: “was he mad. Angry not crazy”
Oni: “no. he just needed to rest.”
David: “I don’t blame him.”
Mar’iya: “I think we should tell Audun and Flora about the pyramid”
David: “I agree.”
Oni: “agreed. Can you share a memory or something? I would like them to know all the details.”
Mar’iya nodded yes
David: “and the dangers.”
Oni: “yes. They need to know the danger.”
Mar’iya: “hi risk, hi reward.”
Oni: “one of the survivors is a weapons maker. Do we need anything?”
David padding the scabbard of her sword: “I can’t think of anything.”
Mar’iya: “even if we did, they need them more.”
Oni: “sounds like we are all in agreement. We will prepare tomorrow and help them prepare to leave if they want.”
David looking at the grass: “what is that for?”
Oni: “dolls. I love making them, and the kids seem to like them.”
Mar’iya feeling his former self creeping in: “be careful. You may be dooming them.”
Oni: “I believe children are our future.”
They three of them started to eat in mental silence. Flora walked by and gave them each a small portion of freshly cooked eggs. They tasted like a fresh rain on the tongue. Oni looked over to Audun and his group. they had the first of the lizards cleaned and were already drying the first skin. Audun was peeing into a container. Natures tanning agent. Strips of meat were fully salted and drying into the heat of the day. It was going to be a long day, filled with lots of work. Oni watched as Flora went up to the watch out. She brought him a large portion of eggs and bread.
After lunch the three headed over to talk to Audun and Flora. David and Mar’iya went to get Audun. Oni went by himself to get Flora. As he walked up, she looked at him and smiled. That smile made him think of his mother Paula.
Flora: “Thanks for helping with the boy. It lifted his spirits.”
Oni: “I remember those days when I was young.”
Flora: “you still are young.”
Oni: “I know, but I no longer feel that way. We want to talk to you and Audun privately. If it is okay with you two.”
Flora looking over to see David, Mar’iya, and Audun walking towards a private spot by the pond: “of course.”
The five of them gathered off to the side. Mar’iya moved up and reached out his hands. He did not need to touch them to reach into their minds, but he hoped it would make them feel more at ease, “Do you mind if I touch your head and give you some memories?” They looked at each other with a little fear. Oni and David were giving calming encouraging looks. You could tell the two of them did not like the idea but gave in and agreed. Mar’iya reached out and touched them both on the forehead. It looked as if he was blessing them for the hard times to come. He passed memories from the three of them into the Audun and Flora. It took mere seconds, but they gained the memories of several weeks. They now knew about the pyramid. They knew what it could mean, and the dangers involved. They were unsure.
The rest of the day was a workday. Flora, and Audun worked hard all day. From time to time, they gathered privately to talk among themselves. They were having to make tough decision and could not decide. The three gathered supplies all day. Audun let them have some of the meat. They did not try to take too much. The tribe would need it. They packed their packs. For the rest of the day, David and Mar’iya helped the tribe make weapons and tools. Oni used the time to make dolls. He wanted to have a large collection before arriving in Raam. As a special project, Oni found some heavy bone. He carved them into some dice as a gift for Audun and his family.
Mar’iya slid the armor on his body. It covered him in royal colored protection. He pulled his hair back into a ponytail. He looked regal and tall. He stood as a warrior for good. You could almost hear the ground rubble as he walked around in it. He was Mar’iya, the purple warrior. Oni would try to find some dye for the dolls to make some of them purple. Oni stepped up to him, “let’s spar a little to test it.” Mar’iya could crush Oni with his mind powers but in fighting, Oni was the champion. The armor let him move freely and protected him from the bruises Oni was trying to leave. Oni smiled, “that is great work.”
As the sun started to go down, Oni bathed. Maybe for the last time before they arrive in Raam.
Finaly a minute to relax?
He closed his eyes and let the warm water soak into his parched skin. He could get use to this, and for just one second he asked himself if this was all worth it. That thought was fleeting, not even a real question to be honest.
Oni’s relaxing brought him to the brink of napping when it was rudely interrupted by a commotion outside. Fighting? No it sounded more like excitement than battle. The conversation got closer, louder to him when could finally make out one of them: “Move aside “STRANGER”, I need to find Oni, I need him now!”
Pakku??