~ Unknown Village
Azur woke up wrapped in cloth, with flushed and frozen cheeks. Iris carrying him, and cleaning up around their home. A fairly well built single story house, with a basement.
It's been six months since I was born here. I've learned how to crawl, still can't speak the language, and the random fluctuations of emotion are a bit rampant, but I'm managing. Azur looks around with a brow raised. I wonder how mom is doing?
The stray thought causing his emotions to fluctuate, making him cry. Iris meets his gaze as she's cleaning, "It's okay Aurion, let's find another cloth to wrap you up". Iris makes her way back inside taking Aurion and swaddling him in another layer of cloth.
"Blaugh" I think I'm picking up a bit of the language. I'll try copying the mouth movements.
Iris quickly looks at her baby as she continues the chores, "Mommy, can you say Mommy?"
"kkaaa"
Iris lifts Aurion up, and says, "Very close sweetie, Keep trying."
Hmmm, definitely harder to learn a language without any translations or guides. But I'm close, judging by her reaction.
"Mommy"
As soon as the word leaves his mouth, Iris takes him into a big hug, her shoulders shaking, and a huge grin on her face, "He said, Mommy, first". Congratulating Aurion, and softly patting his back. She quickly looks around for anyone to bear witness. When she finds no one, she lets out a sigh, and stares into Aurions eyes, "Make sure to say that when your father comes home. Let's head inside and make dinner, before it gets dark."
…
A rapid stomping of boots, and a clash of metal sinking into wood announces the return of Calen. "Honey, where's Aurion? Has he said anything yet?"
Iris takes Aurion into her arms, and in a hushed voice says "Remember what we practiced." Running to the door, and opening it for her husband.
"He's here honey, and he has something to tell you." Iris holds up Aurion for Calen to take.
With wide eyes, and a joyous smile Calen, takes Aurion into his arms, "Come on, Papa."
*I feel like a sack of potatoes... But oddly, it feels nice.* Azur meets his father's gaze and says, "Mommy".
When the first word he's learned is spoken, he sees overwhelming joy with a touch of schadenfreude in his father's eyes, and his mother's laughter in the background. With a deep voice and joyous tone Calen asks "Great job Aurion, can you say Papa, now?"
I think I can. "Papiii"
His father's eyes light up, turning to Iris, who is still chuckling a bit, "He said it, honey. He called me Papa."
"Yes, he did honey." With smiles never leaving their faces, Calen takes his son and wife into a huge hug, Iris whispers into Calens ear. "And you owe me that new cooking pot from old man Lyle." Calens shoulders shake in laughter.
As Azur enjoyed his group hug, he looks up. It's the first time I can see the night sky since I got here. His body shakes, eyes turning red, and snot runs like a waterfall, and a wail breaks out. The view of the night sky is beautiful, stars gleam throughout making oceans and constellations, and sitting there, lighting up the forest beyond the village, are 3 full moons.
~ Unknown Desert
"Uggh, what the hell happened? Where am I? Who's the douche that hit me over the head."
Waking up groggily, Ezikiel lies in wet sand, his ears ringing, and sight blurry. As he looks around, his heartbeat picks up and adrenaline makes its way through his system. Taking stock of his surroundings, he sees sparse trees with large leaves, various plants, a small pond, and vast swathes of sand beyond. Feeling no threat to his life, he pats his body down starting from where the pain is the worst, his head.
"No serious injuries, location unknown. Nobody else here, hopefully they're alright. When was the last time this happened." Before he could fall into reminiscence, he gets to work.
Ezikiel finds that his clothes and bags are all splayed around the oasis. "Food, water, and a few supplies are secured. Estimated time left, 1 week, 2 if I stretch it."
"I don't know what happened, but time to get to work." His training kicking in, Ezikiel starts to scavenge, when he gets to the edge of the Oasis, he finds that the sand seems restricted, when it rushes too fast due to the wind, it suddenly slows down and then falls. This causes a slight build up, but as Ezikiel continues to watch, the sand moves on its own to slowly even out, backing up quickly, he shakes his head, "Well, that's new. I must be going psychotic."
As the sun in the sky continued to set, Ezikiel made his way towards the pond. Crystal clear water greeting him.
"Man, gotta see if this is even drinkable." Digging through his pack, he continues to talk to himself.
"This'll help" he takes out a clean shirt, an empty metal gym bottle, bottled water, and some other supplies. "Protein powder should help, gotta thank Gee for this." With a shrug of his shoulders he looks around.
He doesn't spot any animal tracks, but the vegetation seems to be growing really well. "Still doesn't mean, the waters drinkable. Also I have no clue if plants in the desert are supposed to be blue. Yeah some are green here and there, but there's such a wide variety of colors that I'm honestly surprised. Very pretty."
Taking his time creating a makeshift filter for the water, he continues to keep his sanity. "Alright, everything seems to be going well." During this time, the sun starts to set, and Ezikiel prepares a fire with the clothes and a few branches he barely managed to break off. "Gotta boil this... Man, I've been talking to myself too much. It's not like anyone else is here" Purposefully pausing he looks around slowly, and sighs. "Usually that follows with something happening... People be lying."
Having set up a small camp with clothes as a blanket, and his bag as the pillow. He goes back to his now sterilized water, dipping his finger into it and putting it to his lower lip to see if anything happens.
Sweat starts dripping into his eyes, "That's NOT good." Looking at his hands shaking, and grabbing the bottled water to swish and spit.
"Ptewy, Uggh" Pain rakes through his body, his muscles spasm. Quickly he lays down on his side. "What the HELL is in that water???" Washing it down with more bottled water, he did his best to make sure he didn't choke. As his body starts to flail around, he whips up some of the sand, smacking his funny bone into something hard, "Ahhh HELL". Through the corner of his eye he caught sight of a something sticking out of the sand.
Doing his best to control his body, he swipes the sand away, and empty eye sockets stare back at him. "Son of a …" His body fails him, and he lies splayed in the sand, as his veins bulge, muscles spasm, and his sweat turns to blood.
"I hope the kids are alright." Through strained breath, as the darkness crept into his vision, he gazes at the 3 moons in the night sky. "Looks like I'm out to get milk, Azur if you're still alive take care of the orphanage."