"Tabaaabaaaliaaan, we need ta mave fram here," the damnable, short shooter says. Her accent is as grating on the ears as it was when I first heard it. But with everything that has happened since I met her... I'm glad there's at least someone here who speaks my native tongue. Though, I'd certainly be happy to find a new speaker of it.
Still, looking up, I make sure she understands how much spite is in my eyes. Yet even then, she feels safe enough to lower her gun. My fingers dig through the earth as more stress escapes me. All I need to do is- The woman squeezes my shoulder again.
Lingering around on the ground, I sigh as she coaxes me up. She helps me find my feet and another drawn-out sigh comes out. I'm left behind because of my shuffling speed, though I still make it into the cover of the trees. A couple of leaves enter my snatching grip, and I try to clean my face of the worst of the muck. The leaves barely last and they keep breaking until I am fed up with them.
At least dry leaves breaking easily is normal...
I blink at the unnatural fog that's starting to block out my vision. Strange trails of grey linger in the air and I sniff one as it comes close. Smoke. Even with my growing uncertainty, I continue to follow the other two.
The woman and I come to a stop at a wall of smoke. This much smoke is nothing good. However, the short shooter keeps going, walking into it. The woman follows.
I take a final glance back towards the mountain, a heavy stone settling in my stomach. Shaking the feeling away, I follow the pair into the smoke. It immediately burns at my nostrils and clenched shut lips. My eyes dry out and wet themselves in a battle of attrition that won't be ending anytime soon.
Glass crunches beneath my boots and a metal panel shakes. Loose parts rattle and I nudge them away with my shuffles. I almost start to swat open a pocket of clean air, but the woman beats me to it. She's probably going to be able to part it easier, too.
The short shooter twists around and starts to yap at us. I guess she doesn't like it, so, all the more reason to do so... Still, whatever the argument between the two is, it's enough to make the woman stop without a fuss. I guess that means the smoke keeps the bugs away, I glance back again.
The two vanish out of view and I slow down to a halt. I blink at the sudden loss of their shadows. I try my best to make a proper step and stagger out of the smoke. Blinking in the clean air, I find myself in an open space with a chugging noise. There's some kind of dome keeping the smoke away and around this place. Unnatural curves shape it from one side and all the way to another.
Following the sound of the chugging, I spot a crude machine. It's choking on smoke and a pillar of the stuff is rising right up on out of it. I assume this thing's essential for our safety, for the time being. I purse my lips and shake away the confusion as to how I only hear it when I am out of the smoke.
Shuffling further ahead, I glance about more of the area. Smashed boxes and torn-open bags are all over the place. The bags glisten for whatever reason. There seems to be goop on them. Around the edges of the dome, there are white tubes of some kind. Shattered, dark blue glass brushed up against them in a light-hearted effort.
To me, they look like they are intended to be barricades. But, looking at everyone present, I find myself doubting the idea, as there just isn't anyone here. I only see three people here if I discount the woman and myself... The girl who shot me, that floof from the journey into the wastes and someone else. A clearly injured someone else at that.
The bugs would have no problem attacking us if the smoke doesn't, in fact, scare them off. Maybe I should try to escape... But where would I even go? There's no way we're in the wastes anymore. Not with all these trees and the grass on the ground.
The machinery around this camp is certainly no haulier, either.
I want to hope that someone here at least knows where we are, but... The only one I can speak to has shot me on two occasions now. So if I am willing to speak to her is its own issue. I can't speak to the woman at all and she cannot understand me in turn. Even looking towards the edge of the camp where the floof is, I doubt I'd be able to understand her either.
Again, the last member of the group is injured as well...
The woman puts the seed down in a safe spot, and I look for a seat of my own. The short shooter hurries to the groaning, injured member of the group, and she gets to work helping the revealed he. Spying a torn-apart tree, I go over to it and lower myself down. The trunk cracks and breaks under me. I frown as I follow the trail of whatever gouged this tree apart.
A piece of metal is right inside another split tree... There's dried blood as well.
Turning to the campfire, I stare into it as the others talk in whatever language it is they speak. I mind the injured one and watch as the short shooter fusses over him. I look back into the fire. I don't want to look anywhere. It's all horrible.
Everything is debris or churned-up earth. Shredded plant life with splatters of dried blood. How exactly is my future looking like right now...? All of this destruction and... I don't know.
I'm lost in some unknown land. Possibly trapped in an under-protected camp next to a hive of monster bugs. Is it even going to be worth the effort to try and escape? Do I really want to leave just to die cluelessly elsewhere?
A flask appears before me, and I look up at the one offering it. The woman. Nodding in thanks, I take it and carefully open it up with no effort at all. Licking my lips, I put it to my mouth and greedily chug from it. Closing my eyes and shutting myself off from the world, I ignore everyone else in the camp.
Pulling it away, I sigh in relief as the water cleans and rehydrates my mouth. With a lot of water remaining in the flask, I put the lid back on and keep a loose grip on it. My mouth is finally clean of the dust, slime and grime that had worked its way in over however long it's been... Sighing, I rest my head on my knuckles as someone approaches.
I hope there is enough water. With all this smoke about us... We'd be smoked like strips of bacon before the bugs get to us. And with me and four others in this camp-
"Eugh! Get off!" I snap as the floof digs its wet fingers into my ears with an audible snarl. Crushing the flask from the surprise, I shoot around and try to whack her. Thankfully for her, though, she's able to get away. I smack back down and attempt to clean my ears with what's left of the water. I give up and throw the broken flask away.
Why did she do that? That's disgusting!
"Thaaank yau, Vaaadei." the one who shot me says as the floof skulks off with a glare. Despite knowing who just did that to me, though, I glare at the small one instead. Those words imply something quite clearly... She's taking the piss!
Of all the times to start something, they choose now. Why? Why, in the name of all the gods, do they start issues now of all times!? Oh, I am going to crush her skull! I know I most certainly can!
"Calm down, my friend. She didn't do it out of spite." a feminine voice that I don't recognise says on my right. Twisting around to see who it is, I find that it is the woman who I found in the cave that said it... How... How can I now understand what she is saying?
"Y-You could speak Tobaballian this whole time!?" I nearly yell as I stand up again. My right eye quivers and the energy makes it all the way down to a twitching finger.
"Relax, please. Relax. I am not speaking your tongue. You are, to keep it simple, speaking a tongue luckily shared amongst all of us," the woman explains before she gestures around to everyone.
"What..." I let out quietly as I look towards the floof.
"The oxfuine," the woman starts to say as her gestures land on the tailed person, "Have a spell-tradition which lets them apply two benefits. By placing their saliva in your ears, you can understand them. By swallowing it, you can be understood by them."
"Swallowing it...?" I repeat the explanation. I start to try and look at my tongue.
"It was mixed into the water you just drank." she clarifies to which I gag slightly. A curled up fist lodging its way into my gaping hack.
"Whatever... Whatever..." I let out, battering away my frustrations with some ill-tempered swings. Falling back down onto my tree, I stroke my chin as I try to distract myself.
"I understand this all seems to be a bit much for you, so, try to not think about it," the woman insists as I tap my foot again and again and again.
"Oh, sure, don't think about all this strange stuff which has literally just happened!" I answer, my body trembling. Feeling her hand on my shoulder, I stop and look at her as she kneels down next to me.
"If you need something else to think about. Then, know I am very thankful for what you have done for me thus far." she tells me, smiling slightly.
"I haven't done anything... You and your wisps got us out of that mountain. You killed the bug..." I sigh out as I cover my face. I rub what sweat I can, hoping to drag the grains of filth off by force.
"You gave me clothes so that I could cover my shame..." she mutters quietly next to my ear, retreating right after.
"You're welcome...?" I say, lingering as I do not know her name. Her smile grows a bit.
"Vapooliar, my name is Vapooliar." she answers, a slight nod following her words.
"And I'm Nin," I grumble in response as she removes her hand from my shoulder. My tongue clicks so quietly it might as well be an awkward breath.
"I aaam Heiya!" the one that had shot me chirps.
The floof growls in response.
"Aaand thaaat's Vaaadei, she daesn't seem ta like yau!" Heiya explains before she goes back to helping the injured one.
"Vaaadei?" I repeat, as the accent is confusing me slightly.
Vaaadei doesn't seem to like it, though, "It's just Vadei, Ho."
Blinking at the odd, contemptuous nickname, my brain short circuits. I stand up and look for a quiet spot to rest. Heiya has set an unbreakable record in the People Who Have Shot Me category. Vadei is hostile for whatever unknown reason, and what is even with that nickname? It is Iishar's surname!
I... I cannot be bothered enough to deal with any of it. My head shakes vigorously with whatever energy I might still have in me. I just want to go to sleep now. Hopefully, I will wake up in my small, worn-out bed. Ready for another exhausting shift in the depths of Tobaballe. The familiar life of a Grounder.
Maybe I'll somehow find some empty syringe or bottle when I do wake up... Will certainly explain a lot.