Drummen wiped the sweat from his face and sighed. "Cliffhopper is there another way to travel then walking through this blasted desert during the day?"
He looked at Cliffhopper and smiled. "Hahahahaha… This is not a good time to hang your tongue out like some bear or dog…"
Drummen sat under the shade of a small bush drinking water. "So, is there another way?"
"We can skin change and fly there, but we'll still be in the heat, or we can travel at night."
Drummen cursed and looked back at how far they've walked. "You know. I usually want to wake up staring into the eyes of a beautiful woman, but I had the blasted luck to be staring at your ugly face." He sighed and took off his sandals cleaning the sand between his toes. He looked up as Cliffhopper stared at his feet.
"What are you looking at? Do you have some strange foot fetish or something?"
"No… Your feet are not delicate like a proper lady."
He cursed as Cliffhopper sat next to him and wiped the sweat from his face.
"Brother… Can you put your foot in the sand for me?"
"Why should I? What's gotten into you? Has this blasted desert turned your mind into mush?"
"Just do it…"
Drummen sighed and put his foot in the sand. He looked at his foot in confusion. "That's strange… Hahahaha. Ticklish. Hahahaha."
He lifted his foot and looked at a scar that started at his ankle and stopped at his large toe. He looked at his other foot and saw the same scar. He cursed and put both feet on the sand.
"Hahahahahaha. Something's tickling me… Hahahaha." He put his sandals on and looked at Cliffhopper with an angry look. "What did you do while I was out?"
"Hey. I did nothing… Did you dream of anything when you drank that water?"
Drummen looked at him and cursed. "Yes, I dreamt of a beautiful woman, and then I was in a dark place when something attacked me… That's when I woke up."
"I see… Well, now we can travel in the shade. Also don't put your sandals back on. You need to get used to it…"
"What are you talking about? Why does everyone I know talk in stupid riddles and doesn't tell me anything straight. You better start explaining, or I'm going to castrate you, and you'll never experience the love of a women ever again…"
"First, I need to see something, then I'll tell you what I know… Put your feet in the sand and form an earth staff."
"I don't have any alcohol and the earth battery is empty remember, for saving your fat ass."
"Just DO IT!"
Drummen leant back and looked at Cliffhopper in shock. He shook his head, cursed and put his feet in the sand. He took a deep breath, while trying not to laugh and rose his hand. "Let's see you, you blasted earthen staff."
Drummen's eyes opened wide as the sand rose in front of him and formed into a staff. He looked at Cliffhopper in confusion. "How's that possible?"
"It's the scars on your feet, that make it possible… Well they're not really scars, but mouths."
Drummen looked at him in shock. "Why in all blasted hells are there mouths on my feet? Tell me… Since we have lots of time, you can tell me all now before we keep moving forward."
He cursed as Cliffhopper shook his head. "Let's go underground and then we can talk in the shade and enjoy some nice cold water."
"Fine, then you're digging…"
"No one is digging. You're going to open a hole and then we're jumping in the hole. Just like you made the staff. Picture what you want to do in your mind, and the sand will follow."
Drummen stood up and dusted himself. "Fine, when it doesn't work, then don't blame me for castrating you for not talking…"
He closed his eyes. "Take us underground where there is fresh water and shade from the blasted sun."
He opened his eyes and looked at Drummen. "See nothing is happening. So, where's that dagger?"
"Impatient… Wait a moment." Drummen cursed and walked to where Cliffhopper was and grabbed his shirt. "First, I drink water, pass out, wake up in a beautiful place and then attacked. Now you tell me I have mouths on my blasted feet, and we can go underground. What is going on?"
The ground started to shake around them, and they started to descend beneath the sand into a large cavern that had flowing water. He cursed.
"I told you to wait and here we're."
He looked at the smug Cliffhopper and punched him in the arm. "Since we're here, you better start talking…"
Drummen leant against the cool wall and sighed. "This better be good…" He looked around the cavern. "This place is quite cool… I like it."
"You must not show others those scars, or at least make a story about them."
Drummen looked at Cliffhopper and sighed. "Why?"
"Do you remember the capital with those people chasing us? Well, they would do anything to get their hands on you… Those scars are a gift, but also a curse."
"What are they exactly?"
"Since you've spent time in the dome, then you should know about the creation of Athlos."
Drummen nodded. "What has that got to do with these scars?"
"Those mouths allow you to use the energy of Athlos that the Creator left behind… Pity the mouths are on your feet…"
"What do you mean about pity that they're on my feet?"
"The mouths can be placed on different parts of the body. On your feet means, you need to be around some sort of earth or sand, or at least have some metal or stone on you that you can use."
"That's fine for me. I think I would go crazy if there was a giant mouth on my face or hands. Hahaha."
"You seem quite calm about it."
Drummen smiled and took a drink. "If this helps me do what I want then I'm happy. To become stronger…"
He looked down at his feet and sighed. "So does this mean I have to be some crazy guy that walks around with no sandals?"
"Hahahaha… Something like that, but you're a servant of the dome, and they're usually eccentric, aren't they?"
Drummen stood up and put his hand on the wall and looked at the wall in confusion. "Hey Cliffhopper, can you feel that?"
He watched as Cliffhopper put his hand on the wall and frowned shaking his head. "I can't feel anything. What is it?"
"I can feel two groups. One is a group of a few hundred on some animals moving fast, and the other seems to be like a group of travelers."
Drummen smiled. "If they're travelers, then they'll have some wine and drink."
"What about the other group?"
"I guess they are some bandits or something… They are moving fast and very heavy. Armored bandits going after the travelers I guess."
"So, what do you want to do?"
Drummen sat on the ground and took a sip of cool water. Those bandits are still far from the travelers… So, we can go to the travelers and then from there we can make some gold…"
He smiled as Cliffhopper started to stretch his arms and cracked his neck. "About time for a fight. I felt I was getting rusty on the Nebi."
"Okay, let's go to the camp and offer to defend them for a few bottles of wine and some good food."
"Brother, up on the surface is still very hot. Can you make a tunnel or something to the group of travelers?"
Drummen looked at the wall and stood in thought. "I can try… See I still don't know what I can and can't do yet."
"Well hurry up and try, I want a real drink…"
Drummen closed his eyes and felt the vibrations of the travelling group. "Let's make a tunnel to them."
He lowered his hand and looked at the wall annoyed. "Why do I have to do all this waiting?"
"Think about it… It's moving the very earth… You can move mountains, but it needs a place to go. Give it some time…"
Drummen stood at the wall annoyed and punched it. He felt the wall collapse revealing a tunnel behind it. He cursed and started walking along the tunnel.
"So you made a tunnel without an entrance… Guess you're a slow learner…"
He looked at Cliffhopper smirking and punched him in the shoulder. "Hurry up you giant fur ball… I want a drink and some food. I'm starving."
Drummen kept his hand on the wall of the tunnel as they walked down it. "It seems they've stopped moving. That'll make things easier for us to catch up to them."
"What about the other group?"
"They've slowed down. They're waiting for something I think."
"How long will it take us to get to the travelers?"
"If we keep moving at this speed, we'll be under them very shortly."
He smiled and lifted his hand forming a staff. "This feels better than the staff I left back in the sand dunes… Anyway, it's time we go to the surface."
Drummen smiled as he tapped the staff on the ground and stood waiting as they started to rise to the surface. He shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight and stood looking at the surprised travelers grouped in front of them.
He took a step forward and smiled at them. "Fellow travelers… We've been travelling through the underground tunnels and we're glad to see you. By any chance do you have some food and drink we could partake in?"
He pointed out into the desert where a small cloud of sand could be seen. "There are bandits coming, we could stop them if you are able to provide a meal and some wine."
"What now brother?"
He smiled at Cliffhopper and spoke with clenched teeth. "Now, we wait."
"What makes you think a small group such as yourselves are able to stop them?"
He turned to where the old voice came from and bowed. "We're are servants of the dome. The Creator has given us some batterys that we can use to provide protection."
"If the both of you are able to defend us, then we'll have space for you to join us."
"Granny… Wait. We're low on food, and you expect us to share with them?"
"Pipe down boy… We don't have the means to protect ourselves. They spoke of tunnels under the desert, which means they also know where water and food can be."
Drummen stood in silence and looked at the transports.
"But granny. I can fight and protect us. All we know is that they could be with them."
Drummen looked at Cliffhopper as he took a step forward and put his arm out stopping him from going closer.
"We've been out here on our own. Yes, if you want fresh water, we can take you to it. Food, I'm sure the bandits have a large supply."
"Take care of them, and you can join us."
"I don't allow it… I don't trust them."
"I'm the elder here… You have no say Bria."
Drummen watched as the young man walked away from them. "I'm watching the both of you…"
"Sorry about that. He is headstrong, yet not able to see what's around them. Go stop the bandits and then we'll eat and drink together."
Drummen bowed and walked towards the bandits with Cliffhopper following behind him.
"Why did you stop me? That kid was asking for a fight…"
"He's not the enemy… Our enemy is out there. A waste of energy to fight with the kid, in a fight that you would easily win."
Drummen swung his arms around and stretched the staff in his hands. "Let's go hunting. I hope they have some gold. I spent all mine at the taverns."
"Skin change?"
Drummen smiled. "Skin change it is… That'll give them a fright and a little shock."
He felt Cliffhopper's touch on his shoulder, and his body started to become smaller and grow wings. "Due to the heat. We can keep this form for an hour."
"That's all we need to be able to reach them…" Drummen smiled as he stared at the dust clouds. He jumped and flapped his wings. "Finally, a fight I can be a part of. I hope they don't let me down."