"Alright, ready when you are, Chi!" Rain prepared five salt containers in case the first try didn't work. He wasn't expecting Chi to get it on the first attempt, because he had to admit, it was kind of hard to do. Thus, they could always practice even if took a few days.
He had a backup of one liter of water in his inventory just in case they couldn't make water today.
~chi!~
Chi's eyes twinkled with determination. 'My Lord is relying on me! I can't let him down!'
Chi's steel claws extended on her toes, anchoring her to the ground. She bent her body back, drawing the string so hard it seemed like it might snap.
When she released the arrows, the force was so powerful that it almost made Rain's skin peel off his bones.
The first arrow shot true towards the clouds, piercing through and making a small hole in it. Within seconds, another arrow followed and collided with the first. The impact caused the two arrows to explode, and Rain could even see the tiny salt crystals scattering over the clouds.
Rain watched in awe as the salt began to disperse. The cloud seemed to shimmer slightly, and he felt a surge of hope. If this worked, they would have a new method of bringing water to their arid land.
"Oh! Bullseye!" Rain exclaimed. "Nice work, Chi!"
"And sorry for doubting your abilities. You even got it on the first try!" Rain exclaimed. He really needed to stop thinking of his troops as having human limitations. They were fantastic creatures! They could do anything!
~chi!~
Chi panted slightly from the exertion, and looked to Rain for approval. Rain's eyes shone with pride and excitement.
"You did it, Chi! Now, let's see if it works."
The group watched the sky with bated breath, waiting to see if the cloud would respond.
Rain could feel the anticipation in the air, his heart pounding with both anxiety and excitement. This was their chance to make a real difference in their harsh environment, and he was eager to see the results of their efforts.
"Keep your eyes on the clouds," Rain instructed, "and let's hope for rain."
"Now all we have to do is wait. It's said that it could take a few hours, but maybe it will take less because we only shot a small amount of salt up there."
Fifteen minutes passed. Thirty minutes passed. An hour passed. During this time, the others went back to cooking, gathering materials for traps, resting, training, and then playing around.
Rain began to worry if it didn't work.
He remembered reading that sprinkling salt in the air at ground level would not cause rain to fall. For cloud seeding to potentially work, it must be done under controlled and specific atmospheric conditions, typically at high altitudes.
Rain was sure that Chi shot the arrow very high, so that should count as high altitude, right?
"Let's try again," Rain said. "Maybe we need more salt for it to work or find a denser cloud."
Rain was already pouring some salt into another plastic container when Chi alerted him.
"What is it, Chi?"
Chi pointed into the distance, and when Rain looked over, his mouth dropped open.
It was so faint and barely noticeable, but he knew those sparkling drops.
"RAIN!" he shouted in astonishment.
Rain hopped to his feet, surprised, and his smile widened. Without thinking, he ran towards that direction with Chi close behind him.
Rain kept his eyes on the clouds that were dropping rain onto the ground, not looking away even for a second. He chased after it, but when he reached the spot, only a few droplets were left.
But he couldn't be mistaken.
"OH! Chi, look! It's raining! It's really raining! Quick, we have to harvest it. Oh, no! I didn't bring a container for this!" In his excitement, Rain had forgotten to bring the containers to harvest the rain.
"Ah! That's right! I have some plastic here with me!" Rain's hands shook as he harvested the rain. He still couldn't believe that it worked!
Now for the next course of action . . .
. . . what is the next course of action?
Rain didn't know. His mind was blank. He was just so happy right now that he could finally make rain without even using magic! He could finally bring water in his territory.
The rain was short-lived, but the wet trail it left on the dry land was unmistakable. It was proof that he wasn't hallucinating and that he really did produce water with his idea . . . well, borrowed idea.
"The moment of truth . . . ," Rain said to Chi, eyeing the plastic container with the clear liquid. He placed the brim of the plastic to his lips and tasted the water within.
. . .
. . .
Rain sighed and beamed. "It really is WATER!"
~chi!~
Rain and Chi danced and hopped around in celebration of their success.
With this rain and the salty marsh, Rain could now provide water for his territory. It wasn't much, but it would have to suffice until he could locate an aquifer or a more sustainable source to support a larger population.
For now, this would have to do for their little territory.
Rain recalled reading in one of his books that even the Barren Wasteland had aquifers. The groundwater in which the salty marsh was formed was proof of it.
Rain just had to hope that there was an aquifer somewhere in this vast land. Hope was the reason he had persisted this far, and it was hope that would drive him to find this aquifer.
While Rain and Chi were doing their happy-happy dance, someone was watching them from a distance.
A cloaked figure, covered in robes from head to toe, stood shrouded in mystery. Its form couldn't be made out, like a shadow under the sun. Only its red lips were visible, the sole discernible part of its face.
Her mouth was forming an 'O' right now, as if she were shocked at what she was seeing.
"It's . . . raining?" she muttered, her voice filled with disbelief.
"Mistress . . ." a deep, gurgling voice resonated in her ear, and a shadow formed around her, but there was no physical body.
"That boy . . . is he a player? He made it rain without using magic. It's the first time I've seen it . . . rain in the barren wasteland . . ."
"Mistress . . . do you want that boy . . . ?"
A small smile formed on the woman's face. "He's the first to ever achieve such a feat . . . maybe . . . just maybe . . . he could . . ."
The woman dissipated as the wind wafted over, and the voices disappeared with her, as if they were never there in the first place.