In the base, Timothy beheld intricate clockwork mechanisms crafted from brass, copper, and wood—materials wielded with a finesse far beyond mere construction. The people of this world seemed to use these materials way smarter than where he came from.
"I just want to get back home."
Timothy spoke twisting the knob on the wall.
"Clank ~hiss~ whirr~creak"
Timothy was startled as the whole place lit up. On the wall were industrial metal lights with rusty lampshades. All of this was new to him. On the wall behind him was a huge analog computer, and on his right was the weapons rack. The wall was made of metal ,and so was the ceiling . This place was so fascinating for Timothy , he spend a few minutes just busy scrutinizing the place.
"Why are all the weapons here so strange?"
Timothy thought to himself as he inspected all the weapons with his eyes stopping at the Ray gun. It had a unique tip, two cannisters, and a connect tube.
"What am I to do with this - holy mother of the land."
Timothy exclaimed as he dropped the ray gun, which had just fired a beam of light the moment he placed his finger on the trigger. The beam hit the wall , leaving a slight dent on it.
"I really need to get back home now."
Timothy thought to himself as he sat on a chair in front of the analog computer and dozed off...
Back in the carriage, Jake and the rest were looking at Timothy as he tossed and groaned in his sleep.
"It's almost daybreak now, and he hasn't stopped," Jake said worriedly.
Just as he finished speaking, Timothy woke up hurriedly, his head hitting the carriage roof, which seemed to wake him up completely. He looked at his surroundings with caution.
"Jake?"
"Yeah, pal, it's me. Relax. Timothy, look at me, breathe in and out. It was just a dream."
Timothy inhaled deeply as he sat down beside Ver, his eyes totally unfocused. His mind was trying to make sense of what happened to him.
"What did you dream about?" Finn asked calmly.
Timothy kept his head down, trying to arrange his thoughts first before answering.
"What do you know about the forgotten lands?"
"Huh, the forgotten lands. Where did you learn of that?"
Finn looked at Timothy with slight shock briefly before regaining his composure. Timothy was wondering if he should tell them all the details of the dreams, eventually deciding otherwise.
"I dreamt about a place called the forgotten lands."
"What was it like?" Finn asked.
"Different."
With that, nobody said a word as they all looked at Timothy, who had his head down. He could feel their gazes on him, but he didn't care; his mind was occupied.
"Stephen huh?"
Timothy muttered, but everybody heard him, making Jake and Ver look at each other with weird gazes.
"Who's that?"
"Huh?"
"Stephen... who's Stephen?"
Ver looked at him, waiting for an answer to her question because ever since they knew each other, she has never heard him mention a Stephen.
"Oh, him... he's someone I'd have loved to get to know."
Everyone in the carriage looked at him, but nobody said a word as the carriage kept moving steadily.
"My Lord, we are about to reach the village of Sondor," Elaine spoke, shocking both Timothy and Jake, with Ver looking amused at their expressions.
"I thought Ver was the only female traveling with us?" Jake looked at Finn as he spoke.
"You thought wrong. Well, if we are about to reach Sondor, then that means we are going to reach the capital before nightfall, that is if we don't meet any trouble along the way."
Nobody responded as the carriage continued its journey. About two hours later, they reached Sondor. They all got out of the carriage and walked.
"From here on, we will walk."
"Why?" Jake asked, reluctant to walk in the desert's heat. Ver didn't say anything, and she simply got out of the carriage, followed by Timothy, and Jake was the last to exit.
"Oh, my."
Ver said as she looked at the village. The desert village is enveloped by a vast expanse of sand dunes, creating a mesmerizing landscape that stretches as far as the eye can see. The dunes rise and fall in graceful curves, shaped by the ever-shifting winds. Occasionally, distant rocky outcrops or mountains may punctuate the horizon, adding a sense of rugged beauty to the scenery, and at the heart of the village, a serene oasis was found around a man-made water source. Lush vegetation seemed to thrive in this oasis, providing a stark contrast to the arid surroundings. Tall palm trees swayed gently, their slender trunks standing as testaments to the abundance of water. The oasis seems to serve as a gathering point and a source of relief, where villagers can relax in the shade and enjoy the tranquility offered by the shimmering water.
Within the village, open courtyards and plazas were the most common features. These communal spaces are the meeting points for residents to socialize, exchange stories, and conduct daily activities. Decorative fountains and small ponds provide the village with a soothing ambiance, while colorful mosaic tiles embellish the ground, showcasing intricate patterns inspired by their local traditions.
The buildings in the village exhibit unique architectural details reflecting the local culture and history. Ornamental carvings adorn the facades, serving as visual expressions of the community's artistic heritage. Arched doorways and windows with intricately designed screens allow airflow while maintaining privacy.
While remnants of ancient defensive structures could be seen, bearing witness to a history of protection against marauders and sandstorms. Ruined fortresses and watchtowers atop nearby hills serve as reminders of the village's resilience and the need to safeguard its inhabitants from external threats.
"I thought you said it's a village?"
"Yes, it is a village."
"Then why does it look like a miniature warring city?"
" That is why it is called sondor the warring village ."
Finn spoke with a smile as they entered the village, passing through its simple-looking gate. The moment they entered, a man wearing a surcoat came forth and bowed to Finn.
"My lord, the elder requests your presence."
"Very well, get my people a place to freshen up and some food," Finn spoke.
The man bowed once again.
"Follow me."
He gestured for Timothy and his friends to follow him, leaving Finn and Elaine alone.
"I should come with you."
"No, I need you to take care of the kids."
Finn said as he turned around to leave.
"Stubborn fool." She retorted
"I heard that." Finn yelled back
Elaine smiled and left.
The man in the surcoat, his bearing both dignified and welcoming, led them through the narrow alleys of the desert village to a charming pucca house nestled near the oasis. Its structure, meticulously crafted from the warmth of wood, boasted two cozy bedrooms, a modest kitchen and a washroom. Everything in the house was made of wood. The minute the man finished explaining the details of the house, Ver immediately ran to the washroom to get herself cleaned up, while Jake and Timothy sat in the kitchen awaiting ver .
"Are you still thinking about the dream?" Jake asked . "....Yes." Timothyresponded after a little pause
"You were tossing and groaning in your sleep. Was the dream that bad?"Jake inquired
"I'd call it a beautiful nightmare. When I was in it, all I wanted to do was wake up, but now all I want to do is go back."Timothy answered.
"Do you mean that you were aware that you were dreaming?"Jake asked with a raised brow , Timothy nodded but didn't add anything else. Jake stared at him for a few seconds before finally shaking his head with a smile. "You farted in your sleep hehe."
"What!!!" Timothy was visiblystartled by the revelation
"I said-." Jake was about to repeat what he had just spoken but he was abruptly cut off by Timothy.
"I heard what you said damnit!... Was it bad?" Timothy asked in a whisper .
"Why do you think we were all staring at you for?" Jake joked, but Timothy seemed like he was going to die from embarrassment, amusingJake even more.
Upon entering the huge washroom , Ver rested her body on the door with her hand clutching at her chest . Her heart was beating like a drum inside her chest.
"I should have definitely stayed back home." Ver thought to herself before she took off her clothes and took a towel from the stand, stepping inside the bath that was already prepared.
Upon entering the hot water , her thoughts were a scrambled messd but one thought was consistent through out , the thought of Timothy.
"Timothy, you keeping secrets from me now? I've known you your whole life, idiot." Ver thought to herself as she relaxed her tensed-up body in the hot water....
...
"My Lord, forgive me for this. It's just that this matter couldn't wait." A man about the same age as Finn spoke with his head down.
"It's okay, Faro. Now tell me what is it that's worrying you, old friend?" Finn replied to the man in front of him that had green hair and a rough stubble beard with piercing green eyes. The man was the person in charge of Sondor, the warring village , Faro Jorn; the emerald demon of zebha.
"Your little sister passed by the village, and she told me to tell you that she had found information regarding the tablets of ancient and that she won't be returning for a few months at least." The man named Faro reported , Finn's eye twitched a bit before he let out a hopeless sigh ,
"That girl... didn't she say where she was going?" He asked rubbing his temple.
"KE'SI, the islands of Pangu." Faro spoke in a somber tone .
Finn's eyes widened withshock and fear , his little sister clearly had no fear of death ."That foolish little girl will get herself killed one of these days..... sigh* Faro, my friend, DON'T TRUST ANYONE; we have been compromised." With that, Finn got up leaving the courtyard.
"Same goes for you, my friend." Faro spoke as he too left the courtyard in a different direction....
...
Finn quickly made his way through the narrow alleys of the desert village to the same charming pucca house nestled near the oasis where the others were brought to , and he could smell different aromas of food, making his stomach grumble. "I hope those fellas left me some." He spoke opening the door and he was met with the figure of Elaine dishing up. His mouth slightly agape Finn stood at the door seemingly enchanted by the scene playing out infront of him.
"Are you just going to stand there and watch as we eat, or are you going to join us... My lord?" Elaine spoke with her eyes still fixated on the task she was doing.
There was all kinds of dishes on display, all of them looking very delicious, Finn gulped closing the door as he entered . Silently makinghis way to the table Finn stole a glance at Elaine before speaking , "It is definitely refreshing seeing you dressed in casual clothingfrom time to time." Finn joked his eyes roaming all over Elaine, who was busy dishing up.
" Yeah? Well, don't get used to it... my lord." Elaine spoke sitting down opposite him , and staring at him.
The teenagers glanced at them with a "what's going on?" expression .
Jake suddenly cleared his throat and spoke up , "Uhh urmmmm , Can we pleasee start eating?"
"Huh? Yes, yes, you may all start eating." Elaine got out of her daze and responded .
Timothy and Jake immediately pounced on their food , whilst Elaine and Finn stared at them with amused expressions . Ver's face was beet red looking as if she wanted to bury herself for being associated with these two.
"Can you two stop eating like beasts?" Ver spoke through gritted teeth tryingto hard hide her embarrassment
"Huh, Beast?.... where?" Timothy and Jake glanced around with caution before resuming their tiresome task, earning a slight chuckle from Elaine and Finn.
"After we are done eating, we are leaving, so eat your fill." Elaine addressed the group before she started eating....
...
After eating, they bid farewell to the servant that brought them to the pucca house and left Sondor. Elaine still had her casual clothes on as they left the village on foot , slowlymaking their way to the capital city of zebha.
The whispers of the desert winds carried tales of ancient secrets, and as the group carried on their journey , the anticipation of the unknown growing silently within their hearts .