For a long moment Atlas stared at the girl who had a moment before been crying on his bed.
Her mouth opened and closed several times without making a sound, like a fish out of water. One moment she stared at him as if unsure whether he was real, the next her eyes dated to the doors of the room and to the beds.
Atlas for his part was exhausted, the stress of being in the move in the midst of a tainted beast wave had long since caught up to him. Compounded with a grueling two day long run while injured, it was a testament to his will that he was still standing. Please just get of the bed, let me sleep.
When it became clear that the girl was not about to explain herself. Atlas asked her. “Naile what are you doing on my bed?”
Naile stared at Atlas for a few long seconds without responding. Just when Atlas was about to prompt her again the question seemed to register in her mind. She looked down at herself and his bed that she was on. Her checks turned beet red.
“iiiieee!”
With a shriek Naile jumped up and ran to the bathroom. She slammed the door shut and went deathly silent as if holding her breath.
What… what’s wrong with her... I’ll talk to her tomorrow. Atlas’s thoughts were sluggish as he tried to understand Naile; right now, he was too tired to form coherent thoughts.
Atlas didn’t even disrobe let alone change clothes or take a shower. He collapsed face first into his bed. The soft comfort of his bed embraced him, and he flew away on the wings of night.
Atlas awoke to someone shaking him. His mind clearer now, though he could feel a strong urge to return to sleep. His body was not so refreshed, he could feel a dull pain throughout especially around his stomach.
When he opened his eyes he was met with the worried face of Naile.
Naile: “Atlas we need to talk.”
Atlas groaned, he been in an uninterrupted slumber. It was quite discomforting to be woken at a random hour, and even more discomforting to have to be focused.
“Give me a moment.” Atlas responded.
He pulled himself into a seated position trying to bring his thoughts together. In his mind Naile has acted quite strangely yesterday. Did something happen? I haven’t seen her so upset in years. I hope nothing bad comes off it, the last thing to cause her to be in such a mood was a dark moment not worth remembering.
He looked around while he gathered his wits.
In the room Atlas was in there were two beds, one for himself and one for Naile. A small table with two chairs was placed past the foot of the beds. A rudimentary kitchen consisting of a several cabinets and an warmer lay beyond the table. On one end of the room against an exterior wall with a window was a single desk, on and around it lay a mess of metal parts and crystals. A door led to a small bathroom with a toilet, sink and a shower. Another door opposite the exterior wall led to a central hall.
Atlas had shared the small abode with Naile for three years now. It was a comfortable arrangement, they split the rent of the place evenly between them and both got what they wanted. Atlas needed a place to stash his stuff and sleep between hauls without worry of theft or murder. Naile needed money, during her apprenticeship she only got a fixed stipend and was forbidden from taking other work.
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Atlas had met Naile on the road soon after he snuck away from his clan. She had been a scrawny little thing back then, not much has changed there. They had the common destination of Tinith and during the months of travel had bonded. Much of this had to do with a profound loneliness and the constant company of being on the same caravan. Naile an orphan who has never had an authority in her life and deeply resented adults. Atlas a runaway who dearly missed for the close knitted bonds of his family and clan. In each other they found something they longed for and together formed a deep friendship.
Shaking his head Atlas cleared his thoughts of the past and rose to join Naile at the table.
Naile had made a simple breakfast of a slice of bread and some jam. She was slowly eating while scribbling furiously on a wax tablet. Atlas could see a complex qi circuit on it along with a plethora of eligible text. While he couldn’t discern any specifics the general structure resembled that of a sensor.
When Atlas reached the table Naile quickly closed the wax tablet giving him her full attention.
“You’re alive.” Stated Naile in a calm, neutral tone.
Atlas paused for a moment bewilderment and curiosity flashing through his mind. You woke me up to say this?
Atlas: “Yes?”
“You really are here, I thought you had died. Do you know how much you scared me.” Nails said, a smile broke through her calm demeanor.
Atlas: “I live here… why are you making such a big deal out of this?”
Naile looked at him in confusion mirroring his emotions. Then her face cleared as she came to a realization. Nodding to herself she said. “Of course, you haven’t heard the news yet, you just got back after all.”
Naile: “After word of the tainted wave everyone started paying extra attention to the Praesidium Desert. Once the sandstorm hit, I heard rumors that everyone caught in it went missing; no one has returned since. No one, not even the Knights or the Praestes. I even went and asked Madam Lucretia if you or any of the other haulers had made it back and she told me that she hadn’t heard for anyone still in the road.”
The sight of the Fool’s Road littered with corpses flashed through Atlas’s mind.
Naile paused for a moment, catching her breath. She rested her elbow on the table and cupped her cheeks staring at Atlas curiously. “How are you here? Tell me everything.”
Atlas sighed: “I get that you are curious and all, but can’t this wait?”
Naile blushed slightly before trying to explain herself. “No! Yes, no, I was going to wait until you woke up by yourself. But the Second Pillar put out an emergency call, it’s all hands on deck. I have to get to the foundries in the next hour. They’ve even set up temporary residences and other accommodations. Its going to be several days of not weeks until I get back.”
Atlas was beginning to feel irritated with her rambling. “Naile please don’t tell me you woke me up because you want to hear my story?”
Naile pouted looking at Atlas. “How could you think so lowly of me, I would never wake you up just for a story.”
Atlas raised an eyebrow and muttered a disagreement under his breath.
Naile glared at him. “You want to say that again to my face?”
When he stayed silent Naile resumed her exposition. “Don’t worry there’s more. The First Pillar also announced that there is a reward to anyone with information on the current situation on the tainted wave. Since you made it back surely you have a tale to tell.” Naile waggled her eyebrows as she finished.
“Seriously? It’s not something to joke about. You and I both know better than to get involved with the First Pillar.
“They are offering up to a hundred Patvium silvers depending on the value of the information.”
Fuck me that’s a lot of money. “Naile.” Atlas raised his in a warning.
“Yeah yeah.” She imitated Atlas’s voice and said, “The nail the sticks out is hammered down.”
Atlas glared at her though internally he felt relieved. Good. It’s bad enough you joined the Second Pillar just stay away from the First Pillar.
There was a moment of silence.
Atlas resumed the conversation he felt a going of hesitation but kept it out of his voice. “Do you still want to hear what happened on the desert? Or were you asking for when you come back?”
Naile: “Now. I’m going to be stuck in some overcrowded foundry with half a table making the same circuit for weeks. And that’s too long of a wait.”
Atlas acquiesced to Naile request and recounted his story in full. He made no omissions and gave a detailed narration. Naile for her part thoroughly enjoyed the tale which had her heart racing as she immersed herself into this recollection of his harrowing plight.
At the end Naile, in good spirits, rushed off to the Second Pillar, where the forges and foundries that armed and armored the Knights lay.
Atlas prepared to leave the home and meet Madam Lucretia.