The building was a sad excuse for a bar, but it was nothing compared to the rest of the town. In the wake of the recent dust-storm, a thin veil of dirt and sand covered everything from the weathered slats of the buildings to the unboarded windows, and even settled across the undisturbed, liquid surface of the watering troughs. The thought of paved streets had never apparently crossed the minds of the town residents, and so only a single, rugged dirt road ran between the two straight rows of buildings, now littered with rocks and debris from the wind of the massive sand storm. Indeed, it was amazing that, weathered and damaged though the buildings appeared, they had somehow managed to come out worse for the wear than the cobwebs that crisscrossed their patios, porches, and even the alleyways in between the small, ramshackle structures. The tiny webs appeared almost untouched, astoundingly, from the smallest, penny-sized ones in the corners to the larger, more sinister veils that crisscrossed the alleys. No one dared to try and take them down on a good day, let alone in this gritty aftermath. The residents of the town would tell you to avoid the latter at all costs... especially at night. Judging from the bleached, grinning bones that lay beneath them, one would do well to heed their advice.
This small township was on the map, and even had a name- Havensword- but at first glance, you would think that it was abandoned. No one wanted to venture out just yet, as the intense heat and sun were enough to blind the most hardened Hunter. The only sound to break the constant howl of the wind, in fact, was the eerie creak of an empty rocker. Even the bar's sounds were muffled in the haze that hung in the heavy air.
Suddenly, from across the Killing Fields there came a loud roar, as of an engine, that broke the calm. It grew louder, and soon a motorcycle crossed the border from no man's land into the relative civilization of the town. It's rider hunched low over the front of the sleek vehicle, even as it came to a rest before the bar.
Engine idling, the rider dismounted with a relieved sigh, and removed his helmet, revealing a shock of white hair that contrasted with the youthful features of his face. Indigo, cat-like eyes took in his surroundings through an extra set of goggles that were also covered in dirt and sand- as was much of his complexion, despite the protective visor on the helmet. Riding through a dust storm was never pleasant, but this one had been particularly nasty. The rider took off his leather jacket for a moment and shook it out, trying to get what dust he could out of it, though he knew there was basically no point. A cloud rippled up from the cloth, engulfing hsi person momentarily, only to seemingly resettle as he replaced it. For all his effort, he still looked pretty grimy and fairly dirty. The goggles were slipped off as he stepped onto the porch of the bar, pausing to survey the land he had just crossed. Tierisca thus far had changed little from his memories. He wandered if the creatures of the continent had in the absence of the Archai. With a wry smirk, he turned on his booted heel and headed into the bar to order a mug of beer.
|