Alverost

Moving City Of Alandal

The scorching sun above my head, the searing sand below my feet and the dry air that surrounds me. It’s like a living hell, there is no water, no shade and no hope. Simply the never-ending desert that is determining my fate.

Every single step I took was slowly draining me of my almost non-existing strength, the flame of life in myself slowly dwindling as I walked through this torture of a place.

The only thing that was cooling my body was my haggard breath that escaped my mouth and met with my body as I walked through them. My eyes were almost close shut, the only thing keeping them slightly open was my will to survive this hell. However, even that was slowly being chipped away in this world of despair.

The sweats on my forehead slowly ran down and reaching my bare neck. My sweats were the only water around here, before there was another source of water. My tears.

The very first few days of arriving here, I broke down crying and wept as I thought of how cruel fate was and how unjustified this was. I’m a boy without a name, without a background and without anyone to rely on. Forced to be on this place without a reason or purpose, I cried until I can’t shed another tear.

Then I decided to walk, while hoping, praying to find an escape out of this place.

I have no memories, no love ones, no one to remember of or a place to return to. I just simply knew that I was abandoned in this forsaken place with no way out.

My mind is like a fragile bubble, one pop and it will burst. It was like I’m in a long dream that continues forever, it’s been so long that I don’t know what's a dream anymore.

I continue to walk without any sense of time. Seconds becomes hours, hours become days and days become months. Time continues to past while I continue to tread on this treacherous path. How long has it been? I’m completely clueless, I can’t even guess how long I’ve been walking or how long I’ve been here.

How, just simply how is it possible that am I surviving through this without any food or water. How is it that I have yet to perish and become one with this desert? What is it that is keeping me survive?

For the first time in many days or even months, I felt a tremble on the ground. It was like waking up from a long dream, breaking part of the illusions and there it was in front me.

My hope of getting out of here was in-front of me, and it was a gigantic existence that covered my vision. Its imposing posture as it took it step, every single movement created quake that even shook the air and the sky, let alone the ground.

While at first it was in the far distant with every enormous step it took, it got closer and closer. This colossal figure carried an archaic aura as it takes it slow but steady steps, it was a four-legged creature while there was something equal of its size on its back. The thing on the creature’s back was a city.

A massive city was on its back however it continued to leisurely walk as if the weight of the city meant nothing to it. My fragile mind couldn’t comprehend what the creature was, its legs were cylinders and while the city was on its back. It also had a shell that the city was built on but the shell still covered its back. The creature that was hope in this place of despair was a huge turtle that was carrying a city.

My will to survive abruptly grew in size as I saw the turtle move closer towards me, however the world around me started to grow dark. The darkness soon surrounded me, and a thought appeared as soon as I realised what was happening, “Heh, so this what it feels like to have hope dangling in-front of you just to disappears once I get close.”

The will in my soul that just suddenly increased in size once again shrink and now it was almost extinguished. Then a disagreeing thought appeared, “No, I can’t give up now. After so long, after enduring so much, I can’t give up now.”

I struggled to move and tried to give a shout, letting the turtle know that I existed however no sound came out from my dry throat except for coughs. Waking up from the dream was also brought incredible pain as I soon felt what my body went through, my lungs were in pain from my coughs.

I no longer could see the turtle as all that was left in my vision was darkness reminding me of my despair and misery. I no longer want to continue, I no longer desire to take another step, I no longer want to experience another hardship. Life… is too hard.

After a long time, I feel… a softness below me and surrounding me. I open my eyes and instead of the sky that I always see since I could remember. I see a ceiling and I was on a comfy bed covered with a blanket.

“Oh, you are awake. That’s good I can return to my role.” I heard a surprised voice that was filled with happiness.

“Ah! I forgot to say. Welcome to the moving city of Alandal.”