Heat Rising (IC)

Nidge Darkfold brushes the cloth hanging aside and wanders casually in to the room. The sun streams in through the window openings and the air seems rough with the dryness of this desert place. Sometimes during the day the heat here is stifling and he has to swim in the waters to keep cool. At night it can be cold, but the sky looks so beautiful uncluttered as it is by buildings and lights that he stands looking up at it for many an ahn. The stars look down on him and he looks back at them wondering what is out there.

He walks over to the corner of the room and slips his backpack off. Slowly he undresses; it is so hot here and no one is around. He is naked here most of the time, occasionally covering himself with a loose piece of cloth if he needs to greet visitors to this place. Mostly they come to look around or to find a quiet spot to escape from something or someone. Rarely does anyone need medical attention here. It is attention of another sort they come here for, but he avoids that kind of contact here.

Slumping down on to a cushion, Nidge rests for a moment before reaching in to his backpack for a pouch of water he carries with him. He takes a long drink from it. He must remember to fill it from the pump in the infirmary below.

The weary physician reaches in to his backpack once more and takes out three of his dearest possessions - a pen, a container of ink and his journal. He flicks through the journal to find an empty page. Removing the top from the container of ink, he dips his pen in it and begins to mark the page with the archaic symbols of the physicians.

"Life has been quieter since I made my past entry...and yet it has been interesting, at least from my point of view. I had received an invitation to visit another oasis to visit a boy I was very fond of.

When I arrived, weary from my travels, I found the boy in good health. I was given a tour of the magnificent desert city and introduced to the scribe and a sheik. I also met another man and a couple of other slaves. I had already met one of the slaves before, but it is best if I do not reveal how as I would hate the boy to get in to trouble for assisting me. All seemed very welcoming. I did spend some time with the boy I had hoped to claim as mine. Rather a long time, in fact. Even as boys go, he is an excellent example. During our time together, he told me something that disturbed me greatly; the reason that he left our former homestone was because of the cruelty of my former free companion. I was hurt to hear such a thing. Sadly it is not the first time I have heard such things of the man who still holds a place in my heart even though he has now gone from my life for good."

Melancholy washes over the physician. He puts down his pen and buries his face in his hands. He sobs quietly. Tears fall for the boy. Tears fall for his former lover. Tears fall for himself. His body heaves with the sudden strain of the emotions that burst forth without warning. He cries out in this beautiful but desolate place; the words are lost in the shimmering air. He wonders when this situation is ever going to end. Words are spoken against his former free companion wherever he goes; his dark, violent moods and his terrible words. Nidge rises from the cushion and goes to rest on one of the furs. After a few ehn, he cries himself to sleep - exhausted and alone in the heat and sand and blinding sunlight.

After a couple of ahn, Nidge awakes from his fitful sleep. The heat is no less than it was when he submitted to the dark dreams he has. The sweat on his bare skin glistens in the sunlight that floods in to the room. He rises from the fur, picks up the water pouch and steps out of the doorway. Holding a hand up to shield his eyes from the glare, he peers out in to the desert city. No one is around. He quickly makes his way down the steps and opens the heavy wooden door of the infirmary. In the main room, he fills his water pouch from the pump. He then goes back to the door where he deposits the pouch before emerging in to the sunlight once more. The physician runs across the sand, his feet burning with each step, and he descends the rope bridge. He quickly slips in to the water. In the coolness of the water, he washes his face to clean away the feeling of dried tears before swimming around, enjoying the feel of the water on his skin. After some time in the water, he gets out and makes his way back to the room above the infirmary, collecting his water pouch as he passes. On entering the room, he crosses to the cushion in the corner and takes up his journal and pen once more. His mood has lifted and he dips his pen to continue his writing.

"I visited a friend in another fine city. It is a place I had visited before for the market, the storytellings and to catch a glimpse of a member of the red caste, who I once tended to. The friend who I visited is of the same caste as I. I have found him to be very attentive and charming in all our dealings and have enjoyed spending time in his company. Sadly, he is painfully aware that not everyone enjoys time with him so much...but that works in my favour as he has more time for me. I hope my time with him brings some joy to his life and relief from the dramas around him."

Nidge touches the pen to his lips, remembering the feeling of his friend's lips there. He smiles wistfully as he thinks of the man's arms around him as they bathed together. How close they seemed then and now so far apart. They had spoken many words during the intimate time they had enjoyed together; words that had brought understanding, words that had brought comfort and words that had brought warmth.

"After I had spent some quiet time with my friend, he showed me around parts of the city I had not been to. There are some truly wonderful places hidden away out of sight. The city seemed as empty as my desert dwelling, but I had him as my companion so anyone else would have been a mere distraction anyway."

"Rising early this morning, I set off on my travels once more and found myself in one on my former homestones. I observed three masked men swimming by me and heading for land. Of course, masks are always a cause for concern so I slipped in to the city. Thankfully I still have a key for the main gate. I think one of the men may not have been so happy when I closed the city gate. Well actually I slammed it. In his face. I heard him mutter but decided it was best if I did not linger to find out if he was injured. The three of them found a way in to the city with surprising ease so I suspect they had scouted around there prior to my arrival. I tried to run to safety but was captured by them."

"I was bound while unconscious. When I recovered, I was stripped of my cloak. It was at this moment that circumstances changed - one of them saw my caste armband. Despite being Dark Ahn, they respected my caste status and I was cut free. This surprised me as once I had regained consciousness I had berated them and taunted them for their actions! A risky move perhaps, but I wanted them to know that I did not fear them despite being unarmed and alone with three of them. They did prove to be something of a disappointment though; all attempts at flirting with them in the hope of seeing their home fell on deaf ears. I was quite insulted as I do not usually have to work that hard on a man! I was able to leave without further incident, though I suspect that there was trouble after I left."

Nidge closes his journal and puts it back in to his bag, with the pen and the water pouch. He seals the ink and puts it away too. Standing up, he slips out to visit the tavern in the centre of the oasis. He pauses in the doorway for a moment - and then decides that clothing seems of little point. A smile passes across his lips as he wonders what lies ahead; for the first time, he feels unafraid of the future...though somewhere deep within him, he is sure he is tempting fate.