Birch decided to explore the area.
There were sixteen other huts, of the same structure, in the shade of a strange, purple tree, a group of children played, under the watchful gaze of their mothers. One waved at birch.
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Beyond the huts, a group of red tents could be seen a ways away. Birch could see a man clothed in some sort of blood red garb, which covered his entire body, walking towards it, along with a sword-wielding escort.
The next night….
"Ung…."
Birch was in a brick hut of some kind. It was apparently one roomed, with no furniture save the leather mat birch lay upon. Outside, a pair of red eyes watched him for a time, and then disappeared.
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The next day Birch awoke to the sound of two men speaking in some dialect of elven.
"No, bauan, you eill not tae iu! E ib uy cuebt! I eill not allow you to sacrifice iu!" Growled one.
The other snarled back "E ib tainted sy te sreat of te triancle! Ib sacrifice eill nrotect ub for centurieb! Te ancient one tirbtb for ib slood!"
The first, having just noticed Birch listening, waved off the second. He was tall, with pure black skin, and pure black hair, his eyes were blood red but did not emanate evil as legend described. His hands and feet were claw like. He smiled, showing the fangs of a predator. he wore no clothing.
He winked at Birch, and then walked off.
Four days into the desert…
Perhaps i should have asked for food… Well, too late for that… Birch thought as wandered his way deeper in the desert.
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In what seemed like hours, but in truth was merely minutes, Birch found himself in a nasty dust storm.
"Exklotl!" He muttered to himself. He was taking in to much dust. His eyes burned. He began to suffocate, lungs clogged with dust. He stumbled, and fell.
Unconscious, he did not see the creature when it found, and saved him.
