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Tor was jolted awake as his surroundings collapsed around him, a sense of falling and- everything was still again. He struggled with minor difficulty to open his eyes, seeing around him that his bed frame had shattered under his weight, bits of splintered wood sticking out from under his mattress at odd angles. Thankfully none had pierced through the mattress and injured him, though he was now stuck in an awkward position as the center of the frame had buckled, leaving him in a half-folded over position.
He let out a deep sigh. He would need Narf to fix his bed. Again. At this point it would be easier if he went without the frame, though Narf was always looking to practice his woodworking and would scold Tor for denying him the opportunity. For now however, Tor would lay for just a few more moments as he composed himself for the morning.
Sapphire would suit him nicely today, he thought. It was to be a busy day, and the additional acuity would assist in the management of the City. There was no major rush, though Tor always tried to finish his transmutation prior to going out for the day. He started the process, chills wracking his body as he could feel himself being rearranged from the inside, organs grinding against each other like tectonics. He laid there, in his shattered bed, until the transmutation was complete, taking longer than he’d like. Tor had worn himself thin recently, too much work and not enough rest. He was the most important individual in the City. Unfortunately.
Eventually the chills subsided and Tor opened his eyes, now a deep sapphire blue. He could feel the sharpness of his mind and the relatively lightness of his body, and as he moved to get up he was able to see the rest of the changes. Tor was a mountain of a man, with slate-grey skin tinged blue now, his face sharp and angular as if carved from a cliff face, head nearly scratching the sky that was the ceiling of the room. He took a step, bones of stone grinding against each other like gravel underfoot, as he moved across his sparce room to his “desk”, a small unornamented table, papers scattered across it in loose organization.
He gingerly sat down, the chair below groaning in protest. The only thing more patchwork than his bed was the chair which has been fixed countless times, his weight often shattering it on the weekly despite Narf’s constant repairs. Tor could have had much more lavish furniture, as the room had once been filled with. He had gotten rid of them months ago, preferring it simple and bare, the clutter of a full room imposed the same disarray in his mind, distracting him from his duties.
Tor looked through the newest stack of papers placed upon his desk, front and center to draw his attention. Reports discussing the state of the City, the newest refugees, and news from beyond the walls as the scouts continued to explore. Managing a handful of people was more work than you’d think. He glanced through them, just enough to capture the most important details to turn around in his mind throughout the day before fully digesting them in the evening. An updated census, reports of exploring both the City and surrounding area, and details regarding their food stores. He glanced one last time at his agenda and took a deep breath before getting up, the chair letting out creaks of relief to no longer be supporting the mountainous man as he walked out to begin his day.
As soon as he left his room and entered the spacious makeshift-office room adjacent, he was greeted by the sight of Liv. Or Lif. Or Lin. Or maybe it was Lim today. The small mousy attendant sat at a desk, scrawling furiously with both hands on a variety of papers, scratches of pens and shuffling of papers filling the air in a flurry of soft sounds. Tor was blessed to have such a dedicated assistant and was even more lucky that they had come into the city early after the Awakening. Without their help it the city would have quickly devolved into chaos, though they managed to maintain a loose hold on their small but growing population.
Tor trudged over, grunting a greeting to his friend while they finished their work. They hated being interrupted, as they had scattered 6 different pages across the desk, three of which were actively receiving markings in the strange square-like script, all straight lines and right angles that could easily be mistaken for intricate drawings. It looked like the weekly census was going well, while reports from the scouts were slowly coming in.
Eventually Liv, Lif, Lin, or Lim finished, setting their pens down and drawing in a deep breath, closing their eyes. They were middle-aged, short and squat with what looked like scars that ran across their skin, their forest-green skin marred by emerald valleys forming swirls and spirals on their bald head. They began organizing the desk, eyes still closed, shifting and placing the papers with upmost care as the stationery was grouped, lined up, and sorted, everything meticulously neat as if it had never been disturbed in the first place.
“I am ready whenever you are..." “Min today Tor,I am close though as always I must try it out as nothing ever feels right by the end of the day, but I will keep searching for me.” Min said in their strange musical dialect, their accent squishing the words together in strange ways that made them difficult to understand. Eventually Min opened their eyes, watery Tor noticed, filled with longing and determination. Meaning meant much to Min, and the lack of meaningful attachment to their name stressed them more than they let on. Treasured memories forgotten.
Tor couldn’t fault his companion for trying a different name every day, though their turnaround was exceptionally short. New names were common unfortunately, and their records had to be updated frequently. Tor wasn’t exactly fulfilled by his, though he had long stopped complaining. He had to be constant, not for himself but for the people he oversaw, and finding his own name was low on his ever-growing priority list.
Min sighed again before collecting a stack of papers and hopping down from their seat, a plush velvet chair of luxurious quality made for reclining, though Min held such a posture that they could make any seat look uncomfortable. In a flash of light they had conjured a pocket watch from their robes, the loose sleeves drooping and lined with pockets, oversized clothes sagging as if they picked up their bed sheets and had elected to parade around in them for the day. That disrespected the regality of them however, though Min could look royal even in rags, but the vibrant colors and patterns of the robes truly made them stand out.
“The agenda for today first involves greeting the newcomers, Rathyn is overseeing them and will finish the tour in the southern courtyard in... approximately 8 flashes.” Min continued as they left the lobby and moved out into the streets of the City. Funny thing that was, people always relied on the names to keep track of things, from people to places to foods to animals. Names were everything, and living in a world without them was a constant reminder of everyone’s affliction. And so, they just called it the City, no need for a name when it was their whole world for now.
“Following that you have a meeting with the Instructors, I believe Gehor said that he had found some promising farmhands. Then of course Lykir needed to go over the security and scout forces, Felyn also mentioned that they still had to go over our supplies...” Min continued, listing off each and every task for the day, though Tor’s mind still wandered. Sapphire allowed him to take it in while still processing it, giving him some extra mental capacity for some thoughtfulness simultaneously.
As they strolled the City, Tor took it all in. It was a marvel, built on the shadow of a mountain, it maintained four tiers, each crawling up the side of a mountain at an equal pace, like rust on steel, concentric walls lining the outskirts of each level. Currently they were on the first tier, though expeditions to scout the others have been ongoing given the relative massive size of the City compared to the paltry numbers they had gathered, just under 5 hands by the latest census that Tor had seen on his desk earlier in the day. Pitiful compared to the majesty of their living conditions.
Tor and Min weren’t far from the Circle, a large town-square-esque space that led to one of the four gates leading out of the City. People were free to take residence anywhere not yet occupied, though most crowded the buildings on the outskirts of the Circle. Their own tiny community at the beginning of the world. It was quiet, eerily so. Not only was there a lack of bustle within the city, but today the local fauna had quieted, as if in solemn acceptance of the situation.
Tor was pondering the various daily duties of his when a severely unkempt man stumbled out of a nearby building in front of them, hair unruly as they looked about, eyes full of confusion and fear, skin dark and lined with glowing-veins. Min started, but Tor held them back. Tor had never seen them before, and though it has never happened before, no one had Awakened within the City in a long time.
“Greetings friend, are you ok?” Tor asked instinctively, slipping into a language that for some reason felt right. He didn’t know how or why he knew, but that was something that they had figured out early on. The mind may not remember, but their bodies did. And so Tor reached out, comforting, hoping to not scare the newcomer.
The man turned to Tor, face pained, his movements jittery as he started shuffling towards Min and Tor. Tor thought he could see their veins pulsing, like magma beneath the surface of stone. They were mumbling something, though Tor couldn’t make it out as they stumbled closer, repeating the same phrase.
“Help... me...”
“Help me...”
“HELP M-”
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
Tor and Min were blasted back as the man suddenly burst into flame, detonating into a fireball with enough force to send the duo tumbling back onto the street as the now-corpse burned in an inferno right in front of them. Tor checked on Min, their now-scorched robes still somehow looking frustratingly regal. They had been knocked out with a crack of their head on the cobbles, though otherwise they would only have to suffer through minor burns and would recover alright.
Tor finally turned to look at the epicenter of the blast, the man now a smoldering pile of flames as they burned through the rest of his mass. Tor also noticed that Rathyn was jogging over, confusion and worry in his posture.
“Are’th both of you safe?” Rathyn said in his unusual clicking language, glancing between the Tor, Min, and the burning corpse. A friendly heavyset man, Rathyn was put in charge of overseeing the newly Awakened given his moderate proficiency with several languages and his ability to read people. He was important, though not to the extent of Tor. Unfortunately.
With a heavy sigh, “I’m fine, but take Min to Ofel for their injuries. They will survive, but may have a few more scars. Call over Lykir to... Clean this up.” with a glance at the smoldering corpse. “I’ll oversee the new ones and prepare a full report later” as Tor spotted a group of terrified individuals slowly wandering over to them, following Rathyn after his tour of their area. The three newcomers formed a mishmashed party, with wildly varying appearances, skin tones, and styles of clothing. A common sight, but one Tor was still getting used too.
“I guess it is time to begin the day...”
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A harsh storm slammed against the walls as Tor settled into his stool and let out a mountainous sigh. What a busy day, having to continue through his duties as if this morning hadn’t happened. After introducing and getting the newly Awakened settled, discussing the incident with Lykir, he still had to meet with the Instructors, discuss farming with Gehor, and checking with Felyn about their supplies, he had finally managed to escape his duties and settle down for a moment. Or several moments at least.
Min was recovering in their makeshift infirmary within the Circle, Ofel was a bit overwhelming, but he was a good person and their best when it came to medical knowledge. For now, Tor would have to file his own reports, coordinate schedules, and communicate with the leads all by himself. Hopefully Min could make a swift recovery, Tor disliked being important and the busy duties that came with it.
After completing the urgent tasks, Tor started working on his report of this morning. Min would be able to corroborate it when they had recovered, and describing the event was cathartic in a way. This was the first time someone had spontaneously combust, a horror that the people of the City would now have to stress about, though the unusual circumstances bothered Tor. Why would a newly Awakened combust in such a violent manner, what could have caused it?
Unfortunately, Tor wasn’t likely to find out. The world had too many questions and not enough answers. They had barely figured out their surroundings, how could they have answers to something as horrific as what happened today? He had to abandon this train of thought quickly, less his sapphire-enhanced mind become obsessed with it. He had to focus on the present and on stuff he could fix. Hopefully.
Suddenly there was a rough banging at the door before Lykir barged in, soaking wet and accompanied by a howling gale that cut tor through the room. “Tor, this storm. Is unnatural, you must witness, come!” as he rushed back out the door, closing it with difficulty due to the wind. Tor sighed, briefly sorted his desk from the newly created mess, and ventured outside.
Into hell. The storm came down in waves, crashing into him while the wind threatened to blow him away despite his weight. Lykir was desperately trying to maintain balance as Tor put an arm on the shoulder to help steady him. Lykir was wiry which came in handy for scouting, but his lack of mass made the storm a struggle to navigate.
“Thanks, follow” hurriedly, attempting to make headway but struggling against the wind, while Tor had to reinforce both himself and Lykir. He moved them to the side of the street, giving them partial cover with some buildings as Lykir guided them towards the Circle. It was a step down from the street and had begun to flood, several inches of water filling it and creating an artificial lake.
Lykir then led them to the entrance to the city, a massive gate overlooking the surrounding forests from the plateau the City started on. It was a disaster. The wind was forming a massive vortex on the horizon, funneling all loose objects toward it. Tor could faintly make out trees being uprooted, patches of land overturned, and all of the rain draining towards the center of the storm.
And suddenly it stopped. The wind let out a last gasp of freedom before vanishing, the storm dissipating in a matter of seconds as everything stilled, except for the vortex on the horizon. It was eerily quiet, too much so.
“Ay, think we good. Never seen storm like that”
But Tor knew better. Something that violent didn’t just stop, it didn’t halt. There was something else coming, as he faintly felt a rumbling from the earth, as if it was taking a deep breath. Tor looked to the horizon, and saw the storm explode, clouds being scattered outward from the center, followed by a swift crack and a blast of air a moment later that sent Lykir flying and knocked Tor on his ass, the wind returned with a roar and the rumbling from the earth grew fiercer.
Tor stumbled to his feet and witnessed hell. A tsunami of cataclysmic proportion grew on the horizon, tearing through the landscape with impunity. Nothing could stand in the way, and while Tor knew he should run, take cover, hide, he was too enthralled by the majesty of it. The wave surged across the landscape and nothing was safe.
Nothing but the City. The tsunami crashed against the plateau the city started on, shuddering the mountain and sending spray up and washing Tor even farther away from the gate as he saw Lykir get swept away deeper into the City by the wave. Thankfully the plateau took the brunt of the impact as waves continued to thunder against the cliff, sending more spray up as the wind carried it farther into the manmade lake of the Circle.
Eventually it calmed, the waves decreasing to swells, and finally tides as it slowly crept back toward the horizon, draining from the landscape as if being dragged unwillingly. Eventually the waves receded fully, leaving a drenched landscape of broken plantlife and quashed rolling hills. Tor couldn’t help but marvel. What a fascinating storm. And what a mess he was. He struggled to his feet and found Lykir, soaked to the bone but obviously in awe.
“Let’s get you cleaned up. We’ve both had a day. Unfortunately.”
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