Chicken Little (Talanator!)

[Tally]

Set laid the glaive against the wall for the few seconds it took to slip back into his breeches.  He trusted them not to barge though the door in that little bit of time, and suspected they'd given up—maybe not for the whole night, but for now.

"It happens," he said.  "Define a lot."

[Anonymous]

Ven was still naked, not bothered by his nudity. He frowned, "My. I haven't had any problems like that, but I haven't really been on the surface long. Things are much more civilized where I'm from, let me tell you."

[Tally]

"Mm, are they?"  He doubted that.  In his experience, most people thought themselves civilized and the rest of the world backward, himself included on occasion.

He paced, glaive in hand, too invigorated now to sit and nothing else to do but walk off his energy and stare at the door.

[Anonymous]

"If we're both too awake to sleep and I think that awful water as stopped, why don't we just keep going?" Ven cocked his head, watching Set pace the room, "I mean, it seems silly to wait around a place like this if all we're going to do is pace."

He would be tired all tomorrow, but he had done without sleep before.

[Tally]

Set stopped in his pacing.  "Can you go on without sleep?"  He doubted it, but he would accept whatever answer Ven gave, and he hoped he put some thought in it.  He hoped he understood what it would be like to push on through the plains in the hot evening, no settlement yet in sight.

For all that, it wasn't a bad idea, and Set would gladly leave this place if Ven could handle it.  They may even find someplace better down the road if their luck held.

[Anonymous]

"Uh, I think so. I mean, I'm pretty awake now and I've gone without a night of sleep before. Probably wont make the best time tomorrow, but we'll be well away from here." Ven gave a small shrug, "It still seems better than staying here."

[Tally]

Set raised a brow, but he shouldered the glaive and his little rucksack just the same.  He felt he could fair well on the plains, but then he wasn't the one with the powerful aversion to weather.  "And if the rain picks up again?  Are you going to panic?"

[Anonymous]

Ven froze at that, half way to his feet and he stared at Set, "D-do you think it will?"

[Tally]

Set shrugged.  "It rains.  In some places, often.  Every day in others.  It will rain on us again, sometime.  Maybe today."

Ven wouldn't risk the rain but he would risk their murderous hosts?  Peculiar fellow.

[Anonymous]

"What? That often?!" Ven glanced over at the door, "It's not really so bad here. I mean, I'm sure those men have gone to sleep now and wont bother us."

People with weapons, he could handle that. Water from the sky was just not right.

[Tally]

"Make up your mind then.  The men or the rain."

In one thing he agreed—he didn't think they would try again tonight.  He would still stay up, and he would stay vigilant, but if his estimation of them was accurate, they would deem the gems they already had as payment enough and not risk losing their lives for more.  Their leave-taking would be tense, but not impossible.

[Anonymous]

"There really should be a third option..." Ven grumbled, tail lashing in annoyance. He glanced at the door. Rationally, he knew the rain was the much better option, but it filled him with a raw terror that some goons just didn't. It was primal and hard to argue with.

"I...it's up to you?"

[Tally]

Set watched Venyamin's tail curiously.  What it must be like to have such a thing.  That must have been what other folk thought when they saw his horns he supposed.

"Then we'll stay.  We'll have more than enough opportunity to deal with the weather, and who knows when we'll be able to spend the night under a roof again.  You should try to sleep if you can."

[Anonymous]

Ven nodded, "Alright." He tried to settle down, curling into a ball, his tail wrapped around him. The adrenaline would fade and he would crash soon, but it was still a little while until sleep finally claimed him.

The night went by without anymore late night visits. Ven slept like the dead, though his right foot kept twitching, the claws flexing in his sleep.

[Tally]

As soon as the sky began to lighten to grey, Set nudged Ven's ribs with his food.  The night and the rain both had passed, and he wanted out of here.  "Ey.  Up with you.  Let's be rid of this place."

He'd already done what little needed doing to be travel ready.  Rearranged his rucksack, checked the glaive edge, checked his supplies.  He was ready to walk out.

[Anonymous]

Ven woke slowly, groggy from the deep sleep. He yawned, stretching as he stood, "I feel like I hardly slept. Is the rain gone?"

Standing, Ven started to get ready, his movements a little sluggish, "Next time, lets stay somewhere less violent."

[Tally]

"Aye, it's gone.  Can't say for how long.  We should make distance while we can.  Maybe find someplace...more to your liking."

Less violent?  How were they to know?

"What do you need to get ready?"  Set hovered by the door, rucksack already on his back.

[Anonymous]

"Yes! And maybe better food!" Ven perked up a bit at the discovery the rain was gone and there would be a better place that night, "How often does that water come down? There really should be a better warning."

[Tally]

Set paused with his hand on the door.  "Depends on where you are.  In some deserts it almost never rains.  Then there are places where it rains every day.  Here?  I don't know.  A couple of times a month?  We'll see."

He eased the door open, stepped through cautiously.  Their hosts were there, going about their morning business, and Set exchanged a look with each of them in turn.  What was there to say?  They all knew what had happened, and they all knew he and Ven would walk out of here now.

[Anonymous]

Ven seemed oblivious to the tension, still chattering on to Set as they left the building, "Well, I still think it's weird. I mean, all this change. How to you handle it! Just look now! A few hours ago, dark! Now it's light! It's enough to drive a man mad!"