The Fruitless Search

Gonyaul looked at his glorified “walking” staff with fondness. At present, he admired how it was with him in his time of need. He was tired. And the friend with the golden ornament, the staff, was supporting more and more of his weight as he continued onward.

It had been an early day of work, followed by a long day and evening of fruitless searching. Of course, it had not be all for naught. There was several a life he helped from then till now, that was worth something. He wondered how those tiny ripples might play out over the great pond of the future.

But now, his feet were weary and he wore fatigue like an extra cloak. He found himself on the opposite side of the city’s center. The temple was now between him and his high hide near the docks; the spot he needed to get back to.

His eyes ached. One, for straining hopefully through the dark of night and shadows cast by any flickering lights, in search of Voah. Two, by exhaustion from trying to hold up his heavy eyelids desiring to close. When he stumbled, having slipped off the balance of the staff, Gonyaul decided it best to rest.

He found what looked to be a inconspicuous nook off to the side. With a cast shadow as his blanket, he curled up and tried to make himself small and for warmth amidst the coolness of a desert night. It was going to be cold and uncomfortable; however, the space was suitable for a brief respite from searching. Gonyaul let his eyes close after one last security check, and fell asleep.

He woke abruptly later. How much later he was unsure, but he felt that it had been adequate for his eyes felt capable to continue onward. It was very still and quiet where he was, a bit unnerving. With the staff helping him, and a small boost of energy, he began anew. He wasn’t going to fail for lack of trying.

He figured when you lost something precious in a house. You wouldn’t look in just two rooms and call it quits. No, one would look everywhere one could. And once found, celebrate. So Gonyaul decided he would search the entire city, at least what he could access safely and without drawing undue attention to himself.

If that didn’t work, the backup plan was to reach the high hide, this time getting to the roof through the inside of the structure. Then sleep till sun up. With the sun painting the city it would be potentially easier to make progress in his searching for clues. Especially since he learned this night how simple it was to move about the locals without drawing attention.