Giacomo's Journal (Part 2)

Day 2:
The desert seems endless, blank, and sterile, my Brother.

But if you look closely, there is life everywhere. There are signs of travel, of civilization, of a people, scattered between every grain of sand. I brought a great deal of my own equipment with me, and though it is a bit heavy, I have never been so glad of a decision. I would have cursed myself to be in such a place without my magnoptics.

If you had told me, a month ago, that I would happily spend a day sitting on the ground, staring at piles of dust, I would have thought you mad. But perhaps, I am the mad one. Perhaps I am mad with the heat! 

But I’m telling you—there are mysteries, here, in the desert. The sand itself seems alive, somehow.

Today, as I approached the outer fringes of the Alin Kingdom, I saw, in the distance, a group of travelers. Only when I used my scopes could I see that these were not merely travelers, but soldiers, Desert Walkers. Brother, I can only imagine what you would give to have your own Imperial Musketeers gain the skills I witnessed these men employ. My scopes are the best Vinci technology could produce—I know this, for I built them myself. And yet, I would swear that what I watched was caused by some distortion in my equipment. The soldiers, as a group, came to a halt in their march, and then, simply vanished. I have no other word for it. One moment they were there, and the next, they had simply faded from sight.

I watched for what must have been at least a full hour, and the men did not reappear. Several times I considered moving closer, to examine the scene of the disappearance for myself, but I did not wish to take my eyes away, even for a single moment. After a very long time, I was beginning to assume that the men had simply been swallowed by some desert monster, but then, as quickly as they disappeared, they emerged from the sand, and marched away.

Would that Vinci technology could produce such an effective means of camouflage. It is something I should like to give a great deal of thought.

In the meantime, I am left pondering the roots of Alin magic. Is there something inherent in the nature of the Alin that is so different from the Vinci that they master magic, where we would apply technology to solve the same problem? Is it something in the land itself?

I study the sand now, in great handfuls, under my scopes. What appears so dull and mundane at first glance reveals itself under greater scrutiny. The sand itself shimmers; it almost seems to move of its own accord. I am unsure if the magic of the Alin has infused the sand, or the magic of the sand has infused the Alin. But I shall make it my purpose here to find out.

Your Brother, always.
– G
 

Day 3:
I may have miscalculated, Petruzzo.

My first days traveling here (has it only been three days since I left?) seemed mild enough, uneventful. But now I wander deeper into the desert, along roads that must lead to some city, some settlement of people. I have seen nothing. I have met no one. The heat has grown more and more intense. I think perhaps I shall begin to travel only at night, and rest during the day. I read over my earlier pages, and I feel a bit foolish now. Perhaps I have brought too much equipment, and not enough water.

I’m going to rest for a few moments, under the shade of some large rocks I have found. Do not worry overmuch, Brother. I have thought my way out of worse situations than this. Do you remember? That time I had to destroy that clockwork hound I worked so hard to build when I was only eleven? You laughed at me, at the gashes on my arms and legs, and said that I should avoid inventing anything else with teeth. Good advice, that. I wish you were here to give me more. And, perhaps, something to drink.

See? The heat is not so dire that my sense of humor suffers. I will be fine, Petruzzo. Rest easy, Brother. I hope that you are well. 

Your Brother, always.
– G

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