Chapter 59: A Spark of Inspiration
"Will this really hold the walls together?" A boy complained, his skin a light cyan as he slapped the Mortar on the wooden walls of the rebuilt building.
The mixture squelched under his palm, its damp gray paste clinging to splintered planks still reeking of sap and river-mud. His shaggy black hair clung to his temples in sweat-darkened strands, his skinny frame hunched as if braced against the weight of the sagging structure.
A soft sigh passed his lips before he took a step back, heels sinking into sun-softened earth, and admired his handiwork: globs of mortar bulged between uneven boards, slick and glistening like wet clay.
Though the boy’s heart fell as he noticed the mortar drip down the walls slowly, appearing more soft than before. Rivulets oozed downward, carving glistening trails through the dust-coated wood, while the midday sun glared relentlessly, baking the air into a stifling haze.
"Apparently we need to wait for it to harden..." A taller one spoke, his hair short and clean cut, sweat beading along his hairline.
His piercing green eyes scanned the building, squinting against the glare bouncing off the river’s distant surface, where dragonflies darted like shards of glass. He shifted his weight, calloused fingers brushing the warped edge of a plank, its grain split and bleached pale by weeks of exposure.
"It better..." the other sighed, wiping his mortar-streaked hands on his tunic, leaving smears of ashen gray. The fabric, threadbare and patched at the elbows, rasped against his skin. "I don’t know if I can sleep outside again."
"Shouldn’t this Astra person help us out with this? It was her idea—" The black hair boy groaned, rubbing his hand through his hair from irritation as he continued to watch the mortar with tired eyes.
"Apparently she has her own stuff to deal with," The other crossed his arm, letting out a soft sigh.
His gaze flicked to the lean-to shelter propped nearby, its roof a patchwork of frayed reeds and cracked animal hides sagging under the weight of last night’s dew.
"Favio, Hamel! Stop dallying and do the others!" Zelr barked, walking up to the two.