by A. F. Sturmer

In this special edition of the Nightingale Times, I present to you the first part of an echo log from my latest expedition, where I, A. F. Sturmer, ventured into a desert realm seeking the truth behind the mysterious portals and time anomalies.

This journey was fraught with peril and intrigue, much like the timeless swamp mystery we uncovered earlier. I invite you to immerse yourself in this tale as I recount the trials and discoveries of this formidable adventure. I have decided to attach my echo log as it is so you may witness and feel things as I did.

Light sheered through my eyes, and as I moved my lips, I instantly understood that my mouth was full of sand. My tongue felt like a lizard exploring a rock cave, harsh and dry, body was submerged in sand.

My first thought was, "I need water.' My second, 'Blasted Fae portals!' Apparently, something had gone awry during the teleportation, and I had landed face-first in the sand. 'It could be rock, you know,' I muttered to calm myself, seeking some positivity in my dire situation.

My backpack and its contents were strewn around my "landing" location. A bright thought flashed: 'Thank the heavens it didn't get stuck between realms, leaving me without essentials.' I found a flask of water and greedily took several large gulps to clear my mind and mouth. With basic necessities resolved, the next priority was comfort! The desert sun was a merciless adversary, giving me a literal headache. To my dismay, my precious and beautiful umbrella was broken. Thus, a replacement became my top priority to avoid my brain boiling under the desert heat.

After collecting a few weeds and sticks, I managed to create a makeshift umbrella. It was definitely not as elegant as my old one but provided mobile shade - crucial for desert survival.

With the core issues addressed, I began preparing myself for the mission at hand. I came here for a reason. The estate card I received from a crazed realmwalker I met in a pub at the Watch claimed he had found a cave with a portal leading to the future. While no one believed him, he was not the first to make such a claim. As someone who had encountered similar cases of realmwalker disappearances and suspicious echo logs from the future, I decided to investigate. Although my arrival was a complete disaster, the portal incident clearly hinted at something off in this realm, giving me hope for a sensational discovery!

The sky itself seemed unusual; the stars appeared different or had moved to another location. I checked my map with the single coordinates provided by the same realmwalker who gave me the estate card. I took my makeshift umbrella, spyglass, and started moving towards the coordinates, seemingly ahead beyond the rocky plateau.

As the valley unfolded before me, I began to see strange structures clearly related to industrial purposes. They were quite far, but I marked them on my map with intentions of exploring them later.

After countless turns among sand dunes, I finally saw an oasis, but more importantly, a small settlement with smoke rising, indicating inhabitants.

As I approached the settlement, a small girl jumped out from nearby bushes, agile like a Meppigow! "Hey, stranger!" she screamed, "Did you come from afar? Parents tell me not to talk to strangers, but I rarely see outsiders, so I couldn't resist!"

I used my most charming demeanor to avoid frightening the child and responded, "Greetings, young lady. My name is Alex, realmwalker and editor of the Nightingale Times." I executed the most elegant bow possible with a heavy backpack. She smiled and responded, "My name is Zero, and I am five years old. How old are you?" For some reason, children are always obsessed with age, as if it's very decisive information. I replied, "I am thirty-nine years old. You have quite an interesting name, Zero!" "Yeah, my parents gave me that name because I was born in 1900!" She continued to ask about the Nightingale Times, realmwalkers, and other topics, but her voice turned into a distant noise as my mind processed new information… 1900… five years old, which means it is now 1905?! Twisted fae portals! It seems I have landed in the future! So the crazed realmwalker was right all this time! This is sensational. Allan Quatermain will never believe me. Whoo-ho-ho! Ok, ok, calm down.

The girl was staring at me, clearly waiting for a response as I daydreamed. "Sorry, I'm a bit tired after a long trip. What was your question?" She smiled and said, "I asked if you want to meet my ma and pa and maybe rest at our house?"

"Sure," I nodded. "Lead the way." She nearly danced around me like a bee, while I intentionally slowed my pace, needing time to strategize for the conversation with her parents. Replaying possible dialogues and calculating outcomes, I decided that a direct approach like, "Hello, I’m A. F. Sturmer and I came from another dimension and time," seemed too dangerous. Who knows how these people might react to the fact that I’m from 1889? First, I needed to verify the date and learn more about these people and how they got here before deciding my next steps. It was better to pretend to be weary from travel, revealing little about myself.

As we approached the farm, the door opened and two figures stood in the doorway. As they stepped into the light, I realized I knew them both! It was Allan, goddamn Quatermain, and Nellie Bly! My face must have turned as white as thin paper. Allan noticed my reaction, stepped forward to greet me, and shook my hand while I opened my mouth like a fish. "Welcome, Sturmer," he hugged my shoulders and started to guide me inside the house. "Let's go in and have some tea; I'll explain everything."

How did Allan and Nellie arrive here? Is it truly 1905, or has the girl deceived me? What awaits me at the mysterious portal? Will these discoveries help us understand the nature of the global calamity and chart a course back to Nightingale City? Look forward to the next edition of the Nightingale Times, where we shall try to answer these and countless other questions.