Staring out at the waste wasn’t helping.

Often, when searching for what to do next the Kolmander would stare out at the waste, and often, the granular expanse of sand and wind and sun would create a spark of inspiration. Today there was nothing, just sand and wind and sun beating down the hopes of the village.

It’d been six months since even a sprinkle of rain. The water dancers had burned incense, prayed to the gods, and exhausted themselves in their efforts. Sitting with her sisters in the shade of the heat Bethany breaks the silence,

“We have tried everything; nothing has appeased the gods. Where has our Kolmander gone?”

“They are looking for signs swirling in the sand.”

“The sun waves are high now”

Caitlin nods and it seems to Bethany as though the sweat forming on her brow turned to steam before her eyes.

“Perhaps we should move? Perhaps the gods are no longer favorable to this land?”

Bethany’s eyes flash red, her jaw clenches,

“The Kolmander has led us here by the grace of the gods. This land has provided. We must not speak unfavorably of what the gods have given us.”

“The river dries up sister; the spirits no longer form in the sky above us.”

“Blasphemy!”

As the water dancers continue to speak, the Kolmander’s thoughts begin to drift.

How long had it been since the last vision? How long had it been since the last war? The people had trusted in the Kolmander’s sight . . . but had that sight left him?

He shook off the ticks of insecurity before they could dig their teeth in deeper. Carried by the wind the sound of a war trumpet hit him. He wandered towards the sound, forgetting the village, spellbound by the call of war.

Outline for remainder of story:

Kolmander finds raiding tribe and joins them thinking it was the spirit of the gods that led him there; the raiding tribe leader challenges the Kolmander to a duel and loses, allowing the Kolmander to satiate a bit of bloodlust while gaining the respect of the tribe and access to the spirit the tribe had raided. The raiders know of more villages across the waste. The Kolmander, believing this to be the will of the gods and not his own bloodlust, follows the tribe to obtain more spirit to bring back to the water dancers.

The villagers grow restless.  In a meeting with the tribe the water dancers Bethany (Dogmatic) and Caitlin (Skeptic) argue about the power of the Kolmander sight. Bethany believe the Kolmander will be back with spirit soon however Caitlin feels that there may be and untapped source of water under the ground. The villagers break into factions. One faction prays for salvation via the Kolmander and the other begins to dig.

The Kolmander and tribe of raiders sack three villages, finding just enough spirit to sustain them through each raid and bring back to the Kolmanders villagers, but not enough to get through the remainder of the dry summer. The Kolmander and raiding tribe head back to the village to bring what little spirit is left to the dry village.

The Kolmander returns to the village with the raiding tribe and finds Caitlin of the water dancers and many villagers digging a hole into the earth, which is sacred and meant to be unscarred, to build a well. A procession of Bethany and her followers come streaming out of the church, hearing the Kolmanders voice.

The Kolmander booms his authority to the crowd, evidencing the spirit he has brought back to the village as the manifestation of the god’s will. While making his speech the well diggers hit a natural spring in the ground and water spouts out of the earth.

The Kolmander massacres the well diggers for impropriety to the gods and reestablishes rule; takes Bethany as his wife.

End.