In the distance you see trees beginning to grow once again. The sent of water reaches your nose but it doesn't hold the smell of lemons. You don't care, the flask is empty and you need water. Sighing, you start the long hike to the line of trees. 

    By late afternoon, you have reached the trees, well, it should be late afternoon judging by the watch you are wearing on your hand but the sun is still overhead. Wiping the sweat off your face you stumble into the coolness of the trees. A rather large lake sits before you, panting, you scoop some water up, polluted or not, and drink it. Unlike the water that had been in your flask, it was cold but not as refreshing somehow. Oh well. 

    Stretching, you gasp as your skin cracks and flakes. Groaning, you glance at your skin which is a bright red and stings terribly. You have never had sunburned this bad. 

    "You look a bit uncomfortable." The voice is deep, calm, and male.

    You don't even flinch, partly because you are getting used to surprises and mostly because you hurt to much. 

    "I didn't know humans even came in that color." The voice continues jokingly but kindly. You turn around and see why this particular creature seems so set on skin color. His skin is blue.

    He smiles at you and you nod at him, feeling quite embarrassed by the whole situation.

   "My name is Riverwise, why don't we do something about that nasty burn?" He reaches in his robes and pulls out a blue jar the color of his skin. Taking some of this in a hand he gently smoothes it over your face. Both his hand and the salve are soothingly cool. This coolness drives out the heat in your face and miraculously, your skin heals over. Riverwise offers you the jar. "Why don't you take this?"

    You feel much better now and decide to go on. Thanking him you find that you have a choice. You can go north but there is also a far off sound of singing in the distance, how odd.  lemon springs are just a mile or so away.

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