<span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Date (https://i.imgur.com/nPy1LJY.jpg):</strong> 22 Rova 2714 (Day 1), <strong>Time:</strong> 18:30<br/>    <strong>Malik</strong> (<strong>Hp</strong> 33/33)</span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: courier;"><strong>Almah's Caravan (https://docs.google.com/document/d/17Em-0vuGvQ5VUMHlvSQPPlOFnqCzZY3v-vjwqJgejso/edit?usp=sharing)</strong></span><hr/><br/><div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/uQqXk2j.jpg?1)</div><em>"Well, as to payment, we shall see what the future holds,"</em>she smiles enigmatically as her hand slides the cards into a circular pattern, before collecting them back up with a repeat of the first motion.<em>"Certainly, I'll not charge coin for ominous futures, or vague portents, yes?"</em><br/><br/>Vilama's eyes carefully take Malik in, from head to toe as she shuffles the cards with a peculiar motion that almost seems to make them roll like waves in her hands.  Spreading them out on the table in a semicircle with Malik at the center, she proceeds to cover up the pots, gradually dimming the lighting in the tent with every source of illumination put out until only a single pot remains, flickering uncertainly until the fortuneteller casts a handful of powder into it.  The wholesome orange fires flare into an orphic blue flame, rendering the inside of the smoky interior tent with a weird and unreal atmosphere.<br/><br/><em>"Shall we begin?"</em>she offers pleasantly, as she places the crystal ball in front of Malik, putting her hand atop of it.<em>"Put your hand atop mine and let us see what veils we can part."</em><br/><br/>Compared to most women, Vilama's hand is cool and somewhat hard, as of someone who tends to use their hands a lot.  For a several long heartbeats, nothing seems to come of it, with only the sound of Vilama humming softly in the quiet darkness of the room.  The winds picking up outside could be a coincidence.  There is a loud thump, as though something has struck the table, then silence again.  The howling of the wind seems to pick up.  The cards suddenly flutter, as though stirred by an invisible, ethereal wind, as they arrange themselves around the table in a perfect circle.  Some of them flip upwards, revealing foreign images, before reversing.  Vilama's eyes remain closed and while she continues singing softly, seems quite oblivious to it all.<br/><br/>Malik is suddenly assaulted by a vision of a world on fire, raging out of control and smothering everything.  It rains down from the air, sweeping across the earth, even crawling across water.  It writhes and crawls like a living thing.  But though it blankets everything, it does not seem to burn, or at least not in the way fire should burn.  Through the roaring curtains, Malik catches glimpses of fantastic landscapes, whilst strange, multicolored serpents fly and weave through the sheets of flame.  He sees moments of his life as a boy, of mighty cities he's never seen before.  Across this vast panorama, he can see the passage of Almah's caravan forging steadily eastward through burning desert.  Vilama is also there, lying amidst the fire, much less clothed and writhing with sensuous abandon as though finding unbearable joy from the caress of the flames.<br/><br/>Abruptly, everything is pulled away - fire, earth, water, landscapes, cities, Almah's caravan, and Vilama - all of it sucked up into a tornado so immense, it seems it will surely devour the entire world.  The howling of the wind is maddening.<br/><br/>Just as suddenly as Malik was assailed by the visions, does he find himself back in the tent.  Vilama is just removing her hand from the ball and is gathering up some cards that lie face up.<em>"The future is often difficult to divine sometimes,"</em>she explains almost apologetically.<em>"But one thing that is portended in your future is change.  Great and terrible change."</em><br/><br/>She places a card that depicts a raging cyclone before Malik.<em>"This is the card that is ascendant over all you other fortunes; an overriding influence for both good and bad.  You will journey far and your path will be through a road of flame - it could mean destruction or great zeal, treachery or strong passions."</em><br/><br/>Vilama seems to droop slightly, as though the effort of fortunetelling has sapped her vitality somewhat.