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Bluebell reached into the hole she had made and pulled something metallic out between her teeth. Hopping over to Draven she passed through the Skull's teeth and dropping it before Draven. The grey buck looked at the strange item before looking towards the others. Seems that some had also found things by the other bits of the skeleton.

"Lets gather with the others and see what they all have found too. Keep that close." he tapped the key with a hoof before Bluebell picked it up again and vaulted to his back.

When she was in place, the key still between her teeth, the Buck headed back towards the rest of the company. He was somewhat curious as to what everyone else had found. In the back of his mind he wondered just what the Wanderlust had gotten themselves into.


[[ Unused banked rolls +1
Inventory: Metal Key ]]

“It looks like we’ve found everything worthwhile.” Viltalta scanned the items dug up by the party. Some things were of no use to them now, but at least the sight of Wanderlust’s wing feather meant they had come this way. How long ago?

The other objects… the key Draven found and the strange box Ysalone dug up…

Viltalta sneered. “Some of these are relics left behind by the Others.”

She was loath to bring them along, but they might prove useful down the road.

“Be careful with them.”

The note Adahy dug up mentioned a bridge. Viltalta frowned, considering Wanderlust’s map. “We should keep south-west.”

It wasn’t late enough to stop yet and if they could make some headway before nightfall they might reduce time lost the previous evening. She didn’t know what the dark marks on Wanderlust’s map indicated. It couldn’t possibly be a river, there was no water like that in the barrens. The sun would suck it dry in hours.

Viltalta led the group further south, the heat forcing her pace to a slow trodge. Sweat swam down her body in stinking rivulets and she periodically swept her wings open to fan herself. They saw nothing but dunes and dirt for scorching hours, until, near evening, something black snaked over the ground to their collective left.

They’d found the dark mark on Wanderlust’s map.

A gorge, 30 or 40 feet across, winding away until the end of Viltalta’s vision. The map showed it slithering in twists and loops, cutting their path off completely. For now, they could still head south-west, but the pit would be at their side.

“Watch your footing!” she called back to the group, but thought to give the trench no more heed than that.

“H-hello?” a voice mewed from the depths.

Viltalta stopped, ears perked.

“Hello! Is anyone up there? Help me, please!”

Viltalta rushed to the edge and peered down, but she could see nothing. The darkness swallowed up the speaker. It didn’t sound like Wanderlust, but that might be one of their party members.

Viltalta could fly down and see them, but she’d never be able to carry the full weight of another noulicorn.

“Who are you?”

The answer came instantly. “My name is Isra! I’ve been down here for over a week now and I’ve run out of food and water. Please!”

Isra!

Viltalta wrinkled her nose with disgust. The exiled traitor and Wanderlust’s “Traveler.” What to do about him? He might be dangerous.

Moon Mist had been carefully quiet up until this point, following along with the group, trying to do her small part. Many of these Nouls were far more powerful than she, so she thought it best to keep her mouth mostly shut. Until right about now.

"All life is important. I don't think we should leave someone behind ..." Her voice got quiet. "Even if they've made a mistake or two along the way." That might be understating it, judging by Viltalta's tone. She shifted uneasily.

She was tired, she was dirty, but leaving someone to die in a giant crack in the hot and desolate place wasn't something she wanted on her conscious. She looked carefully into the rift, and felt her stomach drop a little. How had anyone survived a fall down there? How could they still be in a state to even talk?

wc: 145

There was no shortage of strange findings by the bones - plenty of the Others' remnants (and of course they'd left no corner of Vykeli untouched - but no one wanted to see their things strewn about everywhere), apparently, a lost wayfinder stone (probably a very lucky find), some rope - hadn't Wanderlust mentioned that they thought they'd need it? - and both a feather and a note. The note looked to be in the Traveler's - Isra's - more careful hand, and Ralir peeked over the shoulder of the lilac buck who'd unearthed it to read it.

He was clearly missing context to comprehend it, as well as half the instructions. Still, it was important to take note, and the knowledge meant the key that the jackhop had found and the strange object that Ysalone had located might still prove relevant.

And as for the feather - the pronounced blushing on it seemed evidence enough that Wanderlust, and not just Isra (though it didn't seem to make sense for Isra to carry around his own note), had walked through here, probably with intent to cross whatever bridge was mentioned in the note. Ralir wasn't sure whether it referred to the bridge depicted in the map, or something they'd encounter underground. He hadn't seen anything he'd describe as 'sandfall' yet.

He didn't have much to contribute, though, so he made a few quick murmurs of praise and encouragement for the group and trudged along. Viltalta had assessed everything probably more deftly than Ralir could, at this point.

They proceeded to travel a long distance without stopping. It was painfully hot, and the difficulty of walking on soft sand contributed to their slow pace. Several times Ralir was frightened he'd lose track of the little bundle of life upon his back, hot enough that he couldn't tell what was his own body heat and what was its. He certainly envied Viltalta her powerful wings - but while his ability could mitigate the cool of night, it'd only make day travel worse. He was fortunate enough to have known to wrap himself so loosely.

Ralir wasn't certain where he was. He felt like time had dilated: he couldn't quite remember how this terrain was lining up with Isra's rough map. The gorge was clearly the dark marking on the map...but that marking wound strange circles across the terrain, and Ralir wasn't sure where he'd place himself. There wasn't much to do other than follow it southwest, though, so he nodded to Viltalta's command and stepped away from the edge.

Well, he was preparing to do that, anyway. A buck's soft voice floated up from the depths of the ravine. Ralir didn't recognize it - but there were many noulicorns in the Homewood. Fortunately the buck identified himself...Isra. The buck of the hour, it seemed, though Viltalta had politely avoided the topic of his exile and the reason for it back at Wanderlust's hollow. What had he done? The Council, Ralir knew, did not exile nouls lightly. Whatever Ater Isra had done, he must have deserved it, and it seemed suspicious at best that he'd turn up now.

Still. Ralir - or any noul of the Homewood, really - had been put upon Vykeli to help others. Others including other noulicorns, though that could be a touchy subject, for some. He couldn't advocate for knowingly leaving Isra in a ditch.

The other nouls who'd spoken up so far seemed to agree. Ralir gave a quick nod to each doe in turn, and then that grumpy grey buck, and then began to speak up himself. "I...that note we found is incomplete," said Ralir. "If this is the Isra we know - it looked like he wrote it, so he'd certainly know more. We are here for a reason, and though we'll need to dally, we're missing information anyway, and he could be a...reliable source."

Ralir didn't know what Isra had done, but certainly if he had any affection for Wanderlust he'd want to ensure his safety, right? "I understand if none of us want to travel with him, but it doesn't seem right to knowingly doom someone, and we should at least be able to ask for the safest and more direct route to our goal in exchange."

[gift: solar [warmth], unused
+1 banked for a future roll, unused]

As the counited their journey the heat eat down on them in furies burn. Ahady had checked on both his charges some many times that he could here the eye rolls Furry Tail was giving ever time he asked. As the came upon a dark gorge, Adahy realized this must be the dark mark on the map that guided them. "Be careful Furry Tail this could be dangerous." Furry Tail did not responded but Adahy knew Furry was lesioning.

A voice calls out form head and below. "What the heck...:" Adahy says out loud. Viltalta speaks to the unknown voice and learns that the voice belongs to Isra. "Isra isn't that the noul that was exiled?" Adahy things and tries to remember. It is clear on Viltalta face when she turns to the group that she is not happy with who they have stumbled across. Asking the group what they should do, help or not, Ahady knows that they as nouls must help. It was their job to preserve life even if it could cause them harm. "We should help." he votes and it seems that the group was in agreement.



wc total:3052

Tsarine stood looking at his find puzzled yet intrigued at the smoothness. Taking a string he had Ayala tied it around his neck securely. Walking proudly he along with his companion followed the party led by Vitalia. The heat was making him felt uncomfortable yet he pushed onward with the others.

"That stone looks good on you" his companion spoke with kind words to soothe her noul's words. "Remember Tsarine, you have magical capabilities now If you need to use them".

He nodded to her panting then paused when his keen hearing picked up on the noul in despair. His sight trained on Vitalia seeking the answers who this stranger really was. Her facial pattern though spoke disgust which shocked him. Her next query of the group was rescue or denial leaving him there in that ravine.

"What do you think Ayala?" he asked with a confused tone, "Do we help him or let him down there".

Ayala pondered enjoying her sun bath. It seemed the leader would have no qualms leaving him there t o rot. But, was it unethical to follow that train of thought and forsake saving someone even if they were undeserving? She pondered heavily also listening to the other;s reactions before she spoke her answer.

"Even if he is disliked if you, any of you were trapped there you'd seek assistance over death. So my reply Tsarine, is retrieve this stranger and ask questions".

Tsarine listened to his friend nodding, agreeing before he soke up to the party, "I'm in agreement with Ayala. We need to bring him up so he can answer questions that may lead us closer to Wanderlust".