[SRP] Thoughts Among the Sand

[Flying Foxx]

___All Those Who Wander
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Rumors are spreading across these lands faster than the drought.

Tales of kin residing to the north are reemerging after so many years… Some say the northern desert plains are the origin lands of our kind, while others refute that there is no such thing as a homeland for a species that exists only to travel. Regardless, I am eager to discover if these claims are true. Out of all the regions that I’ve passed through, of all the stories and history I’ve read up on, never have I ventured toward the land that some say holds the greatest number of temeo in Gaia- all varying in size and species. The idea of coming into contact with such a rich collection of culture is too much to pass up on. I know it seems absurd to go to such great lengths on nothing but a few rumors, but I’ve taken greater journeys on smaller hunches before.

My heart yearns for the adventure; I feel the wind calling to my soul. Perhaps I’ve been drifting through the Sahara for too long now. While we may be adapted for the arid heat and treacherous terrain of this ever changing wasteland, I think a shift in climate may be good for me.
Should the destination prove to be a fruitless endeavor, at least a journey across the world will be enough of a reward. That I can be sure of.

But before I go, I must make my dues.  

[Flying Foxx]

In Good Company___
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I have my provisions ready. Which isn’t saying much, considering it’s the same satchel I carry with me wherever I go. Not all desert-runners bother to burden themselves with supplies. Since we tend to travel like gypsies, we live off the land, taking whatever we need under the circumstances. But I have a knack for collecting antiques: rare artifacts, old scrolls and texts, heirlooms and the likes. All lawfully acquired, of course. The historian in me can’t help it. Some may say it’s troublesome, but I find it no different than a caravan bringing along their livelihood with them wherever the wind takes them.

In any case, it isn’t unlike our kind to wander off into the unknown at the drop of a hat. I often disappear for months on end, yet… There’s no telling how long I’ll be gone this time. If no other soul accompanies me on this journey, then I feel someone needs to know.

One temeo comes to mind.

Samira has been one of my closest friends for as long as I can remember. She’s quiet and thoughtful, but has a love of culture like no other. If anyone were interested in this news, it’d be her. I sought her out to see if she had any word on the lands to the north. She did. In fact, she had found out that the region most associated with temeo was called Duhla. We exchanged more information before I asked her if she had interest in going.

Naturally, she said yes.

But wanting to go somewhere and leaving the comfort of your home are two different things. I was almost hesitant to ask if she would be willing to leave it all behind. For all appearances, she’d always seemed like a rare desert flower to me. While the rest of us were like the needles of a cactus – sharp, narrow, and worn rugged by the elements – she was more like the blossom who endured with grace in spite of its harsh environment. I used to think she belonged in an oasis rather than the desert itself, but I wouldn’t have approached her about this journey had I not thought she was strong enough to brave it.

So when I invited her to join me on my trip, her immediate response was to laugh and assure me that if I had left without her, she would have tracked me down and made me regret it. I took it as a yes.

Yet… there was something she had to take of first. She told me to see her in two days’ time, after she’d dealt with a "family affair" and made preparations to leave. So for now, I wait.  

[Flying Foxx]

___The Start of a New Day
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I’m not sure what to make of this…

I returned to Samira to find that she had a bottle with her. A vapor bottle. She told me it was the child of her friend and she had been entrusted to safeguard it. Apparently this friend of Samira’s was like a sister to her. So she would do everything in her power to protect this child and make sure it arrived safely to the new world, where it would hopefully flourish.

I have my doubts. While bottles are rather low maintenance, there’s the possibility of the kit vaporizing while we travel. And vaporizing in the midst of the desert is often treacherous. If the arid heat doesn’t claim the vapor, then the journey itself may be too taxing on the kit.

But it’s not my place to have a say in the matter. This is Samira’s decision, and she’s more than confident the bottle will remain at her side the whole way through. This cool gray liquid, streaked with traces of silver and garbed in a traditional cloth of green and lime, is called Kasmut – the 'royal lady'. She is the third member of our party and the last prerequisite of our journey.

∞Ω∞

As we set off, I can’t help but feel both excited and forlorn. It’s absurd… I’ve left these lands countless times before. In fact, I’ve traveled so often, I’m not even sure I can call this place – much less any place – a home. Yet this vast ocean of sand resonates with a familiarity like no other. In the distance, the small outlines of the pyramids pierce the horizon. Once upon a time, the sun would illuminate those beacons and reflect across this dead sea. This strange, dangerous, wonderful sea of rolling gold. It seems this may be the last time that I travel through here again. A small piece of me is being left behind…

But the winds have a stronger call. There are other deserts ahead to traverse, new lands to explore. We push on, unable to deny our calling.

Who knows. Maybe someday I’ll return.