They were hunkered down on the edge of Blackbriar Bog in the communal shelter they had constructed after Ysalone's call to action to establish a community stash of goods and supplies. Using sticks gathered from the bog, they had built a makeshift lean-to shelter, under which they'd piled the rest of the supplies. Nobody else was here at the moment, and Ysalone had curled up for some rest.Standing guard by the shelter entrance, Roamer looked up at the sky, undisturbed by clouds tonight. Beside him, Magma had busied himself pecking at the dirt, looking for seeds.
"Magma, you've become a dear friend over the course of our journey," Roamer said, voice quiet so as not to wake Ysalone. "I must say I'm glad I answered Brightheart's call for guardians when she was resurrecting your species."
Magma looked up from the ground and nodded solemnly. "I feel the same way, Roamer," he said. The bird was not one to mince words, nor did he hide from his feelings when he felt them. The journey out to Blackbriar Bog had taught him much about his new guardian, in ways that he often appreciated. There was a pause, and then he said, "I think it's time."
-
Some hours later, having scouted the area for plants that would fit their particular tastes, the two gathered back together, a little ways from the shelter, and lit a fire. As their plants began to shrivel and smoke in the light, they leaned in close and breathed in the fumes.
-
Roamer found himself in a canyon. "We're not in the bog anymore," he mused staring up at the walls that rose endlessly above him. The canyon itself stretched for miles, a relatively straight shot, but far nonetheless. And Magma was just a small cockatrice, however bright...
"Magma?" he raised his voice and projected it as much as he could. The word bounced around him off the walls of the canyon, echoing back. It was no use, he'd have to look for the cockatrice somehow.
Unsure of his most effective strategy, Roamer turned toward the side of the canyon that seemed the longest. More of a chance that Magma would be there... But... he paused, thinking hard. If he walked the wrong way, it would take much more time to reunite the two fo them.
Finally, he stopped. Instead of looking for Magma, perhaps... Magma would have to find him. Roamer reached for the threads of magical power he felt thrumming inside him. He drew on the larger ones, summoning a sizable rain cloud above him. The buck watched as the cloud rumbled into existence, gathering in a dark bulb above him. The gray cloud churned together, coalescing and then unleashing a persistent rain down upon him. He would get soaked in a matter of minutes, and it would grow cold. Hopefully, Magma would find him soon.
He waited.
-
Some ways away, Magma was booking it. The moment he'd found himself separated from Roamer, the cockatrice had known he'd need to find the buck, and quickly. He hustled through the canyon spring and flapping, knowing that it would be easier for him to spot the buck than the other way around.
It would take forever. He just knew it. But luckily, somehow, gravity didn't seem to hold him down too much and running full tilt didn't tire him as it usually would. The cockatrice simply ran, almost blindly down the canyon. Surely, any time now, there would be a sign.
Just as he thought it, he noticed something in the sky. Something dark was forming, a long ways away, but as the cockatrice kept watching, it became clear that it was a cloud. The gray matter simply appeared suddenly, a stretch down in the canyon, just high enough for him to see. That had to be it.
"Roamer, you smart buck, you," Magma muttered to himself, making a bee-line for the cloud. Magma had never seen rain clouds form so quickly and decisively when they weren't being called by an Atmos user.
-
Roamer was getting cold. The rain had long since soaked through his coat and he was doing his best to stave off the shivers that were beginning to grip him. Still, he stood fast and waited, knowing that Magma would appear any time now. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air.
And then, he heard it.
"There you are, you clever noul!"
Roamer's eyes snapped open to see the bright red cockatrice sprinting up to him. Magma skidded to a halt, barely even winded, and grinned up at him.
"Well," Roamer said with a chuckle. "I figured you would figure it out."
-
They opened their eyes and found themselves back in Blackbriar bog. Everything was wet, and a steady rain came splatting down upon them in the darkness.
"You didn't actually..." Magma said, turning his beady eyes to Roamer.
The buck shrugged. "I guess dream-me figured if we were going to get wet in the dream, we might as well get wet in real life and doing some healing while we're at it."
