Tempest had spent the early hours of the morning examining the small garden that her and Helios had been working on. The grain had finally sprouted and they reached for the sky. The ground was already dried with the morning sun after she sent in a good rain the previous night. Maybe they should consider digging a sort of ditch from the pond to the garden. It would take a lot of work that Tempest felt would be best done at night. While she was growing stronger with each use of her magic, it was also tiring, like exercising regularly. It didn’t leave her much time to play with Helios. It was in that moment she wished Cordy was there. She was an aqua user who would be able to help with figuring out irrigation. Tempest sighed and walked back towards the hidden cave.
Inside she found Helios sprawled out on the cool stone and dirt floor. She playfully nipped his flank and dodged a kick. Silly colt. Tempest moved away and looked over their food storage, it wasn’t looking too bad. They only ate what they needed but it would still be wise to see if she could find other sources. The barrens wasn’t very forgiving but it wasn’t completely withholding.
“Hey Helios,” she called, turning around. She watched his ear flick towards her. “I think it’s time I go out and look for other sources of food for us.” He bolted upright suddenly.
“Are you leaving me?!” he suddenly looked panic as he hopped to his feet and raced to her side. “Don’t leave me here.”
Tempest felt that slow rise panic leeching into her chest as she watched him. He had been doing so well with the death of his mother. It seems that he was hiding the real issues from sight. Abandonment. Cordy didn’t have this issue, she wasn’t left alone for very long and was too young to really remember anything. Tempest recalled her saying, “I just remember your face and the cool wet of water.”
“I’m not sure it would be safe to take you out into the barrens. Anything could happen to you.” Tempest spoke softly to him.
“Anything could happen to you,” he blubbered. “Please take me with you. I’ll be good. Please Tempy!”
Tempest sighed, it would be less traumatic for him if she took him with her. His fears were not unfounded and neither were Tempest’s. It would be better than the risk of leaving him here and him following her and her not knowing. She wouldn’t put it passed him to do so.
“Very well. You’ll need to listen to what I say at all times.”
“I will! I promise!” Helios replied quickly in relief.
“We should get going then. But first, let’s get something to eat and make sure to drink before we head out.”
Helios nodded and followed Tempest to the food stash. She pulled out a few dried fruits and a pouch of grain for him to eat. While he broke his fast, she looked over their food rations once again as she had already eaten that morning. Once done Helios finished the last of the grains, they headed to the pond and took deep drinks from the water there. A last check of the garden had Tempest pulling up a drizzle with her magic to ensure that her sprouts did not wilt in the heat.
“There, that should hold them over. Ready?” she inquired, turning towards the nearly white colt. The sun shone of the glossy white of his back, his tail flicked side to side in quiet excitement about going on a walk about. Tempest couldn’t help a wide smile.
She expected more whines to come from the foal as they trekked across the burning ground. Sweat was already foaming along her neck and thighs, chaffing uncomfortably. Tempest could see the sheen of sweat on Helios but he seemed to not be nearly as bothered by it. He’d never know any different, although he had access to regular water and the cool shade of trees and cave. Watching him, she could tell he was playing a game by himself, occasionally he’d bounce and prance.
The ground changed gradually but more noticeable as it dirt seemed a bit redder. A loud gush and hissing sound grew louder as they continued and tall conical shapes rose around them. Some even branched into twin horns or even more.
“I wonder what these are?” Tempest mostly asked of herself, inching closer to them. Small, dark creatures creeped over them through small holes. “Huh, bugs….”
At the word ‘bugs’, Helios trotted over to look closer. “Oh neat! There’s so many of them….these mounds are huge! I bet if you crack on open, there’d be a ton of these creepies inside!”
Tempest’s face was aghast as she listened to Helios speak of hordes of creepy crawly bugs packed inside. “Let’s keep moving.”
“Awww,” was all Helio managed as he scuffed his hooves and followed her.
The source of the hissing sound was more intriguing to Tempest than the many columns of termites. Though the mounds were amazing to look at. The gush and hiss happened again and Tempest felt...water? The ground around them had grown slightly moist and the red was mottled with other colors. She lifted her muzzle to the air and sniffed, minerals were heavy here. As they moved closer, the more colors and dampness appeared. The water, as it spattered her back, felt hot.
It wasn’t much farther til it came into sight. A conical mound even more massive than the termite mounds from earlier. The colors were spectacular as well, colors that came from the minerals buried deep in the earth and brought forth by the water. Tempest stood in awe as the gushing sound was followed by the hiss of water shooting into the sky from the top. What Tempest wouldn’t know is that the colorful geyser was caused by the Others drilling into the earth here. They got more than they bargained for and abandoned all work here. Year after year, the hot water that burst forth brought forth soil and minerals from below, creating the massive colorful structure before her now.
The hot water turned to steam and mist, visibility wasn’t too terrible but it was hazy. Structures like the termite mounds rose up around it, creating miniature versions of the geyser from deposits in the mist. Tempest turned around to ask Helios what he thought. As her eyes landed upon him, his eyes wide as he looked up, she froze. Her gaze moved up and passed Helios, towards an eerie figure slightly obscured by the steam that hissed from several cracks in the ground. It looked noul, but it’s head was a skull and bright red eyes bored into her. Despite the heat around her, Tempest felt a cold sweat break out along her back and her heart began to race.
“Helios,” she said in a low voice, swallowing a bit of fear back. “Helios, come to me please.”
Helios took his eyes off the geyser and looked towards Tempest. She wasn’t even looking at him or the geyser, she was looking past him with fear in her eyes. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, suddenly freezing. He saw what cause Tempy’s fear. What ever it was hadn’t moved and was pointedly staring at them. Helios was about halfway between the creature and Tempest and could see the skull clearly, it even had red markings on it. There was also sharp looking crystals growing from it’s back and head or was that it’s neck? A snort came just as a vent hissed out steam and Helios bolted towards Tempest, throwing himself behind her.
Tempest was working on calming her heart rate, feeling only a bit more at ease with Helios behind her. Other than a snort, the creature still hadn’t moved. Tempest decided that if anything, she’d ready her magic as a last resort. Between the heat rising from this spot and bringing in a cloud with heavy rain, she might be able to provoke a thunderstorm to cover a get away. The blue swirls on her back shimmered slightly causing the creature to raise its head slightly and then tilt it in curiosity.
“Who are you?” Tempest demanded in a near shaky voice.
The creature remained silence for a breath span of moment before replying, “I am Midir. Do not be afraid. I am a noulicorn like you. I’m on my way to Grandfather tree to receive my gift.”
Tempest blinked and then raised her head up as she had it lowered, prepared to defend them. “Why the skull?”
“It’s part of my family’s traditions.” He replied, not much for dancing around the subject. “I see you are an adept, noulja. Forgive me for my rudeness, I was taken by surprise to see other nouls here.”
“I, too, was surprised. Though I fear your skull mask brought up more than surprise. If you’re heading to receive your gift, then you must be rather young?” Tempest inquired.
“Yes, Lux,” he said formally, “I am newly grown and ready for my vision quest. Uh, may I inquire your name?”
“Oh where are my manners, I am Tempest of Homewood and this is Helios, born in the barrens.” Tempest felt a bit embarrassed to have forgotten her manners. The appearance of Midir had been quite off putting and she had lost her head. Midir inclined his head but then a hint of confusion flittered in his ruby eyes.
“Are you a wanderer then, Tempest?”
“I am but also a herald. I spent a lot of my life in Homewood but I prefer to be a wanderer.”
“I’ve never seen Homewood, no one in my family has. Not for a long time anyway. The closest we get to it is the Grandfather tree. I’ve already been traveling for several days. It was lovely to meet you both, but if you’ll excuse me, I must return to my journey.” With that Midir bowed his head in respect to Tempest and of course Helios but winked at the colt as well. He turned and vanished in a puff of steam.
Tempest and Helios stood there feeling quite taken aback by the encounter they had. Tempest was even more intrigued by the fact that they met a noul whose never been to Homewood. She’d grown up hearing about nouls who would wanderer and vanish forever, never being seen again. Was it possible this Midir came from those nouls then? He said none of his living family had been, so it had to be a noul or two who vanished some time ago. It was certainly something to ponder on. She still felt a bit wary about the noul who walked around wearing the skull of a dead animal.
“Let’s keep going Helios,” Tempest said quietly. They could check out the painted geyser again at another time. They still had to look for another source of food to gather from while their garden was still growing. With Helios hovering closer to her side, the moved around the geyser, making sure to go the opposite direction of Midir. She wasn’t sure her heart could handle another surprise from him among the mineral deposits and steam.
Once they had left the immediate vicinity of the painted geyer, they came across desert grasses that seemed to thrive in this odd habitat. “Well I can see now where your mother was getting her forage,” Tempest remarked to Helios.
“Oh yeah, some of these look like the ones back home in the cave,” he replied walking up to a clump of them. They grew in thick clumps and randomly, there were also some strange thick plants that had sharp spikes poking out and colorful bulbs on top.
“Helios, have you see these before?” Tempest ask, gesturing at the spiky plants.
He trotted over and looked closer, “Sure do. Mother would sometimes bring home a couple of the bulbs on top. They’re sweet and juicy inside. She said it wasn’t easy harvesting them so she didn’t bring them home often and not very many. Sometimes her mouth looked cut. She said it was worth it though.”
Tempest’s eyebrows raised and she looked at the plants again. “Good to know. Shall we have one now?”
Helios perked up, “Ohhh yes please.”
Tempest found it was indeed difficult to grab one and not get poked repeatedly with the spines. However, she managed to n** two from their parent plants and set them down on the ground. “Here we go, one for each of us. Enjoy!”
Helios ate his in a few bites, making happy humming sounds as the sweet juice dribbled down his chin. Tempest was thoroughly tickled by the taste and how it was indeed a juicy food. It was a good treat after the day they had. “We should head back,” Tempest remarked as she eyed the sun and then glanced at Helios, who was licking his lips. Tempest chortled with glee and together they weaved back through the maze of earth and mineral mounds. They reached the little oasis just as the sun vanished below the horizon.
WC: 2,208
Ability Used: Drizzle
