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 Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2025 3:31 pm
Hot.
Too hot.
Too hot to even move anymore.
Vic had the brilliant idea early in the morning to take a nice long flight to the little oasis he knew would be prime hunting grounds for his shinies. The shells along the shore, the trinkets and baubles and bells that others left behind when they visited...Oh, the oasis was a veritable smorgasbord of treasures just waiting for him!
Unfortunately, birdbrain himself seemed to forget that there was a stretch of desert between his usual forest of a home and the oasis.
Thus did the mid-day sun find Vic sprawled out atop a flat stretch of rock amongst the sea of sand.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 10:56 am
A hooded figure moved through the open desert. A black dot on the expanse of tawny brown wasteland. They were completely covered, except for sharp golden claws that picked through the dusty expanse. Sharp talons that pierced the sand with each step, as the huddled figure moved across the land. The exposed skin of their feet, scorched and chapped from being unprotected. Yet, they seemed unbothered by the pain and grit of the hot sand.
The heat wavered in withering rays, attempting to drown all those caught in its miserable, hot embrace. As the bundled stranger traveled, they came across one such victim, sprawled haphazardly across a rock.
The black mass of cloak moved towards it, silently. Not trying to approach unawares, but the desert tended to muffle most sound. They loomed over the bird soup on the rock when they got there, creating shade from the encroaching sun.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 12:20 pm
For all Vic knew, he was alone. The sea of sand was his personal hell and there was no getting out of it. If he had the energy to lift his head, he may well have seen an approaching figure, yes. But thinking it was another of his kind? Goodness, no!
His thought process would have been that was about to find sweet relief. But not in a savior way! In a 'Oh, the shadow of death is approaching and I am but a puddle of bird soup. I must lay here and accept my fate as the shadow of death do decree. Woe was my life!'
...Of course, this was all in his head, the dramatics.
The stranger would, instead, hear naught but a soft wheezing as the sun continued to beat down upon the mass of feathers and claws currently almost quite literally melting into the rock.
An eye managed to wrench open, but he had been laying there long enough that sand had...accumulated.
Sand. Sand in his eye would be his final punishment he decided.
An agonized gargle left him as he remained a puddle, awaiting his 'Death' visitor's judgement.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 12:43 pm
Unseen eyes peered out of the dark hood, down at the mass of feather and sand that lay buried on the rock. Azriah assessed the individual. Did he await Death willingly? Rare, but given his line of work, not unheard of for him. Some welcomed the pain of dying, though most preferred to live. To endure. The rattle that escaped their lungs, not the sound of the dying. More of a pitiful noise of one who did not enjoy the suffering for which they currently found themselves in.
Azriah raised an eyebrow as a crusty eye looked up at him, and resorting to closing again. Admitting defeat to the elements.
No, this stranger did not willingly choose the punishment he endured. Only the willing could die on Azriah's watch.
Two things happened. The first, Azriah, reached to unclasp his cloak. Six wings expanded as he ripped the hooded cloak off himself and then covered the poor bird below him. The cloak floated down, wafting the smell of earth, cinder, and a hint of musk with it. It fell on the unsuspecting soquili. The second thing he did was reach into a pouch and pull out a water skin. Using his claw, he uncorked it, then poured some slowly over the white death puddle.
"Drink." he commanded. Biting his lip to keep from adding 'you fool' to the end. Who marched into the desert like this, unprepared? Aside from some shiny gold trinkets, the stranger wore, they seemed ill-prepared for the journey through the dunes.
Ebony wings stretched over them both, attempting to shield them from the sun.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 3:21 pm
Between the sudden shade and the blessedly cool water being dribbled onto him and into his parchment-dry mouth, Vic could only wonder if this was truly what it was like to die. Not the most peaceful, but he wasn't in complete agony. Was the bearer of the key to the passage to the afterlife this kind? Easing his burden before carrying him off? What a kind, kind thing for--
Wait just a horse-hecking minute now.
He had no idea what death was, but he was SURE death wouldn't let the sand stay in his eyes, right?
In a moment of reinvigoration, Vic was finally able to blink his eyes enough to get a clear view of the stranger as he lift his head. He wasn't sure that he'd seen another quite like it before, but...Dang. Maybe it was good timing? Maybe it really was...
"Are you here....to end my misery...." He rasped out, a strangled 'caw' lingering at the end of his sentence as he lay his exhausted head back down.
As dramatic as he tended to be, his pale hide was just not faring well and his brain was quite possibly cooking inside his skull. What little brain he seemed to have, anyways.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 3:52 pm
Ariah's eyes narrowed from behind pinions that shielded his eyes. He could still see out of them, even though they seemingly covered his vision. If one looked close enough, one might see the gleam of his glowing eyes staring out.
Causing misery was more his game, though only to those who wanted it. This was not one of those instances. To end this guy's misery likely meant to peel him off of this rock and get him moving. Though it seemed he wanted to wallow a bit longer, staying in one spot would help someone succumb to the heat."You can end your own misery by getting off your arse. Come on." Azriah clucked his tongue and picked up the water skeen. He poured some on the soquili's head, hoping to snap him out of his dramatic trance. Then he stood there, seeing if there was any will left in this creature to get up. If not, he could use more drastic measures... "If you don't move soon, the buzzards will feast upon your bones," he added, though no buzzards were circling above. Yet.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 4:54 pm
Oh, what bliss it would be if he could cause his own demise. Right now, if he could simply become a puddle of water...he would provide succor for the next poor soul such as himself to---
Suddenly, another hit of rejuvenation straight on! Er, rather, water on his head.
No. No, no no. What was he doing?! He was a proud Ravenlord! His nest was magnificent, and the oasis held the key to making it even more fantastic! There was no way he could just become sustenance to anyone else, least of all buzzards with their ugly feathers and crusted napes! The absolute nerve.
It seemed that the water poured on his head had helped to at least knock some sense into him, ceasing the greatest of his dramatics. Unfortunately despite seemingly being full of only drama, the heat had in fact sapped a great majority of his strength and despite his best efforts, could only manage to get up on his front legs.
"Death...Friend...Whatever you may be, is the oasis at least close?" He asked, though his voice...oh his voice was so raspy. Not that he sounded like a songbird all the time, but should he need to try to croon for a mate anytime soon, he may just be out of luck.
Still, the hope of the oasis was slowly rekindling the fire in him at least.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 5:13 pm
Azriah sighed in partial relief. He could sense the change in the stranger's motivation as he tried to pry himself from the rock he thought he'd die on. He watched on as wobbly legs hoisted half its body up. The cloak still clinging to his back caught over their wings. Az was baking without the cover. His dark hide absorbed the rays of the sun that loomed above them.
"The oasis is behind that rock...friend." The rock was barely a stone's throw from where they were. Desert palms waved at them, beckoning. Close enough that if he needed to, he was prepared to drag him to the oasis. He still might. But before he expended that kind of energy, he would try one more thing. "All the way up, and we'll get you there." The only words to prepare before he buffeted his wings, slapping at the stallion's hind quarters below him. "Up you go!" he couldn't hide the mirth in his voice as he smacked him with more than one wing.
At the oasis, you could hear a couple of giggles. Az wondered if someone had been watching them. He hoped they were entertained.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2025 5:32 pm
Woe be him, but praise be this amazing stranger who gave him what he needed to get up and actually make it to the oasis.
Which...as he was horrified to find...was indeed just behind the rock not even a few feet in front of them.
And if getting his rear buffeted wasn't enough to get him on his claws and reach his destiantion, the giggles caused him to quite suddenly a miraculously lose whatever exhaustion he was feeling!
Feathers puffed, head held high, covered in wet sand and quite possibly sunburnt, Vic whistled a thank you melody to his savior before all but prancing over to the lush oasis that was just in front of his nose when he was collapsed.
Summer couldn't be over fast enough!
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