Pilgrimage (Open)

[Ribitta]

Riul slowly lowered herself onto the rapidly cooling sand in front of the entrance, stretching out her arms behind her as she yawned. She had forgotten, amidst the heat and excitement, how exhausted she truly was. It would be good to sleep somewhere safe, though the thought of sleeping inside a tunnel previously inhabited by giant worms was a little revolting. Turning her head to Jay, she examined him closer, noting the differences between him and the other man. Thinking aloud, she questioned him, "What brings you out here with this guy? You don't look like you were born here like he does."

[Evil McBadGuy]

Jay took a few deep breaths as he sat himself down to rest. "It's a long story." He was tempted to leave it at that, but yet... "You're right that I wasn't born around these parts, and my traveling with Whip Guy over there is only temporary." He was tempted to a take a big drink out of one of the water jugs he'd been forced to carry now. Decisions, decisions...

[Ribitta]

Riul smiled instinctively as the ever-laconic Jay finally spoke words directed at someone and let forth a small laugh as he titled the other man. As darkness began rapidly enveloping them now, she ushered a small ball of light to form in front of the two of them, suspending it in the air and leaving it hanging above them. Releasing her arms from supporting her body, she sat upright and crossed her legs, looking at Jay keenly now, "Nothing around here for miles. I've got time if you do."

[Evil McBadGuy]

"Time for what, exactly?" He was confused, and hated waiting on Whip Guy at times like this.

[The Rising Dragon]

"It's clear!" came Darrick's shout, echoing out of the maggot tunnel. He had a torch in his hand as he came out, and his weapons still stored away. "Nothing's moved in and nothing's bothered the Scout Walkers. We'll bunker down here for the night, it's gonna get bloody cold."

[Ribitta]

Riul began to respond to Jay with a laugh, "Your story of co--" She stopped short, though, as the other man's voice broke the light silence that covered the rest of the cave. Turning toward it, she stood slowly, tiredness creeping in more than ever as the lights were few and far between. Her magical ball of light still shimmered in the air, producing about as much as much illumination as Darrick's torch, though perhaps even a little less conspicuous than his ball of flame. Trailing behind her, Riul walked toward Darrick so as to be led deeper into the cave, her nose scrunching up slightly as it became more and more obvious who the previous inhabitants had been.

[The Rising Dragon]

It wasn't long before the tunnel widened into an expansive chamber. Off to the side were a pair of chicken-like mechanical walkers, the same ones that Darrick and Jay had used to get this far into the desert. A small pile of purchased wood was dumped nearby, taken from one of the two Scout Walkers.

"Well, get settled," he told the two of them as he dipped his torch into the campfire, lighting it. It soon burned, with surprisingly little smoke.

[Ribitta]

As the light from the campfire came into view, Riul cancelled her magic and turned her attention to the two walkers in sight now. Shivering slightly as she recalled the scorching sands, it seemed only obvious that no one would wish to cover large amounts of distance here on foot. It was a disappointment that everything was so spread out, but she supposed that nothing good ever came without effort.

Sliding her pack off her back, she withdrew a pair of very compressed blankets, stitched together at the seams so that her small frame could fit into it, the satchel bundling up to provide support as a makeshift pillow. The amount of supplies she had brought had gone from little to nearly none, having not anticipated needing to spend more than a days travel before reaching civilization again. She shrugged the thought off idly, though; things had taken care of themselves as usual.

Shaking off another yawn, she turned toward the two men once more, having lain her sparse possessions near enough to the fire to be comfortable. A thought occurred to her though, and she swallowed yet another yawn that cried for rest as she offered, "I can take first watch, if you want."

[The Rising Dragon]

Even with having only one visible eye, Darrick's flat look was enough to tell Riul what he thought of that idea. "No, that's my job," he remarked. "You and Jay need to rest a bit."

[Evil McBadGuy]

"I'm all for that..." Jay set the jugs down and took a seat on a nearby rock. Now that the temperature was starting to drop, he was starting to get his senses back. "I miss anything while I was away?" They probably wouldn't get what he was talking about, but then again, they hadn't been going delirious either.

[Ribitta]

Riul attempted to stand up to Darrick's gaze, but her words held no weight as fatigue continued to set in, "You need sleep too, you kn--" A yawn escaped her open mouth before she could finish, and she tore her gaze from him, color rising in her cheeks slightly. Jay took her attention once more, though, his words providing a nice distraction from the recent defeat. Despite her efforts, however, his words were confounding. Had the two of them split up earlier and were only talking about it now? A different look had settled over him now, and his words seemed clearer than before. Maybe he was possessed during the daytime? She shrugged it off, hoping one of the men would explain.

[The Rising Dragon]

Darrick could only grin at the Stamarian girl's rising blush, difficult as it was to discern in the bad lighting and his own impaired vision. "No, Jay, you didn't miss a whole lot," he told his young charge. "The two of you should get some rest while I take first watch."

With that, the older man stood up and brushed the slickened sand off of his duster and departed, headed back towards the entrance of the old sand maggot tunnel to stand guard.

[Ribitta]

Riul attempted another comment toward the leaving Darrick but was cut off by another one of her yawns. Even in dark recesses of what used to be home to all sorts of monsters, sleep sounded exceptionally good. There was something discomforting though, something she could not quite put her finger on. It felt dark, but then again it wasn't uncommon for her to enter an uncomfortable moodiness after the sun had already set. Trying her best to evade the feeling, Riul slid silently into the blankets she had brought, warming them herself with a touch. Eyes weighing heavily now, she completed what must have been half of a "Good night" to Jay before losing consciousness to the tides of sleep.

[Evil McBadGuy]

Jay lifted himself up after the girl had fallen asleep, deciding to follow his 'partner' as it were. He wasn't exactly fully awake himself, but it was better than doing nothing. "You sure about dragging this girl along?" He asked, but then quickly changed the subject. "I can take the first shift if you want. Not like this cave has anything interesting to offer."

[The Rising Dragon]

"No... I think there's something out there right now," Darrick said quietly, staring out into the blackened dunes. "As for the girl... I'm not sure what to make of her. She's Stamarian, which is bad enough as a foreigner, but she came out this far into the desert looking for a place that's nowhere near her. Sounds suspicious to me."

Darrick unslung his water flask from his belt and handed it to Jay as an offer. "I don't think we'll have too much trouble tonight, but if there is, go grab one of the tanks. You'll need it for your powers."

===

Further out into the desert, beyond the natural seeing distances of most sentients, something swathed in blackish-brown material lay in the sands, almost inert as it watched the dull glow in the distance; the flickering edges of a concealed campfire.

The smell of the taint drifted on the wind to him. It came from that glow, but he knew it was no fire causing that foul sensation. Something abominable was out there.

Duty called to cleanse such an aberration from the desert. It had no further role in this blighted land, and he would see to that.

He sank back into the sands, behind the dune, and began his approach. It'd be some time before he got there... but the night was young and he had all the time he needed.