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| You make the decision to move southwards, toward the deserts you can see at the base of the moutain. There is no path, making walking a little tricky, and you keep your eyes to the ground to watch your footing. Lukily the slope of this side is very gradual and easily traveled, despite loose stones and the occasional rough spot. Finally you reach the foot of the mountain after fighting through a fair bit of braken growing amoung the stones. You slide down a particularly steep bit of rock, and land at what appears to be a rather large tunnel. Peering inside, you can see wooden supports positioned regularly--a mine. "I'd not go in there!" calls a deep baritone faintly. You turn and peer accross the sands, shading your eyes against the glare. You can vaguely see a dark figure in the distance against the pale dunes of the desert. "I'll be with you in just...one...momment..." he calls again. You shrug your shoulders, wave back in acknowledgement, then sit on a rock to await the stranger. You could use the rest after that walk, after all. You sit quietly for a few minutess, watching the figure come closer and wishing for something to drink. This place parches your throat with every breath. Finally, the man is within speaking distance. You can see he is tall and apparently quite healthy, with dark hair and dusky skin. He wears clothes of sandy tans and browns with a long red cloak belted around his waist,, and carries a tall staff topped with a cresent moon. The little moon seems to be giving off a soft illumination, but you dismiss it as just sunlight reflecting off the silvery surface. |
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| "Here, now, my name's Caelum. I saw you looking into the entrance, and thought I'd better warn you against going in too far. It's very very old, and I couldn't tell you how stable it is. Not |
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| to mention you wouldn't get far without provisions and light," he informs you sardoniclly. "I've just come over the desert, I'm very thirsty. You wouldn't mind if we went for so water before talking? I'm not sure how much sense you'll get from me if we don't." You nod your agreement, and he leads you into some scrubby little bushes. Parting a few branches, you're surprised to see a little fountain with a carved dragon resting on its rim. You're even more surprised by the healthy flowering vine on it. It looks very delicate...you question Caelum about it, and he gives you a half smile. |
| "This is a very common rest stop. It usually gets watered by splashes or care every couple days at least. And with the mountain at its back, and the braken all about it, it's sheltered from the worst of the wind. But it's fairly new. I don't think it'll fare too well come the next sandstorm, but nonetheless, it is lovely. My family has kin living over the mountain--maybe some one would like to take it to the forests in the future." He shrugs a little, cupping his hands and scooping water to his mouth, gesturing you to do the same. You ask Caelum about the family he speaks of, and how far it is to them. "Well, there's an ancient city-until we started to look for a new home, quite abandoned-a little ways out into the desert. Sorry there's no path, but it'd be burried rather quickly, don't you think? We do have some posts planted, though, with red flags on them and a few waystations like this one. Most of them have at least a lean-to as well, and there's only wells, not pretty little fountains. But the city is quite lovely, and you might enjoy visiting. I myself am going to the Gate to Spectral Rhea. They have a new clutch of Gold dragons out there--5 eggs, with 3 left. A mixed breed from a Mountain mother, Mount, and a Desert papa, Midnight Sandstorm. They're apparently very secretive and territorial, but they like to mine gold--that's their desert nature showing through, I reckon--so I'd half a mind to see if one would like to come and live here. We could check out that entrance you were considering, make sure it's safe, and it'd probabley be quite content there. The desert here seems to have very few intelligent creatures in it, and more are always welcome. Don't ask why not, because I don't know. I just know there've been none I've seen. Just lizards, jackrabbits, and birds. We're trying to get others to settle here, be they of my race or others, but so far we've not had much luck. People don't seem to LIKE deserts." He shrugs, filling a water skin at the fount before glancing at you curiously. "You going into the desert?" he asks, and you tell him it's quite likely. He nods, and hands you the skin. "Then take this. I know the water sources from here, and there aren't always a lot out there." He nods toward the desert. "Well, I'm off. Have fun!" He grins and waves a farewell before begining to climb the side of the mountain. *Wow.* you think. *What a talker he was.* You shake your head and continue on your way. |
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| Name: Siofra(f)/Faolin(m) Gender: unknown Stage: Egg Clutch: Gold #1 Parents: Mount & Midnight Sandstorm. Species: Gold Gaurdian: Caelum Adopted from: Spectral Rhea |
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| Sand Dunes Background from Absolute Background Textures Archive |