skill: vagabond

Her eyes of sun and sea did not rest. Long legs of a runner did not rest. She strode mile after mile. Her eyes darting. Her ears swiveling atop her crown as she searched. Yet for what, exactly?

She searched for something, anything, that didn't seem to belong out here in the desert region. Yet this land was all new to her. She had only just been reborn. Only just awoken after generations of slumber in order to do this task among others. She didn't know what would be odd for this place.

Pheo remembered the voice of the god speaking to her. Remembered the glow of the symbols in the temple. Heeded the warnings.

The pull to chant and pray and sing to the gods around the Skyspear was immense yet her fortitude would prevail. She kept thinking of what the dream visitor, her god, had said. That it was poisoned magic. That it was tainted land. You must resist and so she would even if one day Pheonix Rising would find herself using this land for her worship in this life.

For now, she did as was bid. She searched endlessly for the runes in order for the ritual to be done, the chant to be said and another step to the freedom of this land again.

Endless Plains did eventually come to an edge. Such by as cliffside with a steep drop, where down below harsh ocean water was filled with jagged dark rock and swirling dark tide pools. Atop the cliffside the wind was strong and cold, whipping her fur around wildy. She wisely stepped from the edge and looked around the open land. Nothing. Nowhere. Noone.

Rune Discovery : 「 Pending success 」 

---

The only respite from the sun's heightened strength came at sunset. The Wastes were more dangerous than ever, and what had once been the first buds of spring tentatively reaching out from the soil were now dry as bone, having withered and died in a matter of hours.

It would be unwise for any traveler to attempt passage over the hot sand during the daylight; yet, by contrast, evening plunged the Wastes into an almost unforgiving cold and you suppress a shiver.

As you survey your surroundings, standing atop the cliff's edge, your gaze naturally drifts below and you can see something twinkle in an alcove hidden inside the rock-face. It would be a risky climb down, but something in your gut compels you to investigate.

Do you chance it?

skill: vagabond

With evening here, it would be known that as the great sun fell from the sky that she might have a moment from it's unforgiving scorch. Yet forgiveness still did not come. In would creep the desert cold and here along the coast it would only strengthened the climate.

Yet Pheonix Rising was not just any woman who had awoken to these strange lands, she was a woman born into the desert. A woman of Sun and Sand. Extremes like this is all she had ever known. She had been wise in the knowledge of her people to navigate in the in-between; when dawn broke and before it turned noon at its height and then back our again in the evening until nightfall.

She did not follow this ruling now. She would keep going. Determined to believe her life being at stake was for the greater purpose. That the gods puppeteered all her actions now.

Action which caused her head to turn and look back down the rockface. There, in the fading light among shadows in cove and crevice, she saw a twinkle of light. Hooollyyyy shit. She whines high, pacing the edge as she tried to figure out a path that wouldn't outright send her tumbling nose to tail down the cliff. She could only hope her light and slender figure would do her justice as she slowly moved down toward the alcove...

Rune Discovery : 「 Success 」 

---

With meticulous care, you traverse down the cliffside to the best of your ability. Your paw slips once, and you suppress a yelp - but blunted claws and lean muscle manage to pull you back up toward the rock, and all you can hear is the ringing in your ears against the sound of the waves below. It's a nerve-wracking descent, not for the faint of heart, but your resolve proves stronger than your greatest fears as you carefully maneuver ever closer to your goal.

Find me, find me...

It pulses in your blood, echoes in your mind.

Close! Close...!

In an almost dreamlike trance, you don't recall the last part of your descent as you suddenly realize you've made it.

The alcove is small, but surprisingly deep. As your eyes adjust to the darkness, you can spot something emitting a dim blue light in the far corner...

Using your paws to brush away dirt and untold years of debris, you're stunned to find a perfectly shaped stone tablet. Strange, glowing markings are scrawled across its surface, and a humming starts in your ears, then moves to your chest, down your spine, until all of your body seems to be filled with an indescribable electric energy -

The light the tablet was emitting suddenly ignites in a brilliant flash, and you're briefly blinded as a voice sounds in your head.

Laba rune! it thrums excitedly. Ut kural - ut sinds! Fun fier drra, dre odrir an suf krose ali wakind elen nie - ut anir sepa lond, anir sepa lond... sin win sepa lialt ali lilt... wot fir dre kol...

Your mind translates the words:

A rune! It stirs - it sings! One of three, the other two so close to waking even now - it won't be long., won't be long... sin will be brought to light... wait for the call...

The voice fades, as does the light from the rune tablet, and you suddenly see a vine-covered opening toward the back of the alcove you hadn't noticed before. Surprisingly, it leads back up to the surface, saving you the perilous return trip across the cliff-face - has the tunnel really been there this whole time?

Whatever the case, all there is to do now is wait for... whatever it was the voice was muttering about.

Soon.

skill: vagabond

It was as though the gods themselves had taken over her body in her final moments of the decent. Puppeting her as they had before in order for her feet to take the nessassary steps in order to navigate downwards safely.

Once at the alcove opening, she prayed to the gods for giving her the both strength and patience to make her way down this treacherous landscape. This beach was far different then the one of her homeland, where rolling golden sands dunes met the deep blue of ocean.

Moving within, she would see the glow and so would come to it, digging and then hearing the words. The odd, smooth stone with cuts in it pulsated. Her hairs standing on end, incredible power of thr gods flowing through her. Then a flash, Osiris' light bright and blinding!

She had done it! She had found it! The other two locations being discovered. Theor finders drawing close. An overwhelming sense of purpose and pride filled her, tears swelling in her eyes. أنا أخدمك. الآن. إلى الأبد. (I serve you. Now. Forever.)

Her eyes then trail the cavern, finding the tangle of vines, the opening beyond. She follows down the path which leads her to the top of the ridge once more. She had explored this place more then she would have ever wanted to and did not think to ever return again.