Fate - First Reply desert shenanigans

[Rignid]

The pros of conducting research on Fraymancy in the deserts of Amol-Kalit: there is a lot of sun.
The cons of conducting research on Fraymancy in the deserts of Amol-Kalit: the massive- apparently carnivorous- sand centipedes.

This is what was running through Rignid's mind as he was running through the baked sands of the desert between Elbion and his destination of Maraan. He had been travelling for a few days already, and had taken a break to conduct some investigations into the effects of the strong desert sun on the Frays, but after inadvertently creating a large explosion of sand, he had managed to alert the horse-sized centipede that was currently scuttling after him.

Rignid was looking for shelter, but there was nothing but sand and more sand for miles. No trade town to be seen. The warm sand was kicking up around his boots, swirling around his legs and clinging to his clothes. His feet sunk into the sand, every tread teasing Rignid being grappled to the ground.
He sighed, a little strangled by his panting breaths, knowing that running like this was futile. He was either going to have to give up and be eaten by the centipede and die, or fight the centipede and possibly survive- or possibly still die.

Rignid stopped running, turning around, choosing to take his chances and fight. The centipede was scuttling towards him at great speed, skating across the sand like it was ice. Rignid focussed on the frays between him and the beast, wrapping one around his hand, willing it to take on a protective quality. He felt the ethereal warmth of the fray on his aura, reassuring him. When the centipede became uncomfortably close, Rigid tugged on the fray. The harsh desert sun must have supercharged his Fraymancy, because instead of creating a very functional but underwhelming shield in front of Rignid, the fray completely froze the beast. It let out a guttural, unearthly screech with clattering mandibles and fangs, washing the young mage with a shudder. Rignid was shocked and fascinated, and made a mental note to take down the effects of strong sunlight on the power of the frays in his notebook when he got to Maraan.
He took a few good steps back to create distance, and looked for a fray that he could use to banish or kill the centipede quickly, without having to weave together a complicated spell of frays. He needed something more efficient, as he didn’t know how long the centipede would stay frozen for.

Just as he was looking around, he spotted a small cloud of sand in the near-distance. It was centred around a figure that was coming towards Rignid and his many-legged adversary- travelling from the direction of Elbion, the young scholar guessed. Rignid hoped they were friendly…

 

[Gavril Dan'kosi]

He moved as a native would which was quite fitting. Despite home being towards the rising sun, the desert at the western reaches of the savannah held many things in common.

The No'rei moved in silence that was only broken by the shifting hiss of the sand he moved swiftly through. There were ways to traverse the Sea of Sand, much as there were ways to cross the Sea of Grass. Him and his kindred, ever at war with everyone who offered up even the least offensive of slights, had grown exceptionally skilled at moving in silence and beneath the notice of man and beast through the hostile terrain.

Today the warrior was out hunting unwelcome wildlife. The heavy blade on his back was not necessarily well suited to the work in question; a spear would have been much more effective, a bow doubly so. There was just something satisfying about wielding a weapon from the world outside with enough skill to make him stand out among his peers.

Except, of course, that he had no peers. He was of a low caste, inborn into a status that he could not escape from.

Ahead, the dust and the subtle feel of sorcery of some manner drew him on. He was unsure of what it was that the unknown outsider had entangled themselves with. Certainly there were plenty of options; amide the sands were worms that grew large enough to swallow a man. There were poisonous lizards of equal size. Other creatures, as well. A score of wheels of the sun before, he had been not far east of here hunting wyverns that had wandered out of the desert mountains.

He covered ground quickly. This terrain was not ideal horse territory which was just as well. He disliked riding anyway. Convenient given that the only animals he could ride were the ones he took from others.

He slowed as he approached. He was nonplussed to see that the stranger - a man, clearly not a member of any of the local tribes - was fighting some kind of arthropod of some size. Gavril could not recall encountering such a thing before. World was full of interesting things.

He wondered what it tasted like as he slid down the face of the dune, pulling the almost comically oversized blade free of his back.