Private Tales Shifting Sands

[Vulpesen]

An ill sense of foreboding came over Vulpesen as he wandered within the massive walls of Kherkhana. It was a place he hadn't really visited yet in his travels, but looking around, he found that its reputation had not been exaggerated or ill-gotten. Skulls and skeletons were seemingly everywhere, many with plagues or some signifier of who they were back when flesh adorned their bones. Warrior cultures were not unfamiliar to him, but such macabre decorations were. "Varos... I hope you're right about this," he muttered as his golden eyes darted around to the people around him, searching for any signs of trouble.

'I assured you, I have a plan," his patron whispered back, unseen as usual. Varos had thus far given his contractor little reason to doubt him. However, the fae had eyes where his warlock did not and such eyes had found an unusual place to further their deal. Vulpesen desired knowledge of the elements and the ability to shape the wilds to his will. To this end, Varos had summoned the warlock to this den of slavery, promising not only a place for him to enact his master's will, but also a chance to meet someone that might teach him the ways geomancy.

Such was the way their contract worked. Vulpesen would enact his master's will, and in return, power and the chance to increase it. Of course, most of the time his payment for services was quite literal, but times like this, when Varos hinted at something beyond coin... Vulpesen ran to those moments, finding the quickest route too them.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta had traveled near Kherkhana before, but never entered it. She'd not heard of the city having any grudge against Abtati, but she knew that it was populated mostly with Blue Orcs and slaves. So far as she knew, none of those slaves were Abtati, so she felt no need to do anything about it. Kaliti humans hunted Abtati when given the chance, slaughtering them and cutting off their pointed ears as trophies to display, so she felt little pity for them.

The display of skulls and skeletons did little to phase her. The desert was a harsh place, and death was a daily reality. What did surprise her, though, was how crowded the streets were. She spied the Keep of Kuljuk in the center of the city, and began to make her way in that direction, assuming that the marketplace would likely be near it. She was leaving the desert, unsure of if or when she would return, and she fancied acquiring a knife of Telling Steel before she was gone.

What surprised her most, though, was catching sight of a figure in dark robes, also meandering the streets. She followed him, curiously, with her gaze for a short while. He was clearly an elf, but not an Abtati. Not many other elves wandered near the desert--she wasn't sure she'd actually ever seen an elf that was not Abtati, though humans of many varieties sought the desert out for its exotic wares--and she was curious.

Before he vanished from sight, Seteta darted forward, weaving through the crowded street, and stepped into his path.

"You are not Abtati," she stated in the Common tongue, lowering the part of her headscarf covering her face and pushing back just enough of the fabric to briefly expose her own pointed ear. Her right ear is lined from lobe to pointed tip with delicate gold hoops, and a matching one pierces her septum.

"What brings you to Kherkhana?" she asks.

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

The rapid footsteps of someone soon approaching, easily caught Vulpesen's attention. Hidden by loose fabric of his garments, a hand slipped towards his waist, brushing his fingers over the hilt of a dagger as he turned to face them. Rather than the aggressive face of someone bent on causing trouble, the warlock found himself directed towards a fellow elf who's voice was filled with questions.

Calming himself, he released his weapon and allowed his hands to return to plain view. "That I am not." While happy to reply to her observation, there were certain truths that perhaps were best unsaid. The woman seemed kind enough, but so did many that had decided to pull weapons against him in the past for his actions. Freeing slaves was after all, not always seen as a noble cause. "Knowledge. I was told that this was the place to be if I wished to learn of manipulating the earth. Might I have the honor of knowing who's asking?" Being a man in black in the heat of the desert, he was well aware that he had a tendency to stick out. Still, having someone so boldly approach him was a tad odd. Usually folks preferred to leave the outlier alone. His belief that this might have been a sign was further strengthened as he could almost swear he could hear the ghost of a chuckle somewhere in the back of his mind.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta didn't miss the movement of his hand, and realized she'd been a bit reckless in her curiosity, but had he actually drawn a weapon, she would have been able to jump nimbly out of the way of any strike. The paved streets were much more cooperative with that than the shifting desert sands.

"Knowledge. I was told that this was the place to be if I wished to learn of manipulating the earth. Might I have the honor of knowing who's asking?"

She raised a very skeptical eyebrow at his response. "Learning to manipulate earth? In Kherkhana?" the laughter was evident in her voice. "The only manipulation of earth they do here is with slave labor in the mines. Unless you have a hankering for hard labor, you'll learn nothing of it here.

"I am Seteta o-" her voice faltered here a moment, a sadness appearing in her eyes. She'd almost named her tribe. Her former tribe. That didn't exist anymore. And while its dissolution had been slow and lengthy, sometimes it was still hard to believe that it just... simply didn't exist anymore. "Just Seteta," she said at last, quietly. Resolutely.

"Walk with me," she invited. "I'm heading to the marketplace. I'm leaving Amol-Kalit soon, and am wanting to replace my fighting knife with a Telling Steel one. If I had the coin for it, I'd have one custom-forged, but I'll make do with a premade one."

As they began to walk, she asked, "Why do you wish to learn earth manipulation?"

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen's ears pricked at the sound of the unspoken. He could feel it in his mind, the hum of a secret calling to him. Still, it would be rude to press such matters from a stranger and thus he let the matter lie. "A pleasure to meet you miss Seteta," he replied, following after her, "I must say however, that I'm not overly familiar with telling steel." Even as he spoke, his eyes moved around the market, taking note of passerby's that drew close.

"I believe that the powers of the wilds are among the strongest in our world, and I've recently been granted the ability to call upon them. Unfortunately while I was granted the power, the knowledge is something I am to find on my own. My sources however did speak of Kherkhana specifically as a place to accomplish such a goal. They did however, not tell me why or how."

Clearing his throat as he remembered his manners, he amended his response. Certainly Varos was not the usual patron, but he was still a fey, and as such, manners were a must for those within his service. "Vulpesen, by the way."

 

[Seteta]

"Telling Steel is also known as Sereti Steel," Seteta explained. "They say the forges they use here are as hot as dragonfire, and whether that's true or not, it is some of the finest steel around. The edge stays sharp for quite a long time, I've heard."

"I believe that the powers of the wilds are among the strongest in our world, and I've recently been granted the ability to call upon them. Unfortunately while I was granted the power, the knowledge is something I am to find on my own. My sources however did speak of Kherkhana specifically as a place to accomplish such a goal. They did however, not tell me why or how."

Clearing his throat as he remembered his manners, he amended his response. Certainly Varos was not the usual patron, but he was still a fey, and as such, manners were a must for those within his service. "Vulpesen, by the way."

"It is good to meet you, Vulpesen," she smiled and nodded. Finally, up the street a ways, she spied the marketplace, and her steps began to slow as they neared the entrance. The pedestrians in the streets were lingering inside the market, taking the time to observe the wares available.

"The powers of the wilds are indeed a fearsome thing," Seteta said. "I have withstood the biting winds of desert sandstorms and watched an oases dry up."

She was curious to learn what he meant by recently having been granted the ability to use those powers, but would wait a little longer to ask. She did not believe in coincidence, but was also not quite willing to show her full hand. Just because one wanted to learn did not mean that they were capable of handling the knowledge.

"What would you do with the knowledge of earth manipulation?" she further pressed. Whether she was meant to be his teacher or no, she was certain their paths had crossed for a reason.

While waiting for his reply, she began to peruse the nearby merchant's tables, looking for something to catch her eye.

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

'What man builds in centuries, the wilds claim in instants. You told me that,' whispered the voice in his head, bringing a conspiratorial smile to Vulpesen's lips.

'That I did.' Returning his attention to his more corporeal company her furrowed his brow as he thought of an answer. There were many more ears nearby than hers, and his intentions while noble, were not always welcome in places such as this. "The same that I have done without it. I shall help others." He joined her in gazing over the wares of the shop, taking in the craftmanship of each weapon. While true that he was no smith and thus unfamiliar with specific materials, he had an eye for design and practicality. One did not live long in his lines of work without knowing their way around an armory. "Tell me, how does an unfamiliar eye spot telling steel? Coloration or a pattern perhaps? Or is the quality in the use alone?"

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta glanced at Vulpesen as she awaited his answer, saw a strangely distant look on his face and in his eyes as a secretive smile crossed his lips, and her eyes narrowed slightly. She smoothed her expression, though, when his attention returned to her.

"The same that I have done without it. I shall help others."

His answer was strangely cryptic, though at least it was a start.

"What others?" she continued to delve deeper. "Others less fortunate than you, or others who have paid you for your services?"

"Tell me, how does an unfamiliar eye spot telling steel? Coloration or a pattern perhaps? Or is the quality in the use alone?"

Her eyes wandered over the wares before them, and occasionally she reached out to stroke her fingers along a knife hilt, and rarely lifting a knife to test the weight of it in her palm.

"The merchants I've guided through the desert tell me that no one dares sell anything other than Telling Steel in Kherkhana," Seteta answered. "I've heard that even the kitchen knives here are Telling Steel, but on a more practical front, the quality is found in the use. But I've never heard of someone dissatisfied with a blade they bought in Kherkhana."

Then her fingers whispered over a knife with silky smooth jade handle, and then stopped. The feel of it under her touch was almost mesmerizing, and she carefully lifted the blade, testing the weight and balance of it with a few cautious, contained moves. The corners of her mouth curled up, a moment later she was bargaining and haggling with the merchant. By the time they finished, she'd acquired not only the knife but a custom sheath for it. The sheath, though, would not be ready until the next day and after handing over the coin for the deposit, she turned back to Vulpesen with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Come, I will treat you to dinner. We're probably the only two elves in this city of ogres right now," she said, and the smile on her face turned a bit mischievous as she further hinted, "and I think we have much to discuss."

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

As she pressed him for answers, Vulpesen found himself a bit against the wall, though he couldn't help but admire her persistence. "Both. Or either. In truth, I am paid for my service, even if those I serve have nothing to give." Seeing her pick her blade, Vulpesen looked admiringly at the weapon. As well as its design, he could see quite well that its blade would serve more than decoration should she need it. "Perhaps I'll be making a purchase myself at some point, then."

Hearing her proposition for a meal, Vulpesen couldn't help but smile mat the thought. Food was always welcome, especially when it included good company. "By all means, lead the way. Merchant here might thank you later for the money you'll have saved." Following her through the town, he let her lead, assuming that even with her limited experience in the city, the woman would know better than he where to get something edible. "So tell me, did you come to this place for only a knife?"

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta watched his face as he spoke. Having never met an elf besides another Abtati, his appearance fascinated her, but there was something about him that also seemed a little... off. That didn't necessarily make him evil or untrustworthy, but she wasn't going to simply give someone the means to alter the ground upon which they all relied without getting to know his intentions.

"Both. Or either. In truth, I am paid for my service, even if those I serve have nothing to give."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. At least his answer was honest, but not as specific as she would have liked. It was easy enough to deduce that he served some sort of master, though.

She led the way back through the streets easily enough. There was an inn she'd spotted close to the gates, and the familiar scent of hot peppers and spices had wafted through the windows. It was just coming into view again when Vulpesen spoke up.

"So tell me, did you come to this place for only a knife?"

"It's more that I happened to be passing by, and figured it would be a shame not to acquire some Telling Steel while I was near," she answered. "I'm not sure that I will pass this way again."

Then she gestured toward the inn. "Here," she said. "I hope you can handle spicy food. The scent of it is promising."

She stepped inside the door, exchanged a few words with the blue orc at the desk to secure a room for herself for the night, and then nodded towards the dining room after asking a question. "Go pick a table," she said to Vulpesen. "There's several tables for those of human or elf height inside. I'll be there in a moment once I've finished here."

Seteta suspected that he'd been cryptic in the marketplace because of the number of ears about. She hoped if he picked their seating, gave him a little control over selecting a place that was more private and less prone to eavesdroppers, he might be a little more forthcoming.

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

Gazing around the area, it wasn't long until Vulpesen spotted what he desire. Moving to the far corner of the inn. Seteta's suspicious were indeed correct, and now with a place away from wandering ears, Vulpesen felt he could relax some, though his eyes did travel over the various orcs around him, watching the movements of the crowd.

As for the smell and type of food, Vulpesen found himself breathing in deeply of the spices in the air, enjoying the way they tingled his nose. He wasn't entirely sure if he'd be able to handle the food, but in general, spicy food was something of a case by case basis for him. So long as there was something that didn't equate to literal fire on the tongue, he'd be alright.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

When Seteta finished at the desk, including placing the order for their food, she stepped into the dining room and scanned the room. She spotted Vulpesen in the far corner, a slight smirk crossing her lips as she saw she'd been correct in her assumptions. She skillfully wove her way through the patrons and workers.

The table Vulpesen had chosen allowed them both a seat with their backs to the wall, and Seteta was grateful for that as she joined him. She didn't miss his perusal of the room.

"I've ordered the food already," she said. "They'll bring it out soon, and after that we should have relative privacy for a while to speak."

Seteta leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands as she eyed the other elf curiously. "Have you traveled through the desert before?" she asked, almost as if she was interviewing a potential client. She'd led many caravans and adventurers through Amol-Kalit, and if anyone was listening in, then the appearance of such would be a good cover story should the need arise.

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

Reclining back in his seat, Vulpesen became slightly more relaxed, able to leave his back guarded by the wall behind him while eyes focused on the front. "I look forward to seeing what the locals have in store." Hearing her question on his travels, he offered a small shrug before his answer. "A few times, but not very often. More often my travels send me through green lands and blue seas. Its different, but not terrible. Far better than the tundra actually."

With every word, came a memory, and Vulpesen took the opportunity to let the feelings wash over him. bittersweet marches with comrades, and new adventures as he followed his master's call. of course, such was kept away from his face, but within he allowed to warmth to settle on his being. "I've found that my line of work gives me quite a bit of travel, though I've rarely had the chance to stay and take it in."

A moment later and Vulpesen's head swiveled to a serve approving with a pair of plates filled with food. He tried to ignore the growl in his stomach, but the aroma certainly provided something pleasing to him. he just hoped that such a smell would not prove a lie when it came to taste.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

For a moment, Seteta couldn't help but marvel. All she knew of the tundra was that... it existed. And that it was filled with creatures of strange and fearsome powers. Perhaps her travels would take her there at some point, but her first planned stop after departing Amol-Kalit was Falwood. She was curious about her elven kin to the south.

Then Vulpesen made vague mention of his line of work, and she made note to ask him more of it shortly, because the first of their food arrived. Seteta beamed as the server set down the two plates, nodding gracefully when they said they'd be back with the rest.

A short while later, the table was covered in plates with various dishes of standard desert fare. There was a plate of round flatbreads still warm from the oven brushed with butter and minced garlic, a dish of hummus seasoned with red peppers, toasted quail eggs perfectly peeled and drizzled with chili oil, a cooling cucumber salad with red onions sliced thinly and tossed with seasoned yogurt, roasted lamb kabobs with mint sauce, a small bowl of candied chilies, and a plate piled high with delicate pastries stuffed with chopped dates and almonds then coated in honey till they gleamed. At the last, they were brought two pots of tea and cups. The tea was black, but flavored with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and just a hint of black pepper, and generously sweetened with honey.

"Please, eat up," Seteta smiled. "I may have gone a bit overboard, but I don't know when I'll get to eat many of these things again."

As she began filling her own plate with food--in the desert, they often all ate out of the same communal dishes, but she wasn't sure what Vulpesen was accustomed to, so she'd asked for a plate for each of them--and filled her cup with tea, she asked, "What exactly does your line of work entail?"

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

The plethora of smells threatened to overwhelm Vulpesena s plate after plate was brought to their table and placed before him, each one richer than the last. With his eyes falling on the kabobs, Vulpesen happily took some of the meat to add to his plate as well as a few of the other selections. "Seems someone has a bit of a sweet tooth."

Using her question as an opportunity to eat, he took a moment to enjoy the flavors, relishing the moment while also thinking on how to answer. In truth, he had thus far seen little reason to trust the woman and more and more, he was starting to believe that she was the reason that Varos had sent him here. Besides, even if things went poorly with his secrets revealed, he was confident in his abilities to get out of the scrape. More than secrets, Varos valued guile and cleverness.

"I was a soldier. Then a sailor. Now my master calls me to serve others. I've found one of the ways he favors most is to free those who have been bound in slavery." He took another bite of the lamb, devouring it hungrily. "Beyond that, I'm the epitome of a freelancer. If you need a fighter or a rigger, I'm your man. Freeing slaves helps my conscience and the contract. But its merc work that pays for food and board."

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

"Seems someone has a bit of a sweet tooth."

Seteta shrugged and smiled. "The sweet helps to cut the heat of the chilies and spices, when they're too much."

The heat wasn't often too much for Seteta, though, a fact made obvious as she piled quail eggs on her plate, along with hummus and flatbread, not hesitating to lick the excess chili oil off her fingers with a contented hum.

They ate in silence for a few moments before Vulpesen answered her query.

"I was a soldier. Then a sailor. Now my master calls me to serve others. I've found one of the ways he favors most is to free those who have been bound in slavery." He took another bite of the lamb, devouring it hungrily. "Beyond that, I'm the epitome of a freelancer. If you need a fighter or a rigger, I'm your man. Freeing slaves helps my conscience and the contract. But its merc work that pays for food and board."

"A soldier?" she murmured, though some of his other words concerned her. "Whose army did you serve in?"

She sipped at her tea, watching him pensively. Freeing slaves... she'd freed her own share of slaves, mostly kin from her tribe capture by Kaliti, but something about the way Vulpesen said it made her think he was working on a grander scale.

"Let me offer you some advice," she said after some thought. "Freeing slaves is admirable, but be very careful how you handle such things in Amol-Kalit. It isn't right, but slavery is a part of many of the cultures here. Some of these slaves have masters who are good to them, and in some cases they never would have survived without those masters. The desert is harsh and unforgiving.

"Do not try to cause a revolt. You will have far more success freeing a few slaves here and there--those who were free before, and unwillingly taken into the trade--rather than trying to convince those who have always ever known slavery that they need to be free."

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

Her first question made Vulpesen look up from his food, a small sigh leaving him. "My home's militia. Afraid I've since resigned my commission due to unfortunate circumstances." He took one of the pastries which was soon devoured. "I fight for freedom. The freedom to make one's own mistakes. To make one's own choices. Unfortunately, some people choose to live such lives. Then again, perhaps I'm not so different from them." A small smile curled on his lips as he pondered the irony.

'Careful. I can "free" you at any time should you desire.'

"I agree, a revolt wouldn't serve me well here. Best that I find those that truly need assistance and help them on a case by case basis. Or find those masters who are known to be cruel and remove them." Whether as a soldier or a sailor, one truth seemed to hold true. Take the head off the snake and the body will crumble. Whether that snake be a captain, a general, or a slave master.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta didn't like the evasive answers Vulpesen was giving her, but she had a feeling that if she pressed further into his past, he would become even more tight-lipped. While it didn't particularly make any difference to her, she didn't want this encounter with the first non-Abtati elf she'd encountered to end on a sour note. And, as earlier, she didn't really believe in coincidence. There had to be a reason they'd crossed paths.

"You spoke of a contract earlier," she continued after they'd both eaten a bit more, "and mentioned that you're paid in the service of someone. What exactly does that entail for you? Or for those whose paths might intertwine with yours?"

As she waited for his answer, she reached for a few candied chilies, popping them in her mouth and slowly rolling them on her tongue as the sugary coating dissolved to leave heat in its wake. A proposition was shaping up in her mind, but she wanted to be certain of what she was getting into first.

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

Far from oblivious, Vulpesen could sense his companion's frustration, and a small part of him felt a bit bad about hiding his past from her. Still, there were things he would rather not speak of, and and reasons for such secrets. Her follow up question itself held a tinge of such subjects. Still, there were some answers he could give her.

"I'm a warlock. My master sits within the fey courts and grants me power and life for my service. For the paths who intertwine with mine, it would depend on what sort of people they are." Raising a quail egg up to inspect it, Vulpesen then took a bite, his eyes widening a bit at the spice while he suppressed a cough. "If... sorry... If they prove to be alright, then I offer my services and prosperity. Should they be an affront to that which I believe, then I am called to neutralize them. Though I should note that my master abhors death."

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta listened to Vulpesen's response, though a mischievous glint appeared in her eye as he inspected the quail egg. She couldn't quite suppress a laugh as he tested the heat of the quail eggs, and she nudged the plate of date and almond pastries toward him.

"I will confess I know little of the fae," she spoke, "Other than their existence. There are some who involve themselves in the matters of the desert, but my tribe had no encounters with them."

"Though I should note that my master abhors death."

At this, she did laugh, but not cruelly. "The way of the desert is death, often," Seteta said. "Even we Abtati live a fraction of the years that most elves do. Life here is harsh, and someone--whether slave or free--is either a survivor or they are not. If you truly wish to neutralize someone here, to keep them from repeating the same sins, you must kill them. Otherwise, they nearly always return, often stronger than before."

When the food on the table was greatly diminished--some plates completely emptied, and others only mostly so--Seteta watched Vulpesen, debating whether to make her proposition or not. She was still uncertain of his intentions, but couldn't deny that the opportunity to teach her skills to another was very tempting.

Quietly, she emptied the last of bit of tea from her pot into her cup, then cradled the cup in her hands as she leaned back in her seat, sipping at it slowly. The tea was such that even if it was no longer warm it was still sweet and flavorful, and she savored it.

"I am heading to the Elbion portal stone," she said at last. "If you desire a teacher for earth manipulation and are willing to travel with me, then meet me at the gates mid-morning tomorrow."

Then she tipped her cup back and swallowed the last few drops of tea, and rose from her seat. "Rest well, Vulpesen," Seteta said with a nod, and then she walked back to the front of the inn and asked to be led to her room.

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

"We accept the dangers of the wilds. But to end a life is to stop possibilities. To end any chance of redemption or restitution. But you are correct... sometimes... on occasion, it is necessary to prevent future evils." The code he lived by was often murky, and while Life was to be championed, sometimes its preservation required that diseases be culled.

Continuing their meal, Vulpesen enjoyed the variety of flavors. While largely unfamiliar to his palate, it was a nice change of pace, and certainly a culinary experience that he would not soon forget. Finally as their meal ended, Vulpesen's ears pricked at her proposition, a brow raising in mild surprise. It seemed the desert did have some good news for him afterall.

"I'll see you there, miss Seteta." Watching her leave, Vulpesen couldn't help but grin at his luck.

'As if there was any doubt that I'd keep my word,' Varos whispered.

'You said I'd find a teacher. You said nothing of her being willing to share her knowledge.'


The next morning, Vulpesen would waste no time in leaving his lodgings for the gates. He had come for a purpose, and now with a route to it, he charged full ahead into his goal. Assuming that his teacher arrived after him, she would find the golden eyed warlock resting against the wall and humming a tune while this things rested at a pile by his feet.

 

[Seteta]

Seteta took her time the next morning. She had breakfast at the inn, then headed back to the marketplace to pick up her knife and the sheath for it. While at the market, she also replaced her waterskin with a sturdier one, and indulged in a small amount of dried fruits to take as she traveled. The rest of what she needed she would hunt or forage on the way, preferring to travel light.

The sun was high in the morning sky when she finally made her way to Kherkhana's gate. She was pleased to see that Vulpesen waited, and she came to stand in front of him, but left her headscarf in place this time.

"Are you ready?" she asked, eyeing the amount of stuff at the warlock's feet. If he'd managed to carry it all this far, she was sure he'd be fine, but it seemed... excessive to her.

When Vulpesen had gathered his things, she led the way out of the city, and eastward.

"It should take about a week of travel to reach the Elbion stone, I think," she said. "Fortunately, there is a road, which will make travel easier. In the meantime... tell me what magic you already practice. It is unusual for someone to master more than a few forms of it."

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

Seeing her arrive, he smiled brightly, his eyes momentarily moving to the sheathe to see the finished product. "Looks like you've got your money's worth." He reached down and grabbed his pack before heaving it up onto his shoulders. A wanderer as he was, it was quite large, But it was meant to carry everything he lived with, and sometimes in. "Lead the way."

Following her away from the city, he gazed around at sandy expanse before them. "I've recently started on the path to manipulating lightning. Other than that, my patron has gifted me some decidedly non-natural abilities for the time being." To punctuate his words, Vulpesen waved a hand, his eyes shining brighter as his spell took effect. His shadow, sprawled out before the pair as it avoided the eastern sun started to move. Stepping away from its caster before rising from the ground in the shape of a dark humanoid, the shadow would offer Seteta a quick bow before dissipating and returning to its normal place.

 

[Seteta]

Seteta's eyes widened when Vulpesen spoke of manipulating lightning. That wasn't even something she'd ever considered might be possible. When he showed her the thing with his shadow, though, she couldn't deny that it made her uneasy, but made no comment on it, simply returning its bow and watching warily until it returned to its rightful place on the ground.

"I will admit I am relieved that you've not had much instruction with other elemental magics," Seteta spoke a few minutes later. "I've not actually taught another person how to use earth magic before. I'm glad to know that I don't have any high expectations to live up to!"

She was honestly a little... uncertain about how to go about this. Her magic was innate, and most of what she knew, she'd stumbled across by coincidence or experimentation. But perhaps it would do her good to explain her craft to another, and pass it on.

"Look around," she gestured at the landscape. While they were still within the confines of the desert, to the north the Seret mountains were visible on the horizon, and far ahead of them in the distance was a hint of green, where the Baal-Asha river had its roots. "Tell me what you see. What types of earth you think might be here."

While she'd always had the ability to use earth magic, as far back as she could remember, her skill had grown exponentially when she learned the properties of the earth and how each part of it could be manipulated differently. One would never try to make a tower out of sand, but it could be easily accomplished with clay.

It seemed a sensible place to start, for a beginner.

Vulpesen

 

[Vulpesen]

"Well, my contract is a rather recent development." Vulpesen replied to her first statement. On her task however, he was silent for several moments. Looking up from the road ahead, Vulpesen gazed over the horizon, taking in the landscape before him. "Sand... a lot of sand. Course, shifting, and small. It flows and shapes like water. Also Mountains. High and made of solid stone. Unmoving, unyielding, and durable to last the ages," he finally said once he had finished his assessment.

Seteta