The sand was like a pillow, soft to the touch, but dragged you in- given enough pressure. Yet such comfort was immediately dissuaded by the harsh heat from top to bottom, and the pain he felt all across his body. Looking down at his clothes, he didn’t see the robes, and rags he usually wore- well- at least not as they were. They had holes, tears, bloodstains and burn marks scattered all about, his shoes were gone, and his hair was dirtier than he’d ever allow.
Peering down to his hands this time, they were blistered, and bloodied, yet he… felt no wounds across his body. Staring up as he walked aimlessly, he saw the woman gracefully walking on the line of the dune they hiked atop.
“Wh-where… how?!” Armony’s throat hurt like hell, wincing with each word as he tried to follow her.
“We’re still in Nillitacni- but not for much longer.” Her footsteps followed the same rhythm as Armony’s stride, yet she was unimpeded by the fatigue he donned, and the gravity which sank him ever deeper with each step. “Yndrate is not too far from here…”
She stopped, turning to allow him to catch up as he stumbled more and more; His feet bleeding into the sand with every step.
“As for how… You walked here after killing the Wha’Poa that lured you and the bird into its nest of flames.”
Armony held his head, trying to remember those moments… yet… he couldn’t recall any of it. All he remembered was watching Harize go limp, and everything plummeting from there. Once he caught up to her, he fell to his knees, but was caught quickly by the woman, who didn’t allow him to fall down the dune.
“Get up Armony, you’ve fallen enough.” Armony’s hand moved up to take hold of her forearm, which was extremely warm to the touch, yet not quite hot enough to burn. Quite the contrary to last time.
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Rising to his feet shakily, he took a deep breath, and took in his surroundings, while patting his body for his belongings. The only of which… two flutes, his… and Harize’s. Looking at the two with a solemn gaze, he’d holster both behind his back, before continuing on. He didn’t quite know why he was so readily following this woman's instructions, why he bothered to walk where she deemed.
“I killed the Wha’Poa? Did I see things wrong then?” His eyelids fluttered like butterflies, as he wiped his face of sweat, and sand. “There’s no way Harize just… died… not her… not so easily.” With a deep sigh, he patted the interval flute of his friend with a growing smirk, silently promising to return it to her.
This brought about a weird gaze from the woman, but she didn’t bother to speak on his words, instead… She extended her hand to shake the boys. “My name is Evensol, your Wha’Hevu.”
Armony took her hand, and shook it gently, but couldn’t help but feel a pit in his stomach when thinking of her name. Something about it burned, but he couldn’t really pinpoint it. Regardless, he picked up his stride, a vast forest far in the distance. It felt further than he could walk, but with each movement of Evensol, the more driven he felt to keep on.
“So you’re my Sabsesc- made form?” Armony spoke weakly, with a fair amount of lag between each word.
“Mmm- More or less, why do you ask?” she replied.
“I’m glad to be alive, but… I can’t think of someone else controlling…”
“...You?” Evensol inquired.
A wind blew over the two, followed by a great pause as they continued to walk. The dunes looked as if they were moving with the heat that shone off of them, which was only emphasized by the blue sky that loomed above, free of the smoke which clouded it back in Orcoa’i.
One step at a time, as Armony trudged through the sand, he felt as if he were going to fall over himself, yet every time he nearly did, caught himself. However, within one of his many biffs, he’d see something fly out of his pocket! It shimmered in the sunlight as it cascaded down towards the dune.
Both Evensol, and Armony’s eyes went wide, and in unison- the two jumped to catch the plummeting copper coin!
