First Oasis

JP with Lucian, Winteroak and Bandorchu

Being barely tolerated wasn’t much of a shock at this point. Between the conquest and Helian’s apparently taking a central role in a world-ending prophecy, they would be extremely lucky if those merchants did not ACTIVELY try to abandon them in this maze of sand.

Which made Alexis seriously wonder if they somehow miraculously did reach that holy city and managed to find Islana…
She internally sighed.
… and that blasted hammer shaft, however they would achieve that - how good their chances were to get a caravan to take them back.

Oh well. Yet another bridge to cross when they got there. Planning ahead was overrated anyway.

Taking the merchants’ cue she took a careful sip of the water, checking wether it tasted off just in case before quenching her thirst and refilling her supplies.

After that she set up camp with Tarmen, offering to take first watch.

Tarmen insisted he be awake first. Even if the caravan put up with them, he still couldn’t trust them.
Between that and the ever restless nature of his mind lately would keep him up for some time.
Ekero had not been kidding. This place was as much of an enigma to him as Berus was, lacking any defining marks or features to tell where they were or going.
As much as he mistrusted them, without the caravan this void would have driven him mad already.
Settling in the cooling light for another night with his thoughts, Tarmen still held low standards for their treatment in the holy city, but couldn’t help worrying about it when he knew so little about this place.

The merchants kept to themselves casting fruituitive glances in Alexis and Tarmen on occasion, but for the most part did their best to ignore you. At some point during the evening on of the merchants left the camp to relieve himself and a few minutes later started to shout and scream rousing everyone in the camp that rushed to see what was the matter.

As you crest a small dune you see the man, gesturing wildly. Beneath him partly covered in sand is a body. That of a young woman.