Submission (#1875) Approved

Out in the desert air of Ahza once more, Nevon makes their way to one of the ntoable oases in the sandy region. It was an all too familiar landscape; golden sand stretching out as far as the eye can see, formed into the occasional dune to break the otherwise flat ground. Cacti occasionally dotted the scenery with their hardy and survivalistic presence, somehow thriving with a whole lot of lack of water with how rare rains come in the deserts. While they were familiar with the desert landscape, Nevon always found themselves admiringaspects of it whenever they go out to explore their homeland.

After some time drifting in a particular direction, Nevon arrives to a sizable oasis. A large body of clear water stood in its center, with unique desert plants dotting its shore in its safe haven against the otherwise scorching climate. However, what Nevon came here for was not for the odd flora, but for a particularly elaborate errand for the Il'durahn scholar Samaskel that they are currently observing under. 

---

"Nevon."

Surprised that the typically preoccupied scholar even remembered their name, Nevon responds.

"Yes?"

"If you are looking for something to do in your free time, there is a particular reptile that resides in your home region of Ahza. It consumes anima crystals and its scales emit light as a result of its processing. I require it for my research and the more you obtain, the better."

Without missing a beat, let alone waiting for Nevon to react, Samaskel pulls out a fairly large tome. Upon opening its first page and flipping some pages onward, it becomes fairly apparent that it is a very in-depth bestiary of sorts; various odd creatures were illustrated on its page with accompanying text detailing their unique features, from great dragon-like beasts to small fairy-winged mammals enchanted by mana. The pages seemed endless from how thick the book itself was, but soon the pages stop turning.

"This one," Samaskel points their paw at a lizard illustrated on the yellowed parchment. The colors faded in a few areas from the sheer age of the tome, but the general appearance of the desired creature was very clear. It was a smaller lizard in all physical aspects, save for its glowing scales and a few gem-like protrusions that are a result of its anima crystal consumption. Nevon stares in fascination at all the listed information on such a small creature, if there was this much on one little thing, how much else is there to learn about other much grander creatures?

Nevon could drift too far into a fascinated daydream, Samaskel reaches to grab a copy of an Ahza map to show Nevon where to look. Marking the map with their quill pen, Samaskel designates the hypothesized location for the rare lizard. It is a ways from where they lived, but it was tolerable at a couple hours' walk away. Excited to finally be of help, Nevon promises to search for and collect as many as they could find the next day they are off, before Samaskel goes more in depth on how to find these critters and how to safely capture and transport them.

--- 

Putting down their satchel of supplies, Nevon sat down for a quick rest by the oasis in the shade of one of the palm trees to recouperate from the trek before fully dedicating their energy to the search. They stared upwards as they wound down a bit, admiring the clear blue sky without a cloud in sight. It was a nice day all right, perfect for the task Nevon was assigned. After their small reprieve, they begin searching the area for a potential catch. Normally, they are hiding within the thicker patches of flora, and if it's shiny, there's a likelihood that it is the lizard in question. And to speak of the devil, a loudly reflective sparkle shone from between the leaves.

Darting after the sparkle, Nevon jumped at the target. Unfortunately, their paw was met by a hard surface, and it was just a particularly shiny rock rather than the desired lizard they were searching for. With a sigh Nevon wrung out their paw, trying to shake away the pain of the impact as well as the disappointment in not finding what they were looking for. It was a rare one after all, and it definitely wasn't coming on the first pounce, but it was no less of a letdown to not be conveniently met with the creature they were searching for under their paw. Steeled up and determined to search once more, Nevon makes their way along the oasis's shore.

However, many potential shinies later, Nevon began to grow tired, physically and mentally. The little lizards weren't showing up and all the jumping is tuckering Nevon out; were there even any of them in this particular oasis? The instructions told them to search for shines that could appear like a gemstone, but their untrained eye had them leaping for anything that glistened bright enough. Just as they were getting discouraged, one more flash of light shone from the corner of their eye. The difference with this light, however, was that it moved in erratic bursts. Not realizing the difference, Nevon jumped at the source once more, and a shadow darted out of the foliage. Now visible on the sand, Nevon was able to make a very deliberate movement to nab it under their paw. The lizard struggled to no avail as Nevon gently, yet firmly secured it into their mouth to trot victoriously back to their supplies.

Placing and securing the critter into one of the provided portable enclosures, Nevon took a closer look at it. As the images portrayed, the protuding gemstones glittered with its infused mana, and placing it into darker shade yielded a particularly soft glow from a number of choice scales. Proud of themselves, Nevon gently tucked it away into the satchel, and went on the hunt for more, for as long as daylight allowed.

---

Nevon returned home past sunset, securing two more of the interesting creatures in a great stroke of luck. Their odd internship resumes tomorrow, and they were eager to show Samaskel their catch, and what research will be done that needed them. Although their excitement nearly kept them awake for the night, their physical fatigue overtook them the moment their body made contact with their bed, and peacefully dozed off for the day.