Submission (#1921) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 1
Act Type: Support
Word Count: 1052
Adult Elnin Present: Kormir [ELN214]
Regional Affinity: Azha
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Xylo [ELN1250]
Adventurer Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement: Adventuring Outfit

Xylo felt like he might melt under the heat of Ahza’s desert climate. Sand got caught between his toe beans and the soles of his sandals. A local had given Xylo the task of helping fetch water from the oasis to the shop stands along the market street. Kormir, his guardian, had helped him prepare an outfit after Xylo insisted all good adventurnin wore them but the adult elnin could already see the kittom was regretting stubbornly asking for it. Xylo did not take words lightly and would not go back on his own and so there he was a bandana around his neck trying to tame the mane fluff and keep the sand out of it. He wore a loose very thin white shirt over his forearms and back to try to deflect some of the sunlight cast down but he still couldn’t tell what was worse, the sun, the clothes, or the sand that seemed to inexplicably end up everywhere. He felt his paws getting sore from the dry sand against the soles after his very first trip and Kormir made him stop to rest his paws for a bit. They sat down at the edge of the oasis in the lush vegetation that grew best around the water's edge though the sandy soil could still be felt through what stray bits of grass poked up through it.

Xylo looked irritable. So far he had only managed to deliver one jar of water that he had sealed and precariously set in a side adventuring bag for protection. Somehow the small black and orange kittom had been sure he would be a lot further along in his water deliveries by now. He also felt a bit sympathetic for his guardian who, despite bringing them all this way to deliver some documents originally, did not handle heat well at all. It was safe to say Kormir looked exhausted and Xylo was not sure if this break was for himself or his guardian in the end. Waiting wasn’t something Xylo was particularly good about though and even with his sympathies he ushered Kormir to his paws. “Let's keep moving, it’ll be noon soon and there are other thirsty townspeople.” Xylo urged the adult to move by pushing against Kormir’s back. It wasn’t much but Kormir understood the kitten’s sentiments.

“Alright, let’s get back to it.” Kormir said, dreadfully looking at the jug of water he had agreed to carry as well. The solar patterned elnin had also been coaxed into helping, knowing he couldn’t verywell let his charge do the job alone while he lazed around inside by a fan. The task would go faster if they did it together and Kormir wanted to set a good example for Xylo even though he was not particularly fond of most types of physical labor.

While the desert weather pushed Xylo a bit, he was a stubborn kittom that usually had a lot more energy to spare. It showed as he trudged on with his newly filled jar of oasis water and continued forward. He also got a little more motivated each time he delivered water to the next store owner. Something about helping others in town was satisfying that Kormir who followed closely behind was starting to get out of breath. Xylo may have moved past his fatigue but Kormir was still feeling it well.

By lunch time the adult nin requested another break to eat and stopped to take a look at Xylo’s paws again. They had been sore earlier but he wanted to make sure Xylo didn’t get carried away with his work and end up regretting it later. His paw pads looked even more dry and sore than they had before so Kormir dug through his bag for a bit of salve to apply after they soaked their paws a bit. Filling up a nearby basin with cool water the two of them soaked their feet while snacking on a basket lunch. A local shopkeeper had been kind enough to lend them the basin so now it was just a matter of resting their feet. Xylo’s eyes skimmed over the basket of assorted fruits and breads Kormir had brought over from a food stall. A dry tough bread was a community staple in this town as it was made from one of the few grains the locals could grow in the dry lands here. It had a nice texture to it Xylo thought, offering a piece to Kormir, as he continued to chew on the part he had managed to tear off. A kittom just needed a strong jaw to chew through the tough outer crust of the bread but after that the inside felt softer than one would expect.

Grabbing a cup of water to chase down the bread was the last thing Xylo did before letting Kormir draw his small feet and put a protective balm on them. After a minute or two Xylo slipped on his sandals once more and they were off to make the last few rounds of water deliveries. He could see the sun slowly descending as they carried on. The dry mud and sand walled buildings stood strong against the buffering winds that had picked up. The last delivery of oasis water Xylo had to do was quite a big one. He was relieved they had rested earlier. He never would have guessed he would have to carry three whole jars full of water on their last trip. Kormir was helping, of course, but it didn’t mean that Xylo was free from carrying his own jars. Upon dropping them off the woman thanked Xylo and Kormir gratefully. She had gotten a smaller amount of water earlier but not enough to last her through the evening hours when she had to start cooking a community meal a few of the merchants took part in. After their long day of work was coming to a close the kind town folk invited them to join for the meal. They had carried their weight and a bit of merriment was something Kormir felt would do Xylo good. Halfway through the meal though he found the kittom tuckered out and soundly sleeping in his lap. He had finished dinner and seemed to be settling in for a good evening.