Submission (#3951) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 1
Act Type: Character
Word Count: 1029
Adult Elnin Present: n/a
Regional Affinity: Ahza
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Rhapsody [ELN2578]
Adventurer Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement: Adventuring Outfit

Rhapsody lifted his right paw above his eyes and squinted out at the wide-open landscape. Sand, sand, and more sand. Sand as far as the eye could see. A dusty haze hovered over the horizon. There wasn’t much out here to speak of. Just the occasional cactus or handful of bones sticking out of the shifting sands. If he was charting the right course, he was under a day’s walk from his first stop. It was mid-afternoon, so he likely would be sleeping under the stars tonight.

Rhapsody reached for the small brass compass, secured by a rugged chain around his neck. He flipped open the cover and waited for the needle to settle. He was still heading northwest. He looked back down the dune behind him, checking that his boot prints were in a straight line. Good. The heat hadn’t gotten the better of him yet. Travelers often got lost in this part of the desert, as the high temperatures eventually drove them to stumble and chart weaving paths across the landscape. This was his first time traveling this route alone, and it seemed that his father’s wayfinding lessons had paid off.

The red, black, white, and gold kittom paused for a moment to shift his worn leather satchel to the other shoulder and to tighten his undyed cotton cloak. The fabric was lightweight and woven in such a way that it blocked sunlight while wicking away sweat to cool him off. The hood kept the sun off his ears and partially shaded his eyes. He hadn’t brought many belongings with him on this journey aside from food, water, and other essential supplies. The textiles that he had procured in Ealei were quite bulky and he wasn’t strong enough to pull a large sand sled all by himself, so he had shipped most of his cargo ahead of him with a reputable band of merchants. He would have accompanied the caravan, but business kept him in Devara longer than he expected.

As he took the first few steps down the dune, he heard the reassuring sloshing of water in his waterskin and the soft whooshing of his cloak across his flank, but something was missing. He paused and patted his waist. His leather belt was still securely buckled, but his coin pouch was no longer attached to it. He whipped around and searched the area around him. Only one set of tracks was visible in the sand. Thieves were known to frequent these parts, but even the stealthiest nin couldn’t hide their tracks that well. He must have knocked it from his belt as he repositioned his belongings. Rhapsody turned around and walked back to the crest of the dune, where he had taken his break.

As he dug around in the sand with his thick leather gloves, he caught some movement to his right. He looked over his shoulder, but nothing was there. Just his shadow. Maybe the heat was affecting his senses after all. He shrugged and returned to the hole he was digging. Movement again! This time he whipped around. A small, black creature with a white mask and tiny red horns was staring at him from his shadow. The red diamond-shaped markings on the stranger’s mask matched the kittom’s.

“Pomu,” the creature squeaked with its head cocked to one side.

“Pomu!” Rhapsody yelped, jumping backward.

The little ball of fluff leaped up, just as the shadow retreated. Slung across its shoulder was a red suede pouch with swirls of gilded thread. Jingling sounds rang out from the purse as the pomu bounced up and down with excitement

“Wait… that’s mine!”

“Pomu!” the creature hoisted the small parcel above its head, toward the kittom.

Rhapsody took a few steps forward, and just as his shadow covered the pomu, it sank back down into the darkness.

“You… you little sneaky little thief… you sneak!” Rhapsody sputtered.

The pomu peeked out and pointed to itself.

“Yes, you are a sneak!”

“Pomuuuuu!”

“SNEAK!”

“POMUUUUUUUUU!”

“Well, I guess that’s a fitting name for you…”

Rhapsody sighed. At least his new “friend” was tied to his shadow. He was losing daylight, and if he kept going, his money wouldn’t be too far away. He checked his compass again and began trudging onward. As he crested the third dune, he met a welcome sight – a large stand of cacti was just ahead. Bright fuchsia blooms adorned their crowns. This meant that he was still a few miles from the oasis. He couldn’t make it there today, but this time tomorrow he’d be eating a hot meal or taking a refreshing bath… or both!

The sun was beginning to dip on the horizon. It was probably just about time to set up camp. He looked around and spotted a large skull sticking out of the side of the dune, down and to his right. Perfect. He headed down the dune and laid out his belongings in the shade of the skull. He didn’t have wood to build a fire pit, so he would rely on his thick woolen blanket to keep him warm. Temperatures in the desert would plummet overnight. At least the skull would provide some additional shelter.

He plopped down on the warm sand, getting ready to watch the sunset. As he began unpacking his bundle of bread, dried figs, and mushroom jerky, Sneak popped their head up out of his lengthening shadow and gazed longingly at Rhapsody’s supper.

“Hungry?” the kittom held out a piece of jerky.

“Pomu!” Sneak disappeared and re-emerged with Rhapsody’s coin purse.

“A fair trade, I think.” Rhapsody laughed and handed over the jerky, followed by a dried fig.

“POMU!”

Rhapsody laughed. He had much to teach Sneak about item values. Having such a stealthy pomu might come in handy. So many pranks to play, but those would have to wait for another day. The pomu slid back into the safety of his shadow, just as the sun dipped below the horizon, setting the sky on fire with a gorgeous pink and orange glow. He wished that Sneak could see this breathtaking view, but his shadow had become too faded. Tomorrow was a new day…