In a clay-and-stone abode, the group had taken shelter from the sandstorm. It had ravaged across the hot lands, and blotted out the sun for a good break before it finally passed over. The winds followed it along, then faded, and also left a staleness that quickly rose in heat while the sun crawled to its apex.
Llyr Ezili sat next to the well-pump, after she'd checked on the horses in the neighboring stables and got them water. Only the four, with the stone horse returned to its smallest form and back in the domain bag along with her sword. The slaves were asleep (or trying to sleep) inside the main hut, a safe house meant for exact purposes such as to escape sandstorms and the like. She felt glad she'd marked the spots that her contact had given her while in Crescent Bay, otherwise they might have never found the isolated rural home set between the tall dunes of the desert lands west of Nashaki.
She had hoped to not reveal her relation to magic to the slaves, but... all of them had survived, more or less. There was still the matter of the wound on Bilise but the other slaves were caring for her the best they could. They were all still breathing, which was more than could be said for the caravan left behind.
Since arriving to the stone hut, after the threat of the sandstorm had passed, Ezili had gone quiet. Whether she chose to care for the horses to ease the burden of labor for the others... or if she only wanted some time alone and away from the others... it wasn't obvious. Her halo continued to flash at random times, sporadic and seemingly unrelated to anything else. Her wings continued to change shape as if uncertain what sort of insect she should be. The insectile legs continued to click against her shoulders while they scratched at thin-air in perpetual languid motions.
Acutely aware of how wary the slaves had gotten of her, Ezili didn't linger so they weren't disconcerted by her presence. Even the horses struggled to not freak out against her, though their thirst proved more demanding than their confusion for whatever it was that offered them the clean water.
The mage sat on the hard-packed sand around the sandstone well. Crystalline legs crossed wide, she traced one of the quartz-ridden scars on her shins. Her blonde hair hung long but matted with sweat and blood (silver and ruddy-black alike) and she had acquired a few bruises of golden shimmer in spots. Especially along her inner thighs where she'd controlled the stone horse. Ezili gathered the chiffon scarves of her skirt and traced her etherlit fingertips over the large span of fresh bruises.
A sigh escaped her. She closed her eyes, then felt along the back of her scalp and neck where she'd gotten hit by the rock. A scabbed gash had hardened over the spot but when she brought her hand back around, she saw droplets of fresh blood on the illuminated fingertips.
With another exhale, she lifted back to her feet and went to the pump. Ezili filled the bucket with the warm, but pure water. She started to undress from her layers, leaving behind just her undergarments, before she dumped the bucket of water over the top of her head to rinse the sand-encrusted filth of battle away.
She moved to pump a second bucket-full, then paused. Ezili glanced behind her, and caught sight of her new assistant. The irises of her eyes glittered a sapphire blue while she looked at Saza, then she said, "You have questions. Ask."
Llyr Ezili sat next to the well-pump, after she'd checked on the horses in the neighboring stables and got them water. Only the four, with the stone horse returned to its smallest form and back in the domain bag along with her sword. The slaves were asleep (or trying to sleep) inside the main hut, a safe house meant for exact purposes such as to escape sandstorms and the like. She felt glad she'd marked the spots that her contact had given her while in Crescent Bay, otherwise they might have never found the isolated rural home set between the tall dunes of the desert lands west of Nashaki.
She had hoped to not reveal her relation to magic to the slaves, but... all of them had survived, more or less. There was still the matter of the wound on Bilise but the other slaves were caring for her the best they could. They were all still breathing, which was more than could be said for the caravan left behind.
Since arriving to the stone hut, after the threat of the sandstorm had passed, Ezili had gone quiet. Whether she chose to care for the horses to ease the burden of labor for the others... or if she only wanted some time alone and away from the others... it wasn't obvious. Her halo continued to flash at random times, sporadic and seemingly unrelated to anything else. Her wings continued to change shape as if uncertain what sort of insect she should be. The insectile legs continued to click against her shoulders while they scratched at thin-air in perpetual languid motions.
Acutely aware of how wary the slaves had gotten of her, Ezili didn't linger so they weren't disconcerted by her presence. Even the horses struggled to not freak out against her, though their thirst proved more demanding than their confusion for whatever it was that offered them the clean water.
The mage sat on the hard-packed sand around the sandstone well. Crystalline legs crossed wide, she traced one of the quartz-ridden scars on her shins. Her blonde hair hung long but matted with sweat and blood (silver and ruddy-black alike) and she had acquired a few bruises of golden shimmer in spots. Especially along her inner thighs where she'd controlled the stone horse. Ezili gathered the chiffon scarves of her skirt and traced her etherlit fingertips over the large span of fresh bruises.
A sigh escaped her. She closed her eyes, then felt along the back of her scalp and neck where she'd gotten hit by the rock. A scabbed gash had hardened over the spot but when she brought her hand back around, she saw droplets of fresh blood on the illuminated fingertips.
With another exhale, she lifted back to her feet and went to the pump. Ezili filled the bucket with the warm, but pure water. She started to undress from her layers, leaving behind just her undergarments, before she dumped the bucket of water over the top of her head to rinse the sand-encrusted filth of battle away.
She moved to pump a second bucket-full, then paused. Ezili glanced behind her, and caught sight of her new assistant. The irises of her eyes glittered a sapphire blue while she looked at Saza, then she said, "You have questions. Ask."