Dunes and Moonset
Wanderer’s first surprise when they set their hooves in the dark sand was that, while it was certainly hot, it was not uncomfortably so, having cooled somewhat since the light of the sun.
Their second was that the dunes were surprisingly firm underneath them, not loose and soft like they expected but almost crumbly, making odd crackling sounds as they walked.
And while the cracking did bring a small deal of worry about the sand’s structural integrity, its unexpected texture would make walking a little easier, something the Golem was grateful for.
The road was still present here, though partially covered in sand as it was, yet after so long following its path, the Vessel decided to stray from it for a while, to explore their new environment all the better.
Getting a proper look around was their first order of business, and one fervently backed by their excited Spirit who was eager to fulfil their purpose and explore.
The most noticeable facet of their new environment was the dancing aurora around them, which contrary to the Golem’s expectations seemed to fade away as the Vessel approached it, leaving a circle of darkness that surrounded them.
While this disappointed Wanderer slightly, they did appreciate being able to see the ground beneath their feet.
Staring above the aurora, the Vessel could occasionally see the tops of leathery cacti with colourful fruit, spread seemingly at random across the sands.
Looking a little further out, they saw massive monoliths of black stone jutting out of the dunes, accented with veins of golden ore, surrounding them, like moats, were great canyons that dug deep into the earth.
Occasionally, if they stretched their vision, the Golem could make out scaffolding climbing up the side of some of the mesas further out.
A little further out, great pits appeared in the sand, blocked off by a low black wall that only barely prevented the lights from spilling over, where humans presumably mined something out of the sand.
Connected to these quarries by roads and paths were the golden-walled cities they had spied from so far away, as enigmatic as ever with only the ever-present towers visible from their level.
And finally, Wanderer turned their vision toward the crown jewel of the wondrous sights present, the immense volcano that was currently creating the great cloud that loomed above them.
At the base of the volcano was a vast plain of glassy obsidian, forming a sight similar to a calm lake, reflecting the world above.
Feeding into the moat of glass was its source, deep crimson lava flowing down the sides of the volcano before cooling into the black obsidian that surrounded it.
Similar to the desert around it, the volcano itself was dark in shade, yet it seemed to be formed of a hard, angular rock that remained unmarred despite the extreme heat it contained.
Out of the crater of the mountain billowed grey smoke, forming a mighty pillar that reached the sky and smothered it.
If Wanderer looked closely, they could notice a red light illuminating the bottom of this cloud, emanating from the magma below.
Just as the Vessel thought they were done with their observation, they spotted the tip of something in the distance, just breaching the horizon.
They ran up the nearest dune to get a better look, yet it helped little, from what small amount they could make out, it looked like some kind of animal.
“It must be giant if I can see it from here”, the Golem thought, excited to discover a creature unlike any they had seen before.
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“I need to be higher”, after all, there was no way the Vessel could get a proper view from the ground, it was simply too far away.
Their first thought was to head toward one of the golden towers that rested in the heart of each city, an idea they liked until their Spirit pointed out that the humans may have an adverse reaction to their presence.
Though they didn’t like it, they were forced to agree, Wanderer could barely handle a small group of humans, let alone a city.
“I will go there, just not now”, they committed.
The Vessel did intend to visit the walled citadels, for the sake of books and curiosity, they could tell they were not quite ready for that yet, though they knew not what would prepare them.
Dismissing the tower vantage point, Wanderer’s gaze turned toward a closer alternative.
Just a moderate trek away, the closest of the great black mesas rose out of the desert, towering a great distance into the air, and undoubtedly, providing a clear view.
They thought it over a bit and found little reason not to visit the rock monoliths, and with their Spirit raising no objections to the idea, they got going, wishing to reach the beginning of the dark canyon that surrounded the rock formation before the sun rose.
Curious as to their whereabouts, the Golem searched for their grassy companion and found them in the process of tearing into a few of the cacti strewn about, likely wishing to leave their fire-vulnerable form behind.
Walking up to the voracious verdestry, they took a closer look at the succulents they were consuming.
The cacti had leathery, tough skin that was dyed an unusual shade of green and took a bulbous, rotund form at its base while a singular stalk grew out the top.
Atop this higher stalk was a bundle of colourful fruits, adopting every colour of the rainbow with a charming vibrancy the like of which Wanderer had never seen.
Just looking at the plant boosted the Golem’s morale a little, who was subconsciously dreading that the whole of the desert would be nothing but black sand in the day.
With a flash of heat and magic, Emio had taken a more appropriate form, the leathery flesh of a cactus now woven like rope to form their ball-like body and a crown of colourful fruits resting atop their head.
Determined to reach the edge of the canyon before dawn, the Vessel set out, the verdestry assuming a moderate pace by their side while soaking up the view.
After a while, with little more than the crunching of the dark sand to distract them, Wanderer set their thoughts on the swirling lights that surrounded them.
“Where do they come from?” they questioned.
were they produced by the sand or descended from the sky or perhaps they were the result of the volcano, much like the cloud above them.
And why does it gravitate toward the lightning, or does the lightning gravitate toward where the aurora gathers?
They didn't know, their Spirit didn't either and they had little hope of getting any answers from Emio.
It was a perplexing problem, one the Golem had little hope of working out, they simply didn’t know enough about the world and how it works.
They had already decided the only way to find these answers was in the human cities, but what they didn’t think about when they had first made their plan was how they would get in.
The humans were unlikely to just let the Vessel walk in, not judging by the reactions of the few they had encountered.
Wanderer could try showing that they were friendly, but they had no way of communicating with the city-dwellers and humans hadn't proven themselves to be a thoughtful bunch.
“Perhaps I could disguise myself somehow?” Wanderer mused.
Yet they knew that was unlikely, while with a mask and cloak they may be able to pass themself as a very tall man, they had little idea as to how they would mask their four arms or unusual gait.
They figured they would fix that problem when they got to it.
Lost in their thoughts, the Golem had made better progress than expected having reached the edge of the canyon that surrounded the dark mesa.
As they looked over the precipice and into the cavern in front of them, the quadruple moons had not yet relinquished their hold over the sky, but their grip was waning, the first of the small moons having dipped below the horizon.
As they sank, the column of smoke in sky started to grow a little less oppressive, and the dancing lights a little dimmer, seeming as if the very threat of the sun's light seemed to reduce their luminance.
Mind easily made up, Wanderer decided to watch the moons set before they started their journey into the canyon depths and see how the sun changed the world around them.