Avakian and Josef rose far before dawn, as to minimise their time spent riding across the burning red sands of the desert. The sand of the 73rd Fold was exceptionally fine, and would stick to and burn travellers that weren't properly prepared.

Their plan was to travel directly to Olo, stopping only in small desert villages to restock and stave off the worst of the heat. As Josef had pointed out, it was very unlikely that they were in trouble with the government, but unlikely is not impossible.

Avakian noted that his companion was incredibly cautious for someone who claimed didn't want to live. He wondered if Josef truly meant that, or whether he just thought that he did.

Regardless, it was not his problem to solve. Josef's existential issues were a journey of his own, and nothing Avakian said or did could help him with that.

The ground began to firm between the tires of Avakian's quad, signifying an increase in moisture, and that their destination was close. They would be resting today in Lepp, a tiny oasis town sequestered between two massive dunes.

They decided to park their vehicles outside of the village, they didn't know what the situation was like there and couldn't risk their only method of transport. Fortunately the shopkeeper had packed them a desert-camouflaged tarp, which they used to hide their respective vehicles.

The rest of the trek to the village was long, and was especially hard on Josef, who was of a pale complexion and not used to the heat. Avakian himself was surprisingly healthy, the increased ambient Void making up for the heat and lack of moisture.

"Can you at least pretend to be struggling?" Josef complained, dragging his feet reluctantly. "I feel like I'm gonna vomit."

"Cheer up! I can see the village in the distance, only 15 minutes to go!" Avakian 'promised'.

---

After almost an hour of walking - and several glares from Josef - they reached the plain where the village resided.

Lepp was in the distance, flanked on all sides but one by gigantic dunes. As the two walked closer, the ground became more and more solid, the sandy terrain of the desert giving way to arable red dirt.

Avakian spotted one of the villagers in the distance, overseeing a field. The villager was definitely one of the more alien people he had observed in his life, with skin of an even deeper green than the people he had seen in Marisia.

They approached the man, who was watching them without a hint of surprise or trepidation.

"Tourists?" The villager asked, in heavily accented Aeuropean.

"We're travellers," Avakian explained. "Stopping here to refuel and stay the night; hopefully."

He nodded, then motioned towards the village.

"I will take you there, come."

Josef looked ready to faint as they walked the last five minutes, mumbling vague curses under his breath about the heat.

At last, they arrived.

The village looked destitute, but not in a depressing way. The air was full of the sounds of life, livestock, and playing children. Most of the buildings were made of wattled plant matter, rather than stone as were the buildings in Castings or Marisia.

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As they were being led, they heard loud shouts from the centre of the village. Avakian looked over to see a crowd surrounding two green-skinned youths. The two in the centre only wore the barest of underwear, and were wrestling each other like their lives depended on it.

"Ningati called Lemuan tiny." The villager commented, as if that explained everything.

He continued on, to a large tipi, made out of coloured hides rather than the standard wattle-and-daub of the other huts in the village.

"Inside is the medicine-man - Narok - he will decide if you can stay or not. Be respectful." Their village guide, who still had not introduced himself, walked away.

Josef lifted the flap to the tent, and they walked in. Seated inside was the spiritual and political leader of Lepp; Narok.

Immediately, Avakian could tell that the man was some kind of practitioner. The well of Void inside him marking him as either a mutant, mystic, or magician.

He might've been intimidating to Avakian, with piercing eyes and large muscles beneath his cracked green skin, if he had not already met Kamatie. Compared to her utterly immovable demeanour, the man in front of them looked like a kitten.

"You two are here for fuel?" He barked.

"Yes sir," Josef bowed slightly. "We are heading to Olo."

"Then why are you here? It's quicker and safer to travel through the established routes. I find it suspicious." The elder pushed off his hands to his feet in a display of unnatural athleticism. "You two are running from something."

Avakian winced, only a few words into the conversation and the man had more or less figured them out.

"We didn't do anything illegal.." He started, before realising that they probably had. "We didn't do anything amoral."

The elder snorted, his shoulders shaking slightly. "Had an altercation with the law have we? I don't entirely blame you. The Marisian government are more criminal than the actual criminals there. Truly a hive of scum and villainy."

Avakian and Josef exchanged glances, then shrugged.

"We were taken hostage on a trip to Marisia, when we broke out we discovered that the government had a hand in it." Josef explained.

"That's all well," Narok spoke. "But it still doesn't explain why I should bother helping you. Why should I risk my people's safety for your road-trip?"

"We have money.." He started.

"Money is just a promise. It means little if you don't trust the promisor. Give me something tangible." The elder insisted.

Avakian paused, then reached into his knapsack. Inside were the three remaining Void orbs Kamatie had given him. He didn't need them as much to survive here as the ambient Void was slightly higher.

"How about this?" He asked, holding the sphere between thumb and forefinger.

Narok's eyes locked onto the orb instantly, and he nodded slowly.

"This will suffice."

---

After Avakian had handed over the orb, the esteemed elder's demeanour had flipped entirely. He was now happily leading them to a tent where they could spend the rest of the day.

Avakian had realised too late that the elder had probably detected the Void within his satchel, and the entire 'intimidation act' was a farce in order to get him to hand over one of the orbs.

'Oh well.' He sighed. 'I suppose it was worth it.'

"Anything else you fine young gentlemen need? Food? Alcohol?" Narok asked with a slight hint of playful mocking.

"Nah, we're all good. Thank you for everything." Josef expressed politely.

They entered the tent to find it surprisingly cool, the means of which wasn't easily apparent. There were no wind vents or obvious cooling systems in sight until Avakian looked up.

On the roof of the tent was a large set of glyphs set into the canvas. He laid down beneath them in order to figure them out.

It didn't take him long to discern their function. The set of runes would soak up the rising thermal energy from inside the tent, before venting it into the outside desert.

'I wonder if all the tents have this or just this one?'

They rested in the cool for a long while, life slowly seeping back into Josef. It was evening by the time they had decided to move on, they had waited until it was cooler until they had to trudge back to their vehicles.

Avakian drove his quad to the fuel supply they had bought, the elder had been generous. They had the exact amount they needed to travel directly to Olo without stopping.

They drove off into the night, waving to a few of the villagers that had crowded around to stare at them.