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The sun had gone down and the moons were up when Gage came to. With a groan, he pushed himself up to a sitting position and he looked about. A blanket had been placed under his head and another draped over him. The awning hung over him, the tent a few feet away. Through the flap he could see all the gear and packs set inside.

Ma’tuk hovered a few feet away, its light was dim, and it sagged down towards the ground, just to bob back up again. It reminded Gage of when his head used to droop whenever he fought to stay awake and was losing.

Not too far off from camp he spotted Eshu and Elfric. The two of them were running around playfully, sand flew behind them as they chased each other back and forth. With a smile, he stretched his arms out, and took a deep breath as he did so. Smells assaulted his nose as he drew in some air, and he began to sneeze. Over and over, he sneezed as his eyes started to water from the incessant scents.

“You are awake my Lord! This is most fortuit-aaaaaaaws!” Ma’tuk was interrupted with a yawn. The little ball of light seemed to shrink a little and settled down in the sand next to Gage. “I am most glad, most glad indeed!”

“Ma-ah-achoO'tuk. Wha-ah-ah!...” Gage paused with a sneeze caught in his nose. Holding his breath, he waited. The pressing need to sneeze rose and tickled his nose before ever so slowly, it subsided. Careful to breathe through his mouth, Gage continued. “What happened? You look like you are going to keel over at any moment. Are you alright?” With a gentle hand, he scooped the orb up and cupped it.

It did a weak, little bob. “I am fine my Lord. Fulfilling your request took a lot of focus, and I am merrily spent.” Its light perked up a little. “Did it success, my Lord?”

“You mean...?” Gage closed his eyes and very slightly drew in a breath through his nose. Scents began to tickle his nose right away. He could smell the sand and the desert air. He could smell himself, which he felt was weird. His body odor was... unique. It was not just a bad smell, but a combination of them that muddled the air. The dirt and grime he had accumulated in the desert was separate from the sweat and musk from baking in the desert sun.

With another sniff he caught the scent of something new. It was sweet like cotton candy, but also had an earthy fragrance, tinged with minerals like iron. Carried with it was a hint of moisture and subtle, herbal aroma. He focused on that scent and opened his eyes. It was Ma’tuk and its perfume reminded him of his old home after it rained. He smiled and closed his eyes again.

This time when he drew breath, he did so more deeply. A heavy scent of sunbaked sand and ancient earth brought on by dry winds. It brought with it a soft and delicate blend of pine needles, moss, and wildflowers. Mingled with the smell was sweat and dust, along with the scent of fur, dust and sweat, and what he could only describe as sunshine.

“How are you feeling, Gage?” Gage opened his eyes to see the elf and the dog striding towards him. Elfric continued, “You slept hard and have been out for some time.”

Gage nodded, “I am, and feeling quite refreshed. I didn’t mean to be out so long. It seems my experiment took a bit more out of me than I was expecting. Ma’tuk too, it looks like.”

The elf only shook his head as he sat down a few feet away. “That one refused to rest until you woke." He nodded to the orb in Gage’s hand, which had drawn its light and was fast asleep. “I was going to wake you as the sun went down, but it said you were still working on something and that it was guiding you.” He shrugged, “Eshu did not seem concerned, so we decided to wait for you to wake.”

Gage grimaced. “Aw jeez. I hope I didn’t make you wait too long.”

Elfric looked up to the moons, “I do not think so. From what I have seen, I believe the cycle here is a few hours longer than it was back home.” He was silent a moment before continuing. “A few hours into the night, nothing we cannot make up for.”

Taking in a steady and measured breath, the scents around him tickling his nose, Gage nodded and got to his feet. “Let's finish breaking down then, and head out.” He settled Ma’tuk onto the blanket he had used as a pillow before he and Elfric finished taking down the tent. Once they were all packed up and ready to go, he lifted up Ma’tuk and cradled it in a makeshift sling across his chest.

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They set off, once more heading northward. The moons, even in various phases, were together bright enough to light up the night. They had no issue with being able to see the landscape around them.

“How familiar are you,” Gage started, “with magic? You haven’t really batted an eye at my use of it, but this,” he lifted an arm to reference his new armor, “seemed new to you.”

“I have heard of those who can change their shape,” the elf started slowly, “but it has mostly been stories so I am not familiar with what they can truly do. Magic is not new to me, though it is rare. Most of my village did not have the control to do much of anything special and we had no mages. Those of us with some skill either utilized our Breath physically or in service to the gods. The last I had heard of one using their Breath for magic, they lived a few villages away. If I recall, they used their magic to ease the travel of ships? Or something of that manner.”

As Elfric spoke, Gage could smell a shift in the elf’s scent. It turned slightly acidic. He glanced over to his traveling companion to see Elfric’s eyes were slightly unfocused as he picked his way across the sands. He seemed lost in his memory. Gage stayed quiet, unsure of what to say. Slowly the acidic smell dissipated and Elfric seemed to come back to himself. They traveled in silence a while longer.

Eventually the moons started to set, and the pair stopped to set up camp. Gage fed and watered Eshu, before taking a seat in the shade and retrieving Ma’tuk from the sling.

Elfric laid out on the sand a few feet away, leaning against his pack. “Ma’tuk helped with your recovery then?”

“Actually, he helped me with another change.” As Gage spoke, Eshu padded over and laid down next to the elf, putting his head on Elfric’s stomach. Lazily, the elf began to pet him. “Remember the smell thing I mentioned I had learned from Eshu? I was worried about messing around with my brain. Ma’tuk did those sensitive changes while I slept.”

Gage looked at the orb, who was still dimmed in rest. Ma’tuk did seem to have a healthier glow and had regained some of its previous size. “I haven’t been able to look at the changes it made, but I have noticed the change for sure. I can smell so much more now and could even tell the difference between each scent. It is a little strange piecing it all together.”

“Ah,” the elf chuckled, “I was beginning to think I smelled bad.” When Gage looked at him curiously, Elfric continued, “You kept sniffing the air and looking at me.”

Gage flushed slightly and joined in on the chuckle. “You have a very pleasant smell. It reminds me of a pine forest, mixed with the scent of the desert on you. Well, it is unique.”

“So, I smell good then, excellent.” Elfric grinned with good humor.

Gage rolled his eyes and grinned in return. “Eshu smells of happiness and sunshine. Can’t beat that.”

“I smell the best though, right?” They both started slightly, looking at Ma’tuk in surprise. The archon had woken and moved between them. Its light had restored its original luster, and it did a wide circle along the ground, dragging a small stream of sand in its wake. “I must smell the best. Absolutely divine right?” It giggled at its own joke.

Gage and Elfric chuckled along. “Yes Ma’tuk, you smell amazing. Like an oasis in the desert, if I had to put it to words.”

It was nice to laugh. To have a few moments of joy. So far, while it had been pretty straightforward, the trek through the desert had been just that, a trek. A steady march onward. The days were long and gave time to rest weary limbs, but also brought with them a ferocity of heat that beat them down mentally. The desert constantly wore at them, slowly eroding at them.

The water and food they had were a welcome reprieve from the desert and its constant trials. They consumed little, keeping portions as small as possible. Taking what they needed and saving the rest. They had only been traveling a few days, but already the journey felt long. As the heat of the day rose around them, the two men surrendered to their hunger and weariness and slept.

…

It was a shift in the wind that woke Gage. Something on the breeze had him sit up and look around. With a glance at Eshu who was standing, nose to the air, he followed suit. He stood up and stepped out from under the awning. A breeze was coming in from the northeast and carried on it a medley of scents.

The strongest scent was musky and dry. It was accompanied by a couple variations of silk. Each of these scents had a distinct tint to it. It smells like… adrenaline? I think that’s right? The scent made his heart rate pick up. It felt, and smelled, like… panic. In sharp contrast to these was a sour smell that cut through the rest.

He spun on the balls of his feet and raced back into the pavilion. “Elfric!” He called out and the elf was instantly on his feet, hand reaching for his axe. “There is something going on. I don’t know how far away, but I think it is real trouble.”

The elf nodded, “We should move camp then. Try and get some distance.” He started to break down camp, stopping a few moments later when he saw the look on Gage’s face. “What is it? Is it too close?”

“Actually, I think someone, or a few people, are in trouble.” He straightened, “I want to see if, maybe, we can help them.”