The Dunes part (1)

Waves of heat crashed down on the woman, and many grains of sand made themselves home between her sandals. The journey meant to last a couple of hours extended past that frame as both companion and ride left Cali stranded far from her destination. The only way to finish the journey was to walk through the desert to Dalry.

Cali wore the wrong type of shoes for this trip, along with an expression of palpable annoyance. Though, the type of shoes would not have mattered if she had her ride. Crossing a desert by foot was never her plan. The only solace she could find in this situation was that her possessions were few and easy for her to carry. Memories of this week's events caused Cali to bite her lip. The flesh began to tear, and unsatisfied, she began to scream.

The cry never finished as another sound emerged from behind her.

What began as a tiny dot in the sky had increased in size. From the west came a flying ship the size of, well, there is nothing to compare. The ship hogs the open skies like an overgrown mammoth and turns the golden sand below into an ashen grey. Perhaps they could also turn a stranded person into a ship passenger.

The only thing to do as a potential passenger is to make herself noticeable to the crew's lookout. Cali's hands began to search within the small bag over her shoulder. From it, she grabbed a red scarf to wave. The watchman missing the scarf would mean two bad things. She would continue her walk through the hot desert sands while the crew would be oblivious to the need for a new lookout.

Preferably to a competent one who would not miss the red against the blank canvas of golden sand.

It did not take long for her to be spotted and for the ship to descend. As flying vessels rarely land on an unstable surface, they hovered a few meters from the sand and extended a bridge to her. They seemed to carry cargo along with a considerably large-sized crew. Cali joined them as something close to extra luggage. The expensive kind of luggage that paid a large sum.

Cali leaned against the rails aboard the ship named Icarus. A short name compared to the other ships she had ridden before. Icarus, unfortunately, made this passenger quite wary of the sun.

"Welcome!" a man's voice echoed behind her. Cali swung around, stunned at the picture before her. A dark elf in the desert is as unusual as a fish out of the water. Those of that race stuck to the thick Sygne Forest, a former capital city of a great kingdom. Past glory did not predict a future as an overgrown bush.

The woman in front of him, blankly staring at his visage, gave the dark elf a well-needed ego boost. His approach began with a great start. "Please, you're making me blush," he laughed. Cali immediately casts her eyes elsewhere, apologizing for her absentmindedness. How could she let her guard down when the last elf she met tried killing her? "Once again, I welcome you aboard the ship Icarus," the dark elf's head lowered, and his hands fell upon his chest. "I am the ship's captain, Arkyn. Call me Ark."

"You may call me Cali. I thank you for your hospitality." Well, if her golden coin had allowed her any hospitality. Cali began to miss the traitors who slaughtered her pardus and left her at the desert's mercy. After all, they did it all for less than a gold coin. "Is Cali short for something?" Arkyn began to rattle as many names as he could think up. Calliope, Calia, Cailyn, Camelia or Carla. He was the most talkative elf Cali had met. The only elf who thought anything with a C or L could be hers. Raising a hand to stop the rambling elf, she said, "Cali is what my friends call me."

She doesn't have any friends. So clearly, it was a lie.