Timestamp: 7th Day of Winter, 509 AV
Nuit weren’t suited for travelling through deserts.
Ever since the temperature had risen and the ground had gotten softer and softer, Malia knew as much. Still she continued wandering, carefully taking step after step over dunes and through valleys. Speed didn’t matter, but continuity did. Looking over the endless landscape, she wondered if people had actually known what they had talked about a few days before. Cities? Here? How can someone spend their whole life at a place where their body will be covered in sweat under the sun and shiver at night?
Of course she understood that people who were born into such an environment naturally got used to it. But the Nuit was a complete stranger. Nevertheless the thought of turning around and going back never crossed her mind. She had done more difficult things, had travelled through woods and fields with her Master. She could do this without him, she had sworn to herself. Some time away from Syliras could only lead to positive effects.
After the first two days of heat the idea of travelling during night hours eventually struck her. Since her body basically didn’t need any sleep, she simply continued to walk after the sun had vanished behind the horizon at that day.
Oh, one thing she had to admit: The desert was beautiful in its own unique and exotic way. Because of sunsets like that she had ventured out into nature. Even if she didn’t belong to any race or population, she could find her place in the middle of the landscape around her and be grateful for it. Fortunately, Tanroa had given her enough time to travel slowly and enjoy the sight.
Then the darkness was steadily increasing. Malia wondered whether she had made a huge mistake by not informing herself about any dangerous animals or important facts about the local geography. Although she was well-versed in surviving at the countryside of Sylira and even in rain forests, she didn’t know a single thing about sand and its inhabitants.
While continuing to walk, she started to get a bit uncomfortable, but still tried to notice every noise and turn her head in the direction of every movement she caught sight of. Nature wasn’t safe – that fact always was reliable.