45th of Winter 450AV The young Dhani, Malah, worked her way through the dunes of Eyktol. It had been many long hours since Malah left the nest, eager to prove that she was not a child anymore. That she was fully capable of taking care of herself. In her snake form, she only measured 3 feet of length. Thin red and black rings broke up her otherwise pure white body. Her scales, though drawn from a lack of water, glistened in the sun. How long has it been since I had something to drink? she wondered, and she was ashamed to admit to herself that she did not know. Malah paused at the crest of the dune she had just ascended. Her elders spoke of an oasis in the direction she was heading, but she was having doubts she would ever find it. Her instinct told her that she was moving away from the nest, but just how far could the oasis be? Will I die here, for nothing? Malah thought in despair as she slithered her way up another sand dune. Malah paused at the top of the dune and looked around. A blueish haze with a little greenery surrounding it told her she was getting close. She continued winding her way towards the oasis. Time seemed to slow to a halt, and her movements with it. With each crest she found herself close and closer to her target, but it always seemed to be just over the next dune. Is it a mirage? Am I going to die out here? Malah wondered as she saw it again."No!" Malah screamed in snake-tongue, "I will make it to the oasis...I must make it."And with that said, she stubbornly continued on her way to the oasis, drawing reserves of energy she didn't know she possessed. She moved faster now than she had in hours, the increased speed paying off as she crested one last dune. The oasis was just on the other side. |