Scarlet River Part 1

It hadn't been long after helping out the traveling nomads that Samira found her way to another village. The journey was made swift by the fact she did not take the style of walking. There was simply no need to when Anhur was able to switch to a flying form. She had passed over quite a few small villages on the way, but none of them was the destination. Originally she was supposed to make her way to one of the three grand cities of the desert country, but after she had helped the travelers find a new source of water and a new home location the leader among them had given her the information she inquired about. According to the information she received from Tobias back in Oak Town, one of the inheritors of her grandfather's research was a resident in one of the cities. His information would be outdated, however. The desert resident knew quite well who she was referring to. The name was one that was frequently heard during his trips into the cities, although it had been quite some time since he had been there. Still, he very much doubted the circumstances changed. The Saint had been informed that, that man had died some years ago, that being the main topic the last time the nomad had ventured to the city, and whatever he owned had been passed to his daughter. Who the daughter was and where she had been located the nomad leader refused to say. It was as if he feared to face whatever consequence came from mentioning it.

Samira didn't push too much, and she respected privacy enough to not have a certain spirit of hers to possess him and find out. Luckily she did not leave in complete disappointment and with a trial that would be difficult to follow. He gave a name of a friend of the family. Someone that might know much more than he would, and would perhaps not have an issue with giving information. Maybe that friend had the research themselves and would cut her trip even shorter. That was always possible.

Samira's new route was now in a village that was near one of the tri-cities. It naturally got support due to its proximity and was actually a sort of marketplace hub. As embarrassing as it was, it was an area she could blend in much better due to tourists that were traveling between it and the much grander city nearby. She didn't exactly dress the part for a long term adventure through the desert. It was something she had neglected to even think about at the time of departure. Perhaps she would take a moment to correct that while she was there and looking for the place the supposed friend of that family lived. Already the lion spirit rolled his eyes and grumbled to himself as his passenger's thoughts melded with his own. Was there going to be yet another distraction before she got on with the real reason for being in a terrible wasteland? Probably. It's a good thing they didn't have any other pressing matters to attend to. For some reason... At that rate they would be in Desierto for weeks.

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Anhur made a landing outside the village that served as a marketplace. Even then it was still within a distance that had to be walked. Considering how the traveling villagers out in the wild desert treated things magical and abnormal, both he and the summoner doubted that the idea of landing right in the middle of the bustling village was a good one. Granted, these people likely saw more magic users coming and going than the nomads they had met previously. It was still best to approach with caution though. And so they did. Samira wanted as little trouble as possible until she met the person she needed to talk to, and the Lion spirit just didn't care enough to bother with insignificant people. As far as he was concerned the less problems the better. Within reason, of course.

The two walked the rest of the distance, and by that point the sun was even higher in the sky and the heat of the desert rising with it. Midday was close to approaching, if it hadn't already. Samira hadn't gotten around to checking her iLac for the time, and her time spirit she didn't want to bother for something so trivial. The most she was concerned with at that moment was how silly it was of her that she came to the desert without the proper attire, and now that she had to walk on the sandy desert she could see why. It was difficult to do with the boots she wore, and the rest of her attire was not much better. As they say, dark colors attracted heat, and it was even more foolish to be wearing long sleeves and tights. The metal of her normal accessories also burned as they glistened under the bright sun.

All in all, it was such a bad idea that was not really thought out all too well. Perhaps she had been too used to the normal temperatures of the other lands she had been to, or even the more freezing ones such as Iceberg. Rare was it that she went to a desert. One time was all she could recall, and it was so long ago that she was considered and classes as a weaker C rank mage at the time. So long ago, and yet those memories were still fresh to an extent. How that was she didn't know. The woman had not even thought about that point in time until just then as she walked through the sand with nothing better to do or think about. It at least kept her from complaining, not that she ever did on the outside, but they would still be there in her thoughts on a normal basis. The inward thoughts that her spirits would have had to listen to, and probably end up sending out an ice or water spirit or two to keep the summoner cool instead of being a melted and dehydrated mess on the hot sand.

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Total So Far: 1033)

And so her thoughts and consciousness drifted away from reality momentarily as soon as she got used to the challenge of getting that short distance to the village. Right up until she heard her name of the familiar spirit beside her. "Samira," the tone of the call was a slightly annoyed one for it was obvious that the mage that supposedly deserved such prestigious titles was zoned out and not paying attention to anything around her.

"Hm?" Samira snapped back into reality and blinked her verdant eyes before turning to him. "What is it?"

The lion in his current bi-pedaled form looked in front of him and pointed ahead. They had reached the boundaries of the village and what would be considered as the main entrance. It was a busy scene with people not having yet noticed them at all, to which Anhur was grateful. He hated unnecessary attention. "We are here."

Samira followed the point and clued herself in. "Oh, so we are." Fantastic. Step one, despite the sidetracking along the way, had been completed. They had made it to the destination. Now for step two of exploring the village and finding that woman. "The name. It was Sanura, correct?"

Anhur nodded as he folded his arms across his chest. "There is only one Sanura located here from what we were told. It should not be a challenge to find her now that we are here. In theory. We still have to ask around and hope we are given true directions and not lies. We are outsiders even here. I would think them foolish if they trusted us so easily."

"That will not be an issue, at least as far as telling lies from truth."

"You are considering using the soul collector to possess them all and force them to tell us?"

"Goodness, no!" Samira was appalled that Anhur had even considered such a plan. It was not outside the realm of tools that could be used, but it certainly wasn't the immediate "go to" plan. "I do not use him in that way unless absolutely necessary. I have other ways of distinguishing truth from lies. I am surprised the others have not told you."

Anhur stared, non-blinking. Getting that sort of information from the others would have been natural and easy. IF he had kept the link with them on. The large feline spirit did not like being connected with them at all. He barely tolerated the connection with the summoner as it was, which was why it was currently set at the minimal level. Her thoughts he could not hear, but when it came to her status and well being he'd always know. It was a chaotic circus when it came to the connection with the other spirits, and being linked with Samira was just as annoying when it came to all the things she thought about. He didn't like it while in his current state of being anti-social and preferring being distant. Being in an isolated and hidden village that was filled with a cult that worshipped the original god that he represented could do that to someone, he supposed. "I would not have judged if you had chosen to use him." The rest that she had mentioned was left purposefully without a response. The others not informing him because of his distance aside, he could agree and acknowledge that, that sort of power made sense at Samira's current level of power, untapped or not. The desert goddess Ma'at represented truth among other things, and so naturally those that were descendants of the original bloodline were still just as "blessed" as the ancestors were before centuries ago. "This will still take some time." His eyes then looked the woman up and down, taking note of the clothes and growling in disbelief that she had not keeled over yet from the heat while wearing that mess. "I also suggest you finally change out of that clothing. Something more suitable can be bought while we are here."

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Samira could only smile innocently. Now even he was pointing that out. "That had been part of my plan along the way. I do not wish to bother the others with the request to keep me cool with their powers, and I am certain that I do not really own anything that would be considered as decent desert adventuring wear. That leaves your suggestion."

Anhur nodded, seeming satisfied. "Good. I will wait here until you return. I expect that we will be needing to leave this place and venturing further out after you get a location. It would be too convenient if everything was in this village."

"You are not coming to help?" While she was fine with him not following her around all day, she at least thought that he would help with the task of asking around for Sanura.

The spirit shook his head. "No. I am not needed for this," he replied flatly just before jumping onto the stone wall beside him that served as part of the village's border. "I will remain here and keep a lookout for anything suspicious."

Samira blinked for a moment in confusion at his volunteered role. She placed a hand on her hip and leaned into it while looking up at him quizzically. If anything was suspicious it was him. "For anything suspicious? We are in the middle of a desert. I am certain this village is capable of defending itself from the normal predators and bandits. Being a lookout is not expected of you at the moment."

"Nothing wrong with being too cautious," he replied, not even looking down at her and just fixated his gaze out into the sandy distance. Truthfully, they had been being followed for a while now. He could sense it and the familiar magic radiating from them. They could try and hide themselves with their tricks, but it would do them no good. Unless he was just paranoid and a bit delusional, sensing things that were not really there. He had his doubts about that, and he was in no mood to test it by not being on his guard. Besides, being on the border of the village was a bit different than waltzing right through it as if he was a perfectly normal day to day sight for the people there. He was uncomfortable chancing things to go wrong or becoming difficult just due to his presence alone. He also wasn't the friendliest spirit around. If anyone gave him information by just asking nicely he'd be quite surprised because for one, he never asked nicely, and for two he'd probably be a terrifying thing if he tried to act nice. There was no winning or positive side by asking him to help with interrogating for information. "Now go, and do not get sidetracked while looking for proper clothes and tools." For some reason he felt like eye-rolling as soon as he said that. Getting distracted by the shops and the random people she talked to along the way was probably exactly what Samira was going to do.

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"Very well," Samira said with a slight sigh in her words. Forcing him to tag along or even go off on his own to ask around was just out of the question. She could technically force him by commanding him while holding his key, but she wouldn't dare do that. It was best to just let him be while she did everything herself. "I will try to hurry. Maybe I will even get you something from the shops while I am there." As she turned and began to walk into the village, leaving him behind, she could hear him shouting for her to look at a change of clothes and important tools for their journey only. She laughed on the inside, yet a small grin had formed on the outside, giving away her stance on the matter to anyone that may had seen her and knew why. And so the God of Ishgar made her way towards the marketplace section of the village.

Despite the title granted to her by the Magic Council, not many in the desert village seemed to recognize her. That or just didn't react to it. It would have been difficult for them to have done so really. Her presence was not all that large in Desierto. Something she would change in the future perhaps. Already she had helped and made a name for herself in countries such as Seven, Bosco, Minstrel, Midi, and even the Pergrande Kingdom. There was the monster continent of Pandora as well, she supposed, but there was still much to be done when it came to the countries of her own continent. Making connections in every country to better suit her own purposes and the council's could be considered a goal. A smaller task had already been done prior to reaching the village, although to those she helped it was no small task. Now she could get intell and aid from them in the future provided she keep up to date with their status and continue to help them rebuild with her own resources. Perhaps she could make that connection link grow even more. Another mission or two after her current matters and mission was settled. Unknown to her at that point, however, was that her little task of locating a couple of people was going to be much more difficult than she originally thought possible. But, by the end of it she would have helped herself as well as make a dent in one of many of the desert country's problems.

An uncertain amount of time had passed since Samira separated from the spirit that chose to remain outside the village's main area. She had asked around for the woman named Sanura, but had yet to obtain any actual useful information on where she lived or worked. There were some liars that mentioned that they had never heard of her, but there were others that were capable and quite talented at telling the truth yet not revealing any information whatsoever. They apparently all looked out for each other there, or at the very least was not willing to possibly sell out one of their own to an outsider. Or maybe Samira was supposed to pay them for information. That was how it worked for some circumstances supposedly. She had never had to try it before, and she wasn't really comprehending that she probably should offer some sort of bribe. It wasn't her style.

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No matter. Eventually she would find what she was looking for. For now, Samira had found herself glancing around the many shops and stalls in the marketplace. The change of clothes had already been taken care of. Earlier she had noticed that nothing she saw at that time was suitable. Yes, it was desert wear, but it was more casual desert wear and was not really fitting for whatever troublesome nonsense and complicated matters she would surely get herself into. In essence, it wasn't battle appropriate. At least to her. She'd probably find a way to trip over herself with the different style of clothing. No, not very suitable or to her tastes at all.

Luckily, she had found some travelers that had a spare outfit that was unused and were willing to part with it for a cost. How miraculous it was that it was the right size too! Although, it actually came with a magic that sized it appropriately depending on the wearer, which probably was why it had cost as much as it did. Not that Samira asked about that. Cost was a non-issue for someone that had resources coming in from the other countries she had helped in the past, as well as the silly nobility titles they granted her. Now in place of her traditional outfit that most people saw her in, when she wasn't wearing some job specific uniform when doing trivial jobs such as mail delivery anyway, Samira wore a type of outfit that one would expect the hero or heroine in some sort of archaeological adventure story to wear. A pair of dark khaki shorts, belt, a white shirt, and a dark khaki vest that went over that shirt to match the shorts, complete with many pockets for random things. Dark brown traveling boots also served to replace her more fancier type, and was it mentioned that there was a hat? Yes, there was a hat. Well more of a helmet for that was its name. A pith helmet with the same colored cloth as her new clothing now sat on the top of her head.

Her usual golden headband had been replaced, as were the rest of her fancy accessories. Instead now all she would have to add to the outfit was the helmet itself. Oh, and some old fashioned archeological sunglasses. One cannot forget those. Some other random supplies were also purchased and placed into her previously pretty much empty backpack that only had a single notebook before. Oh yeah, she was ready for anything. Now Anhur could no longer say that she was not prepared in case her magic went awry or her spirits were unavailable. But wait! The shopping adventure was not done!

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The marketplace had many things being sold and traded. Many of them quite eye catching and if it were another day it was possible Samira might have walked away with several of them. She resisted. Often times she wasn't the type to buy something just because it was in front of her face or she was interested in the item, but there were times when she lost her senses and bought things she didn't need. It all depended on what it was and who was selling it, like the time she walked out of a book store with a few too many books that she would never have the time to read. Although, this time it was different. There was just a single item that caught her eye as the sun shining down on it made the glass reflect it into her eyes, catching her attention in a mildly annoying and blinding way.

She approached the stall that seemed to be a bit away from the others and somehow seemed to be less popular. It was abandoned really from what she noticed. Samira had looked in all directions and did not even see the one that owned it. Anyone could come around and snatch anything they wanted, stealing and robbing them. Or it was possible there were things no one would want, but that was unlikely true. As the God of Ishgar looked at the various items she guessed that they were quality items. Maybe no one was foolish enough to steal from the owner, that or maybe the items were cursed. That was possible. The other items aside, her interest was on a small flask. One filled with nothing but sand. How such a seemingly dull object kept her attention for longer than it should have was anyone's guess. She gently took hold of it and lifted it up to get a better look, even shaking it a bit and swirling it around to watch the sand inside move.

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Total So Far: 3574)

The sand swished around just as any normal sand would. It looked to be like an everyday flask filled with typical normal Desierto sand for some reason. Completely non-magical in every way. Yet, the summoner thought that she could sense a small amount of magic coming from the small object. Peculiar. Looking around once more and seeing that no one was looking her way, Samira came up with a thought. Curiosity was getting the better of her and nothing would stop her now besides watchful eyes.

Feeling safe, she pulled the cork off and opened the mysterious sand flask. What happened next was not entirely predicted, but also should not have been surprising either. Swirls of sand exited from the flask, starting slow until it was a massive storm of sand that flew around the marketplace and above it. The storm only lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough to do its work and fill the place... with even more sand. For miles. Just what the people of Deiserto always wanted; more sand. Except this time it was all over everything and even themselves. Shops were buried in it, people got it in their eyes, mouth, and possibly other areas, and complaints of the confused and angry variety added to the environment's sound track. At the very least she didn't open the flask in the middle of a city in Fiore, where there was no sand to be had at all. That might have been a bit more devastating there than a village that was quite used to sand and sand storms.

A mystical oasis also appeared next to the village. Well, that was weird. And slightly convenient if the village needed a water source, fertile soil, or just a tourist attraction. Samira still felt anxious about her little mistake though and quickly put the flask back on. It immediately filled up with sand again. How that was possible she didn't know, and she wasn't going to stick around and ask just in case people got a bit more angry than necessary and kicked her out of the village. They could do that after she found Sanura.

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Total So Far: 3933)

Samira set the flask down in the exact same spot and position that she had found it in. No one would be the wiser. It had, after all, refilled itself back up. She likely would have just bought it otherwise if there was even anyone around watching the shop stall. Leaving jewels there was an option... if she knew how much to even leave. There were no price tags on anything, and even then she was unsure about just leaving currency unattended. Like the items, someone could just waltz up and take it. Although, like with her earlier feeling, she was getting the idea no one would be that stupid. She had been at the stall for minutes already, and not a single other soul had approached.

It was odd. It was creepy. And somehow this was the setting to some story she read ages ago about cursed items, a weird shop, and a creepy shop owner. The protagonist of that story had lost her eyes as payment for stealing and not returning one of the cursed objects. Oh dear, maybe that was why there were no price tags on anything. You didn't use normal currency to buy things. You used parts of yourself as payment. And now Samira was creeping herself ever so slightly with those thoughts. She could hunt the largest and most horrifying monsters for days due to the experience gained when in her previous guild and some adventures after its disbandment, but put her in a real life scenario that resembles a creepy book she read and that same bravery melted away and turned to annoying anxiety. It was almost as silly as her fear of dolls.

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Yep, it was time to go. Samira nodded, agreeing with the inner part of herself that was telling her to flee before she became cursed and giving herself a boost of confidence and morale in the process. But it was too late. The wrist connected to the hand that had still been near the flask was grabbed by another that popped out of the shadows. Or in some hiding compartment behind the stall. Samira wasn't really paying attention before it happened or even during her freak out that happened as soon as the almost skeletal-like hand latched onto her wrist. Samira's magical abilities acted defensively without her meaning to. No one ever had full control over their magic regardless of what some would have thought. What seemed to be control could be lost in any unexpected situation or emotion. She was no exception, especially with the caliber that it was. It took constant focus and concentration, which was lost the moment she allowed herself to become distracted by silly thoughts and worry. The force of her magic lashed out as she screamed in alarm.

The subconscious intention was for it to create a protective barrier around her while also knocking back with full force the one that had latched onto her wrist. It had had happened in a mere second. A mere second that was rather anti-climatic. Nothing had happened at all. Samira had felt her magic power increase at that moment of lost focus and surprise and had even felt it course its way through her to act out, but then it just stopped. It was stuck as if it were trapped in a closed bottle, with her being the bottle that was tightly sealed. The increased power then began to evaporate altogether and become dormant once more. "Eh?" Now Samira was confused as she stared rather blankly at her wrist. It was good that her power had stopped itself from doing anything drastic without her controlling it. Then again no, it wasn't. It was never good if it just stopped for no reason and became useless. That could end up being quite the problem in the future! Actually, forget the future, there was still something clinging to her wrist! And her spell had stopped before whatever it was had let go! Oh, no! What did have her anyway?

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Total So Far: 4604)

The emerald gaze of the woman raised slightly, following the arm of the thin hand that had her that had appeared just as mysteriously as the hand. From there it connected to a short woman that barely stood high enough to see over the shop stall's display of items. Or what could be assumed to be a woman. The being was entirely covered from head to toe by a black and thin fabric of clothing, including the eyes to make it similar to that of a burka. Although, Samira got the vibe that the one underneath that fabric was wearing it more to hide something than for any other reason. The short person spoke, the voice adding more frailty as it took on the tone of an old woman. A very old woman that was the opposite of kind sounding and had more of a harsh voice that no child would have wanted to be around. But the fragility of appearance and voice was a ruse. The fact the woman was able to stop her magic outright and quite so easily was proof that there was something more there than some old creepy woman.

"You." The word was long and drawn out in such a way that Samira was unsure where the woman was going. She had assumed it was because of the accident with the flask and that she was about to get scolded for it or worse. "I am sorry about the flask of sand," she started to say with sincerity. "I can pay for it now that you are here to tell me how much it goes for. As long as it is something normal..." Like jewels. Paying with jewels was good. Paying with limbs and such was not and even she would have to make a getaway if it came to that. That was an absolute hell to the no times infinity plus one.

The older masked woman seemed to be disinterested in what the younger had to say. She just continued with her earlier thought. "I know you." The woman let go her grasp of Samira's wrist. "You are curious." That could have meant many things really. Samira was curious about a lot in general. But thankfully the woman would provide an answer to what she meant. The sleeve of her outfit was pulled up just enough to reveal a golden wrist cuff of ancient design. Yet, despite its likely old age it looked as good as new. Many symbols had been carved into the accessory, most of them very familiar as they were the same symbols that were on Samira's back. Symbols that referenced her spirits and the gods they were created from. Although, many more were on that bracelet that Samira had not seen before which was a likely indicator that it covered all of the spirits controlled by the Nassar bloodline. "This has the power to halt your own and those like you that are born into the world of unnatural magic." The accessory was covered up again as the woman adjusted her sleeve back to its original style. "You have a similar power even without such tools. It should not be so shocking, Nassar child."

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Total So Far: 5138)

Samira blinked and remained silent for some moments. The woman was right with that statement. It wasn't even a guess based on the wording that was used. The woman behind the cloth that hid her face knew about it entirely. How that was possible the summoner did not know. It was a power that she rarely used and even then she had not been able to use such an ability for long. It was just a power that happened one day and with practice it was proven that it wasn't some magical fluke.

However, Samira did not enjoy having it. A power such as that could be easily abused or taken advantage of, and she did not want to end up relying on it or turn into someone that would use it for darker purposes. And so the power to stop most other magics entirely, however temporarily, was left as a true last resort if it was ever needed. There were a lot of those in her arsenal these days it seemed. Whether that was a good or bad thing, or if she even enjoyed having those options, was still up for debate between whatever inner guides made her the person she was. But the fact the woman seemed to know of that power was not what had been on at the very front of Samira's mind until it was brought up. It was a part of the series of thoughts, yes, but not the one she had been focused on until it was brought up.

"You said you knew me? How so?" It was a simple question. Samira had a couple of titles such as back when she was an Ace of Lamia Scale and her current one among the Wizard Saints. Perhaps the woman knew her from the Sorcerers Magazine if there were copies that made it out that far from Fiore. Or maybe the woman knew her from being told of stories of her past jobs and those she helped. The nomads in the desert were an example so maybe the woman knew of that. It was slim but it could have also been possible the woman knew about the noble titles some of the surrounding countries had given her as a weird gratitude reward for a job well done. There were so many ways for a person to recognize her face, but even with all of that Samira was having the thought that the woman knew her for more than fancy titles or stories. She had a feeling even without all of that the woman would have still known who she was. Somehow.

Now that their conversation was at a point where she could let her curiosity go further, she was determined to get some sort of answer. Hopefully a satisfactory one and not something that was vague and went into some sort of riddle or wise words that needed a translator to understand the meaning of them. While amusing, Samira did not have the time for it that day, or the correct mindset. The whole thing was a little abnormal and odd to say the least.

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There was a moment where the old woman just stood there, un-moving. Only the sound of her humming as if thinking told Samira that she wasn't being completely ignored. "I know all of those that belong to your bloodline and others, Nassar child." As if she thought further proof was necessary, the woman extended her right arm to the side and opened her hand so the palm was facing up. Samira could feel a small pulse of magic come from the woman and a second later small globes of light appeared and spread around the old woman's hand. Within seconds, a few globes became many and continued to spread in the air high and wide.

Each globe had a name written on it as well as an image of a person's face. From each globe a magic beam connected to another one. In a sense, it was like looking at a magical version of a family tree. But the "family tree" vanished before Samira could examine it properly. The old woman's hand closed shut, making the spell come to a halt and as a result caused the globes, names, and images to cease to exist as anything but a puff of particles and smoke that faded away into the hot desert wind. "It is one of the many proud bloodlines that remain in this world from some millennia past. Though, the ancestors that date back to its origins cry from their spiritual graves. Too many have fallen from the purpose and goals that was set for them when the power was given. The line would be nothing more than magicless peasants if not for certain opportunities and benefits granted by those that design and manipulate fate. Curious how that power has not been taken away after all these years of ignoring the path they were set to walk. One punishable act of blasphemy one after another that has not been acted on. I wonder when the gods intend to enact their justice upon those deserving of their wrath. Maybe never. Or maybe they prefer just allowing the bloodline to do as it wishes until the evident fall."

Well, that was a bit surprising and yet not surprising at all. Samira knew some of what the woman talked about, and she herself could disagree and disapprove with some of the things some relatives of hers had done. She had even been caught in that mess and had to clean it up herself at various points. Those incidents were very few though, and she was sure there was much more to it, especially given those that occurred before her birth or even before she had the capability to use magic. There were secrets she didn't know, and likely never would until she made an effort to pursue it more. For a long while now she had avoided any attempts to do so. Between the spirit trials, the calls of the Magic Council, the fall of Lamia Scale, and her own academic pursuits, there wasn't much time left to devote to tracking down members of the Nassar line and figuring out what they were up to. There could have been clues scattered around her grandfather's research, which she had been tracking down slowly, but that was a challenge that could take the rest of her lifetime at the rate things were progressing.

"Possibly. I cannot say that I know the answer to that." There was no point in debating or arguing the topic the woman was getting into. She didn't rightly know anything about how certain gods felt about the bloodline, particularly those that had the spirit versions of themselves being used as weapons for battle and other things. That isn't to say that she had not run into gods and goddesses at all, she had a few times due to knowing certain mages affiliated with them, and pretty much all of them disliked the spirits, not the bloodline that used them. "Failed abortions" one had called them Samira recalled. The spirits still had not gotten over that term. But as for the gods actually connected with her, well, their opinion remained to be seen.

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"Oh? Well of course you would not know the answer to that. It was not meant to have an answer. To think you thought I expected you to be so omniscient should bring further shame on your family. Nassar are such prideful beings it can be mistaken for persistent idiocy. Are you sure that title of yours is correct? Humility. An interesting trait for anyone that is surrounded by pride."

Samira couldn't really tell if she was being scolded, antagonized, or if the old woman found it humorously entertaining. Without being able to see the facial expression due to the dark cloth covering there was only the tone of voice to go on, and it did not help at all. No actual tone or emotion was there to hear. It was completely neutral. "The reasoning for that particular trait being the title is a long story, and not one I am willing to tell. Unless you happen to know of it already."

"I may know something about that, yes. I know many things. Not all, but many. I am not completely omniscient either. Could you be a kind child and inform me on how that Amirah is doing? That one has escaped my vision ever since-"

"No." Samira interrupted, her tone suddenly turning cold enough that one could have thought that the temperature in the desert dropped several degrees. The topic of Amirah, her supposed sister, was not one Samira enjoyed getting into in a conversation, let alone so randomly and out of no where. That sort of reaction should have been expected after having those fatal encounters with her. The first time Amirah had nearly killed her, and very easily. The second encounter ended up with several others getting killed after the fight had alerted a certain ancient beast that still to that very day lived because she couldn't kill it.

While both of those events of her life were examples of her past failures and shortcomings, they were also reminders that Amirah was a bit on the obsessively insane side for reasons unknown to Samira. They never got too far in the chatter with the whole two encounters they had, had with each other. Until that fateful day she didn't even know the other had existed. Among other things. Besides, Samira could not humor the old woman's curiosity anyway. It had been a long time since the last time she saw Amirah. No doubt Amirah knew everything going on with her but the opposite wasn't true. To answer how she was, was impossible. "Back to our earlier topic, how much was it for that magic flask of sand again? I really need to be on my way." Hopefully the question was enough to drop the conversation that was, quite frankly, none of that stranger's business.

A small purse materialized from a portal, much like Samira's other items that were connected to the celestial storage of her spirits. It contained some jewels, and at that point she could only assume giving money would be the fastest way out of the encounter. She undid the clasps that held it together and stared inside to begin counting the money as she waited for an answer from the woman.

(Word Count: 537
Total So Far: 6889)

"Hm? You can take it. That item has been taking up space ever since I have come into possession of it. No one appears to desire or appreciate its value." The woman picked up the flask carefully, her hand and arm shaking slightly as if the item were heavier than it looked and she was struggling to hold onto it so it wouldn't drop from her grasp. She slowly stretched her arm outward and over the stall to pass the flask of sand to the Wizard saint. "Here."

Samira would have thought that the woman was smiling mischievously under the dark fabric that covered her face. She was no stranger to gifts from others or random acts of generosity. However, because of what she had experienced so far there was a little discomfort at the thought of accepting anything from the strange woman for free. In fact, Samira was quite certain that even without the earlier scenarios that she would still be uncomfortable. There was something strange about her, and that wasn't changing. Still, Samira took the flask, believing it better to accept the free item than to complain or make things more awkward by refusing it, however kindly and respectfully she intended it to be. "Thank you."

The old woman didn't seem to notice the words of gratitude. She immediately disappeared behind the shop stall, much lower than what Samira could see from where she was. There was the creaking sound of a small door opening followed by the clattering sound of objects clashing and falling on each other as the woman dug through the storage. Or that was what Samira assumed her to be doing anyway. "Ummm," she felt the urge to ask what she was doing but then a second thought made her come to the reasoning that it was none of her business. She needed to get going anyway. Too much time had been wasted there, and she was sure that she'd be scolded for it later. "I am going to leave now. It was... Nice meeting-" the end of that sentence was yet another surprised yell as the woman quickly popped back out from behind the stall and shoved several items into Samira's arms. Samira had not really planned for that added weight or the impact from them being thrown and shoved right at her. She fell to the ground and the items all scattered around her.

"You can have those as well. They, too, have not had curious eyes gaze at them for quite some time now. I need the room for the newest items of my collection."

(Word Count: 435
Total So Far: 7324)

"And your solution was to bury me in all of this?" Samira inquired as she recovered from the fall, though still sitting down on the ground. Fireworks went off as a response, alarming the Wizard Saint that was on the ground next to the source. A sort of magic crystal it seemed to be, and beside that other colored gems that had fallen out of a now opened red sack were there, glowing. An orange colored lantern even started to float upwards and into the sky. Just what sort of items was she being given? More crazy things like that flask of sand? No wonder they were piling up the woman's shop with no buyers!

Of course the old shop owner didn't even ask if she was all right. There was little concern that she could tell from the unresponsive woman that was just delighted that her shop was finally being cleared out. Though why she didn't just abandon everything in a random place with a sign saying "free" Samira could not fathom. It was a common sense solution if the woman did not really care about earning anything from the cursed objects. Quicker too. Taking the time to actually glance at everything, Samira made a note of all the items that were there, and apparently were soon going to be added to the celestial vault she shared with her spirits. They were sure to be happy with even more silly gimmick items being crammed in there and forgotten about over time.

(Word Count: 252
Total So Far: 7576)

A simple looking wand lied on the sand, inactive, though Samira was certain there was more to it than just using it as a stick to poke or beat people with. Lying nearby that was a cute little backpack of pink and white coloring. There was some magic going through it that could be felt, weak, but there. Her hair was pushed behind one of her ears, an action she had done out of habit while in thought or to get it out of the way temporarily. Doing so allowed her to notice that the dark locks were not the same. Instead of being the straight hairstyle she usually had it in, the teal locks were wavy. Disturbingly so as it seemed to move in waves like the ocean. Somehow, she also thought she caught the scent of the salty air that was normally around a beach on her hair as well. The culprit to this hair redo madness being an ampule that had one of its ends twisted off, allowing for the water within to leak out and affect the nearest person, her.

Did she even want to know the rest of the items after her hair had been the victim of one of them? Partially, but then again no, not really. In theory they were fun items to use to figure out what they did, and they could even possibly have practical uses. On the other side of that theory coin was the fact she had no where to put any of this. It was basically someone else's junk. There was some leaf ring that was questionable, a bottle of unknown origins, a key that was not of celestial origin and so was less interesting to her, a festive music set if she ever wished for the day to have her own solo concert, a candle, and... was that an old fortune cookie? Really?!

Before her amazement at all of those items existing in one place subsided, two other things flew out of the same compartment that held the magical junk. A small ghost-like being that looked like a traditional Halloween decoration, and a flying misletoe creature with eyes.  Peculiar. Now what were those two doing in there? And more importantly, why were they now hovering over her with wide smiles as if she were their new owner? "You can have those two as well. I have been trying to make them leave for what seems like centuries. They never seemed to like the other customers that have come and gone. This seems to be another unique talent of yours. I now know who to seek out for the next time when my little shop exceeds its capacity."

(Word Count: 450
Total So Far: 8026)

All right. The line was drawn. Samira was done. All of the items disappeared into a swirl of magic particles and re-appeared somewhere in her celestial vault. The two pet-like creatures were transferred elsewhere to where her spirits could deal with them. And possibly wonder at first where the hell they came from. She then stood up, patted the sane off of her clothes, and shook the ocean waves out of her hair. After that, the matter of paying for everything was the first thing on her mind. A good chunk of jewels was lightly slammed onto the shop's counter. It had to be enough. Probably much more than enough. The Goddess of Ishgar didn't care. "Thank you, and good day." Samira fought to say nothing more and remain her passive self, but even she had limits. Leaving right then and there was in progress as she turned away from the shop and its owner and started to quickly walk away before something else jumped out of the cobwebbed depths of the shop's storage.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Nassar child?" The old woman asked, though she perfectly well what the answer was. The steps of the mage halted abruptly. Oh, dear. One could say that yes, Samira was indeed forgetting something. The topic of Sanura had not come up at all. Everyone else she ran into had been asked, but not the strange woman. It had slipped the summoner's mind, or maybe she thought there was little point in asking. The habits of the subconscious mind were hard to comprehend at times. Still, the more worrying thing was that once again the old woman knew about something she should not have. Was it possible she had heard of the question being asked around the desert city? Of course that was possible. Anything was within reason, and sometimes was so even without that. Did the goddess of Ishgar really believe that to be the reason why the old woman knew of her looking for the one known as Sanura? Not really. Perhaps she was jumping to conclusions. Maybe she had forgotten to claim one of the recently purchased gizmos instead. "Have I forgotten something?" Samira asked, partially turning around to glance behind her and towards the shrouded woman.

"You know." The woman insisted, purposely avoiding going into details and remaining vague.

Now Samira tuned fully to face her. "Enlighten me regardless. What is it that you thought I forgot?"

The old woman laughed, the sound of it sounding more creepy and harsh than something light-hearted that was done out of simple amusement. "Many things actually if you word it that way."

Samira sighed. Of course there would be some sort of smart aleck reply. She retraced her steps, moving herself back to the shop she had intended to leave. "The topic at present then."

"Sanura. Aren't you looking for her? I may know something of her whereabouts."

"Technically I am looking for someone else. It is just that this Sanura may know information to help me."

"Ahhh, and she does."

"How could you possibly know what Sanura does? Is this another person you know too much about for some reason?"

"That may be the case. I know more of Sanura than I care to know, but then knowing yourself is often more difficult than knowing a stranger."

"Yourself? You do not mean..."

"Well, yes, Nassar child. I do. I am the one known as Sanura within this city and many others. It is one of my many names and forms. I should mention that it is a personal favorite of mine that has lasted for several generations. Even your ancestors and those that came before know of old Sanura, though references are likely few in number. I wonder if that grandfather of yours ever wrote about me in his journals. I only saved his life twice. Is that worthy of a footnote mention? Maybe I will be mentioned in yours one day."

"....a simple yes would have sufficed."

"That is too far into the realm of simplicity. Now you have found Sanura. This mission of yours progresses. What do you ask of me? Who else is it that you seek?"

"I almost assumed by this point that you already knew."

"I do. This does not mean that I do not enjoy asking. Humor me for a moment."

"I feel as if I have already humored you for several. If you already know, then kindly give me the information. Or do not and say as much so I can leave to find another solution. Time is wasting. My fault originally, of course, but now you are participating and making the error worse."

"Hmmmm, very well. I will answer. You seek the colleague of your grandfather, of Souniro. A man just as learned as he and one who was trusted with sensitive information. Important to many that would seek to make use of it. Or abuse."

(Word Count: 823
Total so Far: 8849)

Samira gave a slow nod, though she knew there was no question there or the old woman seeking acknowledgement before continuing. It was a habit, perhaps, though she had wished such a simple action took longer. What was in store was a long speech rather than a straight up answer. Samira's brows furrowed at the realization. A wooden stool was nearby against the wall of the closest building, she noticed. Whether it was legit furniture or was someone's idea of trash she wasn't sure or didn't care. As the woman spoke her speech, describing the man in greater detail than an autobiography, Samira silently walked off to claim this wooden stool for herself. Upon returning, the mysterious woman was still talking. Though, she doubted the woman was usually like this. More often than not people just liked to mess with her and do things out of the ordinary. It would be rude to interrupt either way. Samira would humor her and wait. Setting the stool down, the Wizard Saint positioned herself in front of it and then took a seat upon it. Crossing one leg in front of the other, Samira got comfortable and waited for the other woman's speech to end, staring quietly at her the entire time.

"This man, a being that I have called a friend for many many years, has passed on from this mortal reality some time ago. The possessions he had claimed throughout his life had passed to his daughter, the sole heir to his fortune. The knowledge left behind by Souniro has passed to her. To reclaim it for yourself you must seek her out and demand their return to the rightful owner. If she still has them. Many things have been scattered throughout the world now."

"If? I suppose there has always been the possibility of things being sold off if she felt she had no use for them."

"It is more than that, Nassar child. With her father's death the girl has gained the freedom to do as she would. She has allowed herself to turn. No longer does she listen to words I tell her. Her heart has darkened and her soul twisted. Most things were traded and sold to fuel the vessel used to travel this path she had chosen for herself. To seek her out is a dangerous quest, to demand property be returned would be giving permission for one's own death." The serious tone ended with a shrug of the old woman's shoulders and a wave of her hand to shoo that warning away. "Eh, for most. In your own right you would have little trouble. Though even the strongest of man are capable of fatal errors that lead to their deaths. It is even quicker for the ones aligned with the more... valued side of morality."

"I doubt she is above a trade if that were an option I had to choose." Technically, yes, Samira was on that more "valued" side of morality. Requesting the research be returned to her would have been the first option. A trade the second. Fighting for it was not an option she really wanted to consider for many reasons. However, she was not above it as a final resort. Very few jobs had peaceful ends, and her abilities to cheat her way out of a fight only went so far.

"She does not give away anything without a steep price. If she no longer has what you seek, you would be on the more fortunate side of the coin. You can offer a trade for her aid. It would be less painful on more than just your pockets. To offer a trade if she still has Souniro's property would be foolish given who and what you are. She would demand more than jewels. I would not trust such an agreement. The choice when confronted, however, is yours alone." Magic particles appeared in the old woman's hand, creating a scroll of aged parchment paper. "You will not find Kahii with modern maps. She makes her home among the forgotten places of this land. Where rivers of scarlet flow through the land, in more ways than one may think. This should help you to know your way. The dangers you will have to overcome and find out for yourself. For this meeting, I have done all that is required of me, Nassar child." The parchment was handed over towards Samira, the old woman waiting there non-moving and remaining quiet until the summoner took hold of it.

(Word Count: 754
Total So Far: 9603)

The hint was taken. The Goddess rose from the stool and proceeded to take the scroll and open it. The map was indeed ancient from what Samira could tell based on the many maps she had used and seen in the past. A lot of the details and land structures marked weren't even ones that still existed in the desert country and had long since been wiped out. Her eyes followed the details and took in all there was. "This still seems to be a map of ancient Desierto. While it is interesting to have I do not know how it is supposed to help me more than a modern day one. Where is Khaii here?"

"That map has many surprises. Go to where Meken is marked. Once a grand city like that of our current tri-cities. It perished thousands of years ago, and has since been forgotten by most. Only the sand is left now and remembers. As does this map. It will... react accordingly. The hidden secrets of the desert will no longer be so for you. You will find Kahii. But, do not lose this map. The way out of the forgotten sands is not so easy without it, just as finding it is impossible otherwise."

"Noted," Samira rolled the scroll back up and let the parchment poof in a swirl of particles. She'd make use of it once she left the city and required it. For now, it was best to keep it safe in her celestial vault. "Thank you for your help."

"It's what I do, child. For those deserving of it. I hope to see you again soon. I have another gift for you should you find Khaii and survive to the end of your mission."

As much as Samira wanted to ask if it was more leftovers from her garage sale she let the opportunity pass by. Future Samira could worry about that, and the wrath of her spirits for filling up the celestial vault with all of the junk that would probably never get used. Present Samira wanted to be nice and just get out of there as quickly as possible without saying something offensive. "Another gift is not necessary, but I do appreciate the thought. Goodbye, and erm, good luck refilling the stock of your shop." Samira waved a farewell while walking away from the shop stall. She didn't look back afterwards. Though, if she had she would have noticed that the owner of the shop was no longer there.

With there being no more reason to stay in the city besides to pick up a few other supplies, Samira left the shopping area, and eventually the city itself. Once she was past the city gates she looked around for the spirit she had left there a while ago. She found him, still standing on the city wall like some lion-shaped stone gargoyle. "I have returned."

(Word Count: 485
Total So Far: 10,088)