"Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it."
M. Scott Peck

The first trine of their cohabitation was mostly spent in a tent, wandering the forests and fields of Thra in desperate search of a safe haven from all those loyal to the Castle of the Crystal. It was a slow journey as SkekGra's head wound required daily tending for months and UrGoh was already not a fast walker. It certainly didn't help that each twinge of pain UrGoh felt at the top of his skull only made him more reluctant than he already was to mess with the bandages every morning and evening.

Then the Skeksis' secondary arms were another problem entirely. By the time UrVa had found SkekGra, he was half-starved and almost completely dehydrated; wandering the endless forest in tattered bloodied robes with a massive skull tack sticking out of his head. His head was the biggest concern of course, but his arms had also been broken and twisted, bound in an unnatural knot. Despite their best efforts, the damage was permanent as was the constant ache that lanced through them.

By now though, they had both more or less gotten used to each other's habits and basic needs, making adjustments as needed to accommodate traveling together. SkekGra's constantly huffs and hisses were now as familiar as UrGoh's own sighs and snorts. Everything he owned even smelled a little like the Skeksis after just a few weeks on the road.

In addition to the major change in his daily routine, being together meant no longer being able to travel as the Wanderer saw fit. Now he had to have a conversation with his other half in order to debate the merits of a location, whether or not they had the supplies to manage it, and could they possibly make it there before the seasons changed?

There were many days that he came away entirely fed up with himself. SkekGra's stubbornness and fickle nature made disagreements frequent and the apologies that followed very slow-coming. UrGoh almost always had to be the one to extend the urdrupe branch and it weighed on him that an entire half of his very being was utterly incapable of being civil.

At the same time though, he hated being mad at SkekGra. The Skeksis had already suffered enough at the hands of his brethren and any argument between them only weighed down on his wounded heart.

When UrGoh had pushed for unity, the Mystics had just looked at him sadly, as if the Wanderer was just a silly childling with dreams that far surpassed their talent.

The Skeksis on the other hand had punished the Conqueror as if he had committed a crime.

"It was a crime, in a way," SkekGra had explained one night when they were eating dinner, their cooking fire barely cutting a slit in the darkness of the quiet thicket. "What we want will destroy us as we are and remake us into a new being; not Skeksis or Mystic. Flesh made light." The Conqueror stared into the fire, talons clacking against the wooden bowl in his lap. "They see it as dying, but I see it as something wonderful."

UrGoh wasn't sure if wonderful was the right word to describe how he viewed their reformation, but spending time with his other half made him all the more acutely aware of the ways in which he was a splintered shard of a being. It was almost painful to live with a constant reminder of wounds that were soul-deep...But then SkekGra would wander off (whether in a post-argument huff or to go and fetch water from the river), and his absence was felt even stronger than it was during the hundreds of trine they were separated.

It got to the point where sometimes the Wanderer felt a strong urge to just touch SkekGra, as if they could meld themselves back together by holding hands or pressing themselves hip to hip by the fire. Of course that's not how flesh worked, but it did bring some minor comfort, especially when he could feel their breathing sync.

For a moment in time, they were one being, completely in-balance with itself.

But then SkekGra would fidget or twitch as he was want to do and the illusion was fractured, just as they were. Sometimes he wished the Skeksis could find it within himself to just stay still and silent for once and let him pretend...

It was near the second trine of their journey when they came to the edge of the sparse grassland lining the Endless Forest, where rocky cliffsides were the only wall separately the lush fields and the Crystal Desert. Massive rocks overlooked a seemingly endless sea of sand and crystal deposits peppered over the dunes, sparkling brightly in the dim late afternoon sunlight.

Instantly SkekGra flinched and took a step back from the cliffs, shifting the weight of his travel pack. "This is Dousan territory," he said in a low voice, tilting his beak slightly in UrGoh's direction. "If any part of Thra is cursed, it's this infernal wasteland of death."

Raising an eyebrow at the Conqueror, UrGoh turned to look over the edge of the rocky formations and hummed, rubbing his chin with the end of his staff.. "The Mystic Valley...is not far...from here..." he murmured, pointing with his opposite hand in the direction of the mountains. "The Skeksis...don't dare...come near the desert...so perhaps...it is...the best place...for us...to hide?"

He'd barely finished his sentence when SkekGra hissed in open displeasure, glaring down at the sand as if it had personally offended him. However, his eyes were darting around in that way that UrGoh had long ago recognized as a sign that the Skeksis was mulling it over. They couldn't wander forever if they wanted to do the work needed to save Thra and themselves. It would make logical sense to set up a more permanent residence in a location that the Skeksis believed was cursed or haunted (and would thus avoid). Besides, if the desert was truly cursed, it had yet to harm the Dousan Gelfling or the Mystics living in their valley so UrGoh would take his chances.

UrGoh exhaled and set his pack down on a large rock, leaning his staff down on the woven bag. "We should...sleep on it." He suggested, removing the small bundle of tubers he had collected from the forest and pulling out his chopping knife. "Decisions are best...made...with proper rest...and food..." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw SkekGra's shoulders slowly relax, but the Skeksis' beak was still tipped to the horizon, clearly scanning the sands for any sign of danger.

Rolling his eyes, UrGoh reached out with a free hand, gently tugging at the Conqueror's sleeves until SkekGra finally pulled away from the cliffside and help set up camp, collecting brush and wood for a small fire.

They were both silent as they worked, the nightly routine playing out the same as it did most evenings: UrGoh doing most of the cooking while SkekGra set up their bedrolls, tent, and tarp. It was only once they were huddled by the fire with their bowls (eating some admittedly bland soup and collected nuts and seeds) that SkekGra took a breath and cleared his throat. UrGoh didn't say anything, but tilted his head slightly upward to indicate he was listening as he ate, letting his tail swish idly next to him as he waited patiently for the Skeksis to find his words.

The Conqueror paused, his rust-colored eyes flickering between the sky and the desert which were both beginning to turn dark as the Brothers slipped down low and the sisters came up one by one to take their place. "Would it be possible for us to take refuge with the Mystics?" he asked softly, rolling a small nut between two talons. "You used to live with them. Surely they'd accept one of their own back."

Grunting, UrGoh lowered the soup bowl to his lap and licked his lips clean of broth. The thought had crossed his mind of course, but he'd had to shoot down the idea almost as soon as it came. "Temporarily…perhaps…but I would not…want to…endanger them…further…by staying…"

Despite how far they had run, the Skeksis knew SkekGra's scent and would be able to easily track them by it should they choose to pursue them past the Endless Forest. The Emperor had not yet called upon the great Hunter, SkekMal, to trail them, but the last thing UrGoh wanted was to create a direct path to his brethren. Even if the Skeksis couldn't harm their counterparts, they might imprison them in the confines of that wretched castle and UrGoh refused be responsible for that.

Huffing through his fangs, SkekGra muttered, "Don't spare my feelings." He popped the nut into his mouth, rolling it around with his tongue to catch the shell between two jagged teeth. "You can just say they wouldn't accept a Skeksis among them."

UrGoh frowned, watching as SkekGra cracked open the nut with a quick chomp and tossed the shell over his shoulder, a slightly dark look in his eye. "Master UrSu…wouldn't take…issue…with…your presence," he said, turning to see the suns disappear entirely from the sky, leaving only deep blues and purples to coat the sparse desert clouds. The others might not be as welcoming, but Master UrSu was kind and wise. He had always been the most sympathetic to him when he described his vision and his need to be made whole.

"We're all broken, Wanderer, but it is not our place to force the hands of destiny. I urge you to find patience." UrSu placed his palms on top of UrGoh's in a placating gesture that normally worked, but not this day. The Master of the Mystics frowned in silence as UrGoh pulled away and turned to grab his pack from the table.

"We can't...wait...until the next...con...junction...to act...It might...be too...late...by then..." UrGoh shouldered the bag and looked for his staff, only to see UrSu holding it in his second set of hands.

UrSu gave a sad smile, running his fingers over the worn wood affectionately and tracing the carvings done by the Scribe's careful hand. "Even so, the Skeksis will not listen. They only stay their blades out of self-preservation, nothing more."

The Master wasn't wrong, but he wasn't correct either. There were signs of change. A shift in the winds. "Water...softens even...the hardest of...stone...given enough...time..."

Pausing, UrSu inhaled and tipped the staff to stand upright. "And has it been enough time?"

"I...think so..." UrGoh said, his voice quiet but firm. He didn't do anything without reason even though to anyone on the outside, he was an aimless being without a cause or charge.

Perhaps once, but no longer.

"Hmmm...I see that there is no sense in attempting to tether you here. Your heart has always been a stubborn untameable thing, Wanderer." UrSu offered UrGoh the staff, pulling him into a loving hug when the other Mystic took it from his grasp. UrGoh sighed and leaned into it, closing his eyes as UrSu brushed over his hair and murmured, "Go then and seek your other half."

UrGoh nodded, his heart feeling heavy in his chest as he embraced the Master, wondering (not for the first time and certainly not the last) if they would ever meet again.

"Home will always be here for you,"

UrGoh was pulled from his memory by the painful sensation of something sharp twisting in the back his throat, cutting off his airflow. He turned to see SkekGra hacking, beating on his chest with one hand and clawing at his throat with another. Wincing, UrGoh gently patted the Skeksis' back until the Conqueror spat a shell fragment into the dirt, a line of spittle trailing down his long fangs. "Try not to...choke," he told SkekGra as he took a few deep breaths himself, watching as his other half wiped his mouth on the back of his wrist.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" SkekGra snarled, rubbing at his throat and then his dark eyes which were wet from pain. UrGoh just shrugged and gave a few tender swallows himself, easing the slight burn that now lingered in his esophagus from the husk.

"Anyway, you looked like you were about to fall asleep into your bowl. Getting too old to stay up past moonrise, Mystic?"

Snorting softly, UrGoh tipped his soup bowl back to finish off the remainder of his broth. "I was thinking...about Master UrSu..." He hadn't realized how much he had missed the others. Occasionally in his travels he came across UrVa or UrSan...even UrLii...but he hadn't returned to the Valley of the Mystics since he set out on his quest to find SkekGra.

That had been nearly 50 trine ago.

He wondered how everyone was doing and if they thought about him? UrSol had promised to sing for him every night and UrZah had given him some meditation beads before he left, telling him that he was in their hearts as long as they remained in his possession. "I expect them back one day, UrGoh," the Ritual Guardian warned with a playful tone, tucking the beads into UrGoh's pockets and patting the fabric to smooth out the wrinkles.

UrGoh returned the smile and teased, "Will I...no longer be in...your thoughts when I...return?"

UrZah laughed, reaching up to straighten UrGoh's hat. "What need will we have for our thoughts?" He gave one last lingering touch to UrGoh's mane and looked him in the eye. "You'll be home."

"Do you miss them?" SkekGra asked, mouth half-full of food as he scraped the last bits of tuber from the inside of his bowl and ran his absurd tongue over the rim. "I was always glad to be away from the castle. Felt like I was in a cage every time they summoned me back."

UrGoh shook his head as he thought of how his home had looked when he saw it last. "The Valley...was never...a prison...but...I needed to be...among...Thra's...creatures..." One thing he had never liked was how the other Mystics insisted on isolating themselves. Master UrSu said it was for the good of Thra's inhabitants to not interfere and to keep their distance. Them interfering with this world's natives was what had caused the Great Division and trapped them here in the first place.

The Skeksis were bad enough for Thra and the Mystics should do everything in their power to not add onto that burden.

"It's a nice place," SkekGra agreed as he set his bowl and spoon down and leaned back. "Haunted desert aside, Thra really is something to behold." The Skeksis smiled, tipping his beak up to look at the stars that were beginning to peek out now that the sky was dark and illuminated only by the gentle glow of the sisters. He gave a short hum and added, "I wonder...when we become one, will we want to leave?"

Wincing, UrGoh put his own bowl down and rested his two front hands on his knees. Sometimes the questions SkekGra asked were inane and pointless...other times they somehow managed to cut him right to the core. "There are...many other...places to...explore. Hundreds...of thousands...of worlds..." The stars above them were proof of the eternal stretch of the universe. UrSkeks were long lived, but not immortal and there was only so much they could see with the time they had left. They had already wasted so much of it being stranded here in two pieces and UrGoh didn't want to let another second go by without purpose.

SkekGra gave another thoughtful hum, still looking skyward. "I guess that's true. But after staying here for so long it's begun to feel like our home."

"It's not..."

"I know," SkekGra said, waving UrGoh off with one hand. "It's not our home world, but I feel like when we leave, a sliver of us will remain behind. An even smaller piece than you or me." He reached over, plucking up the broken shell he'd coughed up onto the ground. He turned it over between two talons and let it drop into the center of his opposite palm. "Something we won't ever get back."

UrGoh pursed his lips and reached out, touching over SkekGra's wrist, fingerpads tracing the pulse just underneath the Conqueror's skin. "Nothing is...without...sacrifice..." he said as SkekGra turned his hand over, letting them lay palm to palm, the shell caught between them. It had felt so large and sharp in his throat, but the little shard was really quite small and dull, easily encompassed by their shared grip. "We will have...many memories...good and bad...Nostalgia doesn't...distinguish between...any of it..."

The Skeksis grunted, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the statement. It was hard for both of them to not think in strict binary, black and white terms. Reality was shades of grey, but here they were, two parts of the same person pulled into their most extreme traits: black and white all on their own.

The conversation died there, whether through exhaustion, disinterest, or a mix of both. They cleaned up and disposed of their meal scraps and settled inside the tent to sleep.

At the beginning of their travels, the bedrolls were separated, but over time, they drew closer and closer. SkekGra claimed it was for warmth and maybe that played a part in it, but UrGoh knew the Skeksis was drawn to him by the same thread that pulled them together in the first place. Eventually their beds were combined and they shared the space, often waking wrapped up in a tangle of breath and limbs.

SkekGra once said that was how the Skeksis used to sleep in the early days of their existence. Before he took on the role of Warlord, SkekGra's favorite sleeping partners were the Mariner for her large soft mane and equally plush form, and the Hunter. Apparently SkekMal was a kicker, but his sleepy purrs were soothing and he burned nice and hot in the cold castle.

The Mystics also used to pile up before making the valley their home, but even with proper infrastructure built, everyone moved around a lot. No one 'owned' their home and it was frequent that a Mystic would sleep in a new bed with a new partner every other night or so (though there were exceptions). UrUtt and UrAmaj were very fond of each other and while they never rejected anyone from the bed they shared, they spent more nights together than not.

When UrGoh told him as such, SkekGra immediately asked him if he was in a relationship with any of the other Mystics. UrGoh had just shrugged and said of course he had strong personal ties to the rest of his kind. They were all his family and friends after all.

"Not like that! I meant were you fucking any of them?" the Conqueror had snarled in frustration as UrGoh continued to calmly smoke from his pipe. "I don't need to know the nasty details, but if we were humping like horny fizzgig in the castle then you Mystics were definitely going at each other."

"Did you have...anyone?" UrGoh had asked, turning the question back on him without a pause. SkekGra sputtered and let out all sorts of annoyed growls, but eventually answered that yes, of course he, the Mighty Conqueror of Thra, often got his dick wet and how dare UrGoh assume otherwise.

The conversation went quiet for a few minutes before SkekGra cleared his throat and admitted that it had been a few hundred trine or longer since he'd last shared a bed intimately with anyone. He'd participated in the orgies when he was still in the castle, but out in the field he didn't much fancy the General or Spy Master (though they weren't without their merits) and he wasn't interested in taking Gelfling (no matter how eager some of them were to serve the Warlord) into his tent.

"The last time was with SkekSa, before she left on her giant hulking beast." SkekGra sighed wistfully, rubbing his chin with his claws. "Always got along good with the Mariner. Maybe it was because she was like me, needing to be away from court and the castle. We just wanted to just exist in Thra and do as we please."

UrGoh blew out a plume of smoke."Was it...good?"

"What, the sex? Of course it was!" SkekGra cackled with a twinkle in his eye, his tail wiggling behind him. "SkekSa fucks like the sea: calm and gentle one moment and then a raging storm in the next. You never know what to expect, but you have to just hang on to the mast and hope you don't fall overboard."

UrGoh hummed, blowing out a few smoke rings. "Now I wish...I had...taken up...UrSan's...offer..."

"Well, why didn't you?" SkekGra asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She wanted me...to get in the river...and it was...cold..."

That had been the extent of the discussion on their more intimate relationships, but it certainly wasn't the last time sex had turned up during their travels together. There were many mornings where UrGoh woke, insanely aroused, and left alone with an empty bedroll. The heated sensations would eventually pass, but more often than not, he just gave in and finished himself off.

When SkekGra eventually returned, they both exchanged knowing glances but never words.

It wasn't exactly easy to keep a semblance of privacy or discretion with a being who shared all of your physical pleasures and pains. He knew SkekGra could feel when he was touching himself and part of him wondered if that hurt or helped their situation. They shouldn't be shy or embarrassed by it, but neither of them ever made a move to voice it.

Somehow the idea of talking about what they felt through their connection was the one taboo between them.

When they were separated, this wasn't as much of a problem. Sure there were plenty of times where he woke up satisfied and sore in the best of ways when he had done little more than spend the night reading and smoking. In the back of his mind, he'd know the reason why he woke up in such a pleasant mood, but he didn't dig too deep into those thoughts. He and his other half felt every moment of their own pleasure, whether it was by his own hand or someone else's, but the distance made it easier to push to the side. A thought for another day.

Now every time he touched himself, he knew SkekGra was not only aware of just what he was doing, but how he was doing it.

Sometimes he'd feel a sharp pinch to his tail when he was fingering himself, a warning from SkekGra that he was being too rough, which was more often than not (UrGoh suspected that the Skeksis wasn't used to the sensation). Those touches always made him nearly jump out of his skin in surprise, but it never made his erection flag.

On occasion...it only made it worse.

Despite all the tiptoeing around sex, it wasn't hard for them to otherwise be in each other's physical space...or it at least wasn't difficult now. Regular hand-holding and interlacing tails had slowly become part of their routine and it felt like a small victory every time SkekGra was the initiator of said contact.

After his punishment, SkekGra had been so hurt and damaged in ways that UrGoh could only guess at despite their connection. UrVa had told him it had been a struggle just to get the Skeksis to drink from his canister, let alone allow him clean his wounds.

"He won't talk about what they did. I only have what I can see to guide me, just as you have only what you felt," UrVa had explained to him the first night they shared camp, UrGoh idly braiding his long straw-colored hair next to him. SkekGra was curled into a ball, buried in a pile of blankets woven by UrUtt and barely visible under the fabric save for the tip of his twitching tail. "But I suspect that the scars run deeper than the surface." The Archer sighed and offered a hand to UrGoh. "I wish I could do more for you, my friend."

UrGoh continued braiding but spared one of his free hands to lace their fingers and squeeze UrVa's palm in turn. "You've done...a lot...already..." He smiled softly at the other Mystic as he tied off the braid and swept it to the side of UrVa's face. "You saved us...Archer..."

Smiling back, UrVa let their intwined hands drop to the top of his knee, smoothing his thumb over UrGoh's knuckles. "I played but a small part. I'm afraid you have to do the heavy-lifting, Wanderer."

They hadn't stayed with UrVa for long, only until SkekGra was healed enough to travel. But even when it was just the two of them, the Skeksis flinched at any brush to his tail or his back. He especially was averse to not having something solid behind him as if he was going to be jumped by an assailant at any moment. UrGoh didn't poke at those wounds though and instead simply adjusted his own habits to give the Skeksis space. Slowly over time, SkekGra lowered his guard and began to interact more, touch more, be at peace with sharing their life.

It was hard to believe that less than two trine ago, SkekGra would snarl if UrGoh so much as tapped his shoulder to ask him if he could go and forage for breakfast. The change was slow, but worth the work, much like the time he'd watched UrNol tend to a delicate flower that only bloomed with immense love and care.

The result was a thing of beauty,

-or dare he say, it was wonderful?

The suns rose as the moons dipped behind the trees, giving way to the morning. UrGoh enjoyed taking his time getting out of bed, but SkekGra always had to be up and doing something as soon as any hint of sunlight broke through the tent flaps. UrGoh didn't even open his eyes as SkekGra pulled away from him and tucked the blankets over the Mystic's shoulders. SkekGra slowly stood, adjusting his clothes before lifting the flap and ducking out of the tent.

Rolling into the warm spot that SkekGra abandoned, UrGoh let out a soft contented sigh and nuzzled into the bedroll. He could hear the slightly muffled sounds of SkekGra puttering around the camp, getting the fire going again for breakfast, collecting water, and breaking off new twigs and branches from their collection of wood in preparation for cooking.

Some mornings SkekGra would sing to himself while he worked, off-key and often mixing the common tongue with the Skeksis' own alien language. It always stopped as soon as UrGoh left the tent which was sad because while the Skeksis didn't have much of a voice (or a sense of tune), it was clear he liked doing it. UrGoh suspected that such a hobby wasn't particularly celebrated among the other Skeksis which was why SkekGra preferred to sing in private.

From the little that SkekGra had told him, the Skeksis didn't prize any ability that wasn't born from innate skill. You were either good at something or you weren't and you shouldn't bother trying. SkekGra's talents were in battle, war, and conquest so why should he focus on something as useless to his role as singing?

Alas, this wasn't a morning that the Conqueror sang so UrGoh allowed himself drift off into that comfortable plane between sleep and wakefulness. UrSol used to say that was his favorite part of the morning, especially when he was still wrapped up in a bed partner. "The mind is free of obligation and need. You get to just be," the Chanter mused as he helped UrUtt restring his looms. "I imagine it's like how dreaming is."

Dreaming did sound nice and if this was the closest they ever got to it, UrGoh could be content with that. Perhaps sometime he could convince SkekGra to forgo the morning chores and stay in bed, but clearly that was a challenge for another day. Instead, UrGoh rolled over and slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he yawned. He didn't bother untangling himself from the blankets as he poked his head out of the tent flap, tiredly watching SkekGra hang their water pot over the newly invigorated campfire. SkekGra glanced up and rolled his eyes as he finished stabilizing the heavy metal. "Finally you're up. Go and see if there's anything along the edge of the forest. I doubt we'll be able to forage for much in this sand pit."

"We should...ask the Dousan...what are...the best...plants...to eat..." UrGoh said as he slowly got ready, putting on his hat and combing his hair out with his favorite pick.

"I don't want to go to the Gelfling for help," SkekGra muttered, rummaging through their bags for the water canisters. He sniffed the inside of the first one and winced. "This needs to be washed..."

"We are...already asking...for...their help...to heal...the Crystal..." UrGoh reminded as he stepped out of the tent, adjusting his sleeves and picking up his staff. "What is...one more...favor?"

He heard SkekGra huff in response, but the Skeksis didn't fight it which meant SkekGra didn't have a good enough argument against him. SkekGra's stubbornness was irritating, but he at least didn't continue fights for the sake of it. He just refused to admit defeat and that UrGoh could easily ignore. He was fine with not declaring a winner if no one ended up losing either.

UrGoh shuffled over to the Conqueror and smiled. "I'll try...to be back...soon. Don't wait...up for me..." He touched SkekGra's shoulder and gave a squeeze. "Eat..."

"Stop talking and get a move on or you'll be here until the Brothers are gone." SkekGra brushed UrGoh's hand off and gave him a filled canister, still warm from the boiling pot. "If you find a river, wash this one out." He handed him the empty second container which UrGoh tucked into the bag he had slung over his upper arms. "Get as much as you can. Who knows when we'll be able to find berries and nuts again."

Nodding, UrGoh adjusted the bags on his back and made his way to the forest, idly letting his tail sweep behind him as he walked.

A few hours later, his bags were filled with a combination of various berries, fruits, nuts, and tubers. He'd even stumbled across a dead nebrie (poor thing had gotten stepped on by a Land Strider), which he planned to bring back for SkekGra. The Skeksis didn't mind forgoing meat in most meals, but every now and then it was a nice change of pace. At least this carcass didn't come at the cost of a life ended by their hands.

Once he got to the river, he washed out the dirty canister slowly, staring out at the trees that only grew more and more sparse as they spread toward the cliffs. Making a home in the desert would be difficult due to the limited resources, but the more he thought about it, the more it just made sense. They wouldn't have the support system of the Dousan or the Mystics, but they would make due with it just being the two of them.

Being experienced travelers meant that neither of them were very particular about comfort or food. They were both used to taking what they could get, when they could get it, and making the most of the situation.

As he walked back to the campsite with his collection of goods, UrGoh caught sight of what looked like a small cave nestled between a pair of trees. He peered in curiously, glancing around for any sign of a hostile animal near the entrance. It was unusually warm and damp inside, but he couldn't see any leavings or scraps from predators, only dead crawlies.

Inhaling, he opened his mouth and let out a low chord, pausing only to listen for the sound to return to him.

The song echoed for a long time which suggested a tunnel of sorts, but the lack of footprints or any other signs of wear meant that if this cave was a pathway, it had gone unused for some time.

Curiosity led him further in, though he did remove a small crystal lantern from his pack before he had taken more than a few steps. UrGoh gently shook the lantern to wake up the glow-moths inside until they buzzed pleasantly against his palm, illuminating the tunnel in front of him. Unsurprisingly, the cave's interior was as barren as its entrance, but he found himself only all the more puzzled.

The further in he traveled, the more the incline dipped (and the temperature subsequently rose), but after an hour or so he began to notice a strange breeze emitting from even further inside. He tipped his head up, inhaling deeply as it swept past him, gently tousling his hair and clothes.

Furrowing his brow in confusion, he licked his lips.

Was that...sulfur?

Now even more curious, UrGoh quickened his pace, his eyes narrowing as a strange dim light came into view. He couldn't quite tell if he was glimpsing the beginnings of a new adjacent tunnel or if this was the exit leading back to the surface, but he was determined to find the answer regardless.

The light grew until he reached the edge of the rock-face, stepping onto a short overhang that sat above a massive pit. He leaned over and gasped, his eyes going wide as he took in the dancing firelight emitting from a series of tunnels that all branched out like an Arathim's nest. He hadn't walked that far had he? These sorts of tunnels weren't normally seen outside of the Grottan caverns...but based on how long he'd been walking (and the direction the tunnel had taken him), he had to be somewhere underneath the Crystal Desert.

Staring down at the web of tunnels, UrGoh rubbed his chin with the edge of his staff. There was no way he could get down to any of those passages below without help or at the very least, proper climbing ropes. There was however a small steep path going along the ledge that rounded over the network that might take him somewhere interesting, though it looked to be heading up rather than down further into the cave system.

A sharp pinch brought him out of his thoughts and he winced, rubbing the back of his neck where SkekGra had nipped him with his talons. That was one of their check in signals, something they had developed early on to keep in contact over distances. He really must have been gone a long time for SkekGra to check on him and UrGoh couldn't even remember taking a rest the entire time he'd been traversing the cavern.

Lowering his lantern, he sighed as he stared wistfully at the pathway. Right, he had to think of his traveling companion. No longer was he free to wander Thra as he wished and at his own pace. As interesting and mysterious as this cave was, he had a goal and a mission with SkekGra.

Anything else was secondary to that.

Giving his shoulder two sharp pinches (a response to let SkekGra know he was returning), UrGoh shifted around to head back the way he came. However he was barely a few paces away from the ledge when he heard the distant echo of footsteps. Stiffening, UrGoh quickly covered his lantern with his clothes and backed into a corner of the cave, hiding in the shadows. Not all the creatures of Thra were friendly and there were just as many predators as there were peaceful inhabitants. Caves in particular were known for hiding all sorts of dangers and there was no telling what animal was approaching.

Keeping still, he listened to the creature's stride, his eyes blindly staring into the black tunnel. Had he really walked so far that there was no more sunlight visible from that end? He hadn't thought he had gone so deep, but clearly he'd explored much further than he'd initially intended to. Which meant if the creature was hostile, he wouldn't have any room to escape. Mystics were slow by nature and not known for stealth, but sneaking by would be his only option...

He tilted his head back to the pathway around the ledge, chewing his tongue as the footsteps grew louder.

Or...perhaps not?

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