A place of power, she could see it. Traveling the world in search of the door-between-worlds, Gale had gone back and forth between places she had once visited. Three nights ago she was in Arri, where she had seen an image of a brightness in the distance. It was on the edge of the dream, beyond the fringe of the dream-sphere of Sularia. Like a pillar of fire in the wilderness, it beckoned to a place unknown. Speaking with Asha, the dream-walker chose to find it. She wanted to see for herself what this dream-vision that called her was in the waking world. The phoenix advised that she ask the people first on a general lay of the land, and the dream-walker found it was southwest. Unfortunately, distance and space was negligible in the realm of dreams so the only way to find it was to walk.

They would have to venture across the perilous Harena desert, all the way until they found the location. There were many dangers such as dehydration, losing one's way in the shifting sandy landscape, robbers lying in wait for lone wanderers, and creatures whose presence foretold certain death. Yet none of these would shake the dream-walker's resolve, determined as she was to find the call's source. She had her beloved companion to keep her safe. They had met in an excursion with a caravan to the desert kingdom, where the dream-walker had wandered astray from the train of camels and wagons. Below a dune she witness the rebirth of a brilliant bird composed of flame from a pile of smoldering ash. At first the phoenix was alarmed and used its flames to defend itself. However seeing the girl was not singed, it came to understand the human held no malice. 

'Tell me, bird blessed by the flame of the sun; what is your name?' 'I am Asha, a phoenix born from the spark of the heavens which fell to the earth. Child, what is your name?''I am Gale, a traveler of dreams.' 'Have you come alone, child of man? The desert is no place for people outside the oases.' 'I came with a caravan of beasts and carts. We are going to the great city which lies in the north, a green emerald set atop the golden sands.' 'A place where water flows and life springs; I would like to see such a place.''Would you like to come with me, Asha?' 'Yes, but only if you promise to keep me safe from those with impure hearts and those who wish to harm me for their own gain.' 'I give you my word, upon my life.' 'Then let us go, together…'

And so, the two became companions. They set out along the dunes, with Asha scouting ahead for oases using the knowledge she had possessed from her past rebirths. It was not an easy journey, as the winds were strong and the desert punishing. The oases were sanctuaries, protected against the fiends that lurked in the blazing sands. Once they came across a fire most strange–green in color without smoke or a source. The phoenix told her that was hellfire, a strange phenomenon which sometimes manifested into a flame that burnt hotter and more painfully than any other. Such fire was cursed, the essence of evil. Where many patches of hellfire were, evil beings called luzil were not far behind. While they camped beneath the palms watered by the life-giving springs, they heard the sounds of whinnying in the dead of the night. The cries of those horses sent chills down one's spine, unnatural and strange. Asha explained that those were the cries of nightmares–hellish creatures imbued with the essence of hellfire in the shape of horses. They could not approach places protected by sacred signs, as the oasis they were within was. 

Today marked the second day of their trek. The night before, Gale sought the direction of the place of power within the realm of dreams, and confirmed the way they should go. The winds were especially harsh today, and she had to wrap her sash around her face to keep the sand out of her eyes. It would be unlikely for her to meet another lone traveler like her out on these sands, but perhaps there was that offhand chance of a rare occurrence. Their next place to rest for the night was a peculiar oasis that Asha called, the Walking Spring. The name was given due to its unusual habit of only appearing in one place for a single day, vanishing the next before noon. Their goal was to find it before sundown, then rise and leave before the sun was high. 

"Behold, we have found it!" Exclaimed an enthusiastic and joyful voice, through the windy fury of the scorching desert.  "The time for our greatness has finally presented itself! Onward we go; To legend!" 

"What is it we have found?" Would inquire another voice, much more smaller in size than it's orange haired companion, and much more tinier; pocket size, in fact.The black horned and black winged creature had made an abode upon the woman's right shoulder, using her orange hair as it's covering from the harsh desert winds.

"Have you not eyes to see it? Do not tell me the sand had blinded you!" The woman exclaimed back in response, pointing to the large structure in front of here, standing a foot or so higher than her own self. The tiny succubus moved a hand through the woman's hair, in order to better observe this said object personally herself.

"The secret runes!" The mage exclaimed. "The stories of legends! We stand before our very prize! Victory is ours!'

"Human.." The succubus began, a much more solemn tone than her companion.

"To legend!" The woman again exclaimed through the roaring winds.

"Human…" The succubus continued.

"Onward we go!" The mage enthusiastically exclaimed once again..

"Human!" The third repetition, while much more demanding for attention, did not harbor any bitterness towards the woman. It simply demanded attention, knowing that a shout would be the only way she'd receive it. 

"What?!" The mage responded, somewhat annoyed.

"It's a sandstone…"

"Indeed it is. The sandstones of the great runes!"

"No human, it's simply a sandstone…"

There was a pause, and all that could be heard within the area now, were only the roaring winds of the desert, in response to the tiny succubus's solemn statement. The orange haired mage turned her head towards her right shoulder, in order to now gaze directly at her pocket-sized companion. "Are you sure?" She eventually inquired after a few moments of silence, a look of disbelief upon her face.

"I am sure.." the succubus grimly answered.

"Damnit!" The scream echoed through the desert, above it's furious winds, as the mage declared her vocalized fury.

The storms were getting stronger, or so the dream-walker thought. Shielding her eyes with a fold of her sash, it served as a makeshift veil. In no time, the winds then died down and the phoenix with its human heard a scream. "What was that Asha?" Gale asked. The fire-bird was puzzled. "I know not, child of man. Perhaps another wayward wanderer like us. Take your steps with caution. The Harena is a fickle and temperamental mistress." With a nod, the fire-haired girl advanced towards the source of the shout. The winds were calmer now, which meant she no longer needed to shield her eyes. Following behind, Asha flitted through the air leaving vanishing embers in her wake.

They saw a person, by themselves–their clothing strange and unfamiliar to Gale. She could not tell from where this person had come from, judging by the clothing she had seen from places around the world. Nearby stood the stone rubble of perhaps a long-abandoned settlement which had decayed with the passing of time. Looking around there seemed to be no other reason for this person's distress, which was odd. "They seem troubled, maybe we can help." She wondered aloud. "Perhaps they have lost their way. The shifting sands make determining one's location a challenge." Asha replied in turn. Coming closer, she stood out in the open and called to the woman. "Greetings, traveler! Is there a way which I may assist you?" 

As she awaited the response, Gale noticed the woman's hair was like hers–bright like a warm flame. She had never seen anyone else with the same color of hair in her time under her teacher's tutelage, nor in her time walking this world. Without any memory of family outside of Master Rashaad and the other students, a question stirred in her thoughts. What if… Others might have brushed the idea aside without further thought, but to Gale everything that roused curiosity was worth exploring and examining. You would never know how far the truth went unless you followed it, like an unfurled ball of thread to the very end. Asha gently rested upon her shoulder, watching. 

Gale and Asha turned to each other in confusion. "It seems delirium has already taken hold of this one." The phoenix mused. The dream-walker wasn't so sure. It was understandable why the woman mistook them so, seeing how similar they were in appearance. "It is not unlikely, as people have seen mirages of oases." She waited patiently and stood still as the woman circled them with suspicion. Gale expected the woman to eventually realize that there was nothing to be alarmed about.

When the woman addressed her as her 'younger self', Gale looked puzzled. "Haunting you? I believe you are terribly mistaken, efendi. I am not a spirit, nor am I you. I am Gale, and this is Asha." She gave a bow before motioning to the fire-bird. "What are you searching for, if I may ask?" Her magnanimity made her overlook that this woman was likely a bit touched in the head, and that such a person would not respond to reason. Asha was quite aware, seeing how this woman raved to herself or some imaginary companion. Perhaps dehydration had taken its toll and was affecting this person's senses. They were far away from any signs of the nearest oasis, so who knew how long the woman had gone without water? The desert heat itself was not nearly as bad as the stranger claimed, as both phoenix and dream-walker were accustomed to heat and flame.

"We must not tarry for too long, child. The sun moves while we stand still and we cannot stop until we find sanctuary." Asha reminded. The oases were the only safe havens in this endless, barren sea of sand dunes. "I remember…we were searching for a walking spring. Is that right, Asha?" Gale asked. "Yes, your memory serves you well. Though any oasis will suffice at this moment." Came the fire-bird's reply.

From what Gale could gather from the woman's absurd and grand speech, she was searching for ancient relics and ruins of the past. This woman was certainly passionate about finding new things to learn, which was a good thing to the young dream-walker. She decided she liked this 'Izzey Ius' for her bright and uplifting spirit. Asha on the other hand saw her as a raving lunatic. Not the inherently dangerous type, but more of a delusional fool than a madwoman. "What an esteemed endeavor it is to seek the truth and discover new knowledge! Not many have the mind nor heart to search for that which lies beyond the present and material plane. I too am one who searches for new knowledge, but not in the same sense as you. My searches take place in a realm beyond dream and reality, born from the collective thoughts of the world."

The woman then asked them if springs could walk. Gale shook her head. "Not with legs, they do not. It moves of its own accord, but through magical means." Asha explained further. "What we search for is an elusive oasis with the strange trait of only remaining in a single location for a single day, then disappearing to another the next. This is why it has been called the Walking Spring. There have been no records of its pattern of appearance, and it has become a legend in its own right. Very few have seen it, or have been believed when they recount their tale."

"It is dangerous for us to be away from an oasis when night falls. The desert has many fiendish creatures which are only kept away by the desert springs' protection." Gale added. "Would you like to come with us? Even if we do not find the Walking Spring today, Asha knows where the other oases lie."

For a moment it seemed this woman was all too eager to come along, and for that Gale was happy. However that joy changed to concern as the mage fretted, knitting her brows. What was the matter? The woman seemed to be having second thoughts, for reasons unknown to her. As she pondered, the mage muttered something about runes, then repeated the words Gale had said describing what laid beyond the immediate, material world. Ah, so it was indecision that plagued her. Or was it something else?

Serious now, 'Izzey Ius'–as she called herself, presented them with a riddle. "You can see me in water, but I never get wet. What am I?" Gale was not expecting to be given a question, but was not bothered. She liked riddles, even though she was not particularly skilled in answering them. It was like a game she and the other children would play with Master Rashaad in between lessons. Folding her hands together, she smiled as she gave her reply. "A reflection. It can be seen in water, but can never get wet." She felt confident with her answer, as this was much simpler than the ones she had heard from the elders. Usually she couldn't even find an answer to give to those riddles. 

Gale interpreted Izzey's riddle as a test, a trial of sorts. What she intended to determine from it, no one knew. Not too concerned as to how the mage would take her answer, she simply did her best and awaited for the response. Asha thought it was just another of the woman's eccentric antics, and preened her glowing plumage.